Un petit mot de Laurine

Ça y est. My time is running out fast. The hardest thing is going to be leaving my friends behind, leaving behind my french family. Just fourteen more days, and I'm back in Colorado!

But before I get caught up in packing and tying up loose ends, I'm going to post the response to the sondage that my very good friend Laurine sent to me in an email. (I'll try to do it justice in my translation.)

1. What's your impression of Americans and the United States?

Well, I think it's the same as 90% of French people... and that it's greatly distorted by the American TV shows and movies that make up our teenage culture...For me, the United States represent greatness, excessiveness, the country where everything is possible, the modern state of beauty. In my opinion, your country has something that makes the whole world turn around, as though the other countries were nothing but the USA's satellites... something like freedom, extravagance, and that's what people like. When someone says "America", you almost get the impression that they're talking about a general notion, and not a country. But then, from a completely personal point of view, the USA is like a power that's unsinkable, and at the same time, that you can't define. The representation that we have of the United States makes it seem like an idyllic dream, while the reality is completely different. Even so, it's from the Americans that we got a consumer society and a capitalist system... In the end, you either like it or you don't, that's not the problem. I'm not going to start talking politics, otherwise I'll end up writing the biggest email in the world that will transform itself into a political essay... ;-) As for Americans, I don't know any, other than a certain Elizabeth Rachel Bob Hildebrandt, who is (ma foi!) rather eccentric and original, so maybe not a good representation of the rest of the American population ;-) So I don't have an opinion on them. They must be like most people after all...

(Phew! That was certainly a complete answer!) 

Here's question 2: What is the biggest difference between the U.S. and France in your opinion?

 

Hmm... I don't know... maybe the historical differences. France is a very old country whose roots go back very far in time, while America has a much more recent history. It's a kind of difficult question, because there must be a lot of differences, but the biggest...

3. Is there something you would like to say to Americans?

Lots of things. As for all the civilisations in the world. But since I have to narrow it down, if I could go back in time to the fifties - after having visited MARTY MCFLY of course ;-) - I'd go tell them to forget their model of an absolute consumer society, or at least to convey it more moderately and not to forget the real human values that don't have anything to do with materialism, thanks to whom the world is in such a bad condition today... As for today, I'd like to say to Americans, and particularly to Barack Obama, who heads the biggest power in the world - no offense to anybody, it's just the truth -  that right now, change can only happen through a change in the United States. If they decide to get rid of the stupidities that are capitalism, but also communism in other countries of the world, the other powers will follow because they won't have a leader anymore, and everything will collapse. Now is simply the time to act... 

Ah yes, and otherwise, something less political : Dear Americans, be like Lizzie, come to France and let us discover the cultural riches of your country. That way, we can do the same. Actually, this message addresses people of all the nationalities in the world...

Lovely memories...

Sondage

Here (finally!) is the promised sondage! Well, I don't know how reliable it is, since it was collected from only five French people, one of whom is actually Chinese...

Here are the questions:

1. What's your impression of Americans and the United States?

2. What is the biggest difference between the U.S. and France in your opinion?

3. Is there something you would like to say to Americans?


My French teacher:

1. I don't know the United States very well, I've never been there and I'm sure that my head is filled with clichés! I think that it's a very diverse country: diverse opinions, diverse customs, diverse origins... also a diverse geography (Yosemite, Yellowstone, Louisiana, Alaska...)

2. Perhaps it's the difference in lifestyle that comes from the size of the country or the liberal ideaology ("The American Dream"*) that's deeply rooted in Americans' minds.

3. I'd like to tell them to be more liberal about social issues, to be more open-minded and to not confuse beliefs and intolerance (another difference is religious views).

*This was in English in the text.


My host sister's friend:

1. Cheese

2. We like squirrels

3. French people don't say "hon hon hon" all the time*

*( I think she was referring to something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o1AIMofVHU )


My host brother's girlfriend's friend:

1. From what I've learned, American culture is a culture that is focused on the future, a culture where you dare to throw yourself into projects without fearing failure, whereas French people are a lot more cautious; they're afraid to take the initiative and don't like change.

2. Like my answer to the first question, I think that the biggest difference is the adventurous American state of mind opposed to the French people's conservative state of mind.

