Bonjour, tout le monde (everyone)!
Well, I start school tomorrow! Not sure if I'm excited or not about that. Let's see here...
Pros: I'll learn the language faster (woot, woot); It'll give me something to do; I will feel better about the amount of energy Nicole expends because I am here.
Cons: It's school...; I have to get up early, I get grades again... :(
I just have to remember that I'm doing this for me. It's not for credit or anything other than personal interest. So, grades don't matter; comprehension does.
I guess since the pros list looks longer, it's the list to go by ;)
Anywho, Hier (yesterday) I was with Mimi, which was really nice. We went to her market (which is much much bigger than the one I went to with Nicole), I got a notebook for school (I'll get more things if I need to - not sure what I'll need right now), we looked at different things, Mimi got some pants and then we got her groceries.
Après ca, we went to church. It's a very non-traditional church and I think it will help me with the language because it's in English and French. For the songs, the French and English are projected behind the worship team, so I can look at both and see sentence structure and how things would be translated correctly (not literally which, by the way, is how the sentence at the beginning of post Day 2 is translated...). I think it will also help me with my pronounciation. All the speaking is in English with another person translating right after each phrase/sentence. Having it set up that way actually helps me because I know what to listen for in the French. I don't think I would catch quite as much of the French if it was vice versa.
Et après ca, we went back to Mimi's, had lunch, got my things together, mailed my papers to the Immigration Office (yeah, since I'm staying for more than 90 days, I have to go through immigration), went and got my metro/bus pass and then Mimi dropped me off at Nicole's.
I'm finding that mornings, and through mid-day, is the worst for me, emotion wise. My stomach has not been settled at all in the mornings yet and as the day goes on I continue to have little appetite and feel anxious/unsettled.The evenings have usually been better, but not always. Tonight is a little difficult, but I'm sure I'll be okay soon.
I keep thinking about people who immigrate to a country very different from that of their own. Here, I have Myriam and I can call home pretty much whenever (granted everyone may be asleep), and I'm leaving in a year (actually, I could leave whenever I want, since this trip is for me and I'm not tied to anything - not that I want to leave early, but...). I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be without all of that. Grandma and Grandpa Witmer (and Cathy and Mom - ages 6 and 3 or 4 months) came to France not knowing the language and knew it would be for 5 years before they could go home. That would have been really hard. Granted, they must have decided they liked it here (at least a little) because they stayed another 20 or so years (number?). Mom left France when she was 18 and went to college in the states. She couldn't call (except perhaps once or twice in a year) because it was too expensive and all she had was snail mail. Ahh!
I know that in a few months, or maybe a few weeks (cross my fingers) it won't be so overwhelming, but until I get to that point, it's difficult to keep that in perspective sometimes.
I think this experience will also help me with my carrier. I've learned so much in the different experiences, both positive and negative, I've had in my life (especially India and DC) that have given me wisdom I would never have gotten otherwise. This is going to be one of those growing experiences as well. I understand an eensy weensy bit better how some people I may work with in the future might be feel. It also expands my compassion for those who are in a new situation and anxious/scared/tired/homesick/etc.
Well, it's almost 10:30. Time to take a shower, call home, and go to bed. Bon nuit!
Well, I start school tomorrow! Not sure if I'm excited or not about that. Let's see here...
Pros: I'll learn the language faster (woot, woot); It'll give me something to do; I will feel better about the amount of energy Nicole expends because I am here.
Cons: It's school...; I have to get up early, I get grades again... :(
I just have to remember that I'm doing this for me. It's not for credit or anything other than personal interest. So, grades don't matter; comprehension does.
I guess since the pros list looks longer, it's the list to go by ;)
Anywho, Hier (yesterday) I was with Mimi, which was really nice. We went to her market (which is much much bigger than the one I went to with Nicole), I got a notebook for school (I'll get more things if I need to - not sure what I'll need right now), we looked at different things, Mimi got some pants and then we got her groceries.
Après ca, we went to church. It's a very non-traditional church and I think it will help me with the language because it's in English and French. For the songs, the French and English are projected behind the worship team, so I can look at both and see sentence structure and how things would be translated correctly (not literally which, by the way, is how the sentence at the beginning of post Day 2 is translated...). I think it will also help me with my pronounciation. All the speaking is in English with another person translating right after each phrase/sentence. Having it set up that way actually helps me because I know what to listen for in the French. I don't think I would catch quite as much of the French if it was vice versa.
Et après ca, we went back to Mimi's, had lunch, got my things together, mailed my papers to the Immigration Office (yeah, since I'm staying for more than 90 days, I have to go through immigration), went and got my metro/bus pass and then Mimi dropped me off at Nicole's.
I'm finding that mornings, and through mid-day, is the worst for me, emotion wise. My stomach has not been settled at all in the mornings yet and as the day goes on I continue to have little appetite and feel anxious/unsettled.The evenings have usually been better, but not always. Tonight is a little difficult, but I'm sure I'll be okay soon.
I keep thinking about people who immigrate to a country very different from that of their own. Here, I have Myriam and I can call home pretty much whenever (granted everyone may be asleep), and I'm leaving in a year (actually, I could leave whenever I want, since this trip is for me and I'm not tied to anything - not that I want to leave early, but...). I can only imagine how much more difficult it would be without all of that. Grandma and Grandpa Witmer (and Cathy and Mom - ages 6 and 3 or 4 months) came to France not knowing the language and knew it would be for 5 years before they could go home. That would have been really hard. Granted, they must have decided they liked it here (at least a little) because they stayed another 20 or so years (number?). Mom left France when she was 18 and went to college in the states. She couldn't call (except perhaps once or twice in a year) because it was too expensive and all she had was snail mail. Ahh!
I know that in a few months, or maybe a few weeks (cross my fingers) it won't be so overwhelming, but until I get to that point, it's difficult to keep that in perspective sometimes.
I think this experience will also help me with my carrier. I've learned so much in the different experiences, both positive and negative, I've had in my life (especially India and DC) that have given me wisdom I would never have gotten otherwise. This is going to be one of those growing experiences as well. I understand an eensy weensy bit better how some people I may work with in the future might be feel. It also expands my compassion for those who are in a new situation and anxious/scared/tired/homesick/etc.
Well, it's almost 10:30. Time to take a shower, call home, and go to bed. Bon nuit!
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