Hey guys, I've finally uploaded all my pictures to Facebook, which you can view by following the links below even if you don't have a Facebook account. Enjoy! :)
Album: La Premiere Semaine
http://messiah.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036494&l=c5502&id=55303150
Album: Le Parliment Europeen!
http://messiah.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2036924&l=a14e7&id=55303150
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Beaucoup des cours...
This week has been really busy - classes started at Marc Bloch University and the politics institute (IEP). Being the overachiever that I am, I created a spreadsheet of all politics and sociology classes that sounded remotely interesting and went to as many as I possibly could. Monday this pretty-much killed me - I had gone to bed after 1am and went to my first class at 8am. All told, I went to 4 2-hour classes that day, and fell asleep in every single one! I was so exhausted...
The rest of week wasn't quite as bad - I made sure to get plenty of sleep, and didn't go to as many classes. The nice thing was that most of the 2-hour classes had a break in the middle, so if I had already decided that I didn't want to take it, I just left. That happened a lot, because many of the classes were not at all what I expected them to be. At Marc Bloch they didn't even give course descriptions, so I was going solely on the titles. I was looking for pretty specific material, too - I don't want courses on theory; I want information on how French and European political institutions work and how their systems address the population's needs for healthcare, education, employment, criminal justice, poverty, etc.
I did find some courses that gave this kind of information - 2 on healthcare, 1 on the European Union, 1 on International Institutions. Also 2 history classes were interesting - 1 on political changes in Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism, and the other on conflicts in Latin America. And Thursday night I was really psyched after going to a class on Religion and Politics in the US. Granted, it's about the US and not Europe, but it's a topic very close to my heart, and it was in English which made it so much easier to follow! I've realized that it's definitely going to be a challenge taking these courses in French - I take notes and usually get the gist of what is being said, but I definitely miss some details. It also depends on the professor - some talk slower than others, and some write on the board which is very helpful. Our director recommended we make friends with someone in the class so that we can copy their notes. I think I'll need to do that to get a decent grade, but making friends is hard enough for me without a language barrier, so this will taking some doing...
What has added to the difficulty of this week is the disorganization of Marc Bloch's system, which is really frustrating. Nothing's online - you have to go to each department and read the posting of times and places. I did that at the end of last week, but then some of my classes changed rooms and others I had difficulty finding the rooms. To add to the confusion, some courses have the same course code and alternate every other week, so if you don't look carefully enough you can easily end up in the wrong one (which I did several times). Things at the IEP are much easier to navigate since it is much smaller, and I think I'll take the majority of my classes there.
I also have to decide whether I'm going to take the Grammar Block at the foreigner's institute - 12 hours of grammar and conversation instruction each week. I went the first week and really like the group of people, but I skipped most of the sessions this week to visit classes at Marc Bloch and the IEP. I went on Friday and was frustrated again by the grammar lesson - they're teaching us all of this complicated stuff that I will never use when what I really need is a good review of the basics. So I don't...so many things to figure out yet!
But the week ended well...yesterday morning the professor never showed up for my class, and when I went to check with the registar this girl who's been in several of my classes introduced herself to me. She goes to school near Philly and so we talked (in English!) for a few minutes. She's a Christian and is also studying poli sci, so it seems like we have a lot in common :) It was exciting to meet a new friend here...
Friday afternoon I ran some errands - I discovered that buying bread, apples, and yogert at the grocery store for my lunches is much cheaper than buying a sandwhich everyday, so I can save money for travel :) I also got my hair cut, which was an adventure in itself! I had asked around for the cheapest place and brought a picture of how I wanted it cut. I didn't understand what they were saying to me and I was really nervous, but they were very nice and did a great job. The shampoo they gave me first was really relaxing, and there was something comforting in the fact that they cut my hair the same way as at home. I finished out the day with a very relaxing evening - watching "Under the Tuscan Sun" in my PJ's in my room. All of my friends got drunk again, but I was very content to have some quality alone time and go to bed early :)
On a more sober note, I found this morning that the man from my church who had leukemia died yesterday. What his wife wrote made me cry - to lose the love of your life must be the worst thing that could happen to you. If it were me I would be so angry at God - I just can't imagine finally finding the person I was meant to be with only to have him taken away. But she was so eloquant, talking about her fond memories of him and how he will live on in her and in their sons. She said how thankful she is to God for allowing him to be in her life for the past 10 years. That attitude just blows me away - I wish I could have that level of faith and trust in God amidst difficulty and heartache. But He's not done with me yet...
