Salut, from the United States of America...from Illinois...from Bartlett...from my kitchen table. :)
There's nothing like this feeling. The snow has been falling gently outside all morning, adding a fresh blanket of beauty to an already-white landscape. Dad made egg, potato, and vegetable goodness for breakfast this morning, and it was so great, seeing as it was 4:30pm on my clock and I felt like I hadn't eaten in days (which is sort-of true). I'm still in sweatpants and glasses and I'll probably hit a wall this afternoon.... but for now I'm feeling great.
I'm excited to tell you more about my trip home, because it was 48 hours of stress and changing plans, but it turns into a happy ending (I'm home, after all!). Snow has been dumped on just about all of the Western hemisphere, so I consider myself very fortunate when I think of the many travelers who are still stuck somewhere. All the same, my transit was nothing short of STRESSFUL. The best way to describe it is with one of my favorite quotations (the wisdom of which I have applied and reapplied over these two days!):
An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.
GK Chesterton
So, to begin explaining the 'adventure'.....
My voyage home began on Sunday morning, after a relaxing breakfast with two of my best friends in Grenoble. I arrived at the train station with two 50-pound suitcases, a backpack that literally weighed as much as the suitcase, and a small shoulder bag. Cumbersome, but necessary to carry home a semester's worth of belongings and gifts. :) I looked up toward the large board where all the train numbers were displayed so I could confirm what track I was on-- next to my train, I saw a word I have never seen before.
Supprime.
That was not a good word. I knew at once what it meant. My train was not just late..... it was canceled completely.
It was only then that I noticed the gads of people in the train station, many more than usual. Lines had started everywhere-- people asking what to do, trying to change their tickets. I left my stuff with my friends and went with my friend Hamid to talk to the train conductor. He told me the next train to Lyon was at 11:44, an hour later. However, if I caught that I was looking at missing my connection in Lyon AND, consequently, in Mulhouse (yep, three changes just to get to Basel... not ideal with 125 pounds in luggage, but cheaper). Frustrated, but with a smirk on my face because I'm usually incredibly level-headed in situations like this, I headed straight for the bus station next door and asked about a bus to Lyon.
Twenty minutes later, I was on a bus headed to Lyon Saint Exupery, the airport. From there, I would have to catch a shuttle to the train station, all before 12:49pm when my train from Lyon was leaving. I was a mess of emotions on my way to Lyon: sad to leave my friends, already missing the incredible scenery, nervous about getting to the shuttle in time (and being able to pay for it--did I mention I had NO euros on me anymore?). But upon arriving at the airport, finding the shuttle worked like clockwork, and after paying for the ticket with a credit card (thank goodness I could!), I boarded the bus with t-minus 29 minutes until my train would pull away.
I practically ate my scarf I was so jittery, so wreaked with anxiousness that I would miss the main leg of my trip and be stuck in Lyon for who knows how long.
The shuttle arrived at Lyon's station at 12:48pm.
With one minute remaining, I whipped my two bags off the bus, hooked them together, and took off running as fast as I could toward the station (this wasn't, however, very fast after all-- not with my train of suitcases and my brick-laden backpack! ha). When I arrived, the board wasn't even showing my train anymore, or the track number. In a frantic search, I noticed that the first track on my right was for my train (by the grace of God!) and I quickly stamped my ticket and ran back to the looming two flights of stairs separating me from the platform. And then, the most sickening sound to hear when you are about to miss your train home-- the sound of the conductor's final whistle, meaning "attention, this train is leaving RIGHT NOW."
In a mad rush, I left my two bags at the base of the stairs and sprinted up them two by two. At the top, I shouted to the conductor to WAIT, and told him I had two heavy bags at the bottom of the stairs. He wasn't too happy that I was keeping the train waiting, but in the end, he helped me get one of the bags half way up and put it on the train for me (there is mercy in this world). I literally pulled a back muscle hauling my other 50-pounder up the stairs, and felt like I was part of some awful football training camp drill or something. But, in the end, I shoved the bag on the train next to the other and mounted it myself as the doors closed behind me. I was shaking with adrenaline, as you can imagine. But I had made it. And ironically, I was on the right car, number 16: a tremendous gift.
