So after a very drawn out week, vacation is finally here. When our professor let us go, I think we all felt like jumping up and down. I don't understand how I ever made it three months without a vacation at Linfield. It's only been two here and I couldn't have been more ready for a vacation. I couldn't bring myself to focus or care about school and I think everyone was just tired of the daily ritual. We all needed a break from Marseille and the usual routine. A lot of people are going to Paris, some to Spain, one to Belgium, and myself to Sardegnaaaaa!
So Saturday I got up early because I wanted to make sure I had more than enough time to do everything I needed to before leaving. See, getting to France, as you all know, was a trip to hell and back (hell being Frankfurt, Germany). So I'm kind of scarred for life, traveling alone is just much more intimidating and it's nice to have someone next to you to remind you of things or reassure you or you know, whatever. If you know me well, you know I forget things easily and am kind of a cluster when it comes to getting ready, for anything haha. So doing it all on my own (save for my friends helping me pack the night before, under my insistence haha) just made me nervous. I left at like 2:10 and walked to the train station to buy a ticket for the airport shuttle. Got there 10 minutes or so before it left, and then got to the airport right at 3. My flight left at 5 so I had plenty of time. But I am traveling with RyanAir so I didn't know how any of that works, and it was kind of confusing. Because of their strict regulations, I was afraid I'd miss something or skip a step and then I'd be sent back and late for my flight. But all went well, and I got onto the plane without any complications. RyanAir flights are awesome and not at all what I expected. The flight attendant who makes announcements on the plane, was announcing things in all different languages and all different voices, like a Darth Vader voice, a super girly voice (it was a man fyi), and funny stuff like that. The seats are open to anyone, there's no seat assignements. And on most flights you are supposed to kind of keep your voice down, but it was like a party the whole way there. At the end of the flight, they played a victorious trumpet sound and everyone clapped haha. It was so relaxing to be in an environment that is's so uptight as most flights. I've never though of normal flights as being uptight but now I see the difference! You pay more for uptightness. RyanAir is so laidback (despite their strict regulations for baggage, etc.). I will definitely be flying with RyanAir in the future.
I landed in Cagliari, and Vale drove us to Guspini where her family lives. We came back and settled in and had dinner with her family. I can speak French with her mom which is great, and some of her friends speak French really well too so it's nice to be able to confidently communicate in French rather than English since I couldn't be speaking English anyways :). Her dad only speaks Italian, but between my knowledge of French and Spanish, I can actually understand what he's saying if he speaks slow enough. The frustration is I just can't respond. It sucks!! I met a lot of Vale's friends too and they are all sooo nice and welcoming to me, and even still try to converse with me even though we can barely speak any of the same languages! (It's a huge mixture of Fratalish- French Italian English haha). It's probably the most beautiful language I've ever heard. I love French, don't get me wrong, but as I am kind of a language nerd it doesn't take much for me to fall in love with other ones too. Therefore.... I am going to find a way to fit Italian into my future. The sounds are just, lovely.
Last night we went to a bar and then like a bar-club thing that was way too packed to let loose and I was also too sober and tired haha. But I still had a lot fun! I have met already a lot of people and will continue to this week. We have several things planned, especially for like Halloween and stuff, but unfortunately it's rainy and really cold here. All well!
Bises,
Katherine
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
What I've been up to...
Bonjour tous!
Lots has been going on lately. Last week was midterms and it was a very tiring week. Needless to say, I feel pretty confident about my exams! For interreligious communication I think I could have done better, but that's okay. On everything else I did the best I could have done; I'm curious to see my grades!
I went to Montpellier two weekends ago to visit some family friends, and it was just what I needed. I really feel at home there, like I am part of the family or a relative or something. I love my living situation in Marseille, but I don't feel at home here like I do at the Coste's house in Montpellier, because I have a different relationship with their family and here in my host mom's house- I feel like a guest constantly. It's hard to explain because that sounds overexaggerated or dramatic, but I guess it's this subconscious understanding that if I do something wrong by accident, that could set off tension between Marie-Paule and I and since I'm here for a long time, that would suck. I am always conscious of what I'm doing so as not to step on her toes; maybe I should relax a little more. But to give an example so it's more clear: So, in my room, I have two large windows. One day I opened my curtains (they're white and don't block out light, but still) and I thought nothing of it because in the US that's no big deal, but Marie-Paule asked me to close them so the neighbors can't see inside. The privacy of the home goes as far as not letting people see inside, because that's like seeing inside your private life. (In France, there is a huge difference between public and private life, and in the US we like to think we have "privacy" but it's much less intense than here) I understood why right away, and it's not a big deal, but if it were my house I would open them. It feels like I'm forbidden to do something that seems so harmless to me. It's little things like that that make me feel more like a guest. It's tiring being/feeling like a guest all the time! But as time goes on that will feel more normal and I think that will help me feel like it's my own home too. In France the home is very private. I think I mentioned this before, with inviting people over maybe? Every family is different, but it's not like in the United States where we can invite whoever we want over even if we just met them, etc. For the most part, it's not like that here. It depends, but if I wanted to invite a friend over to hang out at home instead of in town, I have to ask permission each time, etc. Which is kind of frustrating. It makes sense of course, but I think after living in a dorm for two years it's so hard to not have friends over every day. .....Going to Montpellier made me feel like I could actually really truly relax, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.. It was wonderful to be back at their beautiful home in their little village just outside of Montpellier, and to see them again. I think vacation is coming at a good time..
