Author: Manou Liu

Réfléchir: to reflect

Souvenir: to remember (also a noun for memory/souvenir/keepsake)

I’ve been home in the United States for two weeks now, and I realized the importance of reflecting on my experiences abroad before rushing into the next phase of my life. Going into the program, I wanted to become fluent in French, learn about the French culture, and to “become a better version of myself.” But I learned so much more than I had expected, and while three months dealt me a lot of life lessons, I am by no means done shaping and practicing the values and morals that I learned. Three months is just not enough time for that, but it gave me new lenses for viewing the world with an entirely different perspective.

It showed me what truly matters to me. It re-shaped my ideas of success and happiness. It gave me a whole new appreciation and gratitude for my country, hometown, faith, family, and friends. It instilled in me core values and beliefs. It reiterated the important things in life. It provided greater clarity of my strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes. It taught me, and is still teaching me, how to deal with stressful situations, frustration, failure, disappointments, and setbacks. It filled me with a new sense of awe and wonder. It pulled the rug of comfort out from under me. Traveling and living in a foreign country, even with a host family, forced a new kind of independence and growth in me.

I lived with a host family in France for three months. It was my first time out of North America and my first time being so far away from home for three months. I always tried to be grateful for everything I had, but I couldn’t fully appreciate what I had until I was removed from it for such a length of time. I had to be physically removed from my family, friends, and hometown, to realize just how blessed I am.

In the same regard, it re-shaped my idea of success and happiness. Originally, success for me was the idea of leaving Fort Wayne and beginning a career outside of Indiana. To me, people did not leave Fort Wayne because they were comfortable there, or maybe did not have the courage to leave and discover what else was out there. Now I actually realize what a wonderful place it is to live in, and especially to raise a family in, (although for travelers, it admittedly does not have the tourist attractions that other cities have). Now, staying close to family rather than living in an exciting or appealing town is a worthwhile sacrifice. I still want to explore and discover other cities, and to be open and flexible if a career opportunity opens itself up to me, but I will always have those ties down where my family lives. Living in France permanently is just too far! I don’t want to miss too many precious moments with my loved ones, especially seeing my nephews grow up. I am so grateful I chose this exchange program after college while they are still toddlers, instead of studying abroad during college when I would have missed their births. There’s just something about my 3-year-old nephew looking for me when I’m gone that makes me want to be there for him. Even though I had an amazing experience in France, I was never happier to be back in Indiana.

My travels further instilled in me certain core values and beliefs. For example, I value honesty, respect, learning, generosity, humor, friendliness, flexibility, liberty, thoroughness, environmentalism, and spirituality. Honesty: I could have gotten away with student discounts and even under-18 discounts if they did not look at my ID, but I value honesty at all times. Friendliness: this is a cultural difference between French and Americans, which I mentioned in an earlier blog. You won’t see French smiling at strangers on the street. Some French may take friendliness as being insincere, while I value it as a supportive and inclusive gesture. After all, Mother Teresa said “Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.” Don’t think all French aren’t friendly though, I was fortunate to run into very friendly and generous strangers. My last Sunday in Bordeaux, Chanel and I were going to visit the Chateau de la Brede (Montesquieu’s castle) which is rather out of the way and a bit difficult to get to without a car. When we got to our connecting bus stop, we realized it didn’t run on Sundays. But the woman who was selling poultry near the bus stop called three taxi services for us until one agreed to come get us, then she gave us two cooked quail! On our way back, we decided to walk along the highway because the taxi was expensive, and one of the cars stopped to give us a ride. They had been on the tour with us and recognized us, and as it turned out, they lived right across from Chanel on the same exact street! Quelle chance!

Another core value for me is spirituality, and my faith will always remain unapologetically my main drive and passion in life. On my day alone in Paris, I chose to visit the Sacre-Coeur and its tower and crypt, followed by the Chapel of the Miraculous Medallion on Rue du Bac where two Marian apparitions occurred to St. Catherine Labouré in 1820. (Note: St. Catherine’s body is incorrupt and displayed in the chapel! I wasn’t told that and completely missed it because I saw many churches in France and Venice with statues of saints on display, but she is one of the hundreds of true, incorruptible saints!)

