Je vais écrire aujourd’hui! (I am going to write today!) Scratch that. I’m writing now!
For the last week and a half, I’ve been living in my host family’s house in the 12th arrondissement of Paris. Before I came to Paris, I was expecting to be living in a little apartment. While it is technically an apartment, my family’s house has a rather large downstairs, as well as a basement (mostly to store the wine) and an upstairs. My room here is actually larger than my bedroom at home! I have a housemate as well, another student in the same program, which is pretty awesome! I had no idea what to expect, but thankfully, my host family is amazing! As I am just beginning to learn French, hearing them speak French has been, and will continue to be extremely helpful. They tell me the French translation to English words and vice versa, and help me to pronounce French words I am struggling with. I’m beginning to be able to pick out some words they are speaking in French, and I know it will keep getting better with time and practice. You know I can’t write this without talking about food right? My host mom is an amazing cook. She feeds me way more often than she should, and it is always delicious French cooking. Just to make you drool, I’ll name of few of her delectable dishes. We have feasted on airy soufflé, crispy, yet moist croque monsieur, and authentic un gratin de jambon (look it up) made with biting bleu cheese (du fromage). Speaking of cheese, (which we do a lot) the majority of cheese in the US doesn’t even compare to the cheese here. Yes, much of it is made with unpasteurized milk, but it is also much fresher. I always hated bleu cheese, but I tried it here on my baguette, and while incredibly strong in flavor I like it! Even my host family said that American bleu cheese is not very good! I guess I converted to the dark side. No really, Star Wars is extremely prevalent in Paris. They even have a Star Wars exhibit (read advertisement) in le Louvre! Already, I have learned a great deal of French. My professor teaches differently than we are used to—self-described as the Scandinavian method of teaching languages. I’m sure it will pay off, as you would be hard-pressed to find a Swede or Norwegian who speaks less than three languages. I can already see that I am making progress, and her students in the past have had unbelievable success. She is all about learning to speak and listen, not just read and write, which makes all the difference. I probably know as much French after 1 week as my first 2 months of Spanish back in high school. Or should I say I need to remember that much by tomorrow morning. Studying obviously will play a role in that, so I’m going to get to it. Find out if I pass my quiz in my next post! À bientôt, Oliver Toal
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I finished my first week in Paris!
I spent my first four nights in a youth hostel. When I initially arrived in Paris, I had trouble figuring out the RER trains (as do some Parisians) but arrived safely at the Generator Hostel in the 10th arrondissement. I am starting to experience French culture, while meeting many people from different cultures. Along with French students at the hostel, I talked to people from Switzerland, Brazil, Korea, and many other countries. While it was sometimes hard to communicate because of the language barrier, that almost made it better. We had to pay attention to the other person and think about what we were saying. I am still incredibly impressed when people can communicate in three, or four, or even five languages. I made friends at the Generator that I hope to connect with again during the semester. My Californian roommates made great partners to travel all around the city with. A piece of advice to anyone staying at a hostel is to make friends with your roommates! Rather than traveling alone or just with your friends you came with, you get to meet fellow travelers and talk about your past experiences, while making new ones together. Regarding all the touristy things I did, you will see my pictures, so I don’t have to bore you with every activity. The Louvre was incredible though, with insane gold-covered, marble ceilings to compliment the artwork and artifacts inside. If you thought it would take days to see the whole Louvre, let me enlighten you. We spent about seven hours in the Louvre and saw about 95% of it! Not to brag, but we walked for over 15 miles that day… Although, if you want to read every sign and analyze every painting, it would probably take you a month of walking the Louvre. The Mona Lisa is a little overrated. Don’t get me wrong—it is a great painting, but there are countless more impressive works of art, including those by Da Vinci himself. Personally, I loved seeing and learning about all the ancient Greek artifacts, which brought me back to my childhood where I read Greek myths nearly every day (Disney Hercules Anyone?) Many of the signs teaching visitors about the museum’s displays are in English as well as French. This allows us monolinguals to further enjoy the Louvre. If you are a student in the European Union you can get into all the museums for free, so remember that! If you know me, you know that I couldn’t spend all my time seeing la Tour Eiffel and Versailles. Of course I went shopping! Yes, I bought black skinny jeans at H&M. I have to blend in and look Parisian, right? Don’t worry, I’ll represent America well in my two fashion classes in Paris. Have you ever tried a Nutella crêpe? You have not lived until you have eaten one (especially one with bananas!) This was only a small taste (see what I did there?) of my first week in Paris. Stay tuned for my next post about my arrival at my host family’s house and the start of my semester! À bientôt Oliver (French pronunciation of course)
Bonjour Everyone!
I am flying to Paris today! For those of you who don’t know, I am studying abroad in Paris for the spring semester. This is my first time ever traveling outside the US, so I can hardly contain my excitement! Since I was about 8 years old, I have wanted to travel to France. As I am now “in college,” my love for croissants is no longer the primary reason for my desire to travel to France, though that definitely contributes. I love French language, as well as French accents, so I am pumped to take French classes in Paris! While I wish I already knew French, I’m sure I will pick it up quickly. My New Year’s Resolution is to talk to someone new every day in France, using as much French as I can. Hopefully I lose my American accent. I don’t just mean when speaking French, but when speaking English too! How awesome would it be to have a French accent? Exactly. Too awesome to put into words. I know this was a really short post, but I have to leave for the airport. Until next time, Au Revoir! À bientôt (See you soon) |
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