This past week, I went out to dinner with friends, and then on Friday we (some French friends and Sara and I) went to Suzie's house for dinner! Her host mom is of Algerian descent, and her host dad is Palestinian. They were such neat, open-minded people, and her host mom Leila makes a mean Algerian meal. I don't even know what half the things we ate were, but she made homemade tabouleh and hummus and these meat pastry thingies and a cheese pastry... ohhh it was delicious. With a rice pudding dessert to top it off. Oh and don't forget the tea afterwards. I haven't been that full in a looong time.. After dinner we went out to this cool bar at the Vieux Port that's called O'Malley's. It's got a cool vibe and the guys there weren't too shabby either... :) haha. I took it easy that night because I was exhausted after midterms, but Saturday night I got to invite some friends over for the apero before we hit Vieux Port for the night. My host mom is in Morocco, and I will actually leave for Italy before she gets back, but she said I could have friends over. Since I'm a foreigner here, I am always going over to other people's houses. And I love being a host, so it felt soooo nice to be able to return the favor and welcome people into my own home. I invited my two American girlies of course, Suzie and Sara. But the rest were French friends! I had a great time and I think every else did too! At midnight we headed to the Vieux Port as per usual and we went to Barbarousse (a pirate themed bar that we have gone to several times) and danced the night away!
Saturday, my class went to an island off the coast of Marseille called Ile de Frioul. We took the shuttle boat there, which normally costs 10 euro there and back but AUCP covered the fee :) On the island are a bunch of awesome swimming spots and also, l'Hopital Caroline. This hospital was built at the beginning of the 1800's to host patients diagnosed with the Plague, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, and other diseases. The wind in this region is pretty intense, so the hospital was designed with several different buildings in a circle, with the buildings hosting the sickest patients towards the back of the island. The wind helped prevent the spread of the diseases it literally swept away the unhealthy germs/bacteria in the air. Interesting huh? It was abandoned when these diseases were more treatable and patients didn't need to be separated from the regular population. During WWII, it was bombed by the Americans (oopsie) and underwent some extreme damage, and was left as such for several decades until the 80's when it was dubbed a national historical monument. Now it's undergoing a renovation process, which is taking a long time. Because of this, it's closed to the public. But we got a special tour.
Sunday I went to a movie called Asterix and Obelix, which is actually the 4th movie in sequence of the series, and it's originally a comic. So, needless to say some of the humor was cheesy and it's by no means a "quality" movie by critic standards but it was funny and it's a French classic so it was worth it. I went with Sara, and another classmate Clare and her language partner, Paul. It was a fun little Sunday outing :)
This week is weird because I'm home alone. But I think I will invite some friends over to keep me company and do some homework together. Also, everyone is just ready for a vacation and it's noticeable. We're tired, so over classes, and all are feeling antsy to be somewhere other than Marseille for awhile. It's just like at Linfield, once Thanksgiving break comes around, it feels sooo good to go home. 5 more days until I go to Sardinia! :D
Also, Sunday I was feeling a little homesick. All my friends I could talk to were sleeping in the States, but one of my dearest friends Erin is studying in Norway. I skyped her and that made me feel a thousand times better. We had been thinking about trying to visit each other because, duh we're in Europe at the same time! She might come see me in December, but I said that first and foremost I need to go to Norway, haha. SO I made the decision to go to NORWAY! I am so excited, there are no words to describe how infinitely happy I am to:
1. Be with one of my best friends from home...
2. ....in Europe
3. Go to Norway! One more country to check off my list!
I am sooo looking forward to it. Like, I can't even say that enough. However, seeing her again is going to make me miss all my other girls even more!
It's going to be a crazy month starting this Saturday: Sardinia for a week, come back for a week of classes, leave for Morocco for a week, come back for a week of classes and celebrate Thanksgiving in Aix with all the AUCP students, then go to Norway for an extended weekend (missing classes, sorry not sorry)... and then it's December. It's going to fly by..
Sorry this post was a little more boring! Hopefully the pictures made up for it :)
Bises,
Katherine
Lots has been going on lately. Last week was midterms and it was a very tiring week. Needless to say, I feel pretty confident about my exams! For interreligious communication I think I could have done better, but that's okay. On everything else I did the best I could have done; I'm curious to see my grades!
I went to Montpellier two weekends ago to visit some family friends, and it was just what I needed. I really feel at home there, like I am part of the family or a relative or something. I love my living situation in Marseille, but I don't feel at home here like I do at the Coste's house in Montpellier, because I have a different relationship with their family and here in my host mom's house- I feel like a guest constantly. It's hard to explain because that sounds overexaggerated or dramatic, but I guess it's this subconscious understanding that if I do something wrong by accident, that could set off tension between Marie-Paule and I and since I'm here for a long time, that would suck. I am always conscious of what I'm doing so as not to step on her toes; maybe I should relax a little more. But to give an example so it's more clear: So, in my room, I have two large windows. One day I opened my curtains (they're white and don't block out light, but still) and I thought nothing of it because in the US that's no big deal, but Marie-Paule asked me to close them so the neighbors can't see inside. The privacy of the home goes as far as not letting people see inside, because that's like seeing inside your private life. (In France, there is a huge difference between public and private life, and in the US we like to think we have "privacy" but it's much less intense than here) I understood why right away, and it's not a big deal, but if it were my house I would open them. It feels like I'm forbidden to do something that seems so harmless to me. It's little things like that that make me feel more like a guest. It's tiring being/feeling like a guest all the time! But as time goes on that will feel more normal and I think that will help me feel like it's my own home too. In France the home is very private. I think I mentioned this before, with inviting people over maybe? Every family is different, but it's not like in the United States where we can invite whoever we want over even if we just met them, etc. For the most part, it's not like that here. It depends, but if I wanted to invite a friend over to hang out at home instead of in town, I have to ask permission each time, etc. Which is kind of frustrating. It makes sense of course, but I think after living in a dorm for two years it's so hard to not have friends over every day. .....Going to Montpellier made me feel like I could actually really truly relax, I felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.. It was wonderful to be back at their beautiful home in their little village just outside of Montpellier, and to see them again. I think vacation is coming at a good time..
