Amusement avec des amis en France or Fun with Friends in France
YS called this morning. He was walking through Saverne, en route to meeting fellow students for an afternoon excursion and some studying. He spoke a bit in French to me. He said he is really enjoying French now; that hearing it all the time, and in context, makes it so much easier to understand than it was in class at school. He finds himself translating less and less, and actually thinking in French, which as anyone who has studied a foreign language knows, is the first step to fluency. He still struggles with comprehension with people who talk too fast, but overall, it's getting much better. Turns out, his host family has a 23 year-old daughter. She was visiting yesterday, and he had a hard time understanding her because she spoke so fast. Once she realized what she was doing, she slowed down so they could converse. I didn't get to ask him about her, as he was talking to his dad when he was relating this story, so I don't know if she lives nearby, is just away at school, or what.
He had a great time with his host "brother" the other night when they went out for a beer with his brother's friends. He shared his experience with his classmates the next day. Apparently, they all thought it sounded so fun, that most of them wanted to join him and his brother the next time they went out. He said it created a bit of a problem in that he had to pick and choose who he would invite and who he wouldn't. Apparently, the bar is small, and it would be weird to have 8 or 10 kids suddenly join him, his brother, and his brother's friends. They wanted to watch the France vs. Argentina football (soccer to us) game at the bar, but the bar has no TV, so that's out. I'm sure they'll have a great time, regardless.
Too bad he can't stay with the family for the entire semester. They will be staying in a hostel in Strasbourg after two weeks with the family. It looks like a nice hostel, but what a different environment it will be. Then on to Paris, where they will stay in a pretty nice hotel for about 4 weeks. The hotel in Caen is small, kind of like a Travelodge type motel, but just a short walk to the WWII memorials and beaches. Then back to Paris and a hostel, which means pretty limited amenities. In Nice, they are staying in an inexpensive hotel for two weeks. It's a pretty cheesy looking hotel. It's located well, not far from the beach, but the reviews on TripAdvisor say it's small, noisy, the staff is rude, and it's not all that clean. It will be interesting to hear his impressions.
And then, of course, there is his trip to Italy, with all that portends. Rome is notoriously dirty, and filled with thieves, pickpockets, etc. I do worry that these kids are so naive and innocent that they really aren't prepared for what they will encounter, and may not take the appropriate precautions. These are small-town kids from communities where locking your house or car is often unnecessary. I hope they're careful. From what I read, Rome, my beloved ancestral home, is a pit of vipers. Same for Florence and Milan. That's sad. I will probably worry non-stop while he's in Italy.
