Hello my friends. This morning I write to you from Starbucks right
next to the Louvre Museum (or Musée du Louvre if you want to sound
French). Why on earth am I at Starbucks when there are a thousand very Parisian
sidewalk cafes everywhere you turn? For 3 reasons: 1) I have yet to get used to
black coffee, which is all my host family drinks, and even with a little sugar
I find myself willing to do anything for a good cup of coffee I know I can get
quickly. 2) I know it has free WiFi and I don’t have to pay to use the bathroom
and 3) I know that I can walk through the door, speak a few English words after
asking Parlez-vous
anglais? and know that I'm not sounding like a fool and I'm getting
exactly what I want. The only downside is they don't seem to have my beloved
cinnamon dolce latte or some of the other drinks I'm used to seeing, so I have
to resort to the oh-so-basic-American pumpkin spice latte. Don't get me wrong,
I'm not opposed to a good PSL, but they do get old.
I'm also at Starbucks because I've found that I've become very shy
about trying to speak in French. I guess this is a normal thing, but I wish I'd
just get over it. But when push comes to shove and I have to say
something en français, this bashfulness washes over me and I’m afraid I
won’t say it correctly and won’t be understood. I mean, I’m gonna be honest. I
don’t know a lot yet. I’m not great at French. I’ve been really fortunate
though, because until yesterday, there have been enough people around that
speak broken English that I can communicate to Gaspard (the boy I care for).
His older brother Hugo, who is 20, knows quite a bit of English, and since he
goes to college very close to their home, he is back and forth quite a bit.
Lucky for me so I can ask him to ask G things. On the way to school in the
mornings, G’s friend and his mother who live across the street walk to school
with us. G will chat with his friend, and I’ve gotten to speak to Charlotte who
knows a lot of English as well. Another mother of another friend even asked if
I would give her and her husband English lessons, so that might be a way to
make a little extra cash…although I’ve never done that before so I’m going to
have to figure out the best way to conduct lessons.
Yesterday was probably my most challenging day so far. Here, the
kids stay in school late for activities and to work on their homework. I guess
they do that so the parents can pick them up after their work times. So each
day except Wednesday, I pick up G at 6 PM. Tuesdays he has soccer, so there’s
not much time for us to really spend time together. But I’ve found that
Wednesday is going to be a hard day of the week. Wednesdays are half days at
school, so I pick up G at 11:30 AM. I have to make him lunch and dinner, make
sure his homework is done, and then find ways to entertain him. Have I
mentioned that he and I can’t communicate without someone translating?
Yesterday’s walk back to the house was a quiet one. Although I did pull out a
few French phrases I came prepared with to ask how school was, if he was hungry,
and what he wanted to do. Problem is if he responds with more than a few words,
I can’t understand him anyway.
When we got back to the house and I fed him lunch, it was pretty
quiet for a while. Eventually, he asked if he could see if his friend next
door, I’ll call him B because I have no clue how to spell his name even if I
can at least say it. We went next door, and B’s mom answered. Another English
speaker (yes!) even though not as much as others I’ve met. We both ended up
staying because as it turns out, the kids want to watch Harry Potter in French.
Umm yes I will absolutely stay. After all, I have those movies basically
memorized, so hearing the dialog and seeing the subtitles in French could be
helpful. The boys were bored 30 min later, so they went to play in B’s room,
which meant I could go back to the house while his mom watched them both. A few
hours to myself. When G came back, I made him dinner and asked if he had
homework. He didn’t eat much again, and at this point I’m thinking great, how
do I get him to eat? He snacks a lot though, so at least the kid isn’t
starving.
I noticed that things are a little tense between us when it’s just
he and I. How can it be tense with an 8 year old? Well, when the 8 year old
seems frustrated and unresponsive, and when the first thing he says to his mom
when she comes home is that I’m not speaking enough French, it’s tense. She
obviously tells him that it is fine that I’m speaking English. In fact, she
specifically asked that as I learn more French, I still speak to G in English
only at least 1 hour per week. The one thing G and I do together (that I
typically initiate) and I can feel us bonding is when we play soccer outside in
his yard. He smiles, uses the English he knows with me, and he has fun. He loves
soccer, and is actually incredibly good for an 8 year old. The dad even said
his son is the best. I’m thinking he’s probably going to be a famous pro player
one day.
G is very affectionate sometimes too. He thinks it’s funny to
tickle me (me…not so much), and sometimes he’ll come in my room and play with
my Rubik’s cube and make me solve it. He also pointed out my Harry Potter 3
book in French that I brought with me. The next day when I was making his bed,
I noticed he had his own Rubik’s cube and own copy of HP 3 in his bed that he
must have been reading before he fell asleep one night. That made me smile.
But back to yesterday. When the parents got home, they asked that
I watch him a little while longer while they went to their swimming lessons
(yes, the mom and dad are taking swimming lessons). G and I had about an hour
together again, just the two of us, and I’m racking my brain trying to think of
things to say or things for us to do. Finally, I used my Google translate app
to write him something. Thank God the kid is old enough to read. I could tell
that this immediately had the affect I had hoped. When I asked him something
else, he acted like he was typing on the phone as if to tell me write it and then he read it and
responded well. At last I typed I’m going
to learn more French so you and I can talk more. Bingo. He smiled and said Ok and then I asked if he wanted some
chocolate I picked up in Iceland. We sat there and ate and watched Nickelodeon
shows dubbed in French (more entertaining, but still dull). When he went to
bed, I got a shouted good night Chelsea
to which I responded bonne nuit G.
Today I just had to take G to school, and the dad is going to pick
him up and take him tomorrow. So I’m free, but I will be watching him Saturday
night so the couple can go to dinner in Paris. Lots of time for me to explore,
but it’s still quite lonely without any friends yet. Sunday, I will be going to
the church I found, which is an English-speaking church (thank you Lord). And I
have already been in touch with 1 girl who works there. This morning, I was on
their website checking out their life groups, and turns out, there was one this
morning, and a phone number to another girl who works at the church. I texted
her and she gave me some info about the group (which isn’t starting till next
week), but she and I are meeting for coffee today at 2:30 PM. Finally making
friends. It’s only been a few days, but I can feel my need for a social life
more than I ever did back in Virginia.
And that’s another thing I just want to marvel at for a moment. I
appreciate the Christian community so much because we literally are one big
family that spans the entire globe. No matter where you go, you have the most
important thing in common, so you can literally feel welcomed like you are part
of the family…because, well, you are part of the family. I haven’t met these 2
girls yet, but I can already tell you that I’ve felt welcomed, accepted, and
have been invited to some outings with them before I’ve even set foot in the church
doors for the first time. I’m so thankful for that. I’m thankful for people
that share my values, and of course, speak English, in a place where I feel
like a fish out of water.
I will likely write more later because this day is just getting
started, and I have lots of pictures to share from today and Tuesday when I
went to Luxembourg Gardens, so keep an eye out.
À
bientôt!