Hope you all are well, and I'd love to hear from you! :)
~Peace~
Amanda
The rest of week wasn't quite as bad - I made sure to get plenty of sleep, and didn't go to as many classes. The nice thing was that most of the 2-hour classes had a break in the middle, so if I had already decided that I didn't want to take it, I just left. That happened a lot, because many of the classes were not at all what I expected them to be. At Marc Bloch they didn't even give course descriptions, so I was going solely on the titles. I was looking for pretty specific material, too - I don't want courses on theory; I want information on how French and European political institutions work and how their systems address the population's needs for healthcare, education, employment, criminal justice, poverty, etc.
I did find some courses that gave this kind of information - 2 on healthcare, 1 on the European Union, 1 on International Institutions. Also 2 history classes were interesting - 1 on political changes in Eastern Europe after the fall of Communism, and the other on conflicts in Latin America. And Thursday night I was really psyched after going to a class on Religion and Politics in the US. Granted, it's about the US and not Europe, but it's a topic very close to my heart, and it was in English which made it so much easier to follow! I've realized that it's definitely going to be a challenge taking these courses in French - I take notes and usually get the gist of what is being said, but I definitely miss some details. It also depends on the professor - some talk slower than others, and some write on the board which is very helpful. Our director recommended we make friends with someone in the class so that we can copy their notes. I think I'll need to do that to get a decent grade, but making friends is hard enough for me without a language barrier, so this will taking some doing...
What has added to the difficulty of this week is the disorganization of Marc Bloch's system, which is really frustrating. Nothing's online - you have to go to each department and read the posting of times and places. I did that at the end of last week, but then some of my classes changed rooms and others I had difficulty finding the rooms. To add to the confusion, some courses have the same course code and alternate every other week, so if you don't look carefully enough you can easily end up in the wrong one (which I did several times). Things at the IEP are much easier to navigate since it is much smaller, and I think I'll take the majority of my classes there.
I also have to decide whether I'm going to take the Grammar Block at the foreigner's institute - 12 hours of grammar and conversation instruction each week. I went the first week and really like the group of people, but I skipped most of the sessions this week to visit classes at Marc Bloch and the IEP. I went on Friday and was frustrated again by the grammar lesson - they're teaching us all of this complicated stuff that I will never use when what I really need is a good review of the basics. So I don't...so many things to figure out yet!
But the week ended well...yesterday morning the professor never showed up for my class, and when I went to check with the registar this girl who's been in several of my classes introduced herself to me. She goes to school near Philly and so we talked (in English!) for a few minutes. She's a Christian and is also studying poli sci, so it seems like we have a lot in common :) It was exciting to meet a new friend here...
Friday afternoon I ran some errands - I discovered that buying bread, apples, and yogert at the grocery store for my lunches is much cheaper than buying a sandwhich everyday, so I can save money for travel :) I also got my hair cut, which was an adventure in itself! I had asked around for the cheapest place and brought a picture of how I wanted it cut. I didn't understand what they were saying to me and I was really nervous, but they were very nice and did a great job. The shampoo they gave me first was really relaxing, and there was something comforting in the fact that they cut my hair the same way as at home. I finished out the day with a very relaxing evening - watching "Under the Tuscan Sun" in my PJ's in my room. All of my friends got drunk again, but I was very content to have some quality alone time and go to bed early :)
On a more sober note, I found this morning that the man from my church who had leukemia died yesterday. What his wife wrote made me cry - to lose the love of your life must be the worst thing that could happen to you. If it were me I would be so angry at God - I just can't imagine finally finding the person I was meant to be with only to have him taken away. But she was so eloquant, talking about her fond memories of him and how he will live on in her and in their sons. She said how thankful she is to God for allowing him to be in her life for the past 10 years. That attitude just blows me away - I wish I could have that level of faith and trust in God amidst difficulty and heartache. But He's not done with me yet...
Hope you all are well, and I'd love to hear from you! :)
~Peace~
Amanda
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Un bon weekend :)
I spent such a long time talking about the European Parliment that I never got to the rest of my week... Most of it has been really good, even though I haven't been doing anything terribly exciting. Thursday I only had one class, and then went with a friend to this awesome place called Emaus, which is like a big indoor flea market/antique store. She wanted to buy a bike (so many people bike over here!), and I browsed the books. The mission of the place is pretty sweet too - it was founded by a Catholic group to create work for the poor. So it was pretty exciting to go there :) It was a bit frustrating to figure out how to get there on the transit system, but we ended up walking all the way back because they wouldn't let her bring her bike on the bus. It was a really nice walk - I love walking here! There's so much to see, and it never feels as long as it is :)
Friday wasn't as good of a day - I found out that someone from Oxford Circle who's been battling leukemia has stopped responding to treatment and there are no more options for him. I wasn't expecting that because he had been doing better, so I let the tears flow down by the river - a very comforting place. He is at peace and is ready to go, but my heart is breaking for his wife who will have to raise their two little boys alone. And I couldn't help asking God "why?" Why them, such wonderful people who've been so involved in the church? Why did this have to happen to them? It also made me think about my life - if I were dying, would I be able to look back on what I've done and see it as valuable? Have I used the time God has given me well? There are still so many things I want to do with my life, but I feel like so often I trap myself in a routine of obligations and responsibilities. From now on I want live more spontaneously and seize the moment and take advantage of opportunities! :)
Friday night I was feeling kind of down and didn't really feel like going out, but a bunch of the BCA students were getting together for drinks and movie, so I didn't want to be anti-social. I went, but the movie never happened and instead everyone got REALLY drunk. I had soda, and it felt pretty weird to be the only sober person in the room. I only stayed because I wanted to make sure the one girl was ok - she'd never been drunk before and was letting loose. Around midnight they were all plastered and decided to go to a club and dance. I parted ways at that point, disgusted with how stupid drunk people are. I really don't understand why people would want to drink so much that they make fools of themselves and do things that they'll later regret. I never want to be like that. I hated how my friends became totally different people when they were drunk - I really missed all my sober friends from home that night.
