Bonjour!
So today I'm not really going to be talking about a specific experience, just some things that I've noticed here. Mainly how much more prominent the "classic gender roles" are where I am in France. Now, I am not saying that these roles are nonexistent back in the US, I'm just saying that they stick out more in my life here.
At school, there aren't really a lot that I've noticed. Then again, I don't follow every conversation and I don't see every interaction, so there may be more, or there may not be. The first thing I noticed was with the foosball, or "babyfoot" as it's called here. No I don't know why it's called that. Anyway, there are really only 3 girls (besides myself) who play relatively seriously. I say relatively because some of the guys get really intense over a game of foosball... Moving on. I don't know why this made me think of classic gender roles. It just seems that the girls don't have a strong enough presence in the competitive things here. Like in my sport class. The day we chose which group of sports to take, almost all (not all, I promise) went for the easy ones. I'm sure that would happen in the States too if we were given the option, but like I said, it's more prominent to me here. Also it seems like guys almost expect girls to be weak. I don't have a specific example, but I just got that vibe. Like they think it's cute (like little kid cute) and expected when a girl can't play a game (like foosball) or get a problem right in math or science. I don't understand it. Most of you who know me in person know that I don't exactly like following those stereotypes...
It's also really present in my host family. Now I will say again that this could all be coincidence. I don't mean to say that my host family is bad for being like this. They aren't bad. They are wonderful. Anyway, the structure is very classic. My host mom is home for the day (she works from home), cooks the meals, and cleans (not to say that my host dad doesn't). My host dad is working at a middle school all day, serves the food, and plays video games with my host brother. The way my host mom talks about some things also make it seem super stereotypical. Like when we had crêpes the other day. We used a griddle thing in the middle of the table, but she explained that usually the mother makes the crêpes while everyone else just sits and eats. As if a dad is incapable of doing that. I don't know honestly. It could be that all French women are wonderful cooks and all French men are terrible cooks. Except the restaurant industry, with the cuisine France is famous for, is a male dominated profession. Also, they just have the stereotypical air about them. I can't explain that one. It just seems like they're a classic gender role type family.
Now, these are generalizations, it isn't concretely like this. I feel like I'm defending this a lot. I just don't want to offend anyone. I'm not trying to be rude, I'm merely stating observations that have formed my opinion. I'm not terrible. I promise.
Au revoir!
Amelia
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Une petite histoire (A little story)
Bonjour!
So today my host family and I went to a Kebab restaurant for lunch. By the way, if you're in France and haven't eaten a kebab yet, you should. Anyway, I had successfully ordered my food when the waiter asked me what I wanted to drink. Now, I wanted a Sprite, but I didn't know how the French pronounce it. So I said it in my best French accent. It sounded like "spreet". The waiter then proceeded to correct me and pronounced it the American way.
Are you serious? I flipped out inside over not wanting to sound foreign when sounding foreign was completely appropriate? No. That is unacceptable.
After the waiter left my host dad asked me if I spoke English. Apparently not......... He and my host mom explained that a lot of English words were kept the same, except for the ones that aren't. French is so complicated that English in French is complicated. I tried so hard to not sound like an idiot and ended up sounding like an idiot. I don't even know anymore. I should just embrace the fact that I will be forever foreign. Here, I'm foreign. When I come home, I'll seem foreign. I just can't win. Oh well!
Au revoir!
Amelia
So today my host family and I went to a Kebab restaurant for lunch. By the way, if you're in France and haven't eaten a kebab yet, you should. Anyway, I had successfully ordered my food when the waiter asked me what I wanted to drink. Now, I wanted a Sprite, but I didn't know how the French pronounce it. So I said it in my best French accent. It sounded like "spreet". The waiter then proceeded to correct me and pronounced it the American way.
Are you serious? I flipped out inside over not wanting to sound foreign when sounding foreign was completely appropriate? No. That is unacceptable.
After the waiter left my host dad asked me if I spoke English. Apparently not......... He and my host mom explained that a lot of English words were kept the same, except for the ones that aren't. French is so complicated that English in French is complicated. I tried so hard to not sound like an idiot and ended up sounding like an idiot. I don't even know anymore. I should just embrace the fact that I will be forever foreign. Here, I'm foreign. When I come home, I'll seem foreign. I just can't win. Oh well!
Au revoir!
Amelia
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Rotary Meeting
Bonjour!
Monday night, I attended my first French Rotary meeting. The first difference between Rotary Montélimar and Tacoma Narrows Rotary is the time. TNR meets in the morning for breakfast and has 2 hour meetings. RM has dinner meetings that last closer to 3 hours. It was awkward for me, just like my first meeting with TNR. The Brazilian and I stood there while random people came up to us. They asked our names, where we were from, and how long we'd been in France. Amelia; Seattle, WA, USA; 6 semaines (weeks). Over and over and over again. Eventually the conversations got a little longer, but it was the same simple topics for each.
The official meeting began with a mini-tour of the location. We were at a vocational high school and got to see the workshop and resource center. It wasn't terribly interesting to me, but I was respectful and listened (I didn't say I understood it all). When we went back to the room, we had dinner. It started off with a small salad and what I think was a pâté... not sure. The main course was chicken and mushrooms with a cream sauce. That was actually pretty good. The dessert was fondant au chocolat avec la crème anglaise (a chocolate cake thing with English cream, which is like sweetened condensed milk). During dessert, the representative of the vocational school made a presentation. I think the club had either already donated to them or was considering it. After the presentation, there was tea and coffee. After I drank my tea, I left.
