Friday, August 27, 2010

First Post in la Belle France

Wow! My first few days in France have been wonderful, but I have been so busy that I have only just found the time to write a post after being here for almost three days. What a beautiful country, though!

To begin, the trip here was a little long, but everything went very smoothly. I definitely enjoyed the flight from Philadelphia to Paris much better than the flight from Atlanta to Philadelphia, as over half the people on the Philadelphia/Paris flight were French (and thus speaking French). This was my first taste of language immersion, which was only topped once I arrived in Paris and was surrounded my nothing but French. Immersion is simply the very best way to learn a language, in my opinion, as I think I have already doubled my vocabulary since I arrived! Of course, it will take more time to absorb all this, but I think there is no better way to adapt to a language, to expand one's vocabulary, and to learn to speak like a native than to just immerse oneself completely. This is especially true for me, since I am living with a French couple with almost no knowledge of the English language (It has been difficult, yet fun at the same time.).

One of the first things I noticed after I arrived is that everything is much smaller in France, which I really like. Unfortunately, the prices do not seem any smaller (and are perhaps even larger...), but I still love seeing all the tiny cars and the beautiful little houses. The house I am staying in is absolutely wonderful, as well. I have my own bedroom with a twin-sized bed, my own little bathroom with a tiny corner shower, and a closet that is relatively large by Parisian standards. The whole house seems like a work of art, as it was constructed in the 19th century and my "host father" insists on buying as much period artwork and furniture as possible. My host father is also very handy around the house (le bricolage), so everything is in fantastic shape, with many modern amenities for such an old house. I have not had a chance to take any pictures of the house yet, but they should come very soon.

In the midst of all the business I have had to take care of, including applying for a metro card, a residence card, and a French bank account (with a whopping 3% interest for students!!), I have still been able to partake in the French joie de vivre. So far, I have been able to take a few walks through Bures sur Yvette, the quaint town where I am staying, including a stroll through the nearby park. I was also able to go to Versailles yesterday, which was simply breath-taking. I took tons of pictures there (about 150 in only a couple hours), and I plan to post them soon to a photo website, though for now I will try to add a couple to this blog post if I can figure that out. It was amazing to see the beautiful château filled with works of art, from famous paintings by David that cover an entire wall, to ornate furniture in excellent condition.

Another important aspect of the French way of life that I have enjoyed so far has been French cooking. Wow! Every lunch and dinner I have had since my arrival has had at least three or four courses, and it everything has been superb. We have also had French bread and cheese at nearly every meal. While the cheese is wonderful (especially tonne de savoie), I have been a little disappointed by the bread. Perhaps I need to go to a bread shop (boulangerie) one day and buy some fresh bread...

I guess that is about all for now. Of course, everything is not completely perfect (there is SO much paperwork to do for everything and I seem to notice a lot of graffiti, which surprised me a little at first...), but I have really had a great time adjusting to life in France. For now, I am about to venture into Paris for the first time, so expect another post to follow about my first venture into the City of Lights.

Benjamin

11 comments:

  1. Ahh Benjamin, I love the way you write and feel as if I am living your life right along with you! But being too scared to leave our country, I will enjoy EVEN MORE living vicariously through you! I was hoping you would post more than once a week! Looks like I might get my wish!!!!!

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  2. At least at the beginning (read: before I am overwhelmed with homework), I may post quite often. Who knows, though? I may just have to post multiple times a week...

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  3. Yes, you must!!! The pictures are beautiful! This whole thing looks so professional! OK. It's 8:00 p.m. for me--what time is it for you??????

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  4. When it was 8:00 p.m. for you, it was 2:00 a.m. for me. Right now, it is about 6:00 p.m. for me.

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  5. This is SO exciting. Ok, for bread, you must visit 'Paul'. It's sort of a chain, but not really, and my favorite is near St.Germain de Pres. Also, for ice cream, my favorites are Amorino in le Quartier Latin and Berthillon on Ile St. Louis. Observe, eat, enjoy, and report back : ) Can't wait for your next post!

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  6. Thank you for all the food advice, Kristin; je m'en profiterai bien. : ) I am going to be walking so much in Paris and I live on the third floor in my host house, so I definitely could use some extra snacking. I hope to post en français for my next post, but we'll see if that actually happens...

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  7. I am so glad you are there safely! I can only imagine how much fun you are having. Live it up for all of us at home in the USA!

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  8. It's funny when you say that everything is smaller in France. I got the reverse feeling when I arrived in Atlanta! ;)

    And about bread, it depends a lot on the bakery you're going to, you can find a bit of everything, from amazing to pretty bad bread.

    I arrive in Paris on Thursday. Are you going to the "buddy afternoon" on Sunday 5th?
    Has the Welcome Program already started?
    See you soon :)

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  9. Salut, Lucille! : )

    I didn't even think about Atlanta, I am so used to Macon... As for this Sunday, unfortunately I am not going to the "buddy afternoon." I totally forgot about it and made plans to bring some food to a big lunch/pique-nique with some of my non-Paris friends. Dommage... : (

    The Welcome Program started yesterday, and I still have some work to do before tomorrow. I am so excited about this year, though, and I love Paris.

    Have a safe trip, and see you soon, too!

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  10. Ah, I'm so glad you're enjoying & adjusting well! This sounds amazing. I miss you! :)

    - Preety.

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  11. Thanks, Preety! I miss you, too, and I hope your semester is going really well at Tech! : )

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