I thought that the rest of the trip would be easy breezy-- after all, I had bypassed the crazy beginning by getting to Lyon by alternative methods and making my train just as planned. But during this ride I couldn't help but notice with concern a few times during which the train came to a complete standstill...... not normal. And then the conductor got on the intercom and made an announcement about a 30-minute delay because of the rapidly-increasing snowfall. Thus, I realized two hours early that I would miss my last train to Basel by 15 minutes. And thus, I had two hours to worry about it.
It was at this moment that I remembered GK Chesterton's words. I was already emotionally exhausted from the day, but I realized I had to gain new perspective on this inconvenience. So I changed my mind about things and pep-talked myself into thinking of this as one grand, final adventure. It helped even more, even though throughout the day I had already been discussing my stress with the Lord and committing the details to Him. After all, my 'theme' for this semester was ruthlessly trusting my Savior, and this, I came to see, was just a sort of 'final exam.' :D
In Mulhouse, I talked to a few kind french conductors who told me I could catch another train to Basel leaving in 45 minutes. Once in Basel, I didn't have any way of contacting the Shumans who were picking me up; but the last faithful act of God that day happened soon after I entered the main station's lobby, which was buzzing with people. Mr. Shuman popped out of the crowd, the final puzzle piece. Was I ever happy to see him.
I figured that after a tense-filled day like that, my flights would have to be a walk in the park, easy, glitch-free (?). And you know what, I can't complain. My flight to London was only delayed an hour, and though I was concerned about getting through security so I could catch the flight to Chicago, it ended up being fine because Chicago's flight was also delayed an hour. Well.... make that four hours. We waited forever to be de-iced..... then to take off..... and as the snow fell heavier and dusk closed in, all I could do was sigh and know I'd get home eventually. Friends, blessed are you when the Lord's perfect peace guards your heart because you trust in Him.
I saw my Dad's face through the glass doors near arrivals as I headed out of customs at 9:45pm last night....I was closing in on a 24-hour day. It was wonderful (that's such a weak word compared to what I felt) to hug my family again and be back in my home, all decorated for Christmas. My body is really confused because of the jetlag, but my heart is happy. :)
Inconveniences..... life's most interesting adventures.
More to write in the days to come.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
La reconnaissance..... (Gratitude...)
For the first time all semester, I'm at a loss for what to write. How do I even begin my last post from Grenoble? How could I ever gather together my deep sentiments, let alone transform them into words that will convey my feelings..... my gratitude?
It certainly ended up being a beautiful ending to the semester. My time, surrendered to the Lord as I asked Him to rule over it, seemed to stretch out each day as if it was an endless canvas, stark white and always painted with simple, beautiful moments. A huge 'gift' of this week was the opportunity to sit in on a morning at Champ Fleuri, a bible college in the mountains near Grenoble, run by Torch Bearers Ministry. And of course, I won't soon forget Jay's beer batter party where innocent edible 'victims' from the grocery store got dropped into batter and then into scorching oil: pure american goodness, I suppose. :) Certainly this week was my last minute trip to Geneva to visit my Aunt's friend who works at the UN. In so many ways, I feel like God opened up time in my week to go just so that He could bless my socks off. It was seriously brinking on ridiculous, how much Kim and her FRENCH husband and her ADORABLE 7-year old Max treated me like royalty and like family. I saw so much in a short 24 hours. And then on Friday, I will always vividly remember sitting in a small conference room taking my final with three other students who had to take it early (well, it's not that part that I really want to tuck way....). I was writing four pages on a topic concerning french society, and looked out the window to see Grenoble's FIRST SNOW. How beautiful, peaceful, and calming it was! It surprises me still how much snow transforms and refreshes. It was the picture-perfect ending to a semester lived in the French Alps, for sure!
And today, my last day. A day where I did a lot of things like I always do, but with an extra ounce of gratitude, knowing it would be my last. I returned to the bookstore I went in the first day I was here. I bought a sweet topographical hiking map of Grenoble and it's surrounding three mountain ranges from the Center of Mountains (a horrible translation to what I know as La Maison de la Montagne). I ate a 'Victor Huge Crepe,' nutella and banana, my favorite. I played cards for hours at our favorite cafe, Ligne Sezz. I bought chocolate. :) I wandered the Christmas Market. I celebrated a friend's birthday.