Saturday was a very productive day - I had made a long list of things to do and had the satisfaction of checking many of them off :) I finally finished unpacking all of my stuff, and I decorated my room with pictures - now it's finally starting to feel like home. It also feels nice to have settled into a routine with my host family - after class I go home and walk the dog, help get dinner ready, eat with them and talk about my day, watch the news, help clean up, and then go to the BCA office to use the internet. It's nice to have settled into that rythmn after feeling so out of place in the beginning.
This morning I went to a really great church with a friend. The people were very friendly - greeting us and asking where we were from, etc. There was a meal after the service that was free for students, so we stayed for that, and I really enjoyed talking to the people there. The man I was sitting next to spoke nice and slow and asked lots of good questions. I may visit other churches, but I'll probably end up back there. It was really encouraging to find a welcoming church :)
So that's about it - I need to get some sleep since I have class in 8 short hours :) Hope you all are well!
~Peace~
Amanda
Friday wasn't as good of a day - I found out that someone from Oxford Circle who's been battling leukemia has stopped responding to treatment and there are no more options for him. I wasn't expecting that because he had been doing better, so I let the tears flow down by the river - a very comforting place. He is at peace and is ready to go, but my heart is breaking for his wife who will have to raise their two little boys alone. And I couldn't help asking God "why?" Why them, such wonderful people who've been so involved in the church? Why did this have to happen to them? It also made me think about my life - if I were dying, would I be able to look back on what I've done and see it as valuable? Have I used the time God has given me well? There are still so many things I want to do with my life, but I feel like so often I trap myself in a routine of obligations and responsibilities. From now on I want live more spontaneously and seize the moment and take advantage of opportunities! :)
Friday night I was feeling kind of down and didn't really feel like going out, but a bunch of the BCA students were getting together for drinks and movie, so I didn't want to be anti-social. I went, but the movie never happened and instead everyone got REALLY drunk. I had soda, and it felt pretty weird to be the only sober person in the room. I only stayed because I wanted to make sure the one girl was ok - she'd never been drunk before and was letting loose. Around midnight they were all plastered and decided to go to a club and dance. I parted ways at that point, disgusted with how stupid drunk people are. I really don't understand why people would want to drink so much that they make fools of themselves and do things that they'll later regret. I never want to be like that. I hated how my friends became totally different people when they were drunk - I really missed all my sober friends from home that night.
Saturday was a very productive day - I had made a long list of things to do and had the satisfaction of checking many of them off :) I finally finished unpacking all of my stuff, and I decorated my room with pictures - now it's finally starting to feel like home. It also feels nice to have settled into a routine with my host family - after class I go home and walk the dog, help get dinner ready, eat with them and talk about my day, watch the news, help clean up, and then go to the BCA office to use the internet. It's nice to have settled into that rythmn after feeling so out of place in the beginning.
This morning I went to a really great church with a friend. The people were very friendly - greeting us and asking where we were from, etc. There was a meal after the service that was free for students, so we stayed for that, and I really enjoyed talking to the people there. The man I was sitting next to spoke nice and slow and asked lots of good questions. I may visit other churches, but I'll probably end up back there. It was really encouraging to find a welcoming church :)
So that's about it - I need to get some sleep since I have class in 8 short hours :) Hope you all are well!
~Peace~
Amanda
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Le Parlement Europeen!
In my last post I sounded pretty down, but the rest of the week has turned out to be much better!