3. We wash ourselves, we're not monsters just because we eat frogs or horses.


The Chinese guy:

1. There aren't any CDIs in America.*
They very probably live under stress.
But in France taxes are too high. We are not happy with this in France!

2. French people don't work! Always on strike.

3. French people eat horses!
And the French didn't invent perfume for nothing, you can smell it in the public transport.

*I'm not sure which CDI he was referring to: http://www.wordreference.com/fren/CDI


His girlfriend:

1. Barack Obama and François Hollande

2.

3. We wash ourselves!*

*Note added by her boyfriend: Or not?


Well, there you go, straight from the horse's mouth! (By the way, if you were wondering why there were so many references to horses, it was because the horse meat scandal was in the news when I took the survey.) I'm not sure if this has dispelled or reinforced stereotypes...

And I'm sorry if my translation is a little funky. It's so weird not being able to trust myself when I speak English!

What happened to April!?

 Here I was, merrily (or unmerrily) passing my time in France and then BOOM! It's mid-May. I have less than two months left! How the heck did that happen?

So suddenly it's time to start thinking about all the things that I want to do before I have to go home, all the people that I want to hang out with, and all this while preparing for the BIG BAD BAC. (Okay, I don't really have to prepare for it since it doesn't matter if I flunk it, but the nervous energy in the class is contagious!)

Here are the things that I want to do before I go:

1. Learn how to make crèpes

-Every time that my host brother comes home from the fac, we eat crêpes the first night. Crêpes with Nutella, crêpes with powdered sugar, crêpes with Boursin, crêpes with Comté... I can't come home without knowing how to make them! I need to spread this delicious tradition!

2. Write a song in French

-Even when you can speak a language comfortably, it's still REALLY HARD to write poetry. You have to look up those poetic words that no one uses on a daily basis but that are used all the time in verse. I have decided that this will be my last self-imposed linguistic challenge...

3. Start reading the news

Despite being here for nearly nine months, I still haven't figured out the political system. I used to glance at the home page (http://www.lemonde.fr/) every time that I went online, and I wondered why it was always talking about Holland. We're in France! Since then I have learned that François Hollande is the president of France, and that he's the second président de gauche of the French Fifth Republic. But that's just skimming the surface! Before I go, I want to have a better idea about the French government.

4. Start watching T.V.

Like the last resolution, this one is about soaking up the most culture I can before leaving. You'd be surprised how much you can learn about a country just from watching its commercials! In France, there are more commercials selling perfume and milk products- naturally. And slogans and jingles are great for learning words and puns!

http://www.culturepub.fr/spots?filter=rates_average&country_id=1

5. Treat myself

Every time I pass a pâtisserie in Besançon, I think to myself : "That looks incredibly delicious and sugary. I should probably not eat it." But you know what? There is really no point in just looking at pastries. You HAVE to eat them. So I have decided that I'll just have to eat them.

Street Fashion in Besançon

Street style is something that I've really gotten into- especially since I've been exposed to the plethora of creative styles in Europe. Just walking around in Besançon, you can spot a bunch of amazing outfits! Since it's now spring and people are getting out their more colorful clothes, I decided to take some pictures for the blog. So... I don't know if anyone other than me cares about this, but here we go!

 Scarves are an essential part of your wardrobe in France! (As is a jean or leather jacket).

This is more of a style bohème- very common in Besançon.

 I love the pants here! 

 The outfit on the left is a good example of the creative colors you can see in Besançon.

A wide array of styles in a small group!

And the following pictures show some of the many, many clothing stores in Besançon centre ville:

 Thank you to everyone who was nice enough to let me take a picture of them! It was my first time trying out street photography, and I got turned down a lot.

La citadelle

The sondage is still working itself out, but I went to the citadelle of Besançon in the meantime, so I'll put up some photos.

The citadelle is not what you think of when you think of "château". Its primary purpose is to protect Besançon, so the architecture is aimed at keeping the enemy out, and protecting the people inside from threats such as sieges. There are wells and watch towers and concentric walls- this place saw several wars! If you want to know more about the citadelle:

http://www.citadelle.com/fr

http://www.heritage-virtuel.com/visiteflash/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel_of_Besan%C3%A7on

I went there with some AFS friends and my host mom after walking around centre ville. We saw the outdoor zoo, and two of the museums inside. It's a lot bigger than it looks on the outside!

