I had a bowl of coffee for breakfast this morning. Yes, a bowl – and no small bowl at that. While drinking my coffee, I listened to the family of 10 discuss the best way to show me around Toulouse (when I say discuss, I mean speak all at once). A velo was the decision, so my host mom took me around the city by bike. It seems much safer to ride bikes around town in France than in the States, but still not free from perilous situations. Danger aside, I’m rather pleased with my morning.
Living with a host family (famille d’accueil) is a bit strange, I have to admit. You are more than a guest, but not quite family, plus there is a well fortified language barrier in place. This is most apparent at meal times. I’ve had 3 meals with my family so far, and I can’t say I understood more than the general subject of the conversation each time. One on one is fine – I can focus in on what is being said and communicate what I want to say fairly easily, but only as long as I’m very attentive. But at meals, the conversation picks up, and before I know it all ten people are speaking over one another. The most difficult to understand are the brothers – they all have pretty low voices and they tend to mutter their words, making them all sound the same…as if that wasn’t already a problem with the French language. I’m afraid that if I don’t figure this language thing out soon, my head is going to explode. Needless to say, at meal times I’m doing one of two things: zoning out, or staring wide eyed at the family (they are very animated when they speak).
I arrived in Toulouse yesterday after a five hour train ride from Paris, where we had spent the past week. Paris was great, especially because it was a bit chilly. We spent the week in Paris for orientation and to acquaint ourselves with French culture and to accustom ourselves to the language. I have never heard so much French as I have this past week – mais, ça c’est mieux pour m’apprendre la langue, n’est pas? Or, at least I thought I was hearing a lot of French – that was until yesterday when my host family picked me up from the train station. Aside from my host mother and father (who’s a bit of a jokester), there are 8 children in the family plus another student from the French country side going to school in Toulouse. The oldest son lives with his wife and child on the other side of the country, but the rest are all here which makes one full house. The second oldest is a girl one year older than me, she is very nice and helps me out when it’s clear I don’t understand…usually by scolding the fast speakers in the family. After her are 3 boys (the ones I cannot understand): one my age and the others a few years younger. Then follow three girls: one finishing up high school, the other entering and the third in middle school. The boys tend to pick on their younger sisters (from what I can understand), especially the second to youngest. I think it’s because she gets worked up and dramatic when they do. Even if I can’t understand what’s going on most of the time, it’s fun to watch the family dynamic as they relate to one another.
Right now I’m being a bit rude and reclusive sitting in my room typing on my computer. Probably shouldn’t spend so much time here during the day, or I’d be in danger of becoming a bit of a hermit. Right now the boys are making something, not sure what though. There is a bunch of wood outside and I keep hearing an electric saw. I guess I’ll find out sooner or later what it is exactly. Until then, I think I’ll go sit downstairs and read a bit.
A tout a l’heure.
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