My trip definitely helped me to figure out and narrow down what I like and don’t particularly care for. For me, there is no trip more important or life-changing than a pilgrimage. I originally took tourism classes in college with the idea of working in ecotourism, but that didn’t even energize me as much as learning about pilgrimage tours did! I also love photography, especially of nature. Whereas I love reading and writing when I have plenty of time to devote to it, I also like privacy, so even this blog is a bit out of my comfort zone! Fame or fortune will never be something I care about, but making a difference in other peoples’ lives and always continuing to strive to learn and to improve myself while helping others will always be most important to me.

I am so thankful for the foundation of French I had built before arriving, which allowed me to improve a lot when I was there. I can read and write in French so much better, and I could definitely tell I was understanding so much more and speaking better than when I had arrived. My French improved significantly more than if I had lived alone, and I learned so much more about the French culture because of the constant exposure and opportunities the Londeix family provided for me. I also learned a lot from tutoring my host family in English. I actually prefer to tutor French than English, although teaching will most likely never be a calling for me. I prefer more behind-the-scenes work. I did see improvement in each of the family members’ English, and I tried to adapt my motivation techniques from motivating college students that I tutored at the university, to motivating younger students where a GPA is not of any concern yet. In addition, I learned the importance of being able to take criticism when learning or teaching a foreign language. Pride is a barrier to improvement, and you have to be humble and not take corrections personally. Your self-worth and intelligence are not measured by knowing every correct pronunciation, conjugation, expression, or fact. You must also be assertive yet kind when correcting others. Without this, a language exchange doesn’t do a whole lot of good!

Being outside of my comfort zone in a foreign country required me to practice patience, selflessness, humility, integrity, thoughtfulness, problem-solving, and kindness. It taught me, and is still teaching me, how to deal with stressful situations, frustration, failure, disappointments, and setbacks. My last week in Bordeaux was particularly stressful due to a minor car crash. I was riding one of my host family’s bikes to my friend’s host family’s house, and a car was turning and collided with me. I had noticed he wasn’t stopping and was braking as hard as I could, but I couldn’t stop in time. My oldest host family sister, Clemence, even witnessed the accident. I was fine physically, but shocked, embarrassed, and worried about the consequences. It didn’t help that the driver stuck his head out the window and immediately began yelling at me in French as cars were lining up behind him. I pulled the bike up onto the sidewalk (the front tire was smashed and impossible to maneuver) while he pulled over and came back to continue yelling at me until I finally told him I didn’t speak any French. Of course I could speak some French, but in that kind of situation I was at a loss for words, and the most disappointing part for me was that after three months of living there, I still couldn’t explain myself or communicate effectively in French. It was stressful following that night with figuring out our insurance and how to deal with getting the car ‘s scratches and bike’s wheel fixed. I went to the ER a day later with a headache that wouldn’t go away, and fortunately they accepted my program’s medical insurance. It wasn’t anything serious, but they prescribed me three medications. I was so happy when I went to the pharmacist and I understood all of the instructions the pharmacist told me in French! I definitely got a full look at the local life in Bordeaux thanks to that whole experience. It was an experience to learn from, and I was officially a Londeix after that, as they told me! I worried so much about it though and kept discussing it with my friends, when I should have just put it in God’s hands and enjoyed my last week (as much as I could with the headache and feeling as though my stomach was bleeding out from the prescriptions.) I am thankful for the insurance coverage and support from Greenheart Travel. I guess I made good use of all of the services they provided me!

After three months in Bordeaux, I am back where I was a year ago, job-searching and living with my parents. But I am not the same; I have grown and matured in ways that only a foreign exchange student can fully understand. I have a French family now and amazing friends from all over the world. I have a new-found awe of the world: of the people and places, of the architecture, art, history, languages, and the beauty of all of the natural wonders.

I will be placing a greater importance on the richness of my relationships, spirituality, travels, and physical health, and placing a greater simplicity on my material and temporary riches. I am worrying and complaining less. I’m putting my faith in God and my future in His hands. I am acknowledging gratitude for the many gifts and blessings in my life while offering up any annoyances, discomforts, or challenges that will inevitably arise.

Am I fluent in French? Not quite. Did I learn about French culture? Absolutely. Did I learn my vocation and calling in life? Not quite. Did I gain a new perspective and appreciation of life, the world, France, the USA, Indiana, Fort Wayne, and myself? Absolutely!