This past week, I went out to dinner with friends, and then on Friday we (some French friends and Sara and I) went to Suzie's house for dinner! Her host mom is of Algerian descent, and her host dad is Palestinian. They were such neat, open-minded people, and her host mom Leila makes a mean Algerian meal. I don't even know what half the things we ate were, but she made homemade tabouleh and hummus and these meat pastry thingies and a cheese pastry... ohhh it was delicious. With a rice pudding dessert to top it off. Oh and don't forget the tea afterwards. I haven't been that full in a looong time.. After dinner we went out to this cool bar at the Vieux Port that's called O'Malley's. It's got a cool vibe and the guys there weren't too shabby either... :) haha. I took it easy that night because I was exhausted after midterms, but Saturday night I got to invite some friends over for the apero before we hit Vieux Port for the night. My host mom is in Morocco, and I will actually leave for Italy before she gets back, but she said I could have friends over. Since I'm a foreigner here, I am always going over to other people's houses. And I love being a host, so it felt soooo nice to be able to return the favor and welcome people into my own home. I invited my two American girlies of course, Suzie and Sara. But the rest were French friends! I had a great time and I think every else did too! At midnight we headed to the Vieux Port as per usual and we went to Barbarousse (a pirate themed bar that we have gone to several times) and danced the night away!
Saturday, my class went to an island off the coast of Marseille called Ile de Frioul. We took the shuttle boat there, which normally costs 10 euro there and back but AUCP covered the fee :) On the island are a bunch of awesome swimming spots and also, l'Hopital Caroline. This hospital was built at the beginning of the 1800's to host patients diagnosed with the Plague, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, and other diseases. The wind in this region is pretty intense, so the hospital was designed with several different buildings in a circle, with the buildings hosting the sickest patients towards the back of the island. The wind helped prevent the spread of the diseases it literally swept away the unhealthy germs/bacteria in the air. Interesting huh? It was abandoned when these diseases were more treatable and patients didn't need to be separated from the regular population. During WWII, it was bombed by the Americans (oopsie) and underwent some extreme damage, and was left as such for several decades until the 80's when it was dubbed a national historical monument. Now it's undergoing a renovation process, which is taking a long time. Because of this, it's closed to the public. But we got a special tour.
Sunday I went to a movie called Asterix and Obelix, which is actually the 4th movie in sequence of the series, and it's originally a comic. So, needless to say some of the humor was cheesy and it's by no means a "quality" movie by critic standards but it was funny and it's a French classic so it was worth it. I went with Sara, and another classmate Clare and her language partner, Paul. It was a fun little Sunday outing :)
This week is weird because I'm home alone. But I think I will invite some friends over to keep me company and do some homework together. Also, everyone is just ready for a vacation and it's noticeable. We're tired, so over classes, and all are feeling antsy to be somewhere other than Marseille for awhile. It's just like at Linfield, once Thanksgiving break comes around, it feels sooo good to go home. 5 more days until I go to Sardinia! :D
Also, Sunday I was feeling a little homesick. All my friends I could talk to were sleeping in the States, but one of my dearest friends Erin is studying in Norway. I skyped her and that made me feel a thousand times better. We had been thinking about trying to visit each other because, duh we're in Europe at the same time! She might come see me in December, but I said that first and foremost I need to go to Norway, haha. SO I made the decision to go to NORWAY! I am so excited, there are no words to describe how infinitely happy I am to:
1. Be with one of my best friends from home...
2. ....in Europe
3. Go to Norway! One more country to check off my list!
I am sooo looking forward to it. Like, I can't even say that enough. However, seeing her again is going to make me miss all my other girls even more!
It's going to be a crazy month starting this Saturday: Sardinia for a week, come back for a week of classes, leave for Morocco for a week, come back for a week of classes and celebrate Thanksgiving in Aix with all the AUCP students, then go to Norway for an extended weekend (missing classes, sorry not sorry)... and then it's December. It's going to fly by..
Manu (and her wig haha) et moi :)
Suzie et moi haha
Suzie et Caro
Suzie moi et Thibault
Amiiiiis
Sara moi et Suzie!
Vieux Port- where I spend my weekends haha
Notre Dame de la Garde
Le fort
our group!
Chateau d'If in the background
The setting for "Count of Monte Cristo"
La plaaaage
Hopital Caroline
Sorry this post was a little more boring! Hopefully the pictures made up for it :)
Bises,
Katherine
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Random updates/Cultural notes
- My twisted ankle is doing much, much better. Practically back to normal. Honestly I just have to laugh that I even did that. In speaking with one of my best friends, E. Lash, she said something along the lines of, "Kat, I'm sorry, but I have to say it: are you surprised? That would happen to you." She is totally right. But on the bright side, it's okay now and next time I trip on the flat ground wearing very flat shoes.... well, I don't know, I just hope it doesn't happen again this year. haha.
- Going to Montpellier this weekend (where I spent 1 month two summers ago) to visit some dear friends and take a little mini-vacation from Marseille. I'm SO EXCITED. I just love that place. I'll be taking the train Saturday morning, I'm excited to see the French countryside by train :D
- Midterms are next week. WHAT?! That being said, is it bad I'm not really intimidated/nervous for them?? Classes here work a lot like at Linfield, so individual opinion, so long as you support it, is what matters. There's not always a right or wrong answer. However, I am not taking science or math classes.... I love being a Bachelor of Arts major.
- I am finding that my comprehension level in French is traversing the plateau... That's to say, for the first 3 weeks or so I felt like I made small progresses. But now I'm going on 6 weeks.... French is becoming more natural than English (all of us Americans have discussed this and we are all experiencing the same feeling of strangeness when we speak English. That's to say, writing in English is much easier than speaking it in a French setting) and my comprehension level in non-conversational contexts (films, tv series, conversations of randos sitting next to me at a cafe, etc.) and conversational contexts (with anyone, but in particular with French people, with their slang and speeds of speech, all that jazz) has highly sharpened. It's the best feeling in the world to flip on "les infos" (the news) and know everything they're saying and exactly what they're talking about. Or to eavesdrop on bickering couple sitting walking behind me in the street and know what mister so-and-so did to piss of his girlfriend. Yes, there are still moments where I don't catch something here or there and I have to ask for clarification but for the most part, I'd say 95% of the time, I understand. Hell. Yeah. I can remember being a little girl and dreaming of being fluent in another language (haha honestly)....... and here I am- practically ;) Expressing myself or explaining something when talking about subjects I've never talked about in French before can still be, hmm not hard but, tricky, to find the right words and maintain the accent and grammar at the same time, but even then, since I consider myself to be kind of gifted with French, I still feel confident.
