New Reflections

Another enchanting week in France has gone by, but to be honest, the first half wasn’t so enchanting.

Monday night, before going to see my weekly movie with the English movie club at the university, I went out to dinner with two of my former students, Maxime and Lauriane. We went to T’Chips, a local kebab place (a kebab is like a gyro). I’ve eaten there before, and I was in the mood for a good kebab, so it seemed perfect. However, later that night, I became really sick with a fever and nausea. I got food poisoning from the kebab I ate! I had to cancel my classes for Tuesday (again), and I spent all day in bed. Needless to say, I won’t be eating another kebab anytime soon!

Fortunately, I was half way better on Wednesday, and all better to continue with my classes on Thursday. The week finished up nicely. We’ve had nice sunny weather lately, and I took advantage of it on Friday. After lunch, Elena and I went walking around downtown Angers, peering into shop windows and looking for good deals. I ran into a couple of my students, and we exchanged pleasantries in the street. It’s really nice to be recognized on a casual stroll downtown; I feel like I’m truly a part of the community. I think it’s going to be really hard for me to leave Angers for that very reason – I have a community here that I will be leaving behind. Alas, such is life. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it and contribute to it, even if it was for such a short time.

My weekend was full of social events. I got up on Saturday, did my shopping at the market, and then did my English tutoring with Theophile. Afterward, I had a lovely lunch with Catherine; she made a delectable dish of fish and mashed potatoes. We talked for a while about the people she has hosted at her house and the memories she has of them – both good and bad. She was preparing herself for two new students to arrive on Sunday; they’re two Japanese girls who will be studying in Angers for three weeks. I haven’t met them yet, but Catherine invited me to dinner tomorrow, so I will get a chance to make their acquaintance.

After leaving Catherine’s, I had a hot chocolate date with an American student studying at the Catho. She wanted to pick my brain about teaching English and, essentially, what I intend to do with my French major. Her name is Kendra, and she’s studying at a university in Arkansas, although I’m not sure which one. She was really pleasant to talk to, and the rendezvous turned into an advice session. She definitely came to the right person; I wrote my Meredith honors program thesis on foreign language careers!

Later on, I went to Mass with Elena, and she came back to the residence with me and made empanadas! They were absolutely delicious. It was the first time I had had anything like it – a pastry crust filled with tomatoes, ham, cheese, olives, eggs, and anything you wanted! As usual, we made more food than we could eat, and so our neighbors benefited. It was so much fun to have everyone together that we decided to have another dinner the following night in honor of Valentine’s Day.

I am really glad that my neighbors were around for Valentine’s Day because being away from Peter was difficult – more difficult than I expected it to be. It really took me by surprise. Luckily, we all ate lunch together around the same time and decided to go on a walk to take advantage of the beautiful day. We walked for two hours through downtown, across the river to the other side of Angers and back. They are so much fun to be with, and I am so grateful for their friendship during this time. It is really important to be around others to avoid loneliness, and they are helping me so much to enjoy my time in France.

That night, we had a dinner in honor of St. Valentine. Elena got really creative with the decorations, and the kitchen looked amazing! We cut out red hearts and made flowers out of red plastic bags, so the kitchen looked fit for Cupid. For dinner, we had galettes – a salty crepe – that had ham, cheese, mushrooms, and other ingredients that we wanted on them. For dessert, we made a chocolate fondue and had mandarin oranges, bananas, and pears for dipping purposes. It was scrumptious! We ate and talked and laughed for about 3 solid hours, and everyone helped clean up afterward. One thing that I have noticed about the people here is that there is a real sense of solidarity; no one leaves until everything is taken care of. This mentality is so refreshing and reassuring; it really helps create a community here.

Today is Monday and the start of a new week. My classes today went well, and I had a relaxing afternoon running errands. I’m trying to get things in order before I leave on Thursday for my week long vacation in Italy visiting Bekah. Tonight, I am going to see the film Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock. I’m really hoping it doesn’t give me nightmares! I don’t handle scary movies well; however, it is a classic film, and I fell like I should see it even if it makes me a little uncomfortable.

I hope you all had an amazing week! I’ll write a new update when I return from Italy. A bientot, or rather, a presto! 

February in France

Bonjour à tous! The spring semester is off to a good start. I am still enjoying my classes and students, and I am really enjoying my extra time! Last semester, I taught 15 hours of classes in a week, but this semester, I only have 10. With my extra time, I have taken advantage of more of the social aspects of Angers. I have been seeing more movies, going out more with my neighbors and students, and attending more cultural events such as concerts. I’m really trying to soak up as much of the culture as I can before my return!

These past two weeks have been pretty relaxed. Unfortunately, I was sick with the stomach bug and confined myself to my room for two days, but I got over that fairly quickly. The school weeks have been going by so fast – I can’t believe we’re already in our fourth week!

We actually have a vacation coming up at the end of February. I’m taking that time to visit my college roommate, Bekah, in Italy. She is working as a Resident Assistant at the new Meredith College study abroad site in Sansepolcro, Italy – a small town in the Tuscany region. We are meeting up in Florence for the weekend, and then we’re heading together to Sansepolcro. I am not sure what we’ll be doing during the week, but I am so excited just to see her and play “catch up.” A lot has happened in the past few months! I’ll be ending my Italian vacation in Milan visiting a friend whom I met through Bekah. Her name is Amber, and she is doing Christian mission work in Milan for two years. I cannot wait to see them! Seeing people from home definitely helps with the homesickness.

Luckily, I haven’t had too much trouble with homesickness over my trip, but in the past few weeks, Virginia Beach and Raleigh have gotten quite a bit of snow. I have had the opportunity to webcam with my family and friends there, and I was so jealous that I wasn’t there to cave-dwell and play in the snow with them. I hope all of you that have been affected (or continue to be affected!) by the snow stay warm and safe; I know people do some dangerous things when weather conditions are bad. The weather has been cold here, but we haven’t had any snow. Catherine is predicting that all the snow that has hit Washington D.C. is heading our way, but we’ll see…

To combat the homesickness, I have tried to fill up my free-time with activities. I mentioned some of the things I have been doing above, and I have also taken up a tutee. Catherine’s hairdresser has a son who is studying English. She was looking for someone to come and speak with him in English for an hour a week, and I gladly offered my services! It’s been a great way to get to know another family as well as earning a little extra pocket money.

That’s really all that I have for now! I hope you all are well back in the U.S., and please be safe with all the crazy weather! I miss you lots, and you’re in my prayers. A la prochaine, mes amis!