I still have so much to learn and so much traveling I’d like to do. France may be about the size of Texas, but it has so much to offer, and I feel so fortunate to have experienced life in France for a few months. I’m going to keep striving to perfect my French and I hope to travel again soon! Either way, I’m a pilgrim on this journey of life, and I’ll always remember my life-changing and eye-opening experience during the Language Exchange Homestay Program in Bordeaux.

Bonjour, tout le monde!

This blog post is long over-due, but I’ve definitely been profiting from my time here in Bordeaux! I know some people are curious as to exactly how I’m spending my time. Although I can hardly say I have a routine here as each day is different, I’ll try to trace a typical week for you in order to give a better idea of my experience as “the American” living with the Londeix family.

Monday/Lundi : The kids wake up around 7:30am to get to school. Breakfast is usually baguette or sliced bread with butter or jam, and milk (warmed up with cocoa powder) or juice. I start off my mornings with daily readings and studying my French. Aude (the mother) and the two youngest kids, Mayeul and Hortense, are home for lunch (Aude is an elementary school teacher, but she co-teaches and shares her 9-10 year old class with another teacher at a private Catholic school, which is why she only works Thursdays and Fridays). Elementary school children get 90 minutes for lunch and have the choice of staying in the cafeteria or going home, in which each morning at attendance they say “oui” or “non” for the school lunch (at least that’s how it’s done in Aude’s school). We eat at the table together, then the kids go off to read, watch tv, play guitar, study, etc, while Aude and I clean up and have some coffee. The kids head back to school around 1:15pm in which I’m free to go out and explore/run errands/go shopping, etc. Call me crazy, but I still don’t like shopping even if it’s on the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe! I return by 5pm when the kids get home from school so we can tutor before dinner around 7:30pm. Olivier, the father, is often out of town for his PhD work, but when he is home we work on his English prononciation too. They go straight to bed after dinner and I watch a movie in French with French subtitles to practice my listening and vocabulary.

Tuesday/Mardi : The morning starts off the same with my reading, although sometimes I will go for a run at the park or find a site to visit. This week I had a 2-hour tour of the fountains in Bordeaux. It was interesting to learn the history of the water of Bordeaux, and I was happy to be able to comprehend most of it since the tour guide articulated well and spoke slowly. Lunch is together again with Aude and the little ones, and afterward I normally meet up with my friends Clotilde (French), Chanel (Canadian), and sometimes Nerea (Spanish) for a language exchange at a cafe, speaking half the time in French and half the time in English. I come home to tutor, have dinner with the family, and either go to the cinema, watch a French movie at home, or Skype with friends.

Wednesday/Mercredi :  Wednesdays are a little different since it’s the recreational day for the students. They have some class in the morning, but we all eat together for lunch, and in the afternoon Clemence, Armand, and Mayeul have tennis, guitar, and music-reading lessons. If I don’t have plans or errands to run, I stay home and study and stay available to tutor around the kids’ activities. Dinner is together at the table as usual.

Thursday/Jeudi : The kids are back at school and Aude teaches Thursdays so the young kids also stay at the cafeteria for lunch. If Olivier is home, we eat lunch together, or else I do my own thing. I’ve had Chanel and Clotilde over for lunch before, or ventured the day with Chanel to shops and museums, or taken the day to work out and study. Like Tuesdays, I often meet with Clotilde and Chanel for a language exchange in the afternoon, then have tutoring and dinner with the family.

Friday/Vendredi : Similar to Thursdays. One Friday, I shadowed Aude at her school to observe the French school system. Other times I meet up with Chanel and Clotilde in the afternoon. Although it’s the start of the weekend, we tutor and have dinner around 7:30pm or 8pm and the kids go to bed shortly after that.

Saturday/Samedi : Saturdays begin a little later, with breakfast around 9am, and sometimes we will tutor before lunch together. The lunch is more drawn out on Saturdays, and oftentimes I spend longer speaking to Aude (always in French). I find the depth of our conversations fascinating, especially despite the language barrier! Saturday afternoons vary as well, but in the past we’ve gone on a family visit to the Arts Decoratifs museum and each picked out a French pastry for the walk home, with a run in the Parc Bordelais afterward. A couple times I’ve gone to the movies with the kids (we saw Pompeii in 3D and Qu’est-ce qu’on a fait au Bon Dieu? – a French comedy about a Catholic French family with 4 girls who marry men outside of their parents’ wishes of the traditional French Catholic husband). On Saturdays we normally have an aperitif with the news, then dinner together. Although, on a few special occasions we’ve had dinner in front of the tv with a French movie. Other times we’ve had Olivier’s colleagues over for dinner which lasted until 1am! Or friends over for dessert and champagne or tea while we talked until almost midnight as well. A couple times Olivier and Aude have gone to a friend’s house for dinner at 9pm while the kids and I stay home and watch a movie. (As you can probably tell, it’s quite different for me how late they eat their meals in France! The kids often have sleepovers with friends as well. If we’re not watching a movie, we’re watching The Voice, 9pm-11pm, which is Clemence’s favorite tv show. In fact, besides the news, that’s the only television show I’ve ever seen them watch!

