First Weekend and Orientation

It feels like I have already been here forever - my host father has already come and gone from Paris, I've been to Cassis, walked around the city while learning about the history, been shopping in the market with my host mother, talked basic fashion with my host sister, watched two French films (Les Bronzees et Les Bronzees 3, part of a series - quite hilarious, even with my limited understanding) and spoken more French than I probably spoke in half six weeks this semester. Its absolutely crazy to think that it hasn't even been a week since I LEFT. Aix is a lovely city, a bit smaller than I imagined, but that's even better. But it also seems a bit more alive and interesting than most of the guides make it out to be. The two guides I read made it sound like a somewhat sleepy, relaxed town that one can fully discover in only a day or two. Yet there is such complexity and such wonderful history here that I can't imagine only spending a week here. And in regards to the idea that the town isn't lively is definitely false - youth, teens, adults and even older folk are active and walking around, talking animatedly, though still privately. French are plenty expressive, but they do know how to maintain a low profile - somehow they mandage to be super expressive and animated while still being respectful, composed, and somewhat aloof. Now that stuff at the AUCP center has started picking up, I can tell that this is going to be quite the jam-packed trip - even though there is a lot of free time built into our schedule, that time is not going to be just casual, go back to the house, take a nap and watch tv time. That's going to be "go out and explore the town, meet French people, listen in French, and attempt to speak French" time. Which I guess is what you want out of an experience like this. I'm feeling better about my French level too, which is reassuring. Just meeting the other students from the program and hearing how they are struggling too made me realize I'm not the only one. But my host family continues to be incredibly supportive and incredibly welcoming; they are trying to make sure I'm getting language exposure and that I'm at least getting to listen to the language even if I'm not talking myself, which is so nice of them and so generous. I feel incredibly lucky to have been placed with them, because not only are they opening their home for me and feeding me, but they are welcoming me into their family and attempting to integrate me into their lives, even while putting up with my sometimes stumbling efforts to speak their native language. I know how hard it is to have the patience to speak with someone who doesn't speak English well, so I can't imagine how hard it must be for them to hear my constantly butchering words and conjugations that they have been doing since birth. I can only hope my language gets better, for their sake as well as my own ha.

That's all the time I have for now, but I'll try to blog again Thursday or Friday - we're going to Marseille tomorrow so no time then!

Bisous XOXO