Yearly Archives: 2016

Chasing China Week 1

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When someone asks me what I’m studying at Notre Dame, I respond by saying, “Finance, Spanish, and Chinese” as I watch their expression shift from mildly interested to very confused. After asking me to repeat myself at least once, they almost always respond with, “Chinese?! Really?! Isn’t it hard?! Have you ever been to China?!” I smile politely and answer their questions with “Yes, yes, it is, and no but I would love to go someday!” Little did I know that, when the time finally came for me to take the 13.5 hour flight over the ocean and finally get to experience authentic Chinese culture, being in China would be one of the hardest and one of the most exciting things I’ve ever experienced.

Generally speaking, Chinese class in China is about the same as in America. We have homework, oral reports, essays, tests, daily quizzes, and wonderful teachers. However, every single day we have four hours of class followed by forty minutes of one on one conversation with a teacher. Learning Chinese makes one ridiculously tired, whether its from painstakingly trying to learn 250 new words a week that all sound and look about the same or from struggling to understand difficult grammar concepts that only exist in Chinese but not English. Because I signed a language pledge that I would only speak Chinese for eight weeks, I’ve been trying my hardest to learn as much of the language as quickly as I can in order to communicate as clearly as possible. Furthermore, speaking English in China practically has no use because it is seldom to come across anyone who can understand English.

Although becoming fluent in Chinese often feels like an impossible task, little breakthroughs and simple triumphs throughout my time here have pushed me to keep going. When I successfully obtained a card from the lady at the subway desk and navigated my way from my home at Peking University 2 lines and 17 subway stops away to a restaurant for dinner where I was able to successfully order food in Chinese, it felt like I could actually become accustomed to living in China. 8 weeks in a foreign country with foreign customs and a foreign language? I can do that! …can’t I?!

My first weekend in Beijing was spent getting situated in my dorm, learning about the program during orientation, and meeting my Chinese language partner, a Chinese Peking University student named Lily who has already taught me a few popular slang phrases in Chinese. On Sunday, June 19th, I also got to celebrate my birthday! The Notre Dame coordinator and Chinese teacher, Ye Laoshi, truly cares about the well-being of his students, and he bought two cakes to help me celebrate turning 20 in Beijing! Ye Laoshi calls himself our yeye- ye in Chinese can also mean grandfather, and Ye Laoshi’s caring nature has definitely turned him into our Chinese grandfather, even though he’s a young teacher. It was definitely a unique birthday, especially considering the two cakes were made of vegetables, as Chinese people traditionally do not enjoy sweet treats.

The second weekend in Beijing, Notre Dame took us on a trip to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China. After taking an almost two hour bus ride out of the city of Beijing on Saturday morning at 8 AM, we finally arrived at the entrance to the wall. In order to reach the wall, we climbed about 80 flights of stairs up to the sixth guard post of the wall. We quickly realized that the Chinese version of hiking was really climbing stairs instead of walking up inclines. It was one of the most physically tiring things I’ve ever done, especially considering it was over 100 degrees outside in the sun. Once we reached the wall, we were rewarded with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains and greenery. We “hiked” from the 6th guard post up to the top of the 12th guard post, taking in the breathtaking scenery and coming across a few Notre Dame alums along the way, just proving how ridiculously widespread the Notre Dame network truly is. After finally getting to the top of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, we hiked back down to the 4th guard post where we were able to take a slide down the side of the mountain. It was one of the more dangerous and most fun things I’ve ever done. I was so fortunate to visit one of the wonders of the world, and I’m so thankful for such a great opportunity! On the way back from the Great Wall, we stopped at an art gallery opening and were able to meet the owners and artists. It was so interesting to discuss the art work with its creators in Chinese, and it was cool to see how even though people may come from different cultures, they all experience the same feelings of hope, sadness, and confusion that can be expressed through their art.

On Sunday, we were on our own to explore the city as we pleased. We decided to take the subway to the Hongqiao Pearl Market, one of the largest counterfeit markets in the city. All though none of the items in the 7 floor building were real, they were all so realistic looking some tourists were getting fooled into paying prices one would pay for the real thing! It was so fun to barter with the shopkeepers, and negotiating a good price is definitely an acquired skill that takes a bit of practice. The different shopkeepers have bartering with foreigners down to a science, using flattering English phrases and huge calculators to negotiate fair prices. Being American and being able to speak Chinese was definitely a huge advantage, as most of the shopkeepers immediately took a liking to us and wanted to know how and why we had undertaken the challenge of learning one of the most difficult languages. After getting ripped off a few times and finally figuring out the best way to get the lowest price possible, I walked out of the market with basketball jerseys for my brother, two purses for myself,  two touristy shirts with funny sayings, and a traditional Chinese shirt. It was overall a very fun and light-hearted day. However, I couldn’t relax for too long as I had to go to office hours to prepare a 700 word essay and study for my quiz the next day!

