Coming Soon to a Sweet Briar Quarterly Near You...

We were sent an email asking to write (in English) for SB's Quarterly, so I volunteered to spit something out. Let me know what you think, my parents gave me 2 totally different answers, one which was positive (thanks Mom!) and one which was less than positive (bu hao, BaBa).

There is little as nerve-wracking as studying abroad, other than studying abroad and living with a host family. The questions are endless: what will they be like? Can they cook well? Are there any pets? And, in my case, will their trunk of their car be big enough to fit all of my suitcases when they pick me up on the first day?

Lady luck (actually, Mme Parnet) was on my side and I got placed within the perfect family for me. That isn’t to say that everything has been easy; the first day was beyond nerve-wracking. After quickly meeting my host at the assigned meeting point, I was whisked away to my new home-away-from-home, smack in the middle of Paris. I met almost the entire family that first weekend, even though I primarily live with the parents and the youngest daughter (the other 4 children are grown up/in graduate school). The beginning was rough – I had to determine what my role within the family was and how I would fit in. Additionally, learning new customs (I’m not too good at peeling pears with my knife) and new vocabulary (it’s a good thing I had the foresight to Google translate what “couilles” meant, instead of asking at the dinner table) took its toll on me, and dinner time conversations were always a bit strained. There were times when all I wanted to do was to fade into the woodwork, as well as times when I thought I was the woodwork. Living with a host family meant that I was sometimes privy to too much information.

Yet 4 weeks and 5 days later (but hey, who’s counting?), I realized that I had been matched perfectly to my host-family. Their senses of humor are compatible with mine (such as when Madame fed me rabbit, when the beloved family pet is a rabbit named Cookie), they are attentive but not overbearing, and they care about me and my well-being. From history lessons during dinner (don’t ask for a resume of 19^th century France and expect to be finished in a half-hour) to watching the youngest daughter’s chorale concerts, I have been fully included in my “maison d’acceuil”.

There is nothing as nerve-wracking as living with a foreign family, while studying abroad. There is also nothing as valuable as living with a foreign family, while studying abroad. My memories won’t soon be forgotten: Madame turning out exquisite meals from the kitchen smaller than my room at the apartment, Monsieur trying to cram as much French history in me as possible, Priscilla asking me what my feelings are about “Gossip Girls” and being happy when I said that I not only liked it, but that I would tell her parents that she needed to watch it weekly to improve her English, too. I have been given the opportunity of a lifetime, thanks to Sweet Briar’s Junior Year in France home stay placement program.

This is Cookie. S/he has not been eaten yet. Keyword: Yet.

Anyway, I decided this would not be the appropriate place to express how agitated I am when they feed me dinner at 10 pm, or how I am sometimes there for their blockbuster fights. But in this case, the positives way outweigh the negatives, and I am so totally luck to be placed where I was.

Things I've Learned (Part I)

So I'm a bit over the half-way mark for this semester (though might stay here longer, more info on that in posts to come) and I wanted to share the following things I've learned while here:

1. Don't buy pastries at 5 pm. They are stale. Don't expect to get your money back, either.
2. No such thing as too much foie gras.
3. There is, however, such a thing as too much chocolate mousse.
4. When you have 5 months to try all of the food in Paris, pace yourself. It's endurance, not speed.
5. Squattie toilets exist in France.
6. Don't try to be French, you'll never blend in. Just try to be a little less American.
7. Everyone eats fruit with a fork and a knife. Learn accordingly.
8. Be nice to your host family and they will treat you VERY well.
9. Be especially nice to the host family's children. They CAN (and will) make or break your stay.
10. Wear shoes at all times in the house. Naked feet are not acceptable.
11. Be adventurous!
12. Don't be so adventurous that you get propositioned at every street corner.
13. Take being propositioned in stride. It's a compliment! Really!
14. You don't have to be nice to everyone on your program. But word gets around quickly when you're not.
15. Relax.
16. Just 'cause the majority of French girls wears Spandex, doesn't mean you have to, too.
17. Travel as much as possible. You'll never get to do this again!

Ca va, Michelle? T'es pas malade?

So Sweet Briar took us to Provence for the weekend - Arles and Avignon - as the weekend trip they schedule us for. It was amazing, minus the 6.45 meeting time at the train station, which made me wake up at 5.

Our 1st stop was at an open air market in Arles, which amusingly, I'd been to before with my first homestay family, the summer before 11th grade. There were lots of sausages!
And bunnies, which I don't think we supposed to be pets...
After lunch, we saw where Van Gough chilled out, after he cut off his ear.
And visited the Pont du Gard, an aquaduct.
Joe and I, a self portrait.
We took that after he used me as a wind-shield.

We stayed at a Monestary overnight, that's the view of it from the hill which overlooks it.This was our dinner the first night. The presentation wasn't too good. But it tasted OK.

My carton of rose, which the directrice of SB won't let me live down. She was surprised that a) I wasn't hungover the next day and b) I lived to tell the tale. (Isn't the packaging pretty?!)

The 2nd day, we went to an old chateau, where I had also gone with my homestay family. Hannah and I role play. She took it seriously. I thought it was a hoot.

But not as funny as this picture!



On the train ride home we played "Lou Garou". No clue if the spelling is right, but it means werewolf in French. It's like the game Mafia for those who know it...

It was a successful weekend!

Random Pic of the Day

Sometimes, you just gotta play with hand puppets.

Caty Would NEVER Do This To Me...

Even though she has been referenced multiple times on this blog (and the PEK one), Caty was my roommate sophomore year at MHC and will always be the golden standard for roommate-ness.