Sunday/Dimanche : On Sundays we normally go to church at Saint Seurin at 11am. Sometimes I go with Clotilde and her boyfriend, Romain, to Notre Dame for the evening mass, which has more students. After Sunday Mass, we often go to Jean-Marie’s house (the grandfather, or Olivier’s father who lives about 5 minutes on foot from us) for a long, relaxing and always very filling lunch. We start with an aperitif, then appetizer, main dish, cheese, dessert, and coffee (which is always accompanied with a little chocolate). The meal easily lasts from 1pm until around 3 or 4pm. Lately the kids have been absorbed in the Wii, and Mayeul received a new Mario Kart game for his 10th birthday. If the kids’ homework is done, we tutor, play Wii or watch a movie on Sunday night. A couple Sunday afternoons we’ve gone to the Musee d’Aquitaine, the museum with regional artifacts, to see the permanent display or special temporary exhibitions like the Aboriginal art. Dinner is normally very small due to the big lunch!

 

Although I’ve seen the Bordeaux sights and done the obligatory tourist activities (more on that in a different blog post), I’m living as a local rather than traveling as a tourist. I don’t always have tons of pictures to upload because people in Bordeaux don’t have tons of pictures to upload everyday. But this isn’t a bad thing at all, and I’m certainly never bored! Every moment of the day is a learning opportunity. The best way to learn a new culture and a foreign language is not through a tourist’s binoculars and French-English dictionary for a week, it is to live it and speak it with the locals for months.

What a month it’s been! I’m learning so much about myself and falling in love with France more and more.

Being completely honest, it wasn’t an easy transition. In fact, this Language Exchange Homestay has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done!

It took some time to get adjusted in Bordeaux. I realized just what a creature of comfort I really am. It turns out, my comfort zone ends at being physically sick in a new, big family in a foreign country. I didn’t expect the French cuisine to cause me any problems, but it took two weeks until I could stomach it! I think the bacteria in the cheese was new to me, as well as eating red meat again for the first time in years (and there is a lot of meat in the French diet). I will have to devote a whole blog on just the food though! And don’t get me wrong, my host family is fantastic and the meals here are divine!

In addition, I caught a head cold and really only felt homesick because I didn’t feel well physically. It was a busy first week in Bordeaux because the kids were still on winter vacation, which meant squeezing in a lot of tutoring before they returned to their busy school schedules. I had to quickly figure out where each of the kids were at in terms of their English abilities and to adjust lesson plans accordingly. I also had to work alongside the language barrier, which is actually more difficult with the kids because they speak faster and cannot describe what they mean as well as the adults can (it’s a constant game of Catchphrase and Charades). You can imagine how frustrating it was for me to not even be able to understand a 5 year old!

Fortunately, my homesickness (mal du pays) didn’t last long and as I felt better physically, the cultural differences became more interesting and endearing rather than making me feel isolated or frustrated.

I knew I would be able to adapt to living in France because humans are just adaptive creatures, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to adapt as a local. My French is good enough to get around just fine, and there are plenty of places to eat and shop just like in the U.S., but I want to be able to speak fluently and fully adopt the French lifestyle.

The French school schedule is still a little bizarre to me. I had assumed the kids and Aude would be at school all day (Olivier is working on his PhD so he travels and comes and goes for his work) and I had heard that students have 2 hours for lunch. In fact, Aude and the kids come and go from the house throughout the whole weekday! The elementary students have about an hour and half for lunch where the parent chooses whether they eat in the cafeteria or come home (Mayeul and Hortense usually come home). Aude teaches but not every day and is home for lunch every day except Thursdays. The middle school (or in French, the college) has 3 possible schedules for the students. Clemence and Armand have the C schedule which allows for the most freedom. All middle school lunchtimes are only thirty minutes in reality, which Aude said is plenty of time because the kids eat so fast. They will have some breaks throughout the day where they come home for a couple hours, and if a teacher will not be present one day and there isn’t a substitute, they are free to leave. The A schedule is the most strict and they would have to stay at school in a certain room for a study hall. Wednesdays are days for recreational activities. They go to tennis practice and guitar lessons!

