C’est la deuxieme broullion

If we’re basing it on physical presence, today is my second day in Aix-en-Provence.

Some interesting things: The bathroom of my apartment contains a shower, a sink, and a washing machine. next to the bathroom is a closet with a toilet. Also, my host mom says that I can only use the shower to rinse, because water is expensive. The apartment itself has two bedrooms, one for me and one for the other American student. I have yet to ascertain where my host mom sleeps.

Also, there have been two toddlers here. Madame (my host mom) probably explained who they are, but all I got was that they aren’t related to her. As I type this, she is out on the town running errands and one of the toddlers is still in the living room, so I think I am currently in charge of him. He just came into my room and asked me to fix the television, which I did by randomly hitting buttons on the remote. Just like home.

I slept for twelve hours last night. For breakfast I had an orange and a cereal that looks close to Cocoa Puffs but tastes like coffee.

Getting on the bus this morning, I smacked an old woman in the face with my backpack. I could not explain myself and was yelled at in French while I sweated in English for the duration of the bus ride.

Orientation was on the second floor of a cafe on the Cours Mirabeau, the central street and pedestrian area of Aix. The two heads of my program are from Colorado and Britain, so they have strong non-French accents, but when switching from French to English, the French seems to linger on their tongues, and the first couple sentences are spoken with a French twist. And they switch so quickly!

I took an oral placement exam after lunch. A professor at the university grilled me about what French book I read and what French music I listen to, and why I want to learn French, and how long I’ve been studying, and if I know my conjugations, all of that. At the end, she told me I have a true heart of a French student and dismissed me. I hope that means I don’t get placed in Elementary Grammar.

After that, I went with some people from my group to France’s answer to Walmart: Monoprix. I got expensive shampoo, expensive dental floss, and I knocked over an expensive rack of clothes. C’est un faux pas.

I had to walk pack to my apartment because I don’t have a bus pass yet, but I live too far away for anyone to walk with me, so I marched myself (with purpose!) up and down Aix as it got dark and darker with no clue where I was or where I was going. I ended up in the right place. That or this apartment looks a lot like mine and has exact copies of all my stuff. Not unlikely.

We have been told to walk with purpose here. We can’t be caught looking lost or confused because we will immediately get robbed, mugged, trafficked, and murdered and also pushed into a fountain. I will try to avoid being conspicuous, but I just know that the first time I’m lost and have class, I’ll be banging on doors up and down the street like an late-18th century Rromani woman at the doors of Notre Dame, begging for sanctuary.

Madame just got home, and dinner is in canq minutes, so it is time for me to sign off. Hopefully this isn’t all TMI.

Cordialement,

Allison

P.S.: I have another post coming right after this one which is a throwback. I wrote it on the overnight flight when I couldn’t sleep.