Bonjour Tours!!
Yes, I am finally in France, in the town of Tours, which is about 2 1/2 hours south of Paris, in the heart of chateau country.
The flight from Washington, D.C. was relatively short and uneventful, but I didn't manage to get any sleep. So by the time we arrived at Charles de Gaulle, at 6:10 Paris time, I was a zombie. Zombies, I learned, do not deal well with a combined 99 pounds of luggage. I had two checked bags that I had to get off the baggage carousel, and the luggage claim was packed. There was no room to maneuver around the carousel itself because there were about 15 French boys who had apparently just returned from the wilds of Africa. I am not exaggerating. They were dressed exactly like Boy Scouts on safari, Panama hats, boots, neckerchiefs, khaki shorts. And they were not technically boys. They had to be at least 17 or 18 years old. So I was not cutting them any slack. Because of said group, I almost mauled two members of some poor French family while trying to get my monolithic suitcase. Finally, a very nice French man helped me lift my suitcases onto the luggage trolley and I managed to get through passport control and to the buses with only a few collisions.
After that, it was on the bus to Tours. My host mom picked up me and my housemate from l'Institut de Touraine (the school where everyone on my program is taking French classes). I am living in a house close to the center of Tours with a French couple, their kids and their adorable dog. They have four children, one son (who doesn't live at home anymore) and three daughters. They are all friendly and wonderful and have made me feel very much at home. Also, my host mother is a really great cook. I have to say...French food does not disappoint. We eat lunch and dinner in the garden every day, and there are never fewer than three courses, usually four. There is a salad of some sort, the main course, a bread and cheese course and a dessert. And of course, there's wine and fresh fruit (bought locally at the market in Tours). Bottom line: I am going to gain at least 43 pounds in my first two weeks alone.
We had the first afternoon free, so I slept off some of my jet lag. The next day was taken up with meetings, and that night a big group of people from my program went out to the Place Plumereau, which is the old section of Tours. It's a beautiful old square about five minutes away from the Loire River, with lots of old buildings, cafes and restaurants where a lot of students congregate.
This weekend, we visited two chateaux: Amboise (on Saturday with the group) where Leonardo da Vinci died and was buried, and Villandry. My host parents drove my housemate and I to Villandry yesterday while they walked their dog in the countryside nearby. The chateau is impressive (of course), but the gardens are really spectacular.
Today was the start of classes. We have French language classes for several hours every morning to get us ready for Paris. My host parents tell me that I understand French very well, but they are almost definitely lying. At first, I was really excited because I could understand almost everyone that they said to me at "normal speed." Then they started talking to one another, and I realized that they were not speaking to me at normal speed, but quarter speed. Still, I've managed to carry on a few basic interactions with salespeople and waiters without too many errors. On the train to Amboise we met a French guy who was asking us where we were from. I used the French word for "suburbs" to describe my town. Unfortunately, I discovered in class this morning that the word I used has a very different connotation in French, so I told him that I live "in a little ghetto just north of Chicago." Oh well...
People (by which I mean my parents) asked me a lot of questions about French life before I left for Tours. And of course, I had no idea what French life was like. Now I have a slightly better (though not extensive) understanding of some French customs. So here, for your cultural education, are some observations, entitled:
French People; They're Just Like Us!!
They like Jane Austen! (my host sister, in whose room I am staying) has all of Jane Austen's books, plus most of the movies based on them.
They barbecue! (This one is for my dad. Yes, my host dad barbecued pork and lamb yesterday).
They watch American movies! (My host family got very excited when they saw me reading Gone With the Wind yesterday, apparently it's a favorite here. Also, Pretty Women was playing on TV last night).
They watch Who Wants to be a Millionaire? (Only, with a French host, obviously. The contestants, though, win a million euros, which is a lot more than a million dollars. So take my advice and sign up for French game shows instead).
They do have refrigeration! (also for my dad, my host family has two).
Except They're Not...
They don't typically wear diamond engagement rings (one of my host sisters is engaged, and both she and my host mother have sapphire engagement rings).
Their news is different! (They have no commercials during the news, which I prefer to American TV).
They really do like vacation! (Don't get me wrong, they work hard. But most stores really are closed on Sundays. And they do get a lot of vacation time).
They protest a lot! (My host sister, who studies at the same university as I will in Paris, said that the school had four months of strikes last year).
Well, I'm off to a meeting in a few minutes, so this massive post will have to do for the moment. Hopefully I'll update soon, but I won't have regular Internet access until I get to Paris.
A bientot,
Alanna