I usually tutor them around 5pm at night, and dinner is around 7:30pm and they go to bed afterwards, but sometimes I will tutor them during the day when they’re home. I also work with Olivier with his pronunciation whenever he is home. I remain very flexible and truly hope they are benefitting from having an anglophone around! Olivier stated last week that he thinks his English has improved, and I agree. He often translates for me when I’m lost in the conversations. Hortense also came into my room at 8:30am on a Saturday asking to work on English, so I guess that’s a good sign? She loves the English alphabet game app that I found and always asks for my iPod now!

I don’t have a routine yet, but I go day by day and stay very busy! When I’m not tutoring or lesson planning, I’m either studying, exploring, running errands, or exercising. I went to the library with Aude and Hortense one day and found some great books and CDs for learning French, and we picked out some DVDs as well. I especially like practicing my French by watching movies in French with French subtitles!

My favorite film I’ve watched here so far has been La Vie Est Belle. I would pause it to translate certain words and I was able to understand it really well and learn some new phrases. Although it is a sad movie, I really appreciated the humor and enjoyed the character of Guido. It made me realize the power of having a sense of humor, and how I take things way too seriously. Coming to France I knew I would need to laugh at myself, but I’m a lot more Type A than I thought!

Although I love France and Europe, this trip has made me realize all I have to be thankful for at home too. It showed me what is truly important to me. I could live in the coolest places in the world, but if I’m not with family and friends, it’s meaningless. I keep coming back to the quote from Into the Wild, “Happiness is only real, when shared.” Traveling and visiting sites by yourself is fun, but it means so much more when you can share it with your loved ones.

I’ve also realized the importance of conservation and living simply. I realized how few possessions I have with me, and yet I don’t miss anything from home (save for a few books I wish I would have brought with me). My host family of 6 people aren’t as wasteful as other smaller families. They use far less paper products than in U.S homes and they reuse and recycle a lot of things. It was eye-opening this weekend when Saturday was an overcast day due to pollution! Clemence said it was the first time Bordeaux had a grey blanket in the sky hiding the sun (that’s how she described it in French to me). The air smelled a little smokey too. It was advised for old and young people and for those with respiratory problems to stay inside, and in Paris and Bordeaux all public transportation was free. My host family only owns one car and I’ve only ridden in it a few times so I was naive to think all families drove so little. The public transportation is great here, and I love being able to walk everywhere! It takes everyone’s effort though to conserve our resources and take care of this Earth. I worry about its state when my little nephews Micah and Zeke get older!

This week was also a turning point because I’ve made some friends and enhanced my social circle. I met Clotilde, who is the same age as me and lives two doors down from me! She is studying to be a lawyer and wants to improve her English as well. I got together with Clotilde and her other language exchange friend, Chanel, at McDo on Thursday. Chanel is from Vancouver and is staying here to learn French since she studied political science and French is the other official language of Canada besides English. She is 27, and like me, is taking time off to travel and improve her language skills. It was such a relief to be with someone else who struggled to communicate in French. I hadn’t realized how lonely it was to be the only person up to that point to be lost in conversation or unable to explain what I want to say. We spoke one hour in French and then one hour in English. Chanel has been in Bordeaux since November and said it was weird to be chatting in English again after practicing French for so long!

Yesterday, I met up with Chanel and we went to the market at the quai de Chartrons near where she lives. There were lots of booths set up with all different types of French delicacies, cuisines, and of course cheese, bread, and wine! Then we went to a local cafe for coffee before joining a language exchange group at an English bar. I had been researching ways to meet people, which is not easy when you’re not a student! (I tried a Zumba class but it was all older women and truthfully just not as fun or strenuous as Zumba in the U.S.) Aude told me Bordeaux is a very close city and it’s difficult to get into a social circle, which she found when she moved here from Paris years ago. I found this group that meets every Sunday for two hours and is open to anyone wanting to practice any languages! We had a great time meeting a variety of people, and we’ll return next week. There are so many people, especially Europeans, who speak multiple languages. This isn’t the case in the U.S. so much, and makes me even more determined to master French so I can move on to learning Spanish : )

After that I went to church with Clotilde and her boyfriend, Romain, at Notre Dame for the night mass. This has more students and it is a beautiful church! Afterward I met her friends and we went to McDo like they often do after church. Because I hadn’t known anyone my age up until then, I hadn’t explored Bordeaux at night. Bordeaux is breathtakingly beautiful with the historic buildings illuminated at night!

