So here it is, again: my monthly contribution to MyFrenchLife. Pictures, cool little facts, the whole shebang. Read it here.
Merci!
Archive For May, 2012
What Kind of Student Are You
Remember that post I wrote a while back, called What Kind of Passenger Are You? (If not, you can check it out, here.) Well, the latest round of French lessons I took in April had me noticing the various types of students out there. If you’ve been out of school for a while and are thinking of enrolling in a class or two, consider that you might wind up in a classroom full of these:
The Silent Type
This student doesn’t say a word in class. Maybe this doesn’t sound problematic, but imagine those interactive moments that soon turn awkward when the spotlight shines their way. The Silent Type remains silent – even when the instructor directly asks him/her a question. Two minutes and a completely halted discussion later, you’ll probably still be staring blankly at the student who refuses to speak.
No comment… ever.
The Dead Weight
This person has signed up for a class that is out of their league. I’m not talking about learning disabilities or attention disorders, either. I’m talking about those people who genuinely feel that they are in a class that suits their current ability or level, but are clearly not. The Dead Weight often holds other students back by struggling to understand basic instruction, requiring all of the professor’s time and attention.
The Jeer-Leader
I was starting to think this kind of student didn’t exist outside of high school. You know the one – the person in the class who knows everything and snickers at you when you make a mistake or ask questions they already know the answer to (which are all of them). How dare you be in the same class as them?! (Note, having a Jeer-Leader and a Dead Weight in the same class can be severely detrimental to the learning of all other students.)
Very likely the make-up of a Jeer Leader’s brain
copyright: deacondance.com (?)
The Student-Teacher
This is my all-time least favorite: the person in a class who tries to correct the teacher. “But isn’t the correct verb this? And isn’t that word spelled like that?” Come on, buddy. When you’re certified to teach this subject, you can have the right to make these suggestions. In the meantime, shut it.
The Giver-Upper
This student can be particularly frustrating, especially if the class is extra small or if you’re working with them as a partner. He or she often begins an exercise very enthusiastically, but within minutes says something along the lines of “oh, never mind!” and proceeds to give little to no effort toward completing the task at hand.
The Impatient Explainer
When another student is struggling (usually either the Dead Weight or the Giver-Upper), this person intervenes and tries to explain whatever is happening to the poor sap who doesn’t get it in more basic terms. I’m definitely guilty of this one, from time to time, and I know it can be annoying to others (but, dang it, I just want to keep the progress going!). Teachers don’t often find it very amusing, either.
There you have it: my list of student types. What am I missing? And remember, you might be one of these, too. But which one? 😉
One Year Later: An Honest Recap of my Time in Paris So Far
Saturday, May 19th marked the one year anniversary of my arrival in Paris and of becoming an expat. It has taken me two full days to recover from the celebrations to be able to write something about it.
At the six-month mark, I wrote a little check-up post, outlining the things I had accomplished and the things I still wanted to. I thought about writing this post in a similar format and addressing all of my “wish list” items from six months ago to see how far I’ve come. I may still do that, but for now, I wanted to write something a little more honest and authentic about what it has really been like for me to be an American living in Paris.
First, I want to emphasize that this past year has been one of the best years of my life. I’m having a great time, meeting wonderful new people everywhere I go, gaining a ton of valuable work experience at my job, and expanding my sense of independence and adventure. I wouldn’t trade this year for anything, and I realize I’m very fortunate to have this opportunity. Living and working abroad has always been a dream of mine, and I’m lucky to be in the category of people who gets to say they are really living out one of their dreams.
You’ve seen this one before… some of the friends I’ve met during this past year!
That being said, there is a down side to living in a country where I’m still (slowly) learning the language. I’ve written enough posts about my struggles with French–some funny, some expressing frustration–so I’m sure those who follow my blog closely enough realize, to some extent, the role that the element of language plays in my life. But over the last few weeks, I have really started to struggle with something: my identity as a non-French speaker (yet!) in this country.
Have you ever had one of those dreams where you’re in a group of familiar faces, everyone having a good time, and no one can hear you? The dream starts out fine–you know the people you’re with and you know you’re about to have fun with them. When you realize no one can hear or understand or see you, you become confused, and maybe panic even starts to set in. And then, after several desperate attempts to be heard, the only thing left to feel is frustration. This cycle is my life.
Despite this dream being the perfect analogy of what I often experience here (being in a group of friends speaking to each other in a language I can understand but cannot express myself in), not being heard in a group isn’t the issue that’s been weighing me down lately.
