Checkkkk off the bucket list

So one of the things I've been saying I really want to do ever since I got to Marseille was to go out to the sea in a boat. Sailboat, motorboat, little fishing boat, (yacht? unfortunately, unlikely) I don't care. Well Sunday morning when I woke up my host mom goes, "Wanna go out on a boat today?" And I think my heart sang. "YES!" I was expecting to go to the Calanques but this was even better. Her colleague has a medium sized fishing boat and he took us out to the Ile du Frioul, about a 15 min. ride going fairly fast from the Vieux Port. We "parked" in the Calanque du Berger and had lunch and laid in the said and dipped our feet in the water and then he gave us a tour around the island in the boat. It was slightly windy and we were going fast so on the waves it felt kind of like a roller coaster hehe. I don't really know how to explain it, and this sounds kind of cheesy but being that close to the sea, right next to it and seeing the huge rolling waves, kind of felt like how it feels when you stare at a really bright starry night sky, you feel so small, and it's overwhelmingly beautiful. I've been out on the water on lakes and rivers before, but never the SEA where it's big and vast. Brenda and I were together and we both shed tears of joy, literally. Looking at Marseille from a distance out there in the "Big Blue", as they say in French for the Mediterranean, it was just a different perspective and we got to see all of Marseille, in all her glory. The sun was shining, the water was turquoise, and it was just a moment of pure bliss.

Ha... a "look I'm the Little Mermaid!" photo was necessary. 

And also I had a great weekend, in general. Memories were made, as per usual. 

In less than a week I'll be in Morocco! I'm starving myself now so I will be ready to gorge myself there. Just kidding. Kind of. Hahaha. I am going to just eat really really small lunches so that my body won't freak out when I eat huge dinners, cause in your Moroccan host family it's nearly impossible to not eat all the food they give you... it's literally HARD to say no, they won't let you! :P

Also I'm bringing a large bottle of Pepto Bismol for my and my classmate's "tummy needs"... Muahaha

Aaand in other news.. it's midterm week. So that means this weekend I am going to celebrate hardcore. Like that makes things any different :P 

I have however been working HARD on my journalism class. Our professor has such high expectations for us and I feel like I can't satisfy all of them. I mean we only have class once a week and I don't know anything about journalistic styles so this is all new and for him to expect us to give him the exact results he wants with this kind of schedule.. I just don't think it's realistic. I am learning a lot, but I feel like he is disappointed with us and I hate that feeling because I- and my classmates!- are trying really hard and I don't think he acknowledges it. His expectations were too high to begin with. But I guess that doesn't stop me from continuing to try and meet them... It's just kind of a slap in the face to see so many red marks on your paper. I know I am a fairly good writer in English... he even noted that he can tell writing comes easily to me. But writing in a foreign language, even if I'm fluent, is hard because you are required to expand your vocabulary and certain expressions we use in English in literature and writing don't work the same way in French. Thus the "here's-your-paper-back-you-have-a-shit-ton-of-things-to-fix". Needless to say, that's why I am learning so much, which is a good thing. 

Last night my friend Brenda and I had a good long and fascinating conversation about identity and language. Last year for my language & culture class I did a research project on the link between language and identity and I've had the idea for a while now to continue that project, or (somehow) work it into my thesis next year for International Relations. (I am already doing a portfolio for my French major rather than a thesis). Anyways, I asked if I could take notes and quote her, and luckily she said yes, and my anthropology professors would have been proud of me I think. I got some juicy details! I love talking with people about their identity and the role that their language plays into that. I myself struggle with my cultural identity because I am very proud of my Puerto Rican origins but I don't really speak Spanish and I have no Puerto Rican culture. I don't feel attached to the American culture other than the fact that I can't change that I am American and I grew up in this culture. I feel way more attached to the French culture than the previous two and I even consider myself to be French. As silly as that sounds, if you know me well, you understand haha. I've only been obsessed with this country, culture and language since childhood.... NBD. 

ANYWAYsssssssssss I am hoping throughout the rest of my semester I can do some more impromptu interviews with people of varied backgrounds and collect more "research." And we'll see what I do with it... I feel like an anthropologist :P 

Brenda and I are also hoping to propose an idea to the director of our program in Marseille, on doing a summary/recapitulation/research project on our year abroad and the importance/effect/meaning of what it is to spend a year in another country, speaking another language 24/7, and adopting another culture's habits/values/ways of thinking/world views/social norms... etc. Basically if you've taken an introduction to cultural anthropology class, this is like cultural integration 101. (BTW, I just now forgot the word 'value' in English for a good five minutes and Brenda and I just had a discussion on what the translation was, because in French it's "valeur" and I tried spelling valer/valor/valeur in English only to finally realize it's "value" and "valor" means courage. Just a baby example of my English difficulties after becoming more used to French haha). 

Sorry for the rambling..... Hoping you found this somewhat interesting! 

Bises,

Katherine