"On va manger les filles!" is one of my favorite things to hear every day. It signals not only a break from homework (although, let's face it, I was probably lost in the abyss of internet distraction anyway) but an amazing French meal cooked by my amazing host mom.
Most host parents are great, but you hear stories. The same meal every night. Awkward marital problems. My housemate LaSia and I are lucky enough to live with a host mom who is warm, welcoming and gives us the true French experience.
Madame Regent has made us feel like a part of her family. Her son, his wife and their children live nearby, so we often come home on Friday or Saturday night and they're there enjoying a family meal, which we are always welcome to join. Her granddaughter lets herself into my room if I'm home and we play Yahtzee (with the rules she made up) or listen and sing along to the American music she knows.
Madame is welcoming, making sure we tried macarons and Calissons d'Aix. Each night we have a real French meal. It is never one big dish, but consists of several small dishes, then salad, bread and cheese. Simple and delicious seems to be her cooking motto.
If LaSia and I want to watch Master Chef so we can root for Marie-Hélène, we watch it until we’re all asleep on the couch.
Madame is welcoming, making sure we tried macarons and Calissons d'Aix. Each night we have a real French meal. It is never one big dish, but consists of several small dishes, then salad, bread and cheese. Simple and delicious seems to be her cooking motto.
If LaSia and I want to watch Master Chef so we can root for Marie-Hélène, we watch it until we’re all asleep on the couch.
Her generosity extends to our friends, who she greets with warmth if we ever bring them over because we have to stop at home on the way to somewhere else. Everyone is greeted with the French double-cheek kiss. She even let us have a friend over for dinner and taught us all how to make crêpes.
I come home every night hoping that someone will already be home and glance out my door to greet whoever is coming home when I hear their keys in the door. More than being alone in a foreign country, making new friends or taking classes in French, I was worried about living in a home stay. With Madame Regent and LaSia, I have found out how much fun living with people can be.