So I have been here for about a month now, and thought I might share with you a bit of what it is like living in this country of bread, cheese, and wine. Thus, a record of an ordinary day in the life complete with commentary on the French and their bizarro world.
So one wakes up in the morning, showers, dresses, and for breakfast I am given baguette, jam, butter, and maybe some tea (or coffee, if I drank it). I leave for the tram, which is a lovely system here in Grenoble. I'm only about six stops from the University. The tram system here is that you swipe your card outside but there is really no way to prevent anyone from just hopping on for free. This is probably often taken advantage of.
My morning classes are always French, taught by my lovely Bretonne prof and the class is half Americans, about half Koreans who sporadically show up, one Australian, one Chinese girl, and one Saudi Arabian guy. We are currently learning about FRENCH FOOD and hopefully this will lead to eating said food. I mentioned to my prof I had been to Bretagne and tasted Kouign Amann and dreamt about it ever since and she said she might bring some back if she goes home for Easter so CROSS FINGERS everybody. The level I am in is B2.5. To give you an idea, C1 is considered bilingual, A1 is just beginning, and C2 is when it is your native language. Hopefully by the end of the semester I will be really "bilingue".
For lunch I usually get a sandwich and fruit or yogurt which is all in all about 3 euros at this little sandwicherie. There are multiple cafeteria type things, but nothing like what we have at BU, mainly because the students aren't residents. One can also get a full meal for about 4 euros but then one has to wait and also the food isn't that great.
My afternoon classes on Thursdays are classes with normal French students. First, I would like to say if French students behaved like they do here back at BU they would get kicked out of class. About half are paying very intense attention and the other half literally just talk the entire class. The prof will occasionally snap his fingers or shush them, and they will be quiet for about two seconds before starting up again. I was told this would happen but I still find it really jarring. Additionally, lit classes are just lectures--no discussion. I do miss that about American university. Plus it is harder to stay awake when the prof is just going on in a foreign language about a text that most of the class probably hasn't even read. Perhaps the students feel that they can just do whatever because they are not paying for this the way we do--they don't value the education the same way. Probably each hour I spend in class at BU is a couple hundred dollars, so if I were to really blow it off it would mean something. For these students, university is almost free.
I did actually have a mini conversation with one student though! Its a girl who is in both my university classes and seems very studious and attentive. She told me she liked my Alice in Wonderland bag and I told her about Etsy. Very exciting. Hopefully I can get to know at least one or two students a little bit, but its a bit intimidating.
In the evenings I either eat with my host family or out with friends, sometimes just something casual or we go to a restaurant (the other night I had a delicious onion soup!). When I eat at home there is usually salad (in France this means just lettuce) and a main dish. The family often has things with potatos, as this seems to be a staple in this region. One popular dish is gratin dauphinois, which is basically potatoes baked with cream and cheese. For dessert I usually have some fruit and cheese--recently I tried and very much enjoyed fromage de brebis--ewe's cheese! I think my family are surprised I like such strong cheese, as many foreigners don't, but I could probably make a meal of chevre and bread. Mmmm.
My family watches this series every night called "Plus belle la vie". It takes place in Marseilles and is basically a very popular and ridiculous French soap opera. There are at least 20 characters and they all have weird storylines and someone got shot but also this guy is trying to steal the cafe and I'm not always sure what is going on because TV French is harder than French people actually talking. Then we watch Le Grand Journal which is when stars of sports, TV, movies, music, whatever come on this talk show and do ridic things and chat. Bradley Cooper was on it once and he speaks French so I am now a big fan.
My French is getting better, or at least my comprehension has improved, I think. I can understand most anything people say to me, and I can express myself pretty well. The only time people try to speak English to me is when I am in a group and we are all speaking English to one another so that bodes fairly well, I think.
This weekend I am off to Geneve to stay with my friend Val, who is studying with BU there. I will be back and recount to you my tales of fondue and milk chocolate!
Bisous,
Miriam
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