I have been living with my host family for over a month and I can feel the difference in tension/tone from when I first arrived until now. When I first came, there was tension in the air, not in a negative way, but just referring to being afraid of the unknown. We didn’t know each other at all. Therefore, I had no idea what to expect: what do they eat, what do they don’t eat, are they an open family where you can relax and use the phone without asking, are they a bit closed off, etc. In the french language there is a formal and informal way to address someone. If the person is someone you do not know, a boss, etc, you would use “vous” to address them and in the opposite situation you would use “tu”. The first two to three days, they were using “vous” so I followed their lead and used “vous” too. By the end of week, they were using “tu” so I knew that we had gotten comfortable with each other.

With time, I came to find out my family is a very relaxed and opened family. They really enjoy having students stay at their house. I also noticed that they appreciate learning about each student’s culture. I am of Haitian Descent and they are also asking me about my culture. For example: what are our special dishes, our music, our language, etc. My family and I can spend hours after dinner talking about the similarities and differences between our cultures. They teach me new vocabulary. My host dad has lessons of the “Franche-Compt�” culture, (the region where Besan�on is the capital). He always has different cheeses for me to try and also provides the history of the cheese. I have learned so much from both him and my host mom.

My host mom and I like both like to “cuisiner” (to cook). She knows that I have a sweet tooth, or several, so she is also preparing desserts. I love her cooking and her baking. Sometimes, if I am back from school on time, we bake together. Below are some pictures of this fabulous dessert she made this week.

Location: Besançon, France