It hasn't really hit me that it's time to say au revoir to Grenoble, for now. I am beyond excited to return home-- in 48 hours I will be with my family for the first time in three and a half months. And yet, I think as I say goodbye to some very dear people here, and as I ride the train to Basel and stare at the jagged snowy peaks that fill the entire window.....well, its just really hard to leave a place that has become home.
Grateful.
There's really no other way to describe how I am feeling.
The synthesis of all I've learned, all I've seen, who I've met, what I've done..... all that can come with time. There's still much more I want to express about this semester, about Grenoble (so don't worry, the blog posts are not finished yet!).
But for tonight, it's a simple song that I'm singing.
It certainly ended up being a beautiful ending to the semester. My time, surrendered to the Lord as I asked Him to rule over it, seemed to stretch out each day as if it was an endless canvas, stark white and always painted with simple, beautiful moments. A huge 'gift' of this week was the opportunity to sit in on a morning at Champ Fleuri, a bible college in the mountains near Grenoble, run by Torch Bearers Ministry. And of course, I won't soon forget Jay's beer batter party where innocent edible 'victims' from the grocery store got dropped into batter and then into scorching oil: pure american goodness, I suppose. :) Certainly this week was my last minute trip to Geneva to visit my Aunt's friend who works at the UN. In so many ways, I feel like God opened up time in my week to go just so that He could bless my socks off. It was seriously brinking on ridiculous, how much Kim and her FRENCH husband and her ADORABLE 7-year old Max treated me like royalty and like family. I saw so much in a short 24 hours. And then on Friday, I will always vividly remember sitting in a small conference room taking my final with three other students who had to take it early (well, it's not that part that I really want to tuck way....). I was writing four pages on a topic concerning french society, and looked out the window to see Grenoble's FIRST SNOW. How beautiful, peaceful, and calming it was! It surprises me still how much snow transforms and refreshes. It was the picture-perfect ending to a semester lived in the French Alps, for sure!
And today, my last day. A day where I did a lot of things like I always do, but with an extra ounce of gratitude, knowing it would be my last. I returned to the bookstore I went in the first day I was here. I bought a sweet topographical hiking map of Grenoble and it's surrounding three mountain ranges from the Center of Mountains (a horrible translation to what I know as La Maison de la Montagne). I ate a 'Victor Huge Crepe,' nutella and banana, my favorite. I played cards for hours at our favorite cafe, Ligne Sezz. I bought chocolate. :) I wandered the Christmas Market. I celebrated a friend's birthday.
It hasn't really hit me that it's time to say au revoir to Grenoble, for now. I am beyond excited to return home-- in 48 hours I will be with my family for the first time in three and a half months. And yet, I think as I say goodbye to some very dear people here, and as I ride the train to Basel and stare at the jagged snowy peaks that fill the entire window.....well, its just really hard to leave a place that has become home.
Grateful.
There's really no other way to describe how I am feeling.
The synthesis of all I've learned, all I've seen, who I've met, what I've done..... all that can come with time. There's still much more I want to express about this semester, about Grenoble (so don't worry, the blog posts are not finished yet!).
But for tonight, it's a simple song that I'm singing.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sais-tu comment faire du surf des neiges? (Do you know how to snowboard?)
What a day.
I feel like I can finally call myself a Grenobloise; I've carried around a baguette from the bakery in my backpack, I've been up to the Bastille multiple times, I've hiked the back country, I've studied amongst the 60,000 other students in Grenoble, and now... I've participated in that last element that makes up so much of their lives here.
Today, I learned how to snowboard in the French Alps.
Said that way, I feel like I should be some hot-shot snowboarder, but do NOT get that part wrong. When I say I learned, I mean I started off sliding on my butt down the first hill (we went straight to blue and decided to hit it hard, no lessons really....what better way to pick it up? ha). When I say I learned, I mean I could have entertained a bunch of giggling eight-year-old boys with all my wipe-outs. But when I say I learned, I learned! I was encouraged with my progress in one day, and felt like I made some nice switches on my last two runs. But really, I have no one to impress. I will be completely honest about how much I still have to learn.....
