.png)
There is no sugar coating how hard this is. (I write as I sugar coat my espresso.) There are times when I am absolutely exhausted of not being able to truly express how I feel to my host mom or people I meet. Though body language does go a long way. The city in itself is exhausting as well. It’s a chore to do just about anything, or at least it feels like a chore to do anything.
And yet that all being said, I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s worth it. It is so worth the constant feeling of doing everything wrong (so good for me to grow into). It is so worth feeling like a caveman at dinner as I try and talk with my family (ie: you have nice walk to store? I like the coffee here. It nice.) And it is so worth it everytime I turn a street corner and find a new cafe or see a gorgeous tree, shed of leaves, embracing the space around it. It truly truly all goes back to the Lord and the fact that He continues to fill me with his Spirit as I leap into learning this culture. It's scary, but it's the knowledge and faith I have in my God that continues to fill me with peace and curiosity as I wander down streets or shift through the metro or poke around a small bookstore.
A bit on my Classes
You know how you can ready your mind and prepare yourself for something that you know is going to be difficult? Right. So before coming, I knew this was going to be hard. I prepared myself for it. The thing is, you're just never quite sure in what ways. Well. It is hard in just about every way imaginable. And that's ok. I like hard work. What's difficult is the fact that I am genuinely interested in all my classes, but most of the time only have a faint glimmer of what's going on.
Taking courses on early French films, photography, art, literature, and history... all in French? How could I not love it! This past week, I learned about the Mélière film, “La Voyage à la Lune”, La Front Populaire, Marie de France, and the subjunctive tense. That last one is not as fun as the other new things I’m learning.
A Note on Culture
One thing I’ve picked up on is the importance of eye contact. And in learning about the medieval customs and life in a castle court, one can see where this originated from. In the times of the troubadours, men and women of the court were forbidden to talk to one another, but they could express their feelings with just one look. Thus probably a small part of why it’s not an element of the culture to smile at people on the street— you don’t necessarily have anything to give or say to them. So when you do look or smile or even stare at someone, you’re saying that you have something to give them. You have to earn a smile— it’s not given freely— they hold it in high regard: they respect it. And therefore, when someone gives you a smile, you know they deeply mean what they are giving you.
Little Stories
I love seeing the parents who walk their kids to school. It’s absolutely precious. The kids are always put together in adorable little outfits, and present themselves with respect. It's so fun to come back home and play a bit of football (the "real" football) with the kids in my building.
Alexandra and I were sitting outside a café this past Tuesday night, and these guys walk past with a HUGE pumpkin? Then offered us the stem? It was simultaneously so hilarious and so confusing. I still have the stem. I'm not sure why.
The dogs here strut. All of them. They know they're in Paris.
Ping pong tables are in so many of the parks here. So far, my favorite group of people I’ve seen playing was a group of four older men in the park next to my house. A nice after work game of ping pong.
I went to the Tolkien exhibit and was absolutely overwhelmed by all the original prints and papers.
I sang “La Vie en Rose” with the front desk lady at the Musee de l'Orangerie. It was packed in the museum. She had fruit earrings. It was awesome.
I bought new tennis shoes, and the ladies that helped me pick them out at the store were the sweetest. One helped me tie my shoes (she just reached down and started tying them for me!) And the other kept doting on how “oh these are too small, try these,” etc etc. All in French, of course. It was probably the sweetest ten minutes of my day.
I made the "équipe de dance" for Hillsong! So I have three hour rehearsals every week and I may or may not die because I’m very out of shape. I also went out for tea and pastries with the leader of the team this past Monday. It was absolutely lovely we talked for about 4 hours. :)
The Lord
I don't think I will ever say enough how incredible it has been to grow in my faith here. He continues to bless me with the desire to truly dive into my classes and work hard because, ultimately, he has given me the desire to know the people here. I listen to history and language podcasts on the metro because why not fill that extra time with something new to learn? The harder I work on the language and the more time I spend questioning and thinking about the ideas posed by my homework, the more I feel like I'm spending time with the Lord. Truly. Everything somehow points back to Him and his deep love for us, no matter what nation or country or language. His grace is abundant and can be found anywhere.
Commentaires