French in France Program (Summer 2014)

I am so late on this post, so do forgive me. But it was such a good time, I find it worthy of a post. As many of you know, I am currently working on my Masters degree right now with USM. I have managed to take an online class since being in BF, but it takes a long time to get a degree when you can only take one class at a time. This was the first time I had met anyone from USM, a school I've been virtually attending for over 2 years. I enjoyed getting to know all of the students in our group!

USM French in France Group

During the last week of May and first week in June, I got to attend the French cultural study program with my school. I feel like I learned a lot of French and perfected a lot of problems I've acquired since being in BF. I had the privilege of living with the best host family in all of France. I had a host mother (Isabelle) and brother (Antoine, age 17). If you have followed my blog for a long time, you know that I did not have the best experience with my host family when I studied with MC in Tours, France. This was the exact opposite. We would have typical 4 hour French dinners where we would have lengthy talks about current events, food, politics, and holidays. Isabelle has hosted students for 18 years, and she is very good at it. She was so hospitable and encouraged my French ability.

Jardin Andre Citroen --- This was a park near our home. I loved the modern architecture that surrounded the green space. It was a really different side of Paris than I had experienced. I enjoyed finding new places, and this was one of my favorites.

Another big plus to my time in Paris was my roommate Pamela. Ah, she is the best. The only other grad student in the program, we always had a great time going on adventures. We would go to museums, get pastries, sit in parks, and find local boulangeries for lunch. She really pushed to always speak French with me, which I greatly appreciated and was a huge benefit in my language development. She has the patience of a saint and will be a wonderful French teacher one day. She is a remarkable woman and I learned a lot from her in two short weeks. 

My roommate Pamela

I attended France Langue in Victor Hugo area in Paris. The school did not offer a class at my level (B2), so I decided to go to B1 instead of C1. I felt like I actually participated in a French class for the first time. I also did a lot of independent study by reading books and watching movies in French. I got the best grade I've ever gotten from a French course. Guess that means I'm finally motivated!

These two beauties were with USM and were in my class for the two weeks. I loved getting to know them and getting our ice cream treats. 

A few new places I went during the two weeks were the Musee Marmottan-Monet, a concert by the MSU singers in the Madeleine Church, St. Sulpice, and experience a Bateaux Mouches boar ride.

I got to take a tour boat ride on the Seine as part of a field trip. What a great field trip!  It was a neat way to see the city. 

Kathryn and Jason, two of my new friends from USM. Loved getting to hang out with you two!

 Since I only attended half the program (2 weeks of class = 3 hours of grad credit...I consider that a pretty good deal), I had one free weekend to explore. My friend Kathryn was equally as adventurous as I am, and we planned an overnight trip to Lille, France. We planned Wednesday night and left Friday after school. That's fast planning in my book!

We found a magical cafe in Lille called the Honey Pot. They had delicious coffee and these Nutella muffins. 

A book bazaar in an old college forum building.

Just a typical Saturday morning in Lille! They had huge pieces of canvas taped down through the Old Town Square. People set out paint and wrote or drew whatever they wanted. It was really neat!

Kathryn and I had a great time in Lille. It is a modern city with a lot of old touches.  We stayed at an ibis near the main square. We ate great food (check out La Chicoree), went to the park (which had a great free zoo), and did some shopping. Kathryn is a fashion expert, so she made a great shopping buddy. Lille is close to Belgium, so there was a lot of Belgian character. We had some amazing frites and the architecture was like something you'd see in Brussels. I would also like to quickly brag on us and say that we packed for the trip in our purses, complete with our schoolbooks. That's impressive!

Lille was quite an eccentric place! This was a highlight for me. These older ladies did local dancing, complete with hoops and bells on their shoes.

School field trip to Versailles. 

Walking home from school one day, I stumbled upon a parade on the Champs Elysees. And then here comes the QUEEN of ENGLAND! Wow! And the French president Hollande in tow. It was quite a surprise!

This is the Hollande's motorcade.

Statue of Liberty in Paris!

I know this post is coming about 3 months late, but I really had a great time! I definitely learned about French culture and got to experience a more French side of Paris than before. I spoke so much French that I was dreaming in it by the end of my stay!