Starting with revealing my most frustrating, but favorite, moment of the day. On the last run down, I was starting to get the hang of it. My confidence had been at ground zero most of the day (because it was my first time, and because that's where I could stand on two feet without falling down :), but at last I was smiling as I started to feel comfortable on the board. ENTER: you as a spectator, near the frosty white alpine trees, bundled up because the temperature is dropping by the second. Watch as Natalie makes a really nice turn and then, riding the slope like she had done most of the day without problems, BITES IT hard. We're talking legitimate face plant, people. On the last run of the day! What? But I had survived so long without doing that!
You, as a spectator, laugh (it's ok, Elisabeth did). I laughed a lot too, after I brought myself to my knees and my head stopped spinning and I verified that I had not broken my nose. Tenacity was mine today, so I got back up and began again. Not but ten seconds later, I plopped into the snow on a dumb mistake, my board unfortunately catching some new-fallen snow. Ah, but this was not just any new-fallen snow, which I realized as more pelted me in the face, never-ceasing. These were crystallized gifts from the snow-maker, which I had landed directly in front of. Want to know the absolute worst place to make a dumb mistake?
Alright, so my last run didn't end so hot. I will admit that. But it was only day #1, and I'm still ready to hit the slopes next weekend (too bad I'll be on a train headed to Basel for my return flight)! I'm so thankful I got to go today; really, snowboarding was one thing that I personally insisted I HAD to do in my
lifetime, and what better place to do it than 30km from where you
live? While living in Grenoble, it seemed ridiculous if I didn't go.
And the place we went to was incredible: Chamrousse boasted 46 slopes (not all were open yet, don't hyperventilate). The place was massive, and the ski lift taking at least ten minutes. And fun fact! (stolen shamelessly from the internet so as to be exact): Chamrousse hosted the six alpine skiiing events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, where Jean-Claude Killy from France swept all three gold medals in the men's events!
The weather today, unfortunately, did not perform as hoped. It started off beautiful, right when we shoved off the chairlift at the top.... the pictures up there turned out incredibly. But by lunch time, visibility was horrible (literally 10 feet, tops), which made for some scary moments and definitely a slower time down the hill for precaution's sake. In the afternoon, it snowed! It was beautiful, and gave us some new snow to work with, but also changed the feel of the slope and made for a wet, cold end!
Enjoy the photos of my first day boarding.... I'm off to bed! I know my aching body is gonna thank me! :D
I feel like I can finally call myself a Grenobloise; I've carried around a baguette from the bakery in my backpack, I've been up to the Bastille multiple times, I've hiked the back country, I've studied amongst the 60,000 other students in Grenoble, and now... I've participated in that last element that makes up so much of their lives here.
Said that way, I feel like I should be some hot-shot snowboarder, but do NOT get that part wrong. When I say I learned, I mean I started off sliding on my butt down the first hill (we went straight to blue and decided to hit it hard, no lessons really....what better way to pick it up? ha). When I say I learned, I mean I could have entertained a bunch of giggling eight-year-old boys with all my wipe-outs. But when I say I learned, I learned! I was encouraged with my progress in one day, and felt like I made some nice switches on my last two runs. But really, I have no one to impress. I will be completely honest about how much I still have to learn.....
Starting with revealing my most frustrating, but favorite, moment of the day. On the last run down, I was starting to get the hang of it. My confidence had been at ground zero most of the day (because it was my first time, and because that's where I could stand on two feet without falling down :), but at last I was smiling as I started to feel comfortable on the board. ENTER: you as a spectator, near the frosty white alpine trees, bundled up because the temperature is dropping by the second. Watch as Natalie makes a really nice turn and then, riding the slope like she had done most of the day without problems, BITES IT hard. We're talking legitimate face plant, people. On the last run of the day! What? But I had survived so long without doing that!
And the place we went to was incredible: Chamrousse boasted 46 slopes (not all were open yet, don't hyperventilate). The place was massive, and the ski lift taking at least ten minutes. And fun fact! (stolen shamelessly from the internet so as to be exact): Chamrousse hosted the six alpine skiiing events at the 1968 Winter Olympics, where Jean-Claude Killy from France swept all three gold medals in the men's events!
The weather today, unfortunately, did not perform as hoped. It started off beautiful, right when we shoved off the chairlift at the top.... the pictures up there turned out incredibly. But by lunch time, visibility was horrible (literally 10 feet, tops), which made for some scary moments and definitely a slower time down the hill for precaution's sake. In the afternoon, it snowed! It was beautiful, and gave us some new snow to work with, but also changed the feel of the slope and made for a wet, cold end!
