Most of the other students are here for international commerce or business or something like that. The pizza here is wack. The music is so sad it’s funny. They have an economic balance: healthcare is free, toilets a charge. I have hit my culture shock, physically. Water tastes different and not like how Memphis water tastes different. Their water is either sparkling or potable. I suspect this is connected to a history of not trusting water. The French are very honest. Russians have trouble with articles. Asiatics have trouble telling nouns from adjectives. Anglos have trouble with gender. Today was frustrating. I did not like the energy in the classroom. I think we all come from different learning backgrounds and pedagogical styles, and that is creating friction. The Turks always interrupt and argue, but never with malice, always with energy and interest. Their learning style is active and therefore jarring for me. The Vietnamese woman has no sense of personal space, but she is very kind and loves sharing. The Indian woman spoke English to me, and I did not know she spoke English. Apparently she is keeping that a secret from the professor so she can do projects with Anglophones. I stand out with my honey hair: everyone has dark brown or black hair here. There is a girl here from Syria but you would think she is from Chicago. Merve who sits next to me and wears a hijab is always worried about how tired I am when I show up to class; she recommends mint face spray and a bracing morning shower. She’s the coolest.
Cordialement,
Allison
P.S.: I think I love every single culture on the planet.
Flan in France 
This is really fantastic commentary. You’re learning far more than you would have in Knoxville.
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