Well, it’s a beautiful cool night (finally!) and I’m looking at the moonlit outlines of the clouds from my skylight window, thinking about how crazy it is that I’ll be looking at the clouds over Arkansas in just a few short weeks. I’m not really sure why, but I think it hit me this week just how little time I have left. I'm trying to wrap up my shopping and enjoy the things I haven't had a chance to see yet (or taste). ;) A lot of people ask if I’m sad to leave, and I have to say “not really,” in a general sense. I’m ready to come home and be a part of life with my family and friends there. Of course, I am sad that I have to leave behind so many fledgling relationships, not knowing if or when I will have the chance to come back and deepen them in person. That’s what so hard about being here for only five months. It’s just long enough to establish a foundation for friendships, but not long enough to really build them. Anyway, there is a season for everything, and knowing that makes it easier to move on. Besides, I’m not leaving my new friends behind; I’m just “moving out of visual range.” ;) Sorry, trekkie reference there.
I’m super-excited about the fact that three UCO students will be doing a semester-long exchange at UCA this fall. I know they’re coming to learn English, but I’m definitely going to be begging for a least a little bit of French time so I don’t lose everything I’ve worked so hard for this semester. I hope they won’t mind! Maybe we can play bilingual Scrabble...with French and English words. I played in French with Joselyne and Wei Wei the other day, and it was definitely a lot of fun -- and definitely challenging. Believe it or not, I did score points! That made my night.
Sooo...I forgot to mention that I’ve had two amazing weekends in a row: the first with UCA choir friends and the second with Clémence and Azilys and Kendra. The weekend with the choir was full of the unexpected. I hopped on a train for Orléans on Thursday, hoping to catch up with them at their hotel and surprise them, since they didn’t know when or where I was going to show up. I almost didn’t find them, because they deviated from their itinerary. (Figures.) After getting my bearings from the map in the train station, I wandered in what seemed like the right direction to find the hotel. It took about 45 minutes, one stop to ask directions from a nice lady on the sidewalk, and a little bit of backtracking because of the uncrossable highways, but I finally made it. Unfortunately, they didn’t. :P So I left to find the restaurant where they were supposed to be having lunch, and I didn’t find it, but I found the tour bus in the square (which was hard to miss). I just happened to catch the bus driver getting the bus ready for them and asked if I could wait for them on board. He had no idea who I was, or what I was doing, but he said “sure” with no questions asked. I’m glad I’m not a terrorist. :P Anyway, I was so nervous about seeing them that I’m pretty sure I was shaking. It seemed so surreal to think that I’d be touching people from home and talking to them in person! It was priceless to watch their faces as they filed onto the bus one by one. I snuck up behind Evan and gave him a hug, but I think it took a few hours for it to actually sink in that I was really there. What’s interesting is that I hadn’t planned on sticking around long -- just catching a train back to Angers that night and finding them again in another city. Fortunately, Annie and Ashleigh didn’t let me go, and I just lived out of Annie’s suitcase until Sunday, taking the bus with them to Blois, Tours, and Nantes. It was super, super, super fun hanging out with my buddies, and being a French speaker, I think I came in kind of handy at least a few times. Here’s what I remember most about the weekend:
- Twirly chairs by the Loire. Yeah, they’re on rollers. 0_o
- Orléans being the sketchiest French city I’ve ever visited. Seriously. It didn’t matter who I was with.
- Hanging out with the staff at the hotel bar, teaching Sean and Evan some French, and learning that Evan’s last name doesn’t translate well into French.
- Nutella ice cream!!
- Tasting real champagne for Evan’s 21st...in France. What are the odds?
- Uhhhhh....petit français! (Ben was trying to say he spoke only a little French...but kept saying “little frenchman” -- until some waitresses finally lost it. And then it was just too funny to stop saying it.)
- Goodies from Bretagne, including pork intestine. Yeah...even I couldn’t get that down.
- Wondering if perhaps Annie and I have the same...parents? Hmm...
- An American choir and a French choir, lots of cider, and lots of singing -- in a creperie. I’m sure the Star Spangled Banner never sounded so good. (And neither has Lookin’ for a City...beat boxing included!)
I teared up when we said goodbye on Sunday morning, but at least I’ll see them soon. Not much longer!