Enjoy the photos of my first day boarding.... I'm off to bed! I know my aching body is gonna thank me! :D
seeing the peaks above the clouds was ridiculously beautiful!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Une promenade, les cartes, et un écureuil amusant.... (a walk, cards, and a funny squirrel...)
Class was canceled tomorrow; our teacher is sick. With no class today, that means a four day weekend and a bunch of free time on my hands with which to soak up Grenoble before it's gone!! Thanks Lord!
The last few days have been quite wonderful and very relaxing, including memories like: an (american!) breakfast and a new card game (canasta!) with friends.... hot chocolate and disney movie discussions in my room....a trip to the natural history museum (and the viewing of many beautiful rocks, that hilarious squirrel, and one too many creepy bugs.... I still get shivers)....a sausage and caramelized onion sandwich at the Christmas market.....more cards and chess at a table in the loft area of Cafe Ligne Seize (the cafe we now frequent regularly)....
My favorite memory of today was the hike Elisabeth and I took to explore our 'backyard,' as I know it.... the massive natural park of the Chartreuse Mountains and the ancient Bastille fortress. We spent 3 1/2 hours enjoying what turned out to be one of the most mild, sunny, and pleasant days of this season. We ventured into abandoned artillery sheds and military caves. We pursued the less-traveled pathways that lead to drop-off cliffs with jaw-dropping, gorgeous views. My spirit was that of a little kid, and I absolutely had a ball going wherever my curiosity took me.
Studying for my two written final exams is scheduled for tomorrow, to be done at a cafe, of course. ; ) I'm planning on venturing out of Grenoble and up the snowy mountains on Saturday to try my hand for the first time at snowboarding! I am very excited, and even if I spend most of the day on my backside, at least the view will be stunning, seriously. All the same, pray I come back in one piece.
Grenoble is surely going to be missed!
My favorite memory of today was the hike Elisabeth and I took to explore our 'backyard,' as I know it.... the massive natural park of the Chartreuse Mountains and the ancient Bastille fortress. We spent 3 1/2 hours enjoying what turned out to be one of the most mild, sunny, and pleasant days of this season. We ventured into abandoned artillery sheds and military caves. We pursued the less-traveled pathways that lead to drop-off cliffs with jaw-dropping, gorgeous views. My spirit was that of a little kid, and I absolutely had a ball going wherever my curiosity took me.
Grenoble is surely going to be missed!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Allez, Grenoble, ALLEZ!
Nous avons gagné!!!
I'm still on a high from the fabulous ice hockey win chez Grenoble! Tonight I profited again from the enourmous enthusiasm les Grenoblois (the people of Grenoble) have for their winter sports.... it was, in fact, my first professional ice hockey game, but after how much fun I had, it will certainly not be my last!
Talk about an EXPERIENCE. I was singing and shouting the whole game. Elisabeth, myself, and our friend Hamid (from Rabot) purchased tickets right before the game, and decided on some seats near ice level. The man had mentioned that we could choose others because these seats were "quite loud," but we were naive, I guess, and weren't quite sure what he meant anyway.
Well, we figured it out straight away when we located our seats and found a big bass drum sitting there instead. Truth be told, we had chosen seats in the "rah rah"/devoted fan/pep band section, so after being informed (by a young decked-out fan) that we could chose any seat in the section, we took our places. The red color of the seats wrapping around the cozy arena was quickly dissolving into navy blue as the fans poured in.
Tonight I felt proud to be in Grenoble, proud to be a part of Grenoble, proud to be a Grenobloise. I leave you with the chant below......it was one of my favorites and it is still stuck in my head. It supplemented, of course, the standard "Allez, Genoble, allez!" (which literally means, "let's go Grenoble!"). There. Now you even know a little french. ; )
GREAT WIN GRENOBLE!
