Frenchie Beelow Goes to France

Cultural Crossroads

1 April 2011

Tuesday

Today we hosted the Journée Internationale and it went off without a hitch. Everyone LOVED our Swing dancing lessons and my friend Jordan and I even got invited to go “Rock n’ Roll” dancing with some French guys. Apparently, every Wednesday night, there is “Rock n’ Roll” dancing in the auditorium of the Engineering department on campus from 8-10 PM.

Our U.S.A. table at the Journée Internationale =)

Wednesday

Today, Jordan and I went to the “Rock n’ Roll” dancing at school. Our friends were there and we had an absolute blast. It was good, clean fun. I danced mostly with our friend Quentin, who is just as clumsy as I am on the dance floor. Needless to say, we required a bit of instruction, and we stepped on each others’ toes SEVERAL times during the course of the night. Regardless of our lack of coordination, by the end of the evening, we had developed an almost flawless routine, which we proudly showed to Matieu and Jordan. After the dancing, the boys walked us home and told us they hoped to see us next week. It was so nice to just go out dancing with some friends. The best part is (Dr. Mann-Morlet) that we spoke French the ENTIRE TIME. We are DEFINITELY going next Wednesday!

Thursday

Each week, the aumônerie (chaplain’s office) has a mass, dinner and discussion on Thursday nights that I have been going to since I got to Angers. Each week, they ask a different student to prepare the meal for the group and this week, it was my turn. So, the girls and I prepared good, old fashioned, southern cuisine for the students at the aumônerie. This meant, of course, that every dish ended in the word “casserole” and contained LOTS of butter. I was worried about whether the students would like the food or not, but luckily, it was a hit! They absolutely LOVED it! Several of them even asked me for the recipe =)

Our Banana pudding =)

So, after we fed everyone, there wasn't enough for us to go and eat, so we decided to go to our friendly neighborhood McDonner (a local kebab place run by an Frenchman, a Morocan man and an Indian man--don't ask). They love me SOOOOO much that they made me a grilled cheese =)

Needless to say, it has been a VERY successful week of cultural exchange here in Angers and I am super excited for the rest of my semester.

La Vie en Rose

25 March 2011

Well, I am happy to report that my Frenchie Funk has finally lifted =)

The past few days, the weather has been ABSOLUTELY gorgeous and this afternoon, the girls and I decided to go down by the river to have a picnic lunch in the sun. With the sun shining bright, the river gleaming, and the cool breeze from the riverbank, it was most definitely a perfect afternoon. We are in the process of preparing for the upcoming Journée Internationale which allows the international students to teach the French students about their country and their culture. The Americans are going to teach hip hop and Swing dance. With an iHome handy during our afternoon by the river, we quickly began practicing our Swing dancing. The Frenchman passing by absolutely HATED it and somehow, it was rather satisfying to see them look at us with bewilderment and disgust as they walked along the riverbank.

` I have recently decided that I will do the following things (even though they are generally frowned upon in French culture):

1. SMILE =)

2. Say “Bonjour” to cute old ladies and children on the street (even if they look at me strangely and do not reciprocate my greeting).

3. Force the locals to be friends with me (this includes striking up random conversations with people even when they may not feeling like talking to me).

4. Remember that I AM a foreigner in France and that it is OKAY to not be French =)

5. Laugh every time I witness: the French go on strike, a Frenchman who smells less than pleasant, and a myriad of other things that are “typically French” (again, I apologize for the generalizations). My new philosophy is "If you can’t understand why they are doing something, just smile and move on".

6. Focus on the things that I love about France instead of the few things that I find strange and unsettling.

Stenches, Stares and in a Slump =(

20 March 2011

So, for the past week or so, I feel as though I have made a HUGE mistake; as if everyone lied to me about how wonderful Europe is. I am homesick to say the least. I am tired of seeing dog poop everywhere I go, smelling everyone that walks by, being constantly and relentlessly stared at, and the cold and rainy weather.

I miss my home. Not South Carolina per se, but my family, my friends, people who speak English, not always feeling like a foreigner, not feeling lost and out of place, etc. I have been feeling more and more frustrated as I try to communicate on the “rue” (street). I feel as though I will NEVER understand all the weird phrases of “français familier” (street-speak) and like my assimilation into the French culture is impossible.

I know that my current sentiments are part of the process of studying abroad, as all of my friends seem to be going through a similar slump. It is nice to have them to talk to about how I am feeling, but I am still somehow alone and disillusioned. I feel as though the wonder and enchantment of France has worn off and I am beginning to see everything through new eyes in a different light. I am no longer amused by their strikes, smoking, staring, and lack of knowledge about deodorant.

Now before you judge me for judging the French and for generalizing their actions, let me say that this is solely my perspective at this point in time. I am hoping that the wonder and excitement of France that gripped me upon my arrival will soon return.

I will now explain some of the phenomena that exist in France. First, people do not clean up after their dogs….they just let them do their business right on the sidewalk and keep walking. Second, there seems to be a lack of basic knowledge about personal hygiene (or at least a lack of deodorant); this is not to say that everyone smells unpleasant, but I will say that I have many more encounters with stinky humans here than I do in the States. Third, the French stare at everyone, anywhere, anytime and think nothing of it. I have spoken with my host mom about this and she explained to me that it is simply a part of their culture to stare and that they don’t “usually” mean anything by it (Gee thanks mom…that was reassuring). Fourth, it is cloudy and rainy at least 3-4 times a week; and as of late, cold too. I am finally starting to adjust to the cold weather (I haven’t worn my long johns in a few weeks now), but it is still not what the kind of weather that I have grown accustomed to in South Carolina. Fifth, the French are VERY outspoken and blunt people. If you do something wrong, they will call you out on it immediately, regardless of who is around you. This is not to say that they intend to be rude or hurt your feelings in any way (I have learned that they generally have no wish to publicly humiliate you), but simply that they speak their mind and do not think of your feelings.

I suppose that is all for now. Don’t worry friends and family, I am not miserable, just a bit disillusioned and in a funk with France at the moment.

Castles but No Kings

13 March 2011

The past two weekends, I have been visiting various castles around the Loire Valley region of France (all within about a 3-4 hour radius from Angers).

Each castle seems to be more magical than the first and I cannot believe how lucky I am to be standing where “la noblesse” once lived. The rooms are all exquisitely decorated in bright colors and each one looks like something out of a movie. The hallways are drafty and wet and I can imagine how life must have been like for the inhabitants of these “homes” centuries ago. I believe that for this blog, it is once again much easier to simply show some pictures of some of the castles that we visited. It certainly was an experience and the pictures cannot even compare to the beauty of the castles themselves.

Henri II's "humble" abode.

I have a feeling that ole Henry probably would NOT have liked this =(

These strange trees are EVERYWHERE here. I don't really know what happened to them, but they look said. They have mesmerized me since I first arrived in France.