What a lot of people don’t understand, is that even though I’m lucky enough to have such friendly and kind people speaking to me in my language while I’m in their country, is that I often have to change everything about the way I communicate: my vocabulary, my body language, my accent, the subjects we talk about… in order to be understood.Although I’m doing what I can to learn French while working full time (in English), I can still only converse on the level of a five-year-old. It took me months to figure out why I haven’t been feeling like myself in this country, and then it hit me: I am NOT myself here. Nor can I be, until I can fully express myself in French.
Maybe the closest I’ve felt to myself in Paris: watching the Patriots, at a Canadian bar, with my Dad 🙂
On the day of my six-month anniversary in Paris, I left for a trip to the US. On that trip, I had the strangest feeling. Of course I missed my friends and family and was happy to see them all, but it was more than that. Recently I realized what the “more” was. It was relief. Relief because I could once again be the outgoing, sometimes funny, always quirky, opinionated, non-wall flower that I’ve been for most of my adult life. When I read that sentence back, those adjectives do not resonate with the person that I am here in Paris. I have been reduced to a shy, insecure, quiet, easily-intimidated young woman who needs assistance to do a lot of things. Sometimes, I literally feel like another person has taken over my body and the “real me” is forced to sit in silence and watch the whole thing play out.
I know a lot of people who have lived abroad and who have struggled as they adjust to cultural and language differences. But most of the people I know who have embarked on a similar journey have had one important difference: they didn’t do it alone. They either moved with friends, classmates, a significant other, family, or at least knew someone well enough in the new country that they could count on. This is not to say that none of those people faced the challenges I have. On the contrary, I’m sure they did, and I know I’m not alone in feeling like I am another person while in a different country. And I definitely have people I can count on now. But the people who really know me well are a 6 hour plane ride away at best.
Some of the people that know me best! ❤
At the end of the day, all I can do is try to be as close to the “real me” as possible, and hope that the more I learn French, the more my true personality will come out. Then my next concern will be if all of the French friends I’ve made will still be able to stand me at that point 😉 I’m not homesick, and I have no intentions of leaving France anytime soon (sorry Frenchies!), but it’s good to reflect on the challenges you face every now and then. If you don’t recognize why you struggle, how can you know where to concentrate your efforts?
Expat Blog Ramps Up Its Resources
For an expat like myself who is already living and working in France, life is easy (cough, cough). But for those who are looking to follow in my footsteps and those of others who have packed up and shipped out to France, Expat Blog–a directory of (you guessed it) blogs written by expats–has recently added some new features.
Expat Blog is a platform allowing the vast amount of information that many expatriates share to be centered in one place. Right now, there are more than 420,000 members and 1.8 million visitors per month. There are 206 countries and 400 big cities from all over the world represented in the blogs found there. Obviously, the site was already a helpful resource.
However, as an added bonus to those who are looking for more than just a good read from one of the 31,069 expats in France that are registered to the site, Expat Blog is now offering job and housing information that might help someone transition into expat life in France (or anywhere, for that matter).
To post, search, create an online CV and possibly discover a new job opportunity in France, check out this site: http://www.expat-blog.com/en/jobs/europe/france/
In the housing section, ads are available by accommodation type, again allowing you to either post availability or find a spot to rest your head: http://www.expat-blog.com/en/housing/europe/france/
I encourage everyone to check out the site if you have a chance. Not only are there jobs and apartments to be had, but other great international blogs as well. Happy blog/apartment/job surfing! 🙂
London
Better late than never? Here are my fave photos from my trip to England’s capital:
Home Sweet Box of Home
Dorothy went through some pretty badass trials and tribulations in order to learn that “there’s no place like home.” Fortunately for me, there was no Wicked Witch to drench, no poppies to overcome, no flying monkeys in pursuit, and certainly no egomaniacal old man trying to masquerade as some omnipotent being with an over-sized green head. All I did was open a box. Well, technically two boxes.
Apparently, to my delight, two of my best friends from home decided to get together and send me some of my favorite things (not surprisingly, most of the items were food). As soon as I opened the package, it was as if I had clicked my heels three times. I was immediately transported away from the City of Lights, away from the Eiffel Tower, away from the Seine, and back to a familiar place filled with the faces of people I know.
Click, click, click…
It’s true that since I moved abroad I often feel like my home is somewhere in between here and there (and sometimes I feel like it’s nowhere). But, there’s nothing like a few little things put together with care to make you remember what “home” is supposed to feel like. I love my friends, I love my family, and it’s thanks to them that I can continue being a Perpetual Passenger and maintain any trace of sanity. Thanks to everyone who plays a part, large or small. It doesn’t go unnoticed.
Image copyright: FIDM museum shop
How to Survive the Paris Metro
For those who need a few tips on how to get around in Paris, I wrote a short article about navigating the metro for MyFrenchLife. You can read about it here.
Happy traveling!
The Perpetual Passenger 