The Songs :: Les Chansons

The nice thing about being able to speak another language is that it opens you to another world of music.  Lyrics in French are so much prettier, one because it's a language made for rhyming (unlike English, our language is all kinds of mixed up), and two because being able to understand songs in another language is wonderful.

C'est un nouveau monde

I mean, that's what I assume it's like, since I really don't understand French songs at all.  At least, not until I look up the French lyrics, then go to Google Translate, then read back and forth between the terrible English translation and the original.  By that point, the person who wanted to show me the song is awkwardly waiting around while I stare at my iTouch screen.

It's even worse when the Internet here is not working (because of some regional project where the government is changing all of the electrical cables), and the waiting time drags itself out even longer.

That memory is useless without WiFi

When the songs aren't sentimental at all, it's totally fine.  My host brother showed me a...crass, I suppose, French song that totally mocks the idea of a "French lover."  So far, the songs he's shown me make way more fun of the idea of dating than any song I've heard in the USA.

Then again, I wouldn't take what I hear in France as a good generalization, considering how the people that are showing me French songs, my host family, have more American music than I do on their iTunes account.

My iTunes account is remarkably outdated.  I decided that it was pathetic that French people know more about American classics and hit songs than I do, so I finally hooked up my iTouch to the computer a few weeks ago.

When I plugged in my iTouch, I got the whole bar at the top of iTunes that said it was going to take four hours.  Now, I was considerably worried about that, considering the sketchy internet.  My host brothers told me to not worry about it, that the estimated time changed all the time.

They were right.  After about seven times where it got cut, ranging between two to five hours, I got lucky, and the estimated time became only 15 minutes.  I got so excited, maybe I could finally stop hunching over the computer and squinting at the time estimation, praying for it to diminish.

maybe if I stare at it harder, it'll go faster

Nope, no dice.  With a couple minutes left to go, the internet cut off again and BAM six hours became the new estimation time.

completely acceptable behavior

At that point I just gave up and read a book.  At least those don't blank out whenever there's a problem with the printing industry.

The Baby :: Le Bébé

There's something about going to another country that makes you feel like a wailing, dependent stomach.  Forget the brain, just gluttony all the time. Today my host sister made a marbled chocolate heaven of a cake, and I forced myself to drink from my water bottle instead.

just so much sucking

Though I can convey my sentiments now (it only took me, like, two months), I would never chance asking for emancipation in France.  Not that I would've in the USA, but there's something about going to another country that makes me feel younger.

inside are all the languages you don't know

It's like I'm going through another childhood again.  At the beginning, I could not be left alone in the town.  Now, I'm navigating around my city like I have a map in my hand (and I do).  Then again, it is a small city.  Point is, my host parents believe that I won't get lost anymore.

Not that they were holding my hand and coddling me before.  Maybe it's just me, but I feel like everyone in France thinks I'm...naïve.

I'd attribute it to several reasons, of which I have dissected throughly and completely.  Primarily, I cannot, of course, demonstrate my vast internet-thesaurus-cultivated-vocabulary and knowledge, nor my mentally facilitated remarkable intelligence that I do indeed have in my possession, that I developed over my, admittedly not exceedingly long, lifetime, when I talk, like, um...bad-ly???

It's probably because of that one time someone made an dirty joke in class, and I didn't understand.  Actually, that happens with most jokes.  Anyways, my friends always have to rephrase the jokes with small words for me.  Or they don't even bother with the sexual ones.

"we'll tell you when you're as old as we are"

It most likely comes from the fact that I always have to ask what something is.  In that case, people tend to think that I don't know what ____ is, when in fact, I just don't know the word for ____ in French.

I'm sure that people also tend to think I'm incapable of doing anything.  I might be because of the time I tried to take something out of the oven for my host mom...and I burned my arm.  

I need to be protected under lock and key from the harsh, cruel world

Another example: I told my friend that after I went back to the USA, I was going to take, like, 4 AP classes (after explaining what an AP class was).  

"(American) college classes are so easy!!"

Either that, or she thinks I'm a fool for attempting all those hard classes.  If the twirly-finger-next-to-ear meant crazy in France, I'm sure she would've made the gesture.  As it is, that gesture means remembering.  The gesture for insane in France is literally poking your finger at your temple.  

....and they think I'm silly

La Série

In France, the grades are counted backwards.  I was incredibly confused the first week here, since I kept hearing that I was in première, and I thought that I was in seconde, but then someone mentioned terminale.

Just to explain, in USA terms:
Senior :: Terminale <- year "zero"
Junior :: Première 
Sophomore :: Seconde <-first year of high school
Freshman :: Troisième <- therefore in middle school

I thought I was going to be in the première year of high school, but here that's seconde.  I'm actually in première, which is the second year in high school.  Can you see why I was confused?

a countdown to graduation

In general, students also choose a série in première too.  I'd call it a "major" in English, if only because it serves the same purpose as a major in college.

There are three predominant majors in France: littéraire (L), scientifique (S), and économique et social (ES).  I'm in L, so now all my classes are centered around the arts, history, and literature.  It's supposedly the easiest major, but I think it's harder than S, since I can't just plug a poem into a formula and get a fantastic, analytic essay.

"wait, that's not The Psychological Effect of Accents!!"

I'd call L the artistic party major, since most of my classmates aren't really studious, and there's practically no homework.  They want to become dancers, teachers, animators, stylists, or comedians in the future.  Don't dismiss L though, it's apparently a good choice for those that want to become lawyers too.

"I learned this dance move at the party last night!"

If I were to stay in France for longer than the school year, I'd probably have chosen S, since it supposedly opens the most doors in life.  For example, someone from L can't become a doctor, but someone from S can become a history teacher if they wanted.  Science is my forte anyways. 

