Yellow Work Gloves
Whether you know it already, I'm fine and greatly appreciated my time here at Indiana University. If the beginnings are filled with discovery and surprise, the fact remains that I am now installed and I took a nice pace of life, ranging from interesting courses, working in the restaurant U and free time with friends. Here are several things to tell and I know I will miss the time to write anything. Keeping a blog is very frustrating since you want to say many things to people you love while knowing that to say it in a comprehensive manner, it takes a lot to write. Oh and I know some of you are struggling to read everything, have not the courage to read any or don 'have simply no time. It is quite understandable and I apologize for the length of the message, but you know, to be precise, write . . But I want to thank those who read and those who encourage, those who believe in me and those who give me their news. It's always a pleasure to hear you on the phone, to see you on facebook or to read your emails. People often ask me if I miss France! Well, my answer would be mixed and I would tend to say, today October 3, 2010 no. But do not panic! I gladly explain. Firstly it is just over a month since I left and I can not remember who gave me the info but homesickness is supposed to happen after three months. So I still have time! Seriously, I keep in my heart the knowledge that my stay in the United States is only temporary, I'll be back in France three weeks at Christmas and then permanently in May or June. In fact, I see this experience as especially unique, temporary and wonderful. I must enjoy it, go out, meet people, speak English, to laugh and marvel at the things I do not know. Actually, these are the friends and family who I miss more than I miss the country. But let the news! I went camping Friday night with Ben and Stephen lake 45 minutes from Bloomington, yellow work gloves Wood (Yellow wood). We joined a friend of Ben, who is leader and who brought young parishioners for one night in nature. In the early morning, Stephen, Ben and I went we stroll by the lake and it was just beautiful. The cold was now announcing the fall and winter while the leaves change color. The outing was very enjoyable because it allowed us to escape the everyday life of the university, to forget a little homework and essays to enjoy the friendship between us three. I really enjoy the company of Ben and Stephen for their simplicity and joy. With them, just be yourself, laugh and share what you love. Besides Stephen and Ben, I spend too much time with Stephanie and Molly (Molly's roommate) are two wonderful people. Through them, I met many people here, they showed me lots of new and unusual aspects of the university and are always there to help me. As a reminder, Molly studied for a semester in Aix en Provence from January to June 2010 and speaks fluent French. Therefore, in order that it does not lose, we speak both English and French. I find it very funny to begin a sentence in French and completed in English or vice versa, to explain many expressions and to have the French version in English. For example, we have a very nice French expression is "the straw that broke the camel". In English, they say more willingly "The Straw That Breaks the Camel's Back" (The straw that breaks the camel's back). Cute is not it?. I also met last week with the parents of Stephanie, who came from Chicago where they live, to visit their daughter. We went to dinner with Molly, Stephanie, her parents and me and I spent a wonderful evening. Stephanie's father is a former national champion in handball (handball is very different from American handball as we know, that it is played against a wall a bit like squash, except that the squash is played with a racquet and handball is played in American hands with gloves) and is very interested in the meeting of cultures. I therefore enjoyed a burst of questions about relations between our two countries and on some rumors that Americans hear about us. For example, he asked me if the university is different here than in France (the answer is easy), if the level is more difficult here than in France, if it was true that the French do not like really Americans, if France did not fail me so. On the question of anti-Americanism, I had to concede that many of us do not appreciate the U. S. , we have easy and what criticism in many areas (obesity, system health, prison and death sentences, the war in Iraq, the environment, American sense of superiority, etc. ). Then I wondered why we had those thoughts, why you saw so badly the United States while the latter (the ones I met anyway) so we appreciate?. If you have the answer, or if you simply want to share your views on the issue would interest me much. How do you see the United States?. On this question, I will stop here for tonight and for the news. As I said above, it is frustrating to write a blog because there are so many things to say . . I'd like to mention several other people I met, sports facilities lingerie that are present on campus on my way and the questions they ask etc. etc. . . But alas, it would be much too long and would take much time. I thank the bravest of you who have me reading until the last lines, may you find the motivation to continue to read my future articles. . . .