- Found out on Tuesday that we will soon be receiving contact information for our families in Morocco! Mme. Hilda MOKH, our Arabic professor, told us that we should contact them to start a connection/relation with them and tell them a bit about ourselves. It's so awesome- I can't wait to do that, and to go to Morocco :) I leave in one month!
- Speaking of Arabic... Sabah Alhair. Kaifa alhaal? Ana ismii Katherine. Ana thaaliba amrikiia. Askunu fi Marsilia alaana. Adrusu alfiranciia wa al'arabiia fi aljaami'a. Hel tadrusu/tadrusina fi aljaami'a? Maatha tadrusu/tadrusina? Min ayna anta/anti? Ayna taskunu/taskunina? Ila athhabu alsiinemaa. Sarkabu albos. Maatha taf'ay'lu/taf'ay'lina alaana?
That is my way of phonetically writing the little I can say in Arabic:
Hello. How are you? My name is Katherine. I'm an American student. I am living in Marseille right now. I am studying French and Arabic at university. Do you study at university? What are you studying? Where are you from? Where do you live? I am going to the cinema. I will take the bus. (Yes I know the future tense already!) What are you doing right now?
I feel like a five year old... But hey, after 4.5 weeks of Arabic, 2 of those weeks being just learning how to write in their damn alphabet, that's not that bad huh?! PLUS one of my host mom's best friends is Algerian so a couple times she's helped me with my homework and I've gotten to practice a teeny bit of Arabic with her. Suzie is also a great built in tutor since she already majored in Arabic! She's the go-to-girl for all things/questions Arabic related outside of class for all of us. As for the alphabet, it really is all uphill once you've memorized it and know it. The hard part is hearing a word and trying to write what you hear because the sounds are so unnatural to the Romantic language speaker/English speaker's ear. It's getting better though and it's my favorite class besides Interreligious Communication. I love it.
- Our group of Framericans has started to create the habit of going to Cafe de Paris at the Place Castellane on Sundays when we're too tired from the night before to do anything else. They have the best (and kinda expensive haha) capuccinos with whipped cream :) I feel so French haha.
- So basically, everyone here smokes. During your morning coffee, you smoke. At lunch, you smoke. During your afternoon coffee, you smoke. After dinner, you smoke. At cafes, in the bars, in the clubs, outside of school, in the street, while on your motorbike (I am always fascinated by women who are fully dressed in heels and a skirt, hanging on to the back of their man, cigarette in hand, speeding down the busy street. I'm envious haha), you name it. And if you don't smoke, it's kinda weird. Or, if you don't on a daily basis, you do when you go out on the weekends. Basically once you're at the age of 15 or 16, it's socially acceptable to smoke. I am used to the constant smell of smoke everywhere now. I was just thinking today when I get back to the States, not that it smells bad here (well okay sometimes, but not because of the smoke), but it's going to be weird to not smell cigarette smoke everywhere I go.
- 16 days until Sardinia!!! :D
- There is absolutely no equivalent in French for the word "awkward." Which is really sad, because in young American culture, "awkward" is a STAPLE word, kind of like cereal or mac n' cheese is a staple food for freshman college students (for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner). It's just necessary. One of the few times my classmates and I use English words is when we throw "awkward" in the middle of our sentences. We just can't help it. Awkward is a very important word haha.
- That being said, there is no equivalent in English of the expression/the way the word is used for: "Voila" and "quoi." Voila is debatable. In English we could say, "Well there you go," for "Ben, voila." But not always..... "Quoi" literally means "What" but there are instances in which it is used usually at the end of a sentence/statement, and the best way I can translate it to English, is that in French it describes a feeling, like a feeling of finalization. Similar to my previous example, one could say, "Ben, voila quoi." The connotation is also very similar to my previous example, but I have literally sat and thought about this numerous times and I can't think of any kind of equivalent we have in English. It doesn't exist! I(Correct me if I'm wrong fellow Francophiles!) It's a very satisfactory expression in French. Like I said, it invokes a kind of "final" feeling, like, "Well there you go/that's that/that's what I have to say about that" kind of thing but that doesn't reallllyyyy capture it...
- I finally bought a curling iron last week. Hallelujah. Voila, quoi. :)
- Favorite French things:
1. "Bio" is an organic producer for anything and everything: butter, yogurt, cereal, crackers, milk, toothpaste (I don't recommend the toothpaste. Even if it's 2 euros cheaper, don't do it). Besides the toothpaste, their products are awesome.
2. La Laitiere- best. yogurt. ever.
3. ANY pre-packaged French biscuit/cookie/dessert. Go to any Carrefour, you will find an entire wall of different kinds of chocolate/jelly/butter biscuits/tartes/madeleines, you name it. Our selection at McMinnville's Albertsons, let alone most other grocery stores in general, does not even compare to any grocer in France. Also, Bonne Maman's chocolate madeleines are heavenly.
4. French bakeries/pastries. Nuff said.
5. The French male gender.......... nuff said.
6. Couscous. Nomzzz. (Especially when it's legit Maghreb couscous dishes).
7. My host mom's cooking. Not very much meat, and lots of vegetable dishes. But they're the best vegetables/vegetable dishes ever (think like Ratatouille, etc...). It's like that for most host families, I experienced the same eating habits in Montpellier as well. The French say protein (in the form of meat) before dinner isn't as good for you because it takes so long to break down that it's better to eat it at lunch time. Also, because meat is dead (obvi), the kinds of proteins in meat are somewhat unnatural for the body, which is why it takes so long to break down. So it's best to eat less meat and not in the evening. Each host family might differ with this in particular, there are a few days I go without eating any meat. But I know not each family eats so little meat, however I think most French families follow the no-meat-at-dinner rule, or the little-bit-of-meat-at-dinner rule. And we don't drink milk here either. But between the yogurt, cheese, an egg here or there, and other vegetables, I know I'm getting a healthy amount of protein.
