One month mark

Mission accomplished. Well, a little more than it was 2 days ago. I made a list the other day of things I was going to do to take better advantage of my year in France, (yeah, I make lists…hehe) because I was feeling kind of out of it. The teenagers here aren’t exactly like the teenagers in the US, similar (I think all teenagers around the world are pretty similar), but not quite. Advice to anyone going to France: just give it some time. You’re not going to have immediate friends, but by being friendly, after a couple weeks, you’ll have a couple. I mean, that if you went to the US, tons of people would be really overfriendly and show you around the school and ask you to eat lunch with them, but here, everyone is more laidback, and most people won’t approach you first. You really have to make a conscious effort to make friends. And I think I’ve made a couple! At least started to, anyways. I’ve definitely found a friend in Lucie, my host sister. She’s been pretty awesome showing me around at school, and we’ve been doing homework together and such.

I want to be able to say how France is right now—to sum up the last month. But as always, just when I need the words the most, they won’t come. First of all, Los Angeles is no longer where I’ve lived for 15 years, but what defines me. In Arts-Plastiques (drawing) we had to draw a picture of us—who am I? what do I like? that kind of thing. Without thinking, I started drawing LA, and piano keys along the side. If I was in the US right now, I could say my hobbies were soccer, dancing, girl scouts, LA youth, guitar, knitting, and aquarium-ing. But here, none of that exists. I can’t even say that I like to write, because I can’t creatively write in French. I’m pretty blank here. I mean, it’s not a bad thing. But it’s different.

When I say I come from Los Angeles, they say “Quelle chance!” (what luck!) They all have this idealized version of what LA is, and it’s kind of hilarious. (yes! of course I see movie stars all the time! hehe) But I absolutely love Liginiac and Ussel. They’re these old towns with old houses and flowerbeds on all the balconies. And there are patisseries (bakeries) and little restaurants on every corner. Some of the parents of people you go to school with own boulangeries. The whole atmosphere is pretty charming, because everyone knows (or knows of) everyone who lives nearby.

I should talk about the food too. It’s delicious, to sum it up. I am sincerely hoping I won’t gain weight. Each meal with my host family has about 2-3 “courses” I guess you could say. (they aren’t huge portions in the “courses”) First, we’ll have some kind of vegetable (tomato salad, or soup, for example), and then something with meat and a starch (chicken and pasta) and then cheese (camembert, goat’s cheese, I am a fan of brie) and then dessert (yogurt or fruit, or on special occasions a gateau). Even the cafeteria food at the cantine at college is WAY better than American cafeteria food. No hamburgers/cheese covered fried stuff. They have pasta and vegetables and meat and yogurt and general goodness. And you know how everyone thinks that there aren’t any overweight people in France? They’re wrong.

Hm…what else to say? I don’t know. Oh, never say “Je suis pleine” (literal translation: I am full) because it really means that you are a female cow, and you are going to give birth. Marion informed me of that a couple days ago…so I didn’t have to go through the embarrassment of saying something like that…

Mostly, it’s pretty strange to think that I’ve been here for a whole month already, because it really doesn’t feel like it. (Yesterday after dinner, Helene brought a yaourt with a candle in it, and reminded me I’ve been here for exactly a month!) And if the rest of the months are like this, I’m happy. And I have things to look forward to too: maybe going to a lycee instead of a college (that’s a different, more complicated, and less interesting story), Paris at Christmas, Ping-Pong class during lunch every Friday, the AFS outing planned for this weekend at Montaubon, going um….the equivalent of jumping off a cliff with one of those elastic rope things attached, with Marion and Lucie in October, dinner tomorrow, History class (we’re learning about the American elections, and I am therefore doing very well)—everything. I’m more and more excited for my continuing life in France.