I know I haven't blogged in quite some time but I've gathered an enormous amount of news to share! Being here for nearly a month, I've learned even more than I had expected. There is so much more beyond the culture and language that I have experienced, and I could not be happier. The reason that this post is split into three parts speaks volumes to just how much I have truly learned. In the beginning, much of what was going on consisted mostly of meeting the other American students and getting to know how school was going to progress.
I feel I can speak for not only myself, but many of the other students when I say the assimilation to French culture was a task that we all picked up to the best of our ability. In the United States, there are several things we do in our daily lives that the French consider impolite, many of which are not things that would even cross our minds. It was a bit of an adjustment to pick up on the things that we, as Americans, do on a daily basis, and yet are not exactly acceptable in many European countries. For example, talking on the phone in a public place where there are other people nearby is considered impolite and inconsiderate. As much as we use discretion when having conversations on our phones, the French do so in a much more private manner. I recently read an article given to all of the students by the administration that discussed the privacy differences between our two nations. What we consider private and what the French consider private are much different things and as such deserves to be highly respected. Little things like this make all the difference in the world!
Moving to a new place is never an easy feat, and being in a place in which there is a language barrier makes the task that much more challenging. For this reason, I was even more so drawn to this experience. I have always been incredibly independent, and for me, this has been nothing less than wonderful.The school work is not bad at all, as the classes are similar to those at Hobart. The classes are extremely small and personal, which allows us the opportunity to get to know our professors as people, not just instructors. I am so glad to have chosen the courses I did. They are exactly what I was looking for, and hit the nail on the head with my academic interests.
I feel like a sponge living here; I've absorbed so much already and gained knowledge not only about this place, but about myself as well. I think a big issue for me was realizing that even in the most perfect place that I could ever hope to live, it's always okay to have a bad day. Not everything is going to go your way... that's life. The best thing any of us can do is make the most of what is handed to us and realize how lucky we are for the things that do go right! I strongly believe in the idea of 'blessings in disguise'. I thought that before coming here I was a relatively patient individual, but since I've arrived, I realize that trying to articulate to people in a foreign language isn't always easy! The French have an equivalent phrase to 'blessings in disguise', and I am fond of their version. They say, "un mal pour un bien", which translates to a bad for a good. It's a simple idea, really, but the way the French think of it is much more passionate and meaningful than the English interpretation. My host mother taught me this phrase a few weeks ago and I had to jot it down so I'd remember to share it here!
I have met incredible people while on this trip. I didn't doubt that I would make friends, but I didn't realize just how strong some bonds were going to become so quickly. In particular, I've made one incredibly great friend which has made this experience even more meaningful and memorable. I met my friend Kate on the second day that I arrived at a meet & greet at the school. She has grown to be my best friend here, and the feeling that I have someone like family whom I have only known for a month, is something that I am beyond grateful for. I am so thankful for everything that has happened to me in the past four weeks, I am having the time of my life and it is even better than I anticipated.
I went on a trip last weekend to Ibiza, Spain, with five other American students. Let me start this by saying that I will not be returning to that place any time soon!! The best way I know how to describe it is the Jersey Shore on steroids. As beautiful as the beaches were, it didn't make up for the fact that many of the other aspects were complete stimulation overload. Ibiza is famous for its night life, and holds the numbers 1 & 4 top clubs in the world. I had the chance to go to the #4, Amnesia, and it was definitely ranked that high with good cause. I'd have to say it's something that, for me, is the type of thing to check out once just for the experience and to say I've done it, but I don't necessarily have a desire to return. Don't get me wrong, Ibiza was gorgeous and a great time. We met people from all around the world, got to swim with fish in natural reefs, and saw world class DJ's in the world's top clubs. The picture here is of the sunset on the island of Ibiza that I took on the first night we arrived. It was absolutely breath-taking!
I'll end this post here and post parts II and III this week!! The weather is supposed to be amazing this week as it has been since I arrived... there was one day of "rain" when it sprinkled for a few minutes, but the concept of a storm has not yet been prevalent (knock on wood).
XOXO KLD
I feel I can speak for not only myself, but many of the other students when I say the assimilation to French culture was a task that we all picked up to the best of our ability. In the United States, there are several things we do in our daily lives that the French consider impolite, many of which are not things that would even cross our minds. It was a bit of an adjustment to pick up on the things that we, as Americans, do on a daily basis, and yet are not exactly acceptable in many European countries. For example, talking on the phone in a public place where there are other people nearby is considered impolite and inconsiderate. As much as we use discretion when having conversations on our phones, the French do so in a much more private manner. I recently read an article given to all of the students by the administration that discussed the privacy differences between our two nations. What we consider private and what the French consider private are much different things and as such deserves to be highly respected. Little things like this make all the difference in the world!
Moving to a new place is never an easy feat, and being in a place in which there is a language barrier makes the task that much more challenging. For this reason, I was even more so drawn to this experience. I have always been incredibly independent, and for me, this has been nothing less than wonderful.The school work is not bad at all, as the classes are similar to those at Hobart. The classes are extremely small and personal, which allows us the opportunity to get to know our professors as people, not just instructors. I am so glad to have chosen the courses I did. They are exactly what I was looking for, and hit the nail on the head with my academic interests.
I feel like a sponge living here; I've absorbed so much already and gained knowledge not only about this place, but about myself as well. I think a big issue for me was realizing that even in the most perfect place that I could ever hope to live, it's always okay to have a bad day. Not everything is going to go your way... that's life. The best thing any of us can do is make the most of what is handed to us and realize how lucky we are for the things that do go right! I strongly believe in the idea of 'blessings in disguise'. I thought that before coming here I was a relatively patient individual, but since I've arrived, I realize that trying to articulate to people in a foreign language isn't always easy! The French have an equivalent phrase to 'blessings in disguise', and I am fond of their version. They say, "un mal pour un bien", which translates to a bad for a good. It's a simple idea, really, but the way the French think of it is much more passionate and meaningful than the English interpretation. My host mother taught me this phrase a few weeks ago and I had to jot it down so I'd remember to share it here!
I have met incredible people while on this trip. I didn't doubt that I would make friends, but I didn't realize just how strong some bonds were going to become so quickly. In particular, I've made one incredibly great friend which has made this experience even more meaningful and memorable. I met my friend Kate on the second day that I arrived at a meet & greet at the school. She has grown to be my best friend here, and the feeling that I have someone like family whom I have only known for a month, is something that I am beyond grateful for. I am so thankful for everything that has happened to me in the past four weeks, I am having the time of my life and it is even better than I anticipated.
I went on a trip last weekend to Ibiza, Spain, with five other American students. Let me start this by saying that I will not be returning to that place any time soon!! The best way I know how to describe it is the Jersey Shore on steroids. As beautiful as the beaches were, it didn't make up for the fact that many of the other aspects were complete stimulation overload. Ibiza is famous for its night life, and holds the numbers 1 & 4 top clubs in the world. I had the chance to go to the #4, Amnesia, and it was definitely ranked that high with good cause. I'd have to say it's something that, for me, is the type of thing to check out once just for the experience and to say I've done it, but I don't necessarily have a desire to return. Don't get me wrong, Ibiza was gorgeous and a great time. We met people from all around the world, got to swim with fish in natural reefs, and saw world class DJ's in the world's top clubs. The picture here is of the sunset on the island of Ibiza that I took on the first night we arrived. It was absolutely breath-taking!
I'll end this post here and post parts II and III this week!! The weather is supposed to be amazing this week as it has been since I arrived... there was one day of "rain" when it sprinkled for a few minutes, but the concept of a storm has not yet been prevalent (knock on wood).
XOXO KLD