Wednesday was the highlight - I went to the European Parliment! Ever since I found out they were in session this week I had been excited about going, and three other students from BCA ended up coming with me. We skipped class, but it was totally worth it! Normally I would feel really guilty about skipping class, but here I don't want to spend all of my time in a classroom - I think I'm going to learn so much more by going places and taking advantage of these once in a lifetime opportunities! It felt good to not do what I should for once in my life, and instead seize the moment and take part in something extraordinary. Lyrics to Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" and Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" were running through my head all afternoon :)
My first glimpse of the building was awe-inspiring. It wasn't just the architecture (which was impressive) - it was a sense of the incredible amount of power concentrated here, the world leaders in this building at this moment making decisions that will impact people around the globe. It's hard to explain, but it gave me the chills.... When we got inside we found out that although they were in session it was not open to the public until for another hour and a half. We ended up killing time by walking around - it was a beautiful day, and we discovered a lovely little park nearby. What could've been a really frustrating wait ended up being a really wonderful afternoon :)
When we finally could go into the Parliment session, it was amazing! They were debating the situation in Kenya, which I had just read an article about in TIME magazine. In case you're not aware, there has been a lot of conflict in recent weeks following their presidential election at the end of December. Violent protests erupted after disputed election results were released, and over 600 people have died so far. The killing has been mostly along ethnic lines, making swift action even more imperative to stop it from spiraling into the kind of ethnic cleansing that has plagued other parts of Africa. Already 250,000+ people have been displaced, most fleeing to neighboring Uganda. The debate in the Parliment about this was fascinating, and centered around what to do about the European Union's budget. One day after the election $40 million had been transferred to the Kenyan government, now largely believed to be corrupt and potentially illegitimate. Some members supported cutting off funding, saying that the European Union needed to make it clear that good government is a prerequesite for financial support. Others said that would be inhumane, and that funding should continue with better monitoring and transparency. Still others argued for re-routing money to agencies that provide services directly to the people instead of putting it into the hands of the government. I think I like that option best, but no specifics were discussed as to how that would look on the ground. I definitely agreed with those who said that the root of this conflict is poverty - although the country as a whole has experienced economic growth, the wealth created has not been evenly distributed, leaving the vast majority of the population in abject poverty. The EU (and presumably the US also) had sung Kenya's praises for being peaceful and democratic while turning a blind eye to its corruption and social ills.
On the tram ride back we were discussing the session, particularly the dilemma of how Western nations should involve themselves in conflicts in parts of the world where their colonialism and neocolonialism created the situation in the first place! One representative had been adament that the EU should not impose its solutions on Kenya, seeing it ultimately as a Kenyan problem that needed a Kenyan solution. Although I certainly agree that Kenyans must be actively involved in reaching a solution for their country, I don't think the EU (or the US) should just pass it off as a Kenyan problem, when the roots of poverty and inequality can be traced directly to our meddling there. I feel like we have a responsibility to fix it - yet if we have screwed things up in the past so many times, would we really do more harm or good by being involved now? I don't know...
Wednesday was the highlight - I went to the European Parliment! Ever since I found out they were in session this week I had been excited about going, and three other students from BCA ended up coming with me. We skipped class, but it was totally worth it! Normally I would feel really guilty about skipping class, but here I don't want to spend all of my time in a classroom - I think I'm going to learn so much more by going places and taking advantage of these once in a lifetime opportunities! It felt good to not do what I should for once in my life, and instead seize the moment and take part in something extraordinary. Lyrics to Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" and Natasha Bedingfield's "Unwritten" were running through my head all afternoon :)
My first glimpse of the building was awe-inspiring. It wasn't just the architecture (which was impressive) - it was a sense of the incredible amount of power concentrated here, the world leaders in this building at this moment making decisions that will impact people around the globe. It's hard to explain, but it gave me the chills.... When we got inside we found out that although they were in session it was not open to the public until for another hour and a half. We ended up killing time by walking around - it was a beautiful day, and we discovered a lovely little park nearby. What could've been a really frustrating wait ended up being a really wonderful afternoon :)
When we finally could go into the Parliment session, it was amazing! They were debating the situation in Kenya, which I had just read an article about in TIME magazine. In case you're not aware, there has been a lot of conflict in recent weeks following their presidential election at the end of December. Violent protests erupted after disputed election results were released, and over 600 people have died so far. The killing has been mostly along ethnic lines, making swift action even more imperative to stop it from spiraling into the kind of ethnic cleansing that has plagued other parts of Africa. Already 250,000+ people have been displaced, most fleeing to neighboring Uganda. The debate in the Parliment about this was fascinating, and centered around what to do about the European Union's budget. One day after the election $40 million had been transferred to the Kenyan government, now largely believed to be corrupt and potentially illegitimate. Some members supported cutting off funding, saying that the European Union needed to make it clear that good government is a prerequesite for financial support. Others said that would be inhumane, and that funding should continue with better monitoring and transparency. Still others argued for re-routing money to agencies that provide services directly to the people instead of putting it into the hands of the government. I think I like that option best, but no specifics were discussed as to how that would look on the ground. I definitely agreed with those who said that the root of this conflict is poverty - although the country as a whole has experienced economic growth, the wealth created has not been evenly distributed, leaving the vast majority of the population in abject poverty. The EU (and presumably the US also) had sung Kenya's praises for being peaceful and democratic while turning a blind eye to its corruption and social ills.