Also, FUN FACT: a lot of French food ads (we've noticed this at movie theaters during previews), will have a little "Surgeon General's warning" at the bottom that may say something along the lines of "For your health, avoid snacking between meals." You see, in France, a small snack (meaning a glass of orange juice, or a piece of fruit, or a cracker or two with cheese) is acceptable every now and then, but it's more encouraged to eat a balanced meal three times a day. That way you won't have the urge to snack (apparently snacking during the day means your pancreas is always engaged/active, which apparently isn't good for it?). It's interesting how completely opposite eating habits are in the US.... Hell, "fourth meal" has even become acceptable in the U.S. and it's completely based off of consumerism!
- More varieties of alcohol and it's cheaper! I'm saying for all kinds of wine, beer, malt and harder liquors... My personal favorite is a product of this region of France: Pastis. It's got the flavor of anis (licorice) like Jager, only the flavor is softer and it's better in my opinion...
- The bars/clubs. Now, I'm biased because the only time I've been to any in the US was when I snuck into Cabana in McMinnville one night ('snuck in' meaning I walked right in without being questioned.... because it's Cabana... and it's McMinnville....) SOOOOO I don't have much to compare it to.
- The music. Now, the frats at Linfield will always have a very special place in my heart, but I'm sorry (besides some of the Pikes who play electro stuff sometimes), the Europeans are on that electro train and I am on that same train with them and I'm loving it.
- The architecture.... I think everyone can agree with me on this one. Each and every building has charm!
- The language. Language of love, people! Haha, but really. It's so pretty and I love speaking it 24/7.
- Public transportation. Portland, (I know you're trying but) step up yo game (McMinnville too for crying out loud).
- The bises (cheek kisses when you greet people). It's kinda fun and I feel so French every time I do it, and my American friends and I do it too.
- The style. The fact that mostly everyone looks their best almost all of the time, I'm forced to do so too. However there are days I really miss walking to class in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, haha. That is a luxury that does not exist in France.
- The 4 o'clock coffee ritual. I'm starting to love coffee... too much..
I could go on... but I'll spare you ;)
And know that all this being said, nothing can replace Linfield for me. And I'm soaking up every bit of fun and culture and everything here in France, but I know once it comes time to go back home, even if I'm heartsick for France, I know I'll be coming back again. Therefore, the American half of me will welcome my yoga pants and lazy days in my future apartment with my roomies, all my Phi Sigs, the meetings and events and functions (and even Rush! ;]), my classes that will be harder than here in France, procrastinating on Facebook in the library, and crazy Cabana outings and other shenanigans with my besties... with open arms.... :)
Bises,
Katherine
- Going to Montpellier this weekend (where I spent 1 month two summers ago) to visit some dear friends and take a little mini-vacation from Marseille. I'm SO EXCITED. I just love that place. I'll be taking the train Saturday morning, I'm excited to see the French countryside by train :D
- Midterms are next week. WHAT?! That being said, is it bad I'm not really intimidated/nervous for them?? Classes here work a lot like at Linfield, so individual opinion, so long as you support it, is what matters. There's not always a right or wrong answer. However, I am not taking science or math classes.... I love being a Bachelor of Arts major.
- I am finding that my comprehension level in French is traversing the plateau... That's to say, for the first 3 weeks or so I felt like I made small progresses. But now I'm going on 6 weeks.... French is becoming more natural than English (all of us Americans have discussed this and we are all experiencing the same feeling of strangeness when we speak English. That's to say, writing in English is much easier than speaking it in a French setting) and my comprehension level in non-conversational contexts (films, tv series, conversations of randos sitting next to me at a cafe, etc.) and conversational contexts (with anyone, but in particular with French people, with their slang and speeds of speech, all that jazz) has highly sharpened. It's the best feeling in the world to flip on "les infos" (the news) and know everything they're saying and exactly what they're talking about. Or to eavesdrop on bickering couple sitting walking behind me in the street and know what mister so-and-so did to piss of his girlfriend. Yes, there are still moments where I don't catch something here or there and I have to ask for clarification but for the most part, I'd say 95% of the time, I understand. Hell. Yeah. I can remember being a little girl and dreaming of being fluent in another language (haha honestly)....... and here I am- practically ;) Expressing myself or explaining something when talking about subjects I've never talked about in French before can still be, hmm not hard but, tricky, to find the right words and maintain the accent and grammar at the same time, but even then, since I consider myself to be kind of gifted with French, I still feel confident.
- Found out on Tuesday that we will soon be receiving contact information for our families in Morocco! Mme. Hilda MOKH, our Arabic professor, told us that we should contact them to start a connection/relation with them and tell them a bit about ourselves. It's so awesome- I can't wait to do that, and to go to Morocco :) I leave in one month!
- Speaking of Arabic... Sabah Alhair. Kaifa alhaal? Ana ismii Katherine. Ana thaaliba amrikiia. Askunu fi Marsilia alaana. Adrusu alfiranciia wa al'arabiia fi aljaami'a. Hel tadrusu/tadrusina fi aljaami'a? Maatha tadrusu/tadrusina? Min ayna anta/anti? Ayna taskunu/taskunina? Ila athhabu alsiinemaa. Sarkabu albos. Maatha taf'ay'lu/taf'ay'lina alaana?
That is my way of phonetically writing the little I can say in Arabic:
Hello. How are you? My name is Katherine. I'm an American student. I am living in Marseille right now. I am studying French and Arabic at university. Do you study at university? What are you studying? Where are you from? Where do you live? I am going to the cinema. I will take the bus. (Yes I know the future tense already!) What are you doing right now?
I feel like a five year old... But hey, after 4.5 weeks of Arabic, 2 of those weeks being just learning how to write in their damn alphabet, that's not that bad huh?! PLUS one of my host mom's best friends is Algerian so a couple times she's helped me with my homework and I've gotten to practice a teeny bit of Arabic with her. Suzie is also a great built in tutor since she already majored in Arabic! She's the go-to-girl for all things/questions Arabic related outside of class for all of us. As for the alphabet, it really is all uphill once you've memorized it and know it. The hard part is hearing a word and trying to write what you hear because the sounds are so unnatural to the Romantic language speaker/English speaker's ear. It's getting better though and it's my favorite class besides Interreligious Communication. I love it.