I also met one of Aude’s friends on Friday who has 4 children. We had lunch at her house which has the most magnificent backyard (I need to take a picture next time for you!) and her children are so adorable. I played hide and seek with the two youngest ones, and the oldest showed me the different trees and plants and flowers around the yard. The way she described them and smelled them in her sweet French voice, you would have thought she was seeing them and smelling them for the first time! I loved getting a look inside another French family’s lifestyle, and I am looking forward to meeting them again and even practicing some English with them too.

Last night, I dreamed in French more than I ever have before, and I didn’t want to wake up! I’m happy to continue working on my French today. All of the headaches and exhausting days are worth it. I’m thankful for my host family who is so patient with me and helpful, and I’m cherishing these new friendships!

The French are much friendlier than outsiders believe them to be, and sure I’ve met a few bordelais who clearly did not have the patience or energy to put up with an anglophone that day, but I can understand now how difficult it is. A lot of French people know some English, but there are others who speak almost none, and English is a tough language to learn! It’s much different teaching English than it is French. I’m motivated to become a better English tutor and to share more American culture with them. I’m truly gaining a new perspective, and it’s important for us all to learn that not everyone thinks the way you think or works the way you work. Your way is not superior to another way, it’s just a different way of doing it.

This week I’ll be tutoring two more kids in English from a family that Aude is friends with. I can’t wait to explore more of Bordeaux and feel less and less like outsider! I’m realizing how short my stay is here, and I wish I could stay longer and see all of Europe! I am prioritizing the sites I have to see here, and savoring each quirky, heartwarming, humbling, precious French moment here!

In the morning on Sunday, February 16th, we each packed a backpack and set off for the train station. It was a beautiful 6 hour train ride across southern France. I managed to play a card game with the older kids. It’s hard communicating with them. I felt frustrated I couldn’t say what I wanted to say and only understood bits and pieces. The kids know some English which is helpful but sometimes their accent is so strong I still can’t understand! Olivier gave me an article to read from the daily newspaper about differences in mealtimes between Americans and French. It was interesting and actually very accurate. For example, Americans associate the word “cake” with “guilt” and French associate it with “birthday.” The French enjoy their food. Anyway, reading the article reassured me that I’m only used to reading and writing French.

Marseille is magnificent. Our vacation home is small for 7 people but they are all so low maintenance that it’s no problem. We set off to roam the city. I could already see a slight difference in the way they dressed compared to Bordeaux and in the architecture. Marseille is more colorful and tropical and Bordeaux is more classy and sophisticated. We ate at a Tunisian restaurant that night and it was fun eating new food and getting to know the family more.

The next morning my heart sank a little thinking about struggling through another day in French. At first it was music to my ears but then it became work that I felt like I should be doing better at after studying it in school. We started off each morning with baguettes and Nutella, butter, or jam and tea or coffee. We set off for a full day of museums as everything else was closed on Monday. We went to Subway for lunch which was so fun because it was their first time there! It was also my first time really having to practice my French. Aude told the Subway employee that I was American before I ordered. We talked a little and after hearing it was only my second day there he was surprised and said “Oh mais votre francais, c’est magnifique!” (Oh but your French, it’s magnificent!) This made me happy because I feel like Americans are stereotyped against, and I feel like people can tell right away that I’m not French. [This is also because I naturally smile when I make eye contact with a stranger but the French need a reason to smile and instead remain deadpan. It feels unfriendly to me but I just have to get used to it.] On the other hand, the Subway employee told Aude that he appreciated that I smiled because most Americans do not! This gave me a boost in morale. The family liked Subway, but the kids have really been wanting “McDo” (pronounced mack-dough) aka McDonald’s : )

We walked along streets with open markets that were buzzing with people. Some people just had blankets with used electronics, shoes, etc. that they were selling. We bought fruit and dates, and the market vendor was really friendly and sociable with Hortense. That was nice to see since the crowds were mostly men and well, they are not the kind of streets you’d want to walk in alone at night! We were very cautious of pickpocketers too. My host family also remarked that the streets are a lot more polluted than in Bordeaux. There is a lot of poverty and we passed by a lot of beggars. Some street performers were very entertaining, with one man under an African animal costume “baah-ing” like a sheep.

