It’s hard to believe I’ve already been here for 3 weeks! They fly by, especially without Friday classes.
Yesterday we rented bikes and took a ride to the Mediterranean! It was so much fun, but a lot longer than I thought it would take! The bikes were very heavy and there was a lot of wind, but we made it both ways just fine. I even picked up some baguettes and cheese before we left so we could have a mini picnic once we got there!
The scenery around here is just so amazing, I have to remind myself sometimes that I’m actually living in FRANCE!
I’m starting to pick up on the culture that surrounds me here. The French live in a very different way than we do in America, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. There is no sense of urgency here, and there seems to be an aura of leisure that surrounds everything. Stores are required to be closed for at least one day a week, and many close for 2 hours during lunch. I wouldn’t say that it is just because the French are lazy, but I’m starting to get the feeling that people just don’t like to work as much here. It certainly isn’t as prominent as the work force in the United States, where people work more than 40 hours a week. I just don’t see that happening here.
To the French, Americans always seem to have to go “big.” Whether it be our cars, our homes, or our personalities, we enjoy being excessive. I know that when I am speaking English to my friends on the tram or downtown, we often get looks from people around us. Perhaps it is the English, perhaps it is the noise level, but it is pretty evident that the French don’t like either.
It also surprises me how much the French know about American politics! My host family was talking to me about the Republican candidates and they knew even more than I did. The newspapers here have the United States on the front page, sometimes even in longer articles than I think they would have in the US. It just makes me feel like we are a self-centered nation, which is not entirely untrue.
I’ve found myself beginning to think in French almost all the time, and even when I speak to my family or friends I begin to translate my words as I go. I don’t even give a thought to saying “excusez-moi” on the trams, it just comes out. It’s a good feeling!
I have some homework to do (yuck!) that that’s all for this post.
Bon soir,
Kelsey
Location: Saint Jean-de-Védas, France
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That bike ride to the Mediterranean sounds beautiful. I know what you mean about the perception of Americans. I’m studying in London and you can tell you’re slightly being judged just by your accents. It makes me wonder what I’d think of Americans if I lived in another country. Enjoy the semester!
That bike ride to the Mediterranean sounds beautiful. I know what you mean about the perception of Americans. I’m studying in London and you can tell you’re slightly being judged just by your accents. It makes me wonder what I’d think of Americans if I lived in another country. Enjoy the semester!