On the tram ride back we were discussing the session, particularly the dilemma of how Western nations should involve themselves in conflicts in parts of the world where their colonialism and neocolonialism created the situation in the first place! One representative had been adament that the EU should not impose its solutions on Kenya, seeing it ultimately as a Kenyan problem that needed a Kenyan solution. Although I certainly agree that Kenyans must be actively involved in reaching a solution for their country, I don't think the EU (or the US) should just pass it off as a Kenyan problem, when the roots of poverty and inequality can be traced directly to our meddling there. I feel like we have a responsibility to fix it - yet if we have screwed things up in the past so many times, would we really do more harm or good by being involved now? I don't know...
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Je commence des cours...
I am exhausted after my first 2 days of classes. It takes so much energy to concentrate on understanding what the profs are saying while at the same time taking notes on the material...
In House Church we sometimes share by saying "highs" and "lows", so I'm going to do that for the past 2 days since I've had a lot of ups and downs...
-HIGH: Monday morning I went to 3 hrs of French language instruction - which sounds awful but was actually really good. It's part of my Grammar Block that I'll have 12 hours a week with the same group of students. It was really easy - the prof spoke slowly and clearly, and we spent most of the time introducing ourselves and getting to know the other people in the group. I came out of it feeling encouraged in my French skills because I was able to understand almost everything the prof said.
-LOW: Monday late afternoon I went to two literature classes which were pretty boring. I had some difficulty understanding the profs, and by the end was starting to zone out. I started to wonder if my other classes would be like this...
-LOW: Dinner Monday night was the most awkward thing in the world! The 29-year-old son of my host family came to visit, and he spoke so quickly that I could barely understand anything. When I was introduced I had to "bise" him - in France you kiss people on both cheeks as a greeting - which I had only done twice before and was weird. When all of us were at dinner the three of them talked non-stop at such a pace that I quickly gave up trying to understand. I just concentrated on my food and tried to be invisible. It was nice in a way because I didn't have to put forth the effort of trying to formulate sentences in French, but it totally blew my confidence of the morning in my French skills. French spoken in a classroom in very different than French spoken in casual conversation! After dinner I opted to read a magazine (they get TIME here - that was actually a HIGH because I like knowing what's going on in the world. I read about ethnic cleansing in Kenya and the situation in Pakistan, which were both very interesting.) But I could hear all of them in the next room talking and laughing and having fun, and it made me wish I was with my family and friends at home where I was part of that group. When I went up to my room I was feeling pretty down, so I decided to look at some pictures I had brought. They really cheered me up, and I got inspired to use some to decorate my room. I also got inspired to do some more unpacking - I hadn't unpacked everything when I first arrived, and then hadn't gotten around to it in the past week. So I guess the evening really turned into a HIGH...God's cool like that :)
-LOW: In my French language class this morning I was really frustrated with the grammar lesson we were doing. I was trying hard to understand it, but having a really difficult time. The prof came over and explained it to me again, so I think I understand the concept, but I'm not real confident that I can do the exercise. The most frustrating part is that it is NOT grammar that I'm going to use in conversation - it's too complicated. I had hoped that the Grammar Block would give me a refresher on some of the basic stuff that's I've forgotten - different verb tenses, negatives, conjunctions, etc. But instead of reviewing that stuff, we're moving on to harder stuff! So my confidence in my French skills plummeted yet again...and any review of useful grammar will have to be on my own.
-HIGH: This afternoon was really good - I had a class on French Society that turned out to be really interesting, and then went to a "Litterature Desinees"class that turned out to be about cartoons! I was going to go to a class on European Institutions, but it turned out that it was a continuation of a fall class and new students weren't allowed in. I was kinda bummed about that, but while waiting for my next class I got into a really good political discussion with another BCA student. We have the same views about almost everything, and our discussion meandered from how to work for change without getting too discouraged, the US's abysmal foreign policy and how it has caused pretty-much every problem in the world, terrorism and who gets to define it, globalization, and the presidential election. I love discussions like that! :) I guess that's one thing that's been hard about speaking French (a LOW) - I can't articulate my thoughts in an intelligent manner. Like our director said during orientation, I have the vocabulary of a child and that's how I sound when I talk to French people. It's frustrating not to be able to say what I'm thinking, and it's difficult to form relationships when my ability to communicate is so limited.
-LOW: When some friends and I were walking back from the university they wanted to see which way was faster, but they walked so fast that I couldn't keep up. Instead of waiting, they left me to walk about a block behind. They thought it was funny, but I didn't. I hate the feeling of being left behind...