(to the tune of "She'll be coming around the mountain")
Si tu bien es Grenoblois frappe tes mains
Si tu bien es Grenoblois frappe tes mains
Si tu bien es Grenoblois, si tu bien es Grenoblois,
Si tu bien es Grenoblois frappe tes mains
(If you really are a Grenoblois clap your hands)
Si tu frapperas tes mains Grenoble gagnera
Si tu frapperas tes mains Grenoble gagnera
Si tu frapperas tes mains, si tu frapperas tes mains
Si tu frapperas tes mains Grenoble gagnera
(If you clap your hands Grenoble will win)
P.S. Exciting sidenote: in perusing the Grenoble ice hockey team's website, I found a story on the Chicago Blackhawks .... why? Because Christobal Huet, their goalie, was trained in Grenoble and is from Grenoble! WAY COOL!! Everyone should now go to a Blackhawks game.
Monday, December 7, 2009
En priant... (in prayer....)
The countdown has begun. And here's how I'm taking it: I currently have 13 days left in Grenoble to LIVE fully. To stand in hushed silence at these mountains. To capture the exact smell of Place Notre Dame bakery so as to always remember it's goodness. To speak and listen to french as often as I possibly can. To love my friends here in a way that evidences how greatly the King loves and has consistently loved them. To worship the Wonderful Counselor, the Everlasting Father, the Almighty God, and the Prince of Peace, for such a time as this one.
I've had some time to think this morning, to pray, to be in the Word and to gather my constantly stratified thoughts. My emotions are all over the place as I prepare to leave (or as I prepare to come, depending on how you look at it). I am sad to leave but not I'm not leaving sadly; I miss my family and I miss my friends just as much as when I left, and I am anxious to be reunited with them.
I covet your prayers in these last two weeks, I really do. I feel humbled to know that I have a family (immediate and otherwise) back home who wants me to soak up life here just as much as I do. And as you encourage me in the best way possible-- as you pray-- I ask one thing:
Pray I'd be centered in the Word and in worship. honestly, that is what will make these two last weeks full, joyful, and totally guided by the spirit. that is all I need.
I've had some time to think this morning, to pray, to be in the Word and to gather my constantly stratified thoughts. My emotions are all over the place as I prepare to leave (or as I prepare to come, depending on how you look at it). I am sad to leave but not I'm not leaving sadly; I miss my family and I miss my friends just as much as when I left, and I am anxious to be reunited with them.
I covet your prayers in these last two weeks, I really do. I feel humbled to know that I have a family (immediate and otherwise) back home who wants me to soak up life here just as much as I do. And as you encourage me in the best way possible-- as you pray-- I ask one thing:
Pray I'd be centered in the Word and in worship. honestly, that is what will make these two last weeks full, joyful, and totally guided by the spirit. that is all I need.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Le progrès... (Progress..)
Just thought I'd provide a quick flash into Natalie's linguistic adventure this semester ....it's amazing how much I've come to love the french language. It's so beautiful, so rich, so complicated. Haha-- I'm glad I'm studying it. The past few days have been really encouraging to me, a reality especially appreciated as I finish the semester and begin to evaluate just where I was and to where I've progressed! Here are some specific instances:
We finished our grammar class yesterday, which was unfortunate because it was my favorite class with my favorite teacher, Kristof..... but it ended well and a short test that I took on Tuesday was returned to me with great marks! I really felt like I nailed the work that was asked of me, and will walk away with an amazingly solid understanding of french grammar! I got to the level I had hoped (the level that I hoped to attain, that is, after arriving, realizing the limited time I had, and revising my goals so as not to set myself against unrealistic "fluency" attempts).
It's also clear to sense the progression I've made when I think about how volleyball practice plays out now (hm pun intended? :) The first couple weeks I had nothing to say to these girls, let alone a knowledge of the words for "bump," "set," or "spike." Now I come to practice and pick up casual conversations with the girls all the time..... I communicate on the floor in french like second nature..... and I'm acquiring more encouraging phrases to say to my teammates each week. : ) It's great to have french come out of your mouth when you haven't thought ahead of what you were going to say!
Yesterday, the Christmas market opened in downtown Grenoble. Oh man, it didn't disappoint. I WILL be frequenting that place every day that I can-- it's set up perfectly with wooden huts, lights galore, and trees decked! I will be writing about it more, surely. : ) I loved wandering around, enjoying the ambiance, the free samples, and the conversation. As I browsed with my friends yesterday, I sensed an environment that fostered free conversation with a lot of the booth owners, so I'd ask them questions about how they made their products, which type of bread they baked was their favorite... n'importe quoi (whatever!). All this seemed to render an almost tangible, visible essence to my confidence level. I felt richer in it--confidence--and it's a treasure for which I have fought and in which I am still progressing. Whereas at the beginning of the semester I would have had a pit in my stomach if I had to go up to talk to someone, playing millions of times a phrase in my head before stumbling over it out loud, now-- though vocabulary is still limited and my accent can always use work, now I can have 'natural' conversations! I am thankful.