The story starts here:

Yesterday, after finally leaving the apartment (didn't shower after all of that...showered at the hotel...) I hang out with my dad and come back to the apartment around 11 pm. The party was already hoppin'. For real. Probably like 100 people in the apartment...I walk in, Madame motions me over and asks me to join the party for a bit. OK, cool. I go to my room to change (need a dress and high heels to fit in...). I walk to my room...and I notice my door is open. OK, weird. I was SURE I closed my door. I flip on the lights and see there is a pram in my room.

OK...someone parked their baby carriage in my room...kinda weird...I'll move it out to the hallway when...

OH MY GOD THERE'S A BABY IN THE CARRIAGE! OH MY GOD, IT'S SCREAMING!

I get outta my room REALLY quickly...and find Madame...

"Madame...est-ce qu'il y a une raison pour laquelle j'ai une bebe dans ma chambre?"
"QUOI?!?!?!"

We go to my room...where she confirms there is in fact a screaming baby in my room...cool.

At first I thought it might have been her little joke (see the post on kids for more details...) and then realized that some person messed up the room and put the kid in mine...and not Priscilla's...

Welcome to my life. Can't make this stuff up.

CATY I MISS YOU HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY BEST ROOMIE EVERRRRRRRRRRRRR. xxoo, roomie m

I Miss My Bathroom/Get Me to the Church on Time

So right now, I am sitting in my room, listening to World War 3 erupt outside my door. Why? The line for the bathroom.

Today is Lara's wedding (Lara's the oldest daughter). It's not her big wedding, but the civil part (I think...I still don't get all of these terms...) and that means the whole family is here. I don't think I've ever gone into the details, but there are 5 kids in the family, ranging from ages 30 (the oldest son) to 15 (Priscilla). I'm 99% sure that the 4 youngest kids (plus Lara's fiance) are all trying to use the bathroom at the same time. And if they are not in the bathroom, they are in the toilet.

Which leave me, sitting here, typing this blog entry, and hoping they leave for wherever the hell they are going so I can shower in peace!

But, back to the task at hand: I've known about Lara's wedding basically from the second I stepped foot in the door on Day 1. I knew it was in August, I knew it was at the country house, ,I knew the issues with finding the proper caterers...I DID NOT KNOW that the first part of the wedding was this weekend. In fact, I thought it was last weekend (when I was away) and it was the engagement party.

Oops, not true.

So when I came back here on Tuesday, I saw that Lara and her finace were still here, the tables were still set in the foyer, and thought ok, the engagement part is THIS weekend. Shoulda learned my verb tenses better, no biggie.

Well, come Wednesday, Lara invites me to the party Saturday night (tonight) which I am like, OK, cool, that's really nice of you, I'll be there. (It's a the house...it woulda been HELLA awk had I not been invited and had to go through the front door when everyone else is in the foyer...) She then proceeds to tell me that Saturday day is "family time" and I was like, that's totally cool, my father is here in Paris this weekend, no big. At the same time, I'm kinda thinking to myself, jeeze, this is one long engagement party...but hey, I'm in France, shouldn't judge.

Wednesday night Lara invites me to eat with her friends (good time, minus starting the dinner party at 10 pm...) and then I start to hear about going to Mass on Saturday. Okk...I guess people spend their engagement party day with their family, going to mass, then throwing a huge party at night. At the end of the night, Lara says that if I want to, I can go to the Mass on Saturday as well. I thank her polietly, but explain that my Dad is in Paris, and I should really spend the day with him.

Cool.

So, all of this comes to a head Thursday, when I was eating dinner with Priscilla (sometimes everyone else does stuff for dinner, leaving Priscilla and I to dine alone) and she says something about how happy Lara is getting married this weekend. UM WHAT?!? Yea, Lara's engagement party isn't this week...IT'S THE FIRST PART OF HER MARRIAGE! (There's the civil part and the religious part of each French marrige.) And after she's married, her fiance is going back to the UAE (where they lived - he's a French guy working there) and Lara will stay in France until her "other wedding" in August. Or, I mean, I think that's what Priscilla said...but her mouth was full and I started having a panic attack over what to get for them for their wedding gift.

Anyho, that's what's going on in my life...sorry Dad for making you wait so long this AM...

What do you MEAN, Guernica isn't here?!

The theme of this blog post is ham. Above, ham with asparagus egg and ham!


More ham!


Even more ham! With hoof at the tops!
Me being cultured at the Prado Museum.
We went to the zoo!And I climbed on statues!

Sarah and I eat paella.
food porn. obvi.

Anyway, the title of the blog comes from going to the Prado Museum, where we were sure that's where Guerica would be. We were wrong. However, I got to see the Garden of Earthly Delights, which I did a presentation on in AP Art History in 11th grade, and we went to the zoo. (Do you sense a pattern in my vacations? Michelle goes to foreign country. Michelle eats country's food. Michelle see's countries animals. Michelle leaves.)

I'm Bored You Guys....

So a very commonly heard thing after classes here at Sweet Briar is: "You guys...I'm booooored...what do you want to do this afternoon?"

The answer: The Louvre.

We all get free entry cards to the Louvre, so one afternoon we decided to accompany Leo there, so he could pick his up.

XoXo, Copenhagen

We went to the zoo...
I rode the fake elephant and got stares from the locals...
...and posed like an Okapi
while Amberle bonded with the penguins,
Later, I tried on hats.
And tried not to get arrested for walking on Denmark's largest fountain, just for the sake of art.
I got to see the Little Mermaid too!


We went to the Ice BarI practiced being Nanuk of the North.
And Amberle practiced her fish face.

I confused being spastic, with being funky
And then we had to eat. And eat we did...
and made pancakes for breakfast
had some dim sum
standard Sunday activities
Pad Thai always hits the spot...

I enjoyed Copenhagen, seeing Amberle (and watching hours and hours of Gossip Girl....), and just being in a place that's not Paris!