5 Month Update

French Classes

Ive officially completed 4 weeks of French classes! Almost 100 hours! (28 hours a week) It's a TON of information all being thrown at me which can be stressful and frustrating at times, but I can already notice a lot of improvement in my reading, speaking, and understanding.  

The entire class is 100% in French, and English is forbidden.  It has been really interesting not being able to have anything explained to me in my own language so I'm learning to just have to figure it out on my own.  I went in only knowing a handful of basic words and couldn't even put a sentence together.  It has been very difficult but I think in the long run, it will be helpful that I am being totally immersed in the language.  I'm also thankful for google translate on my phone, so I can easily look up words that I am unsure of!

I'll finish at the end of June, and then have a big "final test" in July.  After that, Will and I will look for affordable classes that are done by your specific level.  I know I won't be at the point I want to be with my French in just one more month, so this summer I want to continue working hard and taking additional classes so that eventually, I'll be totally fluent.  There are a lot of great organizations near our apartment that are well-known for teaching French to foreigners. 

The course I am in now is through my VISA and is a requirement for me being in France.  There are around 20 students, all at different levels in their French.  Some students are basically fluent, others are at my level, and some aren't even able to read or write.  I am the only native English speaker in the class. Most of the students are from Europe or Asia and are refugees coming to France.  (Syria, China, Afghanistan, Georgia, Albania, Tunisia, etc)

French School

Last week I finished up my time at the French High School, since they're heading into finals and then summer.  It's been great experiencing the French education system, meeting these awesome students, and teaching them all about America.

Mother's Day

Mother's day in France was actually just this past Sunday. (May 29th) Both Mother's & Father's Day are on different days here than in America.  Our church had a really great service and wanted to celebrate not just the moms, but future moms.  They gave manicures to the women and gave us these really cute little bags as well. Cool idea.  
The bag says, "On earth as in Heaven."

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(Not so) Fun Facts. haha

Here are some things I've had to adjust to while being in France:

*No Redbox.  (& I don't think there are movie rentals either.)  Will & I used to do a ton of Redbox movies so it's a bummer when we miss a movie in the theater and aren't able to rent it.

*Peanut Butter.  Peanut butter is hard to find, especially the good creamy kind.  French people don't really eat it either.  When you do find it, it's in a really small jar and really expensive.  No reese's either.  Sad.

*It's really hard to find public bathrooms and water fountains.  If you do come across a public bathroom, you usually have to pay for it.  Even in the mall.  Also even some McDonalds have a reciept code to get in the bathroom so if you don't order something, you can't use it.  I've also only ever seen one water fountain, and it was in one of the malls.

*Most grocery stores and stores in general are closed on Sundays.  We've found a couple stores that are open until Sunday early afternoon so we're stuck if we need something Sunday late afternoon or evening!

Recipe

I wanted to share a popular French recipe with you all:  A French yogurt cake.
It's great because:
-It's super easy
-It doesn't require a lot of kitchen tools/appliances (You use the yogurt container to measure the ingredients)
-It is more healthy than a normal cake
-It can be eaten for breakfast or for dessert
-It is moist and really delicious!

Check out the recipe below. (Visible on computer/laptop, not cell phones)

Grocery Shopping

This is what grocery shopping looks like for Will & I. We either ride bikes or just walk to the grocery store. One of the many perks of living right in the city!  I also finally braved it up last week and began going to the store by myself. I was always too afraid to go without Will because of my lack of French knowledge, but I've finally just learned to deal with it.  I think Will is happy to not have to grocery shop with me and I'm happy for more flexibility with going to the grocery store and feeling more independent!    

French Food

Here are two delicious French meals!  The first, is a really popular French dish called "Paella".  The second is "Poulet basquaise."  Chicken, potatoes and a really great spicy sauce!

Blog Support

I'm constantly encouraged and grateful for the support I receive from my blog posts.  I love sharing our adventures and also love that so many of you are enjoying it as well!  Please feel free to comment here on my blog or on my Facebook if there are things you would like to see included on my blog, questions you have, etc.  I'll try including them in future posts! Au Revoir! 

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