So I moved in with my host family on Tuesday night, where I was greeted with sweet white wine and a hot, homemade pear tart. My family is a mom and dad, plus their two sons, ages 11 and 16. Individual houses don't really exist in the cities in France, it's more like apartments all right up against each other. Turns out, in the richer areas, "apartments" are their own little houses--my family occupies all three floors of our immeuble. It's a lovely house, despite some quirks such as: I found the French never leave any shoes by the door; you have to take them all up to their respective owner's rooms. They don't have a shower; instead they have a bathtub with a detachable shower head. My best guess is that you're supposed to sit the whole time and just sort of rince yourself off. However, there's no shower curtain, so I usually spend longer cleaning up my flooding than bathing. Also, you can't put your feet on the couches. You pretty much just have to sit straight up like you're having tea.
Despite that stuff, I'm absolutely loving living with a real French family and having a real house to go home to. The food is so different--we don't eat until 8 or 8:30, and there is usually three or four courses. Despite the number of courses, though, I've never left the dinner table even remotely close to stuffed, because portion size for each course is probably still less than a quarter of the meals I'm used to.
I have school in the morning, and there's not much nightlife in Tours, so I'm saving my money and energy to go out in Paris in two weeks :) For now I've been spending my nights watching French t.v. or listening to French music with my host brothers. Last night, the 16 year old tried to teach me some popular techno dance, but it was totally hopeless. Our house is right in Tours, just a 15 minute walk to school, and right by a beautiful park, so I really scored with housing. I have a housing interview with administration this week to make sure my family fit in Paris is just as great!
Later this week I'll post some chateaux pics, and then it will be off to Paris! I'm dying to talk to so many of you, but without wireless, it's more or less impossible. You can still call me on my cell from Skype, but it's 20 cents a minute. Email if you need my number.
A la prochaine!
3 comments:
Awesome! We all love reading your blog and are living vicariously through you (as we sit at our work desks). The accounts of all your adventures have been so fun to read. We are thrilled you are happy, safe and having the time of your life! We can't wait to read more. Love, Ryan
P.S. That post is from me (your cousin Ryan).
i don't know what ryan this is but this is the other cousin ryan and this post isn't from me.
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