-HIGH: Tonight I took the dog for a walk as usual, and that helped clear my head. At dinner the awkwardness of the night before was gone, and we had a very pleasant time. I was even able to talk coherently in French about my day :) Afterwards we watched the news, and now I'm here at BCA writing to all of you! So it was a good evening.
Thanks for listening to my highs and lows...although this post was not any shorter as I had promised. Hope all is well on the other side of the pond, and let me know what's going on with you! :)
~Peace~
Amanda
In House Church we sometimes share by saying "highs" and "lows", so I'm going to do that for the past 2 days since I've had a lot of ups and downs...
-HIGH: Monday morning I went to 3 hrs of French language instruction - which sounds awful but was actually really good. It's part of my Grammar Block that I'll have 12 hours a week with the same group of students. It was really easy - the prof spoke slowly and clearly, and we spent most of the time introducing ourselves and getting to know the other people in the group. I came out of it feeling encouraged in my French skills because I was able to understand almost everything the prof said.
-LOW: Monday late afternoon I went to two literature classes which were pretty boring. I had some difficulty understanding the profs, and by the end was starting to zone out. I started to wonder if my other classes would be like this...
-LOW: Dinner Monday night was the most awkward thing in the world! The 29-year-old son of my host family came to visit, and he spoke so quickly that I could barely understand anything. When I was introduced I had to "bise" him - in France you kiss people on both cheeks as a greeting - which I had only done twice before and was weird. When all of us were at dinner the three of them talked non-stop at such a pace that I quickly gave up trying to understand. I just concentrated on my food and tried to be invisible. It was nice in a way because I didn't have to put forth the effort of trying to formulate sentences in French, but it totally blew my confidence of the morning in my French skills. French spoken in a classroom in very different than French spoken in casual conversation! After dinner I opted to read a magazine (they get TIME here - that was actually a HIGH because I like knowing what's going on in the world. I read about ethnic cleansing in Kenya and the situation in Pakistan, which were both very interesting.) But I could hear all of them in the next room talking and laughing and having fun, and it made me wish I was with my family and friends at home where I was part of that group. When I went up to my room I was feeling pretty down, so I decided to look at some pictures I had brought. They really cheered me up, and I got inspired to use some to decorate my room. I also got inspired to do some more unpacking - I hadn't unpacked everything when I first arrived, and then hadn't gotten around to it in the past week. So I guess the evening really turned into a HIGH...God's cool like that :)
-LOW: In my French language class this morning I was really frustrated with the grammar lesson we were doing. I was trying hard to understand it, but having a really difficult time. The prof came over and explained it to me again, so I think I understand the concept, but I'm not real confident that I can do the exercise. The most frustrating part is that it is NOT grammar that I'm going to use in conversation - it's too complicated. I had hoped that the Grammar Block would give me a refresher on some of the basic stuff that's I've forgotten - different verb tenses, negatives, conjunctions, etc. But instead of reviewing that stuff, we're moving on to harder stuff! So my confidence in my French skills plummeted yet again...and any review of useful grammar will have to be on my own.
-HIGH: This afternoon was really good - I had a class on French Society that turned out to be really interesting, and then went to a "Litterature Desinees"class that turned out to be about cartoons! I was going to go to a class on European Institutions, but it turned out that it was a continuation of a fall class and new students weren't allowed in. I was kinda bummed about that, but while waiting for my next class I got into a really good political discussion with another BCA student. We have the same views about almost everything, and our discussion meandered from how to work for change without getting too discouraged, the US's abysmal foreign policy and how it has caused pretty-much every problem in the world, terrorism and who gets to define it, globalization, and the presidential election. I love discussions like that! :) I guess that's one thing that's been hard about speaking French (a LOW) - I can't articulate my thoughts in an intelligent manner. Like our director said during orientation, I have the vocabulary of a child and that's how I sound when I talk to French people. It's frustrating not to be able to say what I'm thinking, and it's difficult to form relationships when my ability to communicate is so limited.
-LOW: When some friends and I were walking back from the university they wanted to see which way was faster, but they walked so fast that I couldn't keep up. Instead of waiting, they left me to walk about a block behind. They thought it was funny, but I didn't. I hate the feeling of being left behind...
-HIGH: Tonight I took the dog for a walk as usual, and that helped clear my head. At dinner the awkwardness of the night before was gone, and we had a very pleasant time. I was even able to talk coherently in French about my day :) Afterwards we watched the news, and now I'm here at BCA writing to all of you! So it was a good evening.
Thanks for listening to my highs and lows...although this post was not any shorter as I had promised. Hope all is well on the other side of the pond, and let me know what's going on with you! :)
~Peace~
Amanda
Sunday, January 13, 2008
La premiere semain (the first week)
Well, I've been here almost a week (since Tues afternoon) but it seems like so much has happened...it's hard to know where to start!