Big Fat Post

Well, I guess that the reason why I haven't written in so long is because everything seems normal now and I didn't know what to write about; I'm in the groove!

As far as language goes, I've finally started to think in French (which I wanted to do the first week here!) and make mistakes in English... this is a good thing! I can't tell you how weird it is to be in the middle of writing an essay for English class and ask myself "How do you say that in English!?". The two Canadian exchange students in my class told me today that I speak English with a French accent. I am very happy.

I couldn't have predicted before coming here that I would be force-feeding a sick guinea pig, trying to convince people that I wasn't a werewolf or developping a growing interest in swing music. On one hand I feel like I've grown up a lot since I've been here and that I see things in a new way, but on the other hand, life is still life. I still have good days and bad days, and I'm recognizing now how much my culture is a part of who I am. It takes a lot more than changing your location to integrate into another culture- I relate to the world in an American way, and even if I were to stay in France for a long time, my background would remain a part of my identity. So I now see my goal to "become française" in a new light.

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My grandmother very kindly sent me a list of questions that she has about France and my life here, since I was experiencing a severe case of writer's block. Here I will try to answer them.

1. What do you have for breakfast?

That depends how I feel.  The typical French breakfast (what my host dad eats and what is suggested as a "balanced meal" on the butter, the cookies, etc.) is a big bowl of warm liquid such as milk or tea with a fruit and a piece of buttered bread and a yogurt. I usually opt for cereal and/or yogurt and tea. I'm not to big on the giant bowl thing...

2. Who cooks in the family?

Marie-Armelle, my host mom. I made Palak Paneer yesterday...

3. How are the teenagers in France different from those in America?

To start off, French teenagers dress better. They're also better-looking in general in MY opinion, but taste is subjective. In France, there isn't the same emphasis on individuality as there is in the U.S., so there isn't the same clique hierarchy. I feel like teenagers here are also more mature... but it's hard to say. Maybe it's just that the immature teens aren't as loud as in America.

4. Do kids wear jeans? Are they more covered than some of the American girls?

Okay. Here is what you need to dress like a French girl:

• A scarf.
• A black leather jacket
• Skinny jeans
• Wedge boots
• A leather bag  

Of course there are girls who like to wear short skirts, but as I said before, they do it with better taste.

5. Do you take your lunch to school or eat there?

No one takes their lunch to school. We either eat at the cafeteria, at home, or at the "Dépot de Pain" across the street.

6. Is your family musical?

Not especially. It's okay. I sing everywhere I go. 

7. Do you have many AFS functions?

There are three big meetings throughout the year, and then a few parties here and there.  We always take lots of pictures together and dance a lot and share our experiences and thoughts. Have you noticed that the French people always say this? That they never do that? And we all agree that we're getting fat from eating too much cheese.


Next time I'll do a sondage of French opinion on the U.S!

A quite normal day

Jeudi 14 février

 Wake up to a lovely clean room

 Breakfast with Télérama

 Tea with Alfred de Musset

Watching the birds...

 Marie-Armelle leaves for work

View from the bus

Ticket obliterator

 Prochaine station demandée: Gounod (not my stop)

 My stop

 Scary smoky tunnel!

My lycée

First I stop by my locker,

Then I go up the stairs,

 Then the other stairs...

To math class

I wait outside the classroom before History class starts

Today we watched "The Pianist" as part of the World War II unit

 And then it's time to go to...

 Lunch! But first we take a walk

Sometimes I'm tired, so I just listen

This is the "internat filles" -which is kind of like boarding school

 Marion is happy because she is no longer waiting in the freezing cold

She shows me her lunch card, which she will shortly be using

One of the infamous school meals...

This conveyor belt takes all the lunch trays to the kitchen to be cleaned

I spend the next two hours in the school library before French class

I take the twenty-two...

 Back home!

 Marie-Armelle displays her magnificent galette-making skills

Galette + egg + ham + cheese

Folded nicely...

Who could this mysterious person be?

Well, that was a pretty darn normal day in my life. The next day was a little less normal...

Vendredi le 15 février we celebrated carnaval at school. 

I disguised myself as... well, you see.