So things in France have become quite interesting lately...if you haven't been reading the news...Apparently Paris is on the list for the next terrorist attack? Hmmm..well don't fret, kids. The French Intel are all up on this. Besides, they did find out about the Cuban Missile Crisis on accident right? Anyways, don't worry. Everything is fine. Although, my poor friend Adam in Ecquador is probably going to see a coup d'etat of their government. Gulp. Kudos to ya man, be safe!
Enough of the craziness....the past few days have been quite interesting! Wednesday night, my American Film Studies prof actually decided to show up...and she taught 80% of the class in French. However, my comprehension skills have SKYROCKETED since I've been here, so I caught pretty much everything she said. And it's going to be an interesting class! We're studying Hitchcock films, and a few others. I'm excited. Also, Wednesday night was the Angellier Soiree (English club/department) at Saloon (this American-esque place). I got to meet several French people and they were all excited to talk to me about the US. Haha. Anyways, it was definitely funny to see a bunch of French people wearing cowboy hats...I just couldn't take them seriously! But it was definitely a good time. Except when we got caught in the rain...again.
Thursday has been a relaxing day! I had my 8am Great Britain studies class...and then came back to Triolo and took an EPIC nap. AH! It was great. And then I caught up on the latest episode of Supernatural :D Then my friend Brian (the dude from LSU who now goes to Lille 3 officially) and I got some pizza from Triolo Pizza down the road, and he led me in a crash course in French...I had to meet his French host family...Talk about nerveracking...But before we went there, we walked around Lille centre and it is seriously the most gorgeous/European-esque city ever. I mean, it's not ginormous and overwhelming like Paris; it's just a typical European city with a lot of history and charm. Seeing the Lille Opera building lit up is just absolutely amazing. And don't even get me started on the Palais de Beaux Arts with the foutain in front of it...Ah!! But we walked past the Gare Lille Europe (where I arrived at) and I saw a TGV coming in and it made me nostalgic :) haha...24 more days until I'll be on one of those to pick Steve up from Brussels :D Anyways, the city was absolutely majestic tonight. We headed down the road to Caulier, where his host family lives. We get to this really random, very Northern France looking house (it has 3 levels), and I was immediately overwhelmed..."Je vous presente ma copine, Christine", says Brian. Oh lord. And immediately, his host dad is super excited and starts speaking to me in French, and all of the sudden it donned on me, Hey, I can understand this guy! I also met his host mother. They were absolutely adorable and soooo welcoming! They gave us some water, and a million different syrups we could flavor it with...hahah that was hilarious. It was interesting trying to explain that we don't normally flavor our water in the US. And then the host dad was like, "Oh tu es Americaine? Comme Brian??" "Oui, Monsieur." And then he grabbed his huge map of the US and asked me to point out Kentucky. And so I pointed out good ol' Louisville, KY! And he thought it was cool that we have a legit airport...Then we talked about fried chicken...it's inevitable. And then I showed them Hammond, LA where the rest of my family lives. He was fascinated by that. Hahah!!
After listening to him give Brian a funny grammar lesson, I began to feel a bit more comfortable! I definitely got across what I wanted to say in French, and I understood his questions, as well as the rest of his conversation between his wife and Brian. Oh goodness. I was also telling him about being here for Christmas and having my birthday the day after and he insisted that I join them for Christmas if I ended up being all alone! How sweet eh?? I love the French, they really will do anything for you. After spending an hour there, we decided that it would be best not to catch the Metro back to Triolo too late. I am pretty sure that I did not breathe through that entire encounter...I was soooo nervous! It's just intimidating for me seeing someone like Brian, who is American, speaking French so quickly and with such ease, and then listening to myself trying to string sentences together. Geez. But I made it back to Triolo safe and sound and am now enjoying a Kinder Bueno bar...I think as Americans, we need to embrace the taste of Hazelnut. It is AMAZING. Speaking French for a long time really does wear one out. Although, I feel like I am definitely getting used to it, and have much more confidence now after being put in those weird situations! Another adventure for the books I guess....
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