Before I left, the thing I was most worried about was making friends. As an introvert, this is not something that comes easily to me, and the thought of being in a strange country where I knew NO ONE terrified me. But as I finished packing on Monday and headed to the airport, my worries gave way to excitement - I was going to France! And as it turns out, I needn't have worried about friends... I've clicked with some of the other American students in my program - especially 2 who live near me - and am excited to get to know them better.
The group of BCA (Brethren Colleges Abroad) students are different than I expected, though - most notably in that they like to drink. I guess I had thought because it was a Brethren program that would not be as present, but students here definitely go out to bars and buy wine to drink in their rooms. I've made it clear that I don't drink, although that's a lonely position at times. But my dad's family is alcoholic and I'm scared to death that I'll have that gene. And even if not, I don't want to risk impairing my judgment, especially in a strange country with people I don't know well. All in all, there's really no good reason for me to drink, so I am committed to sticking to my l'eau (water) and jus (juice).
The most challenging part so far has been the language. My first night with my host family (Wed) I felt so out of my league - they were talking French very fast and I had no idea what they were saying most of the time. I would have this confused look on my face most of the time, and then often they would switch to English. I felt so stupid, and the second night I didn't want to go home for dinner. But I'm glad I did, because this time my host sister (who's 22) spoke slower and forced me to speak in French more instead of switching to English for me. So it's gotten progressively better - I still don't understand everything, but I do understand more and am able to express myself better. They keep telling me that by the end of the semester my French will be so good - I hope so! The difficult part is that spoken French is way different than written French - when a French person speaks at the normal speed all of their words run together so it's hard to recognize what words I know. So it's a challenge, but it is getting easier :)
As for my host family themselves, they are very nice - it's just a mother and her daughter. Things were pretty awkward in the beginning, and still are at times, but I like them. They live in a flat (apartment) that's really cute and comfortable. Both me and the daughter live in rooms that used to be maid's quarters 2 floors up. To tell you the truth, it's kinda creepy - it's the very top floor and is always dark. There are lots of doors but we are the only ones who live up there, and the silence freaks me out. But the room itself is nice, and I have a great view of the city from my window!
Speaking of which, Strasbourg is absolutely gorgeous! Our first night here (Tues) we did a walking tour of the city, and I went a little picture-happy with my new digital camera :) I'll post some of the best pics here and put the rest on Facebook. The buildings are old and beautiful, and there's so much history and culture here. There's also an amazing public transit system - one of the many things Europe does better than America :) One of my goals for this semester is to learn as much as I can about how the French system compares to the US, in terms of their provisions for the poor, healthcare (that one's a no-brainer!), education, criminal justice, etc, so look for further posts about that! Oh and by the way, I got into my first political discussion Friday night at dinner - Hillary Clinton is the most recognized American political name here, and so I was saying that I liked her. Then they asked me about Bush, and I said he was "mal" (bad) and tried to figure out how to explain in French why I don't like him. It was fun :)
I would be remiss if I did not mention the food - it's AMAZING! I get a home-cooked dinner every night, comprised of several courses: a soup or salad, a main dish, bread and cheese, dessert, and fruit. Although it sounds like a lot, the portions are not American-size, so I can eat 1 or 2 servings of everything without feeling too full by the end. Plus I walk everywhere here and climb 6 flights of stairs to get to my room, so I may even lose weight while I'm here!
I hit perhaps my lowest point so far this morning after I came home from church. I visited the Mennonite church around the corner, but no one talked to me or welcomed me, which made me miss my church communities at home. But I talked to some other students who visited different churches, and people were really welcoming there, so that made me feel better. Finding a good church community here is really important to me...I don't want it to be a semester of spiritual slump for me.
Tomorrow classes start, although I still don't know exactly what I'm taking. The university system is different here, so the first week we're just supposed to go to a bunch of classes and decide which ones to take. Most of them are 1-credit, so we have to find 3 related ones to transfer as a 3-credit class. So it'll be interesting to figure all of that out... The classes will be in French, so that will certainly be a stretch for me. They offer some really cool politics and sociology classes, so I'm excited about that :)
Well, I think that's about it...sorry this post is so long. I'll try to write more frequent shorter posts in the future :) Hope all is well with you back home!
~Paix~
Amanda
Before I left, the thing I was most worried about was making friends. As an introvert, this is not something that comes easily to me, and the thought of being in a strange country where I knew NO ONE terrified me. But as I finished packing on Monday and headed to the airport, my worries gave way to excitement - I was going to France! And as it turns out, I needn't have worried about friends... I've clicked with some of the other American students in my program - especially 2 who live near me - and am excited to get to know them better.