- Our group of Framericans has started to create the habit of going to Cafe de Paris at the Place Castellane on Sundays when we're too tired from the night before to do anything else. They have the best (and kinda expensive haha) capuccinos with whipped cream :) I feel so French haha.
- So basically, everyone here smokes. During your morning coffee, you smoke. At lunch, you smoke. During your afternoon coffee, you smoke. After dinner, you smoke. At cafes, in the bars, in the clubs, outside of school, in the street, while on your motorbike (I am always fascinated by women who are fully dressed in heels and a skirt, hanging on to the back of their man, cigarette in hand, speeding down the busy street. I'm envious haha), you name it. And if you don't smoke, it's kinda weird. Or, if you don't on a daily basis, you do when you go out on the weekends. Basically once you're at the age of 15 or 16, it's socially acceptable to smoke. I am used to the constant smell of smoke everywhere now. I was just thinking today when I get back to the States, not that it smells bad here (well okay sometimes, but not because of the smoke), but it's going to be weird to not smell cigarette smoke everywhere I go.
- 16 days until Sardinia!!! :D
- There is absolutely no equivalent in French for the word "awkward." Which is really sad, because in young American culture, "awkward" is a STAPLE word, kind of like cereal or mac n' cheese is a staple food for freshman college students (for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner). It's just necessary. One of the few times my classmates and I use English words is when we throw "awkward" in the middle of our sentences. We just can't help it. Awkward is a very important word haha.
- That being said, there is no equivalent in English of the expression/the way the word is used for: "Voila" and "quoi." Voila is debatable. In English we could say, "Well there you go," for "Ben, voila." But not always..... "Quoi" literally means "What" but there are instances in which it is used usually at the end of a sentence/statement, and the best way I can translate it to English, is that in French it describes a feeling, like a feeling of finalization. Similar to my previous example, one could say, "Ben, voila quoi." The connotation is also very similar to my previous example, but I have literally sat and thought about this numerous times and I can't think of any kind of equivalent we have in English. It doesn't exist! I(Correct me if I'm wrong fellow Francophiles!) It's a very satisfactory expression in French. Like I said, it invokes a kind of "final" feeling, like, "Well there you go/that's that/that's what I have to say about that" kind of thing but that doesn't reallllyyyy capture it...
- I finally bought a curling iron last week. Hallelujah. Voila, quoi. :)
- Favorite French things:
1. "Bio" is an organic producer for anything and everything: butter, yogurt, cereal, crackers, milk, toothpaste (I don't recommend the toothpaste. Even if it's 2 euros cheaper, don't do it). Besides the toothpaste, their products are awesome.
2. La Laitiere- best. yogurt. ever.
3. ANY pre-packaged French biscuit/cookie/dessert. Go to any Carrefour, you will find an entire wall of different kinds of chocolate/jelly/butter biscuits/tartes/madeleines, you name it. Our selection at McMinnville's Albertsons, let alone most other grocery stores in general, does not even compare to any grocer in France. Also, Bonne Maman's chocolate madeleines are heavenly.
4. French bakeries/pastries. Nuff said.
5. The French male gender.......... nuff said.
6. Couscous. Nomzzz. (Especially when it's legit Maghreb couscous dishes).
7. My host mom's cooking. Not very much meat, and lots of vegetable dishes. But they're the best vegetables/vegetable dishes ever (think like Ratatouille, etc...). It's like that for most host families, I experienced the same eating habits in Montpellier as well. The French say protein (in the form of meat) before dinner isn't as good for you because it takes so long to break down that it's better to eat it at lunch time. Also, because meat is dead (obvi), the kinds of proteins in meat are somewhat unnatural for the body, which is why it takes so long to break down. So it's best to eat less meat and not in the evening. Each host family might differ with this in particular, there are a few days I go without eating any meat. But I know not each family eats so little meat, however I think most French families follow the no-meat-at-dinner rule, or the little-bit-of-meat-at-dinner rule. And we don't drink milk here either. But between the yogurt, cheese, an egg here or there, and other vegetables, I know I'm getting a healthy amount of protein.
Also, FUN FACT: a lot of French food ads (we've noticed this at movie theaters during previews), will have a little "Surgeon General's warning" at the bottom that may say something along the lines of "For your health, avoid snacking between meals." You see, in France, a small snack (meaning a glass of orange juice, or a piece of fruit, or a cracker or two with cheese) is acceptable every now and then, but it's more encouraged to eat a balanced meal three times a day. That way you won't have the urge to snack (apparently snacking during the day means your pancreas is always engaged/active, which apparently isn't good for it?). It's interesting how completely opposite eating habits are in the US.... Hell, "fourth meal" has even become acceptable in the U.S. and it's completely based off of consumerism!
- More varieties of alcohol and it's cheaper! I'm saying for all kinds of wine, beer, malt and harder liquors... My personal favorite is a product of this region of France: Pastis. It's got the flavor of anis (licorice) like Jager, only the flavor is softer and it's better in my opinion...
- The bars/clubs. Now, I'm biased because the only time I've been to any in the US was when I snuck into Cabana in McMinnville one night ('snuck in' meaning I walked right in without being questioned.... because it's Cabana... and it's McMinnville....) SOOOOO I don't have much to compare it to.
- The music. Now, the frats at Linfield will always have a very special place in my heart, but I'm sorry (besides some of the Pikes who play electro stuff sometimes), the Europeans are on that electro train and I am on that same train with them and I'm loving it.
- The architecture.... I think everyone can agree with me on this one. Each and every building has charm!
- The language. Language of love, people! Haha, but really. It's so pretty and I love speaking it 24/7.
- Public transportation. Portland, (I know you're trying but) step up yo game (McMinnville too for crying out loud).
- The bises (cheek kisses when you greet people). It's kinda fun and I feel so French every time I do it, and my American friends and I do it too.
