Pictured: Bastille Day in Geney
It is said that you cannot properly learn a new language unless you completely immerse yourself into it. So, running on that ideology, I spent this last week staying with a French family in Geney, France. Barely scraping by French III and IV these past two years, trying to communicate with a family that only spoke French (at a rather fast pace) was a big challenge at first. But, as time went on, the family and I became more comfortable with each other, and communicating became easier.
My host family consisted of three people: the mom (Sophie), the daughter (Clara) and the son (Jeremy). After nervously stepping off the train and onto a platform, I did not know what awaited me. Sophie and Clara graciously ushered me into their car where we traveled to their house only minutes away. After a few minutes of mandatory niceties, Sophie began telling me about their town and their life in it. She explained that their town, Geney, has “plus des vaches que des personnes”, meaning that Geney is populated by more cows than actual people. It was at that moment that I realized that I had no idea what I had gotten myself into.
At first, the awkward silences were hard to fill.Thinking quickly on my feet in French is not my forté (to say the least). However, Clara and I eventually began to bond over things that any normal teenagers would — this did end up leading us into watching the entire Maze Runner (Le Labyrinthe) trilogy over the course of the week. And although it was a little harder for Sophie, the mom, to understand me, as the week went on we both warmed up to each other and in the end we were cracking jokes left and right.
I quickly adapted to the lifestyle of having four course homemade lunches (appetizer, main, cheese, desert) and consistent naps in their car. I also picked up on many commonly used French phrases and words. As Bastille Day, France’s independence day, rolled around, the colorful “feux d’artifice” (fireworks) became never ending.
I can say without a doubt that this has been the most unique, unexpected experience I have had in my whole life. Completely immersing myself in not only someone else’s language but also their lifestyle and culture was so eye-opening to how tunnel-visioned I am living in New York City. Of course in my head, I knew that not everyone does the whole “study hard in school, go to a good college, get a good job” thing, but having the opportunity to participate in a polar opposite lifestyle for a week completely broadened my horizons.
We went from visiting the mayor of Geney’s (and the family’s neighbor) beehives to tree climbing (a common activity in Geney), to even participating in a very intricate escape game inside of a French castle. It would be a gross understatement to say that I have had a few new experiences this week.
But, even in a tiny town in the south of France, some things are not so different at all than at home. Nintendo Switch is still just as fun — if not more fun – I mean Baby Mario is called Bébé Mario in France. Shopping is no sparse activity – turns out retail therapy can occur in all corners of the world. And Tik Tok can still be just as addictive in France, the “Pour Toi” page is still just as much of a time sucker.
In all seriousness, I am so grateful that this French family took me under their wing this week and were so patient with me. My French certainly improved and it was all thanks to their kindness, hospitality and generosity. Although both parties were extremely nervous at the start of the week, by the end, saying goodbye was strangely hard.
I am so excited to come back to school in the fall and show all my new skills off to Dr. Uruakpa – or really anyone who will listen.
