For starters: Chambéry is located here, in the French Alps on the south-east side of the country, pretty close to Italy.
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| Our shared kitchen |
I live in an apartment-style residence hall. I share an apartment with one other American, a girl from Missouri. We have a common water closet (a toilet room), a little shower room, and a kitchen that is about the size of my arm span squared, equipped with a 2-burner stove, a sink, and a little fridge. My room is great! I have my own personal sink and mirror in one corner, separated from the rest of the room by ceiling-height bright yellow shelves. I have a big window that looks out to a tree, a desk which spans the length of the room, a desk chair, a bedside table, and a twin-sized bed.
Every weekday morning, many of the American students meet on the sidewalk in front of our residence hall at 8:30 am to walk to school. It is a 2 kilometer walk through the city and up the side of a pretty good-sized hill to get to the Université de Savoie campus for étrangères (non-French people). It usually takes us about 20 minutes to make the walk, then we have a little time to get situated in the classroom, fill our water bottles, and grab a little coffee out of the coffee machine. We have class from 9:00 – 12:30 on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday; and we have class from 9:00 – 13:00 (the French use military time here) on Wednesday and Friday. We are divided into 4 classes, so everyone gets to study at his or her own level of French.
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| We get to see things like this every day, wandering around the city. Awesome. |
For the most part, I love class now. One of our professors (my class has 2 professors who switch off) used to be a pastry designer at a fancy hotel in San Francisco, and now teaches French to étrangères. She hopes to someday open her own shop. Needless to say, she and I had an instant connection. We are going to meet on Wednesday after class for a private session specifically about baking vocabulary, where we will share recipes, ask questions, and learn the baking language of the other. I am excited to help her with her English, and to ask questions about some French pastries I am dying to try to bake. It’s an odd feeling: at the beginning of the program, there was a problem with my placement and, though the class I’m in seemed too easy, I was unable to transfer out. I see now, after going with the flow, that God kept me in that class so the professor and I could discover these things about each other. He sure knows what He’s doing, and it’s reassuring to know he’s got my back while I’m so far away from home.
Every day seems to be split into two separate days: Class and After Class. Once class finishes, we students all kind of go our own ways. There is usually something planned after class (canoeing, dancing, canyoning, paragliding, trips to nearby cities, etc.). Usually, though, my friends and I head back to the residence for lunch, and then proceed with the project for the day. Today, for example, we grabbed a slice of pizza at a pâtisserie right next to our residence, and walked around the city to find a good suit shop (for our friend Andy), take photos of our city’s castle, go to a book store, explore the WWII monument, and check out the African festival that is in town. Each day is something different, and always full of so many sights and adventures. It makes for such a long day, that class usually seems like it had a day of its own.
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| Some nights, we go to a local bar. It's pretty chill, called "Charlie's" |
Most of my learning happens outside of the classroom. I love to speak to locals. Not only does it give me encouragement, but it helps me pick up on vocabulary. I am proud that I can communicate effectively in French, and it is a feeling that I will probably miss sorely once I’m back in the states. Today, at an African festival in the park, I stopped by a table of masks. There, a local woman, the vendor, and I had a great conversation about beauty, youth, and identity; then the woman and I told each other a little bit about ourselves. She was born here in Chambéry, moved to Paris, and recently moved back. She said it was because Chambéry is so personal, and I agree with her. I have never been turned down or made fun of by a local, even though they can tell I’m not French. I have been mistaken for a German 3 times (and I blame my blonde hair and blue eyes) and an English Woman once (by the vendor at the African mask table). I take it as a compliment! At least I don’t speak with a horribly-obvious-American accent.
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| There's always something to do in the city. This was taken at the music festival the other night. |
Chambéry is kind of like Alaska, where it doesn’t really get dark until 9:30 pm.
Around supper time, 5 or 6 of us usually eat together in my neighbor, Andy’s room. We always have something to talk about, and we usually watch YouTube videos or an episode of East Bound and Down (a show introduced to us by our friend from Vermont. It’s great!). If not, then we listen to one of the boys play the guitar, and rock out with them. Some nights we go out to a bar after supper, but most nights we just chill chez nous. It’s a relaxing and exciting life here.
As you have seen in other posts, most weekends involve a trip or adventure; and Saturdays always include the local market (another opportunity to talk to locals). Sundays are usually spent sleeping and lounging; recovering from the activities of the past week and preparing for the excitement of the next.
I look forward to telling you the stories of my next week; I am going paragliding on Tuesday! We’re also taking trips to Chamonix, Tourin (Italy), and Jean-Jaques Rousseau’s house.
Thanks for your support throughout this first half of the program. I’ll keep you updated!
Haha, I remember being mistaken for a German boy while I was in Spain... The blonde hair and blue eyes do it, every time!
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