I was thinking about being a doctor, but coming to France made me realize that I also like travelling to different countries and learning different languages.  My host mother also told me that being in business is better for traveling, since doctors don't really get to get out much.

the baby's mouth is sufficiently foreign

Then my host dad reminded me that doctors do get to go to other countries with organizations.  Usually with Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders, to countries that are in trouble.

those are all the countries RIGHT NOW that need help

As soon as I can, I'm going to sign up and go give medical expertise to people that need it.  I mean, first I have to become a doctor.

I have no idea how I'm going to get there

Egyptian Ratscrew :: La Bataille Corse

It was a while ago, but I was walking through the lobby of my high school (my friends call it the "airport" due to all the benches that are there) to get to the cafeteria.

I spotted a few of my friends playing a card game at one of the tables, so I put off eating to see if they were playing a fancy French game.

Well, you've already read the title, so you know it was Egyptian Ratscrew, and you know that they have a better name for it.

Corsican battle vs African rodents

I didn't recognize it at first, since they were playing another version.  In addition to sandwiches, and doubles, they had "addition equals ten" - basically, if there was a four and a six, you could slap it.

Joker :: Joker (such a weird word, I know)
King :: Roi
Queen :: Dame
Jack :: Valet

very important in French courts

Hearts :: Coeur
Diamonds :: Carreau 
Clubs :: Trêfle
Spades :: Pique

Card games aren't really common in France.  I don't  make this mistake a lot, but it does happen when I assume every French teenager, for example, plays cards as a time-killer when in fact, it's just a certain group of kids.

Some of my friends think that card games are for old people.  Some can't even think of three.  I wouldn't say that cards sell well in France.

not when they can print them

It was incredibly difficult to type this article.  Most likely because I haven't written for several weeks.  Maybe because my subconscious is raging at me for writing in English while I'm in France.

Ironically, I'm probably going to describe France much better after I leave it.  I have so many ideas, I just don't have the time to type them all.  At least not now.  Especially not long articles like before.

Homesick :: Nostalgique

Perhaps some of you will think I'm terrible for this, but I've only been homesick once.  It wasn't for a good reason either, like skyping my parents, or messaging my friends.

I went to a birthday party for one of my host family's (many) relatives.  My host family is extremely close, and I think it's easier to be so when everyone lives in a country the size of Texas.  My family isn't like that, of course, considering how it takes an entire news program just to talk about what happens on the other coast of the USA, never mind across the ocean.

too big to be friends with everyone

If you've ever been to a party with your boyfriend or your girlfriend, you'd understand what I mean.  It's like a huge clan of people that are connected to each other, and then there's you.

I'd be a tiny box in chilling in the white space next to a family on the side

Alright, so never mind the fact that I was surrounded by French people.  That's normal!  I do that everyday.

The birthday girl was turning 20 something years old, so all the adults left in respect of the college kids that wanted to party.  Me, being one of the kids, was left behind with the other cousins and the party-ers.

Slightly less normal.  At least when I'm at school or at (my French) home, I know my French friends or (direct) host family members.  Well, my host parents left, and my host brothers were off who knows where playing a video game on a DS or talking with their family members.  So there I was, surrounded by a bunch of people I didn't know, that also spoke a different language. 

Of course, there was some music, and some people started dancing.  At that point, I was slightly relieved, because at least dance floors are familiar.  Everyone forms a mass of moves that are universal.  I could just copy what others did.

maybe then they wouldn't notice that I was different

Except, just kidding.  I guess dancing is less liked in France, since only six people were on the dance floor at a time.  They always formed those circles too, so you can't join in.  Even worse, they danced properly, with partners.  By that I mean, a guy and girl would take each other by hand and waist and start twirling and dipping.

Now see, at first, it was cool to watch all the people spinning and twisting, and it was cool to listen all the French music.  That's all fine until you realize that you want to dance, and there's no one to dance with.  I sat on a (at least it was comfy) leather couch and just stared at people whirling by me. 

they could learn from French college students

Then I got hit with all the feelings of missing my friends and wanting to be with them when I heard one song.  It wasn't a sad song either, nor a love song, not even a classic.

Homesick: *********** Me:0

Why?? Because one, that is a really addictive song to dance to (something I couldn't do at the moment), two, I learned the entire rap to it because of my friends, and three, I remembered the last time I got to dance WITH MY FRIENDS, and not surrounded by a bunch of twirling Francophones.

I'm so glad that I wasn't wearing mascara or eyeliner because I'm pretty sure it would have been ruined.  I had to rinse my face TWICE.   

properly though, this girl clearly doesn't understand how to wash her face

At that point, I was pissed.  First, at the fact that no one was on Facebook so I could gripe to them (indeed, I searched for one of the family members to hook me up to the Internet), then because I was spending time in France, EXPENSIVE TIME IN FRANCE (I calculated out that each minute is about €0,02 for me), trying to talk to Americans that I could talk to after my 0,02€ per minute year.  It's like a REALLY bad cell phone contract, and your phone is calling people ALL the time.

I made sure that I got off my couch of depression and talk to the other people.  I was not going to waste my expensive year moping.  That night, I met some people that went to various parts of the United Kingdom (just try to imagine their accents in English) and I got an invitation for a tour of Paris.

Oh, that's right, I can just go over to Paris if I want to

Sometimes I forget I'm in France.  After getting used to the fact that everyone speaks a different language (duh), honestly it feels like a very long sleepover at a friend's house while going to a boarding school.  I muddle through the day, and then I mechanically fall asleep.

I was told that dreaming in French means that you're well-adjusted to France.  I haven't exactly been spewing Voltaire and Molière in my sleep.  Honestly, I haven't been as immersed in French as I should be.

seeing it oughta shock my subconscious into Frenchiness