As you can see, it was rather uneventful for me. I hope the next one is a bit more interesting. I got to know a lot of the Rotarians back in the States and hopefully I can do that here. Oh I almost forgot. About a third of the Rotary Montélimar club is women and their president is a woman. That may seem unimportant if you aren't familiar with Rotary, but in many countries, women aren't allowed into the organization. It really is a shame because Rotary does a lot of great charity work and everyone should get the opportunity to be involved around the world, regardless of gender.
Before I finish, I do have some good news! Yesterday, a few people told me that my accent is completely gone (they're lying, but still, that's always good to hear). Also, my host dad said that my pronunciation, comprehension, and accent have improved since I arrived! That I believe. I know I have improved, but I'm also completely aware that I am not perfect. I make mistakes, I get corrected, but I am learning! More and more every day. It's a wonderful feeling, to know that you're improving, even if it's only a few words a day.
And on that happy note, I'll say au revoir!
Amelia
Monday night, I attended my first French Rotary meeting. The first difference between Rotary Montélimar and Tacoma Narrows Rotary is the time. TNR meets in the morning for breakfast and has 2 hour meetings. RM has dinner meetings that last closer to 3 hours. It was awkward for me, just like my first meeting with TNR. The Brazilian and I stood there while random people came up to us. They asked our names, where we were from, and how long we'd been in France. Amelia; Seattle, WA, USA; 6 semaines (weeks). Over and over and over again. Eventually the conversations got a little longer, but it was the same simple topics for each.
The official meeting began with a mini-tour of the location. We were at a vocational high school and got to see the workshop and resource center. It wasn't terribly interesting to me, but I was respectful and listened (I didn't say I understood it all). When we went back to the room, we had dinner. It started off with a small salad and what I think was a pâté... not sure. The main course was chicken and mushrooms with a cream sauce. That was actually pretty good. The dessert was fondant au chocolat avec la crème anglaise (a chocolate cake thing with English cream, which is like sweetened condensed milk). During dessert, the representative of the vocational school made a presentation. I think the club had either already donated to them or was considering it. After the presentation, there was tea and coffee. After I drank my tea, I left.
As you can see, it was rather uneventful for me. I hope the next one is a bit more interesting. I got to know a lot of the Rotarians back in the States and hopefully I can do that here. Oh I almost forgot. About a third of the Rotary Montélimar club is women and their president is a woman. That may seem unimportant if you aren't familiar with Rotary, but in many countries, women aren't allowed into the organization. It really is a shame because Rotary does a lot of great charity work and everyone should get the opportunity to be involved around the world, regardless of gender.
Before I finish, I do have some good news! Yesterday, a few people told me that my accent is completely gone (they're lying, but still, that's always good to hear). Also, my host dad said that my pronunciation, comprehension, and accent have improved since I arrived! That I believe. I know I have improved, but I'm also completely aware that I am not perfect. I make mistakes, I get corrected, but I am learning! More and more every day. It's a wonderful feeling, to know that you're improving, even if it's only a few words a day.
And on that happy note, I'll say au revoir!
Amelia
Thursday, October 3, 2013
You're just so...... Stereotypical
Bonjour!
So the other day, I was in a supermarket with my host dad. Now you have to understand the entire situation or this won't make any sense. He had just bought A LOT of cheese. I'm not sure how much, but it was a lot, and he was cradling it like it was his child. Needless to say, my host dad loves cheese. The best part, however, was when we went to the other side of the store - to the wines. He looked like a kid in a candy store. It was perfect. He got all wide eyed at some of the bottles and I couldn't help but laugh. He looked at me and said how perfect it was. He had his cheese and was surrounded by wine. I told him... he just looked so FRENCH.
And then it hit me. He is French.
And then it hit me again. I just had a conversation in French.
And then it hit me again...again(?). I'm in France.
So the other day, I was in a supermarket with my host dad. Now you have to understand the entire situation or this won't make any sense. He had just bought A LOT of cheese. I'm not sure how much, but it was a lot, and he was cradling it like it was his child. Needless to say, my host dad loves cheese. The best part, however, was when we went to the other side of the store - to the wines. He looked like a kid in a candy store. It was perfect. He got all wide eyed at some of the bottles and I couldn't help but laugh. He looked at me and said how perfect it was. He had his cheese and was surrounded by wine. I told him... he just looked so FRENCH.
And then it hit me. He is French.
And then it hit me again. I just had a conversation in French.
And then it hit me again...again(?). I'm in France.
So that was the moment when I finally realized it. After over a month with my host family, a Rotary event, French school, and telling people over and over again that I am in France, it finally hit me when I was in a supermarket. In the wine section. Fitting, no? :P
I had been having a bit of a rough time with communication and was sick. But after I realized where I was /am/, all of that changed. I felt happy...like I belonged here. That has changed a little though. It's a difficult thing to describe. When I speak plain English, with my 'Murican accent, I don't hear myself anymore. When I speak French, with my god-awful French accent, I don't hear myself anymore. So basically I'm super confused about what I should be speaking and it's just really strange. The only time I hear myself is when I sing random stuff when my host parents aren't home and I'm wandering around the house wasting time. It's in English I guess, but it's all artistic and stuff (or so I tell myself).
Well I'm off to school now. Au revoir!
Amelia
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