Don't get the wrong impression-- you're catching me on a positive day. There are many days, preceding or following encouraging times like this one, during which I am discouraged. And I am nowhere near talking like a native. That would take many more months and much more true 'immersion' (aka I would need to avoid all other Americans). Yet the few little instances this past week have really allowed me to step back and grasp a bit of the language skill that has been amassing over 10 weeks!
By the way-- I have included some photos from the end of semester party that our class had-- Kristof is the french-looking man in the white t-shirt. He is definitely a free spirit, taking his job as a pleasure and himself not too seriously. Sometime soon I will sit down and explain more of what I HAVE been studying this semester.... because it dawned on my recently that, for all you know, I have spent this past semester in France hiking and eating baguettes. Absolutely nothing is written about my classes! C'est dommage, ça (that's too bad). That will change very soon (so as to preserve my reputation as a student : )
We finished our grammar class yesterday, which was unfortunate because it was my favorite class with my favorite teacher, Kristof..... but it ended well and a short test that I took on Tuesday was returned to me with great marks! I really felt like I nailed the work that was asked of me, and will walk away with an amazingly solid understanding of french grammar! I got to the level I had hoped (the level that I hoped to attain, that is, after arriving, realizing the limited time I had, and revising my goals so as not to set myself against unrealistic "fluency" attempts).
It's also clear to sense the progression I've made when I think about how volleyball practice plays out now (hm pun intended? :) The first couple weeks I had nothing to say to these girls, let alone a knowledge of the words for "bump," "set," or "spike." Now I come to practice and pick up casual conversations with the girls all the time..... I communicate on the floor in french like second nature..... and I'm acquiring more encouraging phrases to say to my teammates each week. : ) It's great to have french come out of your mouth when you haven't thought ahead of what you were going to say!
Yesterday, the Christmas market opened in downtown Grenoble. Oh man, it didn't disappoint. I WILL be frequenting that place every day that I can-- it's set up perfectly with wooden huts, lights galore, and trees decked! I will be writing about it more, surely. : ) I loved wandering around, enjoying the ambiance, the free samples, and the conversation. As I browsed with my friends yesterday, I sensed an environment that fostered free conversation with a lot of the booth owners, so I'd ask them questions about how they made their products, which type of bread they baked was their favorite... n'importe quoi (whatever!). All this seemed to render an almost tangible, visible essence to my confidence level. I felt richer in it--confidence--and it's a treasure for which I have fought and in which I am still progressing. Whereas at the beginning of the semester I would have had a pit in my stomach if I had to go up to talk to someone, playing millions of times a phrase in my head before stumbling over it out loud, now-- though vocabulary is still limited and my accent can always use work, now I can have 'natural' conversations! I am thankful.
Don't get the wrong impression-- you're catching me on a positive day. There are many days, preceding or following encouraging times like this one, during which I am discouraged. And I am nowhere near talking like a native. That would take many more months and much more true 'immersion' (aka I would need to avoid all other Americans). Yet the few little instances this past week have really allowed me to step back and grasp a bit of the language skill that has been amassing over 10 weeks!
By the way-- I have included some photos from the end of semester party that our class had-- Kristof is the french-looking man in the white t-shirt. He is definitely a free spirit, taking his job as a pleasure and himself not too seriously. Sometime soon I will sit down and explain more of what I HAVE been studying this semester.... because it dawned on my recently that, for all you know, I have spent this past semester in France hiking and eating baguettes. Absolutely nothing is written about my classes! C'est dommage, ça (that's too bad). That will change very soon (so as to preserve my reputation as a student : )
most of the class hanging out in our classroom..... this was our favorite room, check out the tech-no-lo-gy!! that's a smart board, it was way cool!
junko thought it would be fun to take a picture of me taking a picture
haha there's Junko again, from Japan, with a muffin in her mouth.... and Liliana from Colombia and Mariana from Mexico!
we're all bunched up outside the class but there we all are! I have all my classes with this same group.
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