Paris When It Drizzles

Sorry for my absence the past week or so… but rain, a Jane Austen novel and a slight cold have recently kept me from doing much worth reporting anyways.

It is called study abroad, so here are some things I learned this past week:

1. Learning a new language is difficult. I already knew this one. But, I was reminded of it this week. I think my French is getting worse. I’m still doing fine in class, but I keep forgetting important words when I attempt to have conversations. I try to remind myself that this also happens to me quite frequently when speaking English.

2. Never look to a French person for encouragement. At dinner the other night, my French host mom asked me how my studies were going. I realize that I probably should have just said “bien, merci”. But, language barrier or not, I’ve never been one to pass up an opportunity to over-share. So, I told her that I thought my speaking skills were actually decreasing. As you can imagine, it was not easy for me to even get this out. I expected at the most to be told that I was doing just fine, or I thought maybe she would sympathize with me. I would have been content with a mere “That sucks. Would you like some more chocolate?”. Instead, I was told that Americans have the worst accent for speaking French and no matter how hard I tried I would always be plagued by the awful sounds of my native language. Okay, she didn’t say it exactly like that…. But you get the idea.

3. A college reading level in English translates to a 4^th grade reading level in French. Still feeling discouraged about my language skills, I decided to purchase a French book to help me with my vocabulary and comprehension. After an extended search in Gibert Jeune (Paris’s equivalent of Barnes and Noble, but minus the Starbucks and comfy couches), pictured is the one I chose. Le Petit Nicolas, it’s for ages 9 and up… I often feel like a fourth grader here, so I thought it would be appropriate. After I bought it, I sat on a park bench in Jardin de Plants and started reading. I have to look up at least one word on each page. But as far as I can tell, it is quite humorous.

4. The language of shopping is universal. On Sunday (an incredibly drizzly day), I went to one of the biggest street markets in Paris with my adorable German “sister” Michelah. You could find just about everything imaginable in this market. There were vendors selling touristy souvenirs, shoes, purses, clothes, perfume, jewelry, cell phones, electronics, antiques, scarves and that is not all. Some of the stuff was junky, some was really nice. Some of it was very cheap and some was way overpriced. But, half the fun is finding the best deal. The only thing I bought was a leather bag. Michaela bought one too, and we successfully “haggled” down the price. When I told my French host mom about it, she said we were only successful because I look like I could be French. But, then I pointed out that the vender surely must have known that I wasn't thanks to my terrible American accent.

I hope the drizzly days of early spring in Paris are over. Tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day, and I plan on enjoying it thoroughly. Who knows, maybe my language skills will improve along with the weather.