The group of BCA (Brethren Colleges Abroad) students are different than I expected, though - most notably in that they like to drink. I guess I had thought because it was a Brethren program that would not be as present, but students here definitely go out to bars and buy wine to drink in their rooms. I've made it clear that I don't drink, although that's a lonely position at times. But my dad's family is alcoholic and I'm scared to death that I'll have that gene. And even if not, I don't want to risk impairing my judgment, especially in a strange country with people I don't know well. All in all, there's really no good reason for me to drink, so I am committed to sticking to my l'eau (water) and jus (juice).
The most challenging part so far has been the language. My first night with my host family (Wed) I felt so out of my league - they were talking French very fast and I had no idea what they were saying most of the time. I would have this confused look on my face most of the time, and then often they would switch to English. I felt so stupid, and the second night I didn't want to go home for dinner. But I'm glad I did, because this time my host sister (who's 22) spoke slower and forced me to speak in French more instead of switching to English for me. So it's gotten progressively better - I still don't understand everything, but I do understand more and am able to express myself better. They keep telling me that by the end of the semester my French will be so good - I hope so! The difficult part is that spoken French is way different than written French - when a French person speaks at the normal speed all of their words run together so it's hard to recognize what words I know. So it's a challenge, but it is getting easier :)
As for my host family themselves, they are very nice - it's just a mother and her daughter. Things were pretty awkward in the beginning, and still are at times, but I like them. They live in a flat (apartment) that's really cute and comfortable. Both me and the daughter live in rooms that used to be maid's quarters 2 floors up. To tell you the truth, it's kinda creepy - it's the very top floor and is always dark. There are lots of doors but we are the only ones who live up there, and the silence freaks me out. But the room itself is nice, and I have a great view of the city from my window!
Speaking of which, Strasbourg is absolutely gorgeous! Our first night here (Tues) we did a walking tour of the city, and I went a little picture-happy with my new digital camera :) I'll post some of the best pics here and put the rest on Facebook. The buildings are old and beautiful, and there's so much history and culture here. There's also an amazing public transit system - one of the many things Europe does better than America :) One of my goals for this semester is to learn as much as I can about how the French system compares to the US, in terms of their provisions for the poor, healthcare (that one's a no-brainer!), education, criminal justice, etc, so look for further posts about that! Oh and by the way, I got into my first political discussion Friday night at dinner - Hillary Clinton is the most recognized American political name here, and so I was saying that I liked her. Then they asked me about Bush, and I said he was "mal" (bad) and tried to figure out how to explain in French why I don't like him. It was fun :)
I would be remiss if I did not mention the food - it's AMAZING! I get a home-cooked dinner every night, comprised of several courses: a soup or salad, a main dish, bread and cheese, dessert, and fruit. Although it sounds like a lot, the portions are not American-size, so I can eat 1 or 2 servings of everything without feeling too full by the end. Plus I walk everywhere here and climb 6 flights of stairs to get to my room, so I may even lose weight while I'm here!
I hit perhaps my lowest point so far this morning after I came home from church. I visited the Mennonite church around the corner, but no one talked to me or welcomed me, which made me miss my church communities at home. But I talked to some other students who visited different churches, and people were really welcoming there, so that made me feel better. Finding a good church community here is really important to me...I don't want it to be a semester of spiritual slump for me.
Tomorrow classes start, although I still don't know exactly what I'm taking. The university system is different here, so the first week we're just supposed to go to a bunch of classes and decide which ones to take. Most of them are 1-credit, so we have to find 3 related ones to transfer as a 3-credit class. So it'll be interesting to figure all of that out... The classes will be in French, so that will certainly be a stretch for me. They offer some really cool politics and sociology classes, so I'm excited about that :)
Well, I think that's about it...sorry this post is so long. I'll try to write more frequent shorter posts in the future :) Hope all is well with you back home!
~Paix~
Amanda
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Bonjour from Strasbourg! :)
I know I've told many of you that I was going to have a blog while I was in Strasbourg, and now three days after I left, here it is! I hope to not only keep you updated on my life (ma vie!), but have this serve as a form of journaling/reflection for me as I process my experiences here. I'll also post some pictures - although more will be on Facebook :) So that's my plan. Also I would love to get comments from you, and have enabled anyone to post comments - not just those with Google accounts.
Right now I need to go to dinner - although it's only 1:30pm in the US! Strasbourg is 6 hrs ahead, just so you know. I will post much more tomorrow - for right now I will just assure you that I am here, I am alive and doing fairly well, and the city is absolutely gorgeous...
A bientot! (See ya!)
~Paix~
Amanda
Right now I need to go to dinner - although it's only 1:30pm in the US! Strasbourg is 6 hrs ahead, just so you know. I will post much more tomorrow - for right now I will just assure you that I am here, I am alive and doing fairly well, and the city is absolutely gorgeous...
A bientot! (See ya!)
~Paix~
Amanda
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)