For dinner that night we had pizza and French beer. I was really happy to see that French people like beer with their pizza too! We all agreed Domino’s was better though : ) After that we picked out oriental desserts and ate those at home with tea before heading to bed. We were really tired from walking all day!

The next morning I was ready to go out and explore again. We went over English terms for fruit in an open market, and many words are the same only pronounced differently. When people heard me speaking English they looked at me like I was an exotic animal in a zoo exhibit! I would have much rather blended in and pretended that I was French, but it’s a learning experience for my host family too.  We went to the natural museum and then hung out until lunch. I had organic fruit snacks for the kids which they thought was funny because “gummies” are for dessert, not snacktime. My family liked that they were organic and natural though. Later Olivier noticed the wrapper said “Made in France” which is odd because they’re only available in the U.S. and the French never eat fruit snacks!

For lunch we went to a kebab place, which is different than our shish kebab on a skewer. In Europe, a kebab means sliced meat and vegetables in a pita, like a wrap! The restaurant had a tv on playing music videos that were popular in the U.S. I’ve noticed most songs playing in stores are in fact from the U.S. and not France.

After lunch we visited the Notre Dame de la Garde. The views were incredible and I was in awe of the scenery and the church! Then we went to the Abbey of St. Victor and saw really old sarcophagi. Museums have been good practice for my French reading and listening comprehension. A lot of museums didn’t always have English translations. Today I could tell I’m absorbing new words and phrases and I’m able to communicate despite my broken French. It’s been fun for the family and I to find similarities and differences between the U.S. and France, although right now I mostly only notice similarities! Dinner was pasta and salad at home with fruits and dates for dessert. The wine is great, and this one was from Nimes in Provence. They tried out more English words, and Hortense really liked saying “blood” in a scary voice over and over. It was so cute. We watched some of the news and the Olympics too. Armand asked if I was rooting for USA or France and I said both! They liked that answer.

On Wednesday we went to more museums which were really interesting due to the rich history. We also made our first trip to McDo. The only major difference was in the color scheme. Instead of the yellow, white, and red design it’s green to make them seem more environmentally-friendly. They also have the “menu” or “formule” as it’s called in other establishments, which is a set meal at a good value. This included a sandwich, fries, drink, and ice cream. The actual menu is called “la carte” which is where we get “a la carte” from. After that we took a long walk along the beautiful Mediterranean shore.

On Thursday we went back to McDo for lunch since it’s easier with such a big familly on vacation. Afterward we got coffees and read while we waited for our boat ride to Chateau d’If. The coffees are so small but strong in France. You order a coffee, and get an espresso shot! With sugar cubes, of course. I read the newspaper and noticed the Saint of the Day was described right alongside the daily crossword and above the weather and horoscopes. It was an example of how Catholicism is ingrained in their culture (although largely secularized today) but I was interested to see it firsthand since I had read in my etiquette book that the Saint of the Day is announced right alongside the weather.

Chateau d’If was magnificent! It was my first real castle that I got to explore. It was interesting to learn the history of the castle, some of it real and some of it fiction. They had the rooms and prison cells labeled, which was cool to be able to go into the cells and see it from a prisoner’s perspective. They also had a tv playing showing the Count of Monte Cristo above the hole that was dug for the movie. Before Alexander Dumas’ book came out, most people didn’t now about Chateau d’If. In the castle’s beginning, it was considered rushed and an eyesore! I really enjoyed it though.

Friday was our last day to walk around Marseille. We also went to an art exhibit displaying Picasso and the like. Hortense was bored and asked me how to say in English pretty much every word she could think of! On Saturday we had one last laugh at the campaign posters that were displayed across our vacation home. Each day we went out to see fresh campaign ads posted, and each night we walked back to see them torn down with graffiti in their place. (There was a lot of graffiti in Marseille, and we even saw people graffiti-ing in broad daylight.) We walked to the train station and Armand and I agreed that we really liked Marseille, but were ready to go back to Bordeaux. I’m looking forward to getting settled in!