- The style. The fact that mostly everyone looks their best almost all of the time, I'm forced to do so too. However there are days I really miss walking to class in yoga pants and a sweatshirt, haha. That is a luxury that does not exist in France.
- The 4 o'clock coffee ritual. I'm starting to love coffee... too much..
I could go on... but I'll spare you ;)
And know that all this being said, nothing can replace Linfield for me. And I'm soaking up every bit of fun and culture and everything here in France, but I know once it comes time to go back home, even if I'm heartsick for France, I know I'll be coming back again. Therefore, the American half of me will welcome my yoga pants and lazy days in my future apartment with my roomies, all my Phi Sigs, the meetings and events and functions (and even Rush! ;]), my classes that will be harder than here in France, procrastinating on Facebook in the library, and crazy Cabana outings and other shenanigans with my besties... with open arms.... :)
Bises,
Katherine
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Le dialogue et ses obstacles
Dialogue
interreligieux…
Quel est le but d’un dialogue ? Ben bien sûr c’est pour communiquer
d’une manière coopérative et productive avec quelqu’un d’autre ! C’est
pourquoi ça s’appelle un dialogue et non un monologue…
Dans un dialogue, le but doit être d’échanger des idées avec quelqu’un pour
les mieux comprendre, et pour vous faire mieux compris aussi. Si on
a l’intention tout au début de changer l’autre, ça c’est pas un dialogue.
C’est la conversion ! Même si on sait que nos idées vont peut-être avoir un
effet sur l’autre, on devrait pas avoir l’intention. Sinon, comme ça c’est pas
égale. Il y aura des malentendus et des sentiments de mal respect, et c’est
pour ça que la religion est toujours un sujet sensible. Si tout le monde avait
une perspective plutôt ouverte à discuter avec les autres, pour apprendre et
pour comprendre, ce serait beaucoup mieux pour tout le monde.
Etant dit que la
dialogue est très important mais aussi difficile, qu’est-ce que c’est qui
conduit les difficultés de la communication égale ? Parce que, si on n’est
pas ouvert à écouter les autres, pourquoi pensez-vous qu’il existe cette
obstination ? C’est la rivalité et la compétition… Aujourd’hui on a
discuté la théorie de Réné Girard, qui dit que les humains sont conduits par l’imitation.
Quand on voit quelque chose ou quelqu’un en faisant quelque chose, etc, etc,
etc, on se sent obligé de faire le même ou d’avoir le même chose (c’est un peu
la science aussi, car il peut s’agir des ‘neurones miroirs’- c’est à dire,
quand les neurones dans notre corps réagit/sont activés, chimiquement on a
envie de copier/suivre/répéter l’action nous-mêmes). Le problème, selon Girard,
c’est que après un moment on tend d’oublier l’objet auquel on était concentré,
mais la rivalité reste. Donc, c’est difficile de faire un compromis quand on
est conduit par la rivalité. Girard dit que cela est inhérent dans les humains,
mais à mon avis ce serait très applicable aux Américains comme nous sommes une
société qui fonctionne autour de la Capitalisme, la compétition, le « chacun
pour soi » mentalité.
D’après Girard, la
haine est aussi inhérente dans l’humanité. Mais pas dans la nature. Dans un
article écrit par Luc Ferry :
« Car la
nature, justement, semble l’ignorer, [la haine]. J’entends bien l’objection qui
vient aussitôt à l’esprit : les animaux ne sont-ils pas aussi agressifs et
cruels que les êtres humains ? Sans doute. Mais la haine, qui engendre le
mal radical, est ailleurs : ce dernier ne consiste nullement à « faire
du mal », mais bien à prendre le mal en tant que tel comme projet- ce qui
est tout différent et que la théologie traditionnelle désignait comme cette
méchanceté dont elle faisait, non sans lucidité, l’un des traits propres de l’humanité….[La
haine] ne sert à rien, elle est même, le plus souvent, contre-productive. »
C'est-à-dire, l’humain a du plaisir en
faisant mal. Quant aux animaux, c’est naturel pour eux de jouer avec leur proie,
de dégorger les cous de leur proie qui est toujours en vie, de faire la chasse
en groupe de dix pour attraper un seul pauvre victime, etc, etc, etc. Mais une
fois encore, c’est instinctuel, ils ne savent pas, ne peuvent pas reconnaître,
que c’est mal. Donc ce n’est pas la haine. C’est humanistique, la haine.
Malheureusement…
On est tout à fait capable de gérer les
moments qu’on expérimente la haine pour quelqu’un ou quelque chose, mais
effectivement, pas tout le monde en est capable. C’est aussi pour ça que le
dialogue entre des interlocuteurs vachement différents est vachement difficile…
Alors qu’est-ce que j’ai appris cette
semaine ? Plein de choses… Mais qu’est-ce que tout ça m’a appris pour moi-même
et ma vie ? Voir les humains comme les humains avec les mêmes besoins à la
base que moi : D’avoir un lieu et une communauté où et avec qui je peux
vivre, de me nourrir, d’être aimée et appréciée. MALGRE n’importe quelle
impatience, frustration, ou n’importe quoi, que je ressens, la meilleure façon
de guérir (et je dis guérir parce que la haine peut être vraiment une maladie) ces
réactions aux gens, c’est de leur montrer que c’est possible de communiquer
effectivement sans la haine. C’est de traiter aux autres comment on veut être traité !
De s’écouter ! C’est terriblement facile et on l’a appris en KINDERGARTEN !
Là je suis toujours
en train d’activement essayer à penser d’une façon subjective et compréhensive,
de me patienter quand je ne comprends pas les autres, parce que moi aussi je ne
suis toujours pas comprise par les autres, et pour ça aussi j’essaie de me
faire comprise. Et il faut savoir, il y aura TOUJOURS des gens avec qui on ne
sera pas d’accord, mais il vaut mieux les accepter. Osama Bin Ladin. Je l’accepte
(ok il est mort je sais mais bon…) comme humain, mais je ne suis obligée d’accepter
ses actions ou ses croyances. Je ne suis pas obligée de respecter ses
croyances, non plus. Mais de reproduire la haine en réaction à la haine, ne
crée que plus de la haine. C’est fatiguant, non ?