Last weekend was awesome, too. Clémence, Azilys, Kendra, and I set off for Nantes Friday morning and had a lovely lunch with Clémence’s mom. It felt so good to be with a real family again. For some reason, we ended up talking about our host families, and I recounted some of my most interesting experiences. (I hate feeling like I'm complaining, but people ask, and I feel like I have to be at least honest.) She was really disappointed and a little bit shocked that we’ve had to go through what we have here. (Not that it’s been horrific; all the same, it’s not exactly ideal.) It’s just like if I found out someone had been through some difficult living situations in the U.S. Not only does it reflect badly on Americans, but I don’t want anyone to have a bad experience when they’re visiting my country. I want them feel warmly welcomed, to enjoy their time, and to have a rich cultural and relational experience without being burdened. Anyway, she said that she knew that the English had a reputation of being very exacting, cold, and very profit-oriented when hosting French students, but she had thought better of the French. Evidently it’s becoming just as much of a problem here. (Even our tour guide to the chateaus of the Loire pointed that out to us today, and he’s hosted students before.) Makes sense though...after all, the love of money isn’t limited to a particular nationality. All of my friends have told me that my rent is definitely high for what I’m getting, and wi-fi and laundry and meals aren’t even included. 3 euros extra for her to do a load of my laundry, 8 euros a month for wi-fi, and 6 euros per meal if I choose to have her cook for me. I’ll probably be writing a letter to the housing office here to let them know about my particular situation as well as some of the other experiences other students have told me about. I don’t think students have reported things as much as they should have in the past, or else the university has ignored the complaints. In any case, they need to do a better job of screening and keeping tabs on their host families, because in most cases, they aren’t really hosting -- they’re just offering a hotel -- or at the worst, abusing the trust of the university in the way they provide for the students. :P
Annnnnyway, back to the weekend. We packed up the dog and headed to the beach for the afternoon - about an hour’s drive. It was great, being on the road, in the sunshine, wind blowing in my hair...and even if walking around in the sun was a bit warm, the Speculoos ice cream did a fantastic job of cooling me off. We all had a wonderful time with her family at dinner, laughing and telling stories (one thing I’m going to miss SO much), before collapsing on the couch for Finding Nemo in French. Oh yeah, Clémence had to wrestle with the bedsheets first...but those pictures are on Facebook. 0_o
Saturday, Clémence’s parents took us out for lunch at a little restaurant on the shore of the Erdre river -- one of the most beautiful rivers in France. (THE most beautiful, according to the Sun King Louis XIV, and we all know how important his opinion was. :P ) The smoked seasoned salmon, white wine, fish in white butter sauce, cheeses, and profiteroles were *amazing*, especially since we were enjoying them outside with such a gorgeous view. It was probably one of the best meals I’ve had in France. To continue the good times, her parents rented pedal-boats, and we all climbed in for a leisurely pedal up and down the river. I couldn’t have imagined a lovelier way to spend the afternoon. And, as if that wasn’t enough fun for the day, we headed to Chateaubriant for a cookout soirée and night out with friends from the language department. We all goofed off for a while before heading out to the Bilbok to dance. It was quite an adventurous evening (and quite a long one), but I had lots of fun and now have lots of memories. :)
Other than those two weekends, a day of shopping with Gillie and Kendra yesterday, I’ve been laying low, trying to get rid of this chest cold I picked up somewhere. It’s been hanging around for a little while now, and I’m ready for it to be on its way. :P However, I did get the chance to take a day trip with Gillie, Kendra, and Ninh today to see several chateaus of the Loire. :) It was absolutely beautiful today, except for a little rain this afternoon, but overall it was the perfect weather for visiting Chenonceau, Clos Lucé, Langeais, and Ussé. We took the train to Tours early this morning to catch the all-day tour from the office of tourism. (Too bad no one gives prizes for the abundant usage of the word “tour”; I could have won today!) :P Our driver was quite friendly, and I really enjoyed our drives through the countryside just as much as visiting the chateaus. I hadn't realized just how much of France is rural or agricultural. These chateaus were a lovely change of scenery from what I'm used to, since they’re from the Renaissance era, and the ones I’m used to seeing in my region are better examples of medieval fortresses: impressive, of course, but not quite as aesthetically pleasing. (Oh, just a bit of trivia for you: Ussé is better known as the chateau in Sleeping Beauty.) I thought Kendra was going to faint. ;)
Well.....I think I’ve about written myself to sleep, or written up an appetite, so I’m going to find some fruit and head to bed. Tomorrow I have some hard-core reviewing to do for my ALP exam, but at least part of that will be giving a tour of Angers to Kendra to practice my tourism skills. Even so, I will be SO glad when this is finally behind me and not hanging over my head anymore. Night everyone!
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