Je dis tout ça d’une
perspective et d’une voix complètement non religieux. Je ne suis pas religieuse.
Fin, je ne me revendique pas comme religieuse. Mais je ne dois pas l’être pour
avoir ses perceptions, non ?
Je vous laisse réfléchir à cette citation :
"C’est à travers l’autre
que chacun peut se découvrir."
And now en anglais:
Interreligious dialogue ...
What is the purpose of a dialogue? Well of course it is to
communicate in a cooperative and productive manner with someone else! That's why it's called a dialogue, not a
monologue ...
In a dialogue, the
aim should be to exchange ideas with someone to understand each other. If you intend to change the other person from the beginning, that's not dialogue, that's conversion! Even though we know that our ideas will
perhaps have an effect on the other, it should not be the intention to make those ideas change the other person definitively. Otherwise, it's not equal. There will be misunderstandings and hurt feelings, and lack of respect, and this is why religion is always a sensitive issue. If everyone had
a open minded perspective to discuss with others, to learn and understand others, it
would be much better for everyone.
Being that dialogue is very important but also difficult, what it is that makes qual communication difficult? Because if you are not open to listening
to others... well then that there is this stubbornness. Which turns into rivalry
and competition ... Today we discussed the theory of René Girard, who said that
humans are driven by, among many things, imitation. Ever heard of "you want what you can't have"? Well when you can't have something, you feel competitive to get it, right? (Es. when a very attractive guy has a girlfriend... you get the picture). When you see something or someone doing
something, etc, etc, etc, we feel obliged to do the same or want to have the same thing
(a little bit of science too, because of mirrored neurons-ie, when the
neurons in our body reacts / are activated, chemically we want to copy / follow
/ repeat the action ourselves). The problem, according to Girard, is that after
a while we tend to forget the purpose for which we were concentrated in obtaining, but the
rivalry remains. Therefore, it is difficult to make a compromise when we are driven by rivalry. Girard says that it is inherent in humans, but in my
opinion it would be very applicable to Americans in particular as we are a company that functions around Capitalism, competition, the "every man for himself"
mentality.
According to
Girard, hatred is inherent in humanity. But not in nature. In an article
written by Luc Ferry:
"For nature,
indeed, seems to ignore [hatred]. I understand the objection that immediately
comes to mind: are animals not as aggressive and cruel as human beings?
No doubt. But the hatred that breeds radical evil lies elsewhere: the latter [animals] does not intend to hurt; to understand 'evil' such as this is different, [as humans are capable of having this intention] and traditional theology designates this as wickedness which is -not
without insight- one of the very characteristics of humanity .... [hatred] serves no purpose, and more often than not, is counter-productive. "
That is to say, as sick as it sounds, scientifically and anthropologically speaking, humans take pleasure in doing wrong unto others (not all people, but you get what I'm saying. Think of the pathetic excuses for women on "Bad Girls Club [yes guilty I've watched it..], these girls take a superficial form of pleasure in backstabbing and greedily taking/doing what they believe is there's to take/do even at the expense of others... in theory, this is Girard's definition of 'evil'). As for animals, it is natural for them to
play with their prey, their engorge their prey's neck while it's still alive, to hunt in
groups of ten to one to catch a poor victim, etc, etc, etc.. But once again, it is
instinctual, they do not know and can not recognize, that it is wrong. So it is not
hatred. Whereas hatred, it is humanistic for we are aware when our actions cause pain, whether physical or emotional.
We are quite
capable of handling moments we feel hatred for someone or something,
but indeed, not everyone is capable. This is also why the dialogue between
different interlocutors (people, discussioners) is really really difficult ...
So what did I learn this week? Lots of things ... But what all this has taught me for my life? To see humans as humans who have the same basic needs as me: To have a place
and a community where and with whom I live, to be nourished, to be loved and
appreciated. DESPITE any impatience, frustration, or anything that I feel towards someone, the
best way to cure (and I say cure because hatred can be really a disease) these emotionally heavy reactions to people is to show them that it is possible to communicate
effectively without hatred. To treat others how you want to be treated! To
listen to each other! It's terribly easy and we learned this in KINDERGARTEN!
Now I am always actively trying to think in a subjective, understanding way, to be patient when I
do not understand someone, because I too am not always understood by others,
and I also try to render make myself understood. And you must know, there will
ALWAYS be people that we will not agree with, but it is better to accept them. Take Osama
Bin Ladin. I accept him (ok I know he's dead but ...) as a human, but I am not
obliged to accept his actions or beliefs. I am not obliged to respect or acknowledge his
beliefs, either. But hatred reproduced in response to hatred only creates more
hatred. It's tiring, is it not?
I say all this
with a perspective and a voice completely non-religious. I'm not religious.
Well, I do not claim to be religious. But I do not have to be so to be perceptive to these opinions,
right?
I'll leave you now to think about this quote:
"It is through others that we discover ourselves. '
Monday, October 1, 2012
1 Month Anniversary
My weekend in a few bullet points:
Friday: Marked the fourth weekend of our being in France, hence, the 1 Month Anniversary Party complete with baby individual chocolate cakes for 1,50 euro. Had great political conversation (meaning, a discussion on why American politics suck) with some Frenchies, complete with wine of course...
Saturday: Slept until noon. Felt amazing. Went and did some shopping at H&M with Sara and Manue. Came back home. Made a rice dish with Sara, got ready, went to Benjamin's and Julien's apartment for a pre-Marsatac gathering. Ate dinner. Went to Marsatac. Loved. Every. Minute. Raves/electro concerts are just, amazing. Loved dancing, the music. Everything. But spent half the time trying to find half our group. Then I tripped and twisted my ankle. On the flat ground. Naturally. Came back at 5:30 a.m. Slept until 11...
Sunday: Woke up and ankle really hurt. Ate McDo for lunch with Sara and spent the whole day on the couch watching movies and napping. It was the most magically lazy day ever.
Have a great Monday everyone! I'm off to try and limp/walk to school :)
Bises,
Katherine
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