Even though I’m in third year Chinese and am learning how to engage in discussions about complicated topics such as the no-longer-existent One-Child policy and the governmental restrictions on NGO’s, I am definitely realizing how long and winding the road is to even come close to speaking fluent Chinese. For right now, I’m just trying to keep up with the hustle and bustle of everything going on around me as I struggle to put together bits and pieces of what I’ve learned in class and apply them to the situations that I engage in around me. For right now, I’m still chasing China.

 

A Thing Called Life in Japan- 4

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During the past week, I found that I was able to use my language acquisition thus far in an important way: really beginning to investigate the cultural nuances of Japan. That is not to say that I suddenly shot up in fluency during the past week, nor that I have only just begun to really question and investigate the unique elements of Japanese life. However, I certainly felt an intersection of language learning and cultural exchange, an intersection that I was incredibly happy to have encountered.
As part of the summer language program I am participating in, students choose a topic unique to Japan to research and compose a speech for. I chose Shintoism. For those not in the know, Shintoism is what might be called a natively Japanese religion, though depending on who you ask, “religion” may not fully encapsulate what Shinto means for Japan. But at a fundamental level, Shinto focuses on the various gods of Japanese tradition, called 神 (かみ) (kami), which are numerous and may be found everywhere, inhabiting anything. The Shinto place of worship is called a 神社 (じんじゃ) (jinja), which are typically a collection of structures with an open, central space, accompanied by plenty of nature. Jinja are generally dedicated to a single kami.

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Many festivals in Japan call for visitation of jinja, or of Buddhist o-tera (a temple). In addition, many rituals are often conducted at jinja, such as the blessing of newborn infants for healthy life. Various kinds of symbolry can be bought at jinja, such as omamori (charms for health, or for studying, or for marriage, and so on), and goshuinchoo (a book in which jinja priests can write the sign of their jinja, sort of like a pilgrim’s passport, to be taken to and signed at various shrines until the book is filled).

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The place of Shinto in modern Japan is a question that I wanted to search out, and thanks to my hostmother, after a few connections were followed, I was given the opportunity to meet with the priest of a jinja in Kanazawa. The priest is a very interesting and engaging man with a passion for people. And after meeting him, and not only learning about Shinto but about his own life, I think I have come to understand Shinto a little bit more (though I have he feeling that, as with most beliefs, there is ever more to contemplate). What I mean by this vaguery is that for the priest I met with, Shinto is much more about how one lives than what one “believes,” per se. The very unique element of Shintoism is that other religions do not contradict Shintoism’s core beliefs. For example, Buddhism exists alongside, and in certain areas (such as death rituals) symbiotically collaborates wth, Shintoism. Many houses contain shrines dedicated to both Shinto kami and Buddhist hotoke (in Japan, Buddhas who are treated as gods, as I understand). But, Shinto can also just as easily accept Christ into its worldview.
As the priest noted, Shinto is very much about the lifestyle of an older Japan: showing appreciation for things as small as a grain of rice; the preciousness of nature and its power to affect human lives; the importance of recalling those who came before; and, of course, acknowledging how very human we all are in the scope of the world and beyond.

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The entire conversation really helped open my eyes to something running beneath Shinto, which is to say the currents of Japanese tradition that, though not obvious or even tangible, are present. The priest told me, even if a Japanese person does not practice Shintoism, they likely live out Shinto principles–because the kernel of Shinto is the kernel of Japan.
However, during our discussion I had to raise an important question: what about the young people? Youth, of course, being the free radical of any society. Do younger generations hold to Shintoism as do their elders? The reply was a predictable “not enitrely.” While there are always going to be people with an interest in faith, the priest definitely feels there is a declining interest. Part of this decline, he said, is that many newer generations are no longer receiving the traditional upbringings that youth once did; Shinto, sharing greatly in the traditions of Japan, necessarily suffers as a result. Shinto may align with the lifestyle and way of thought for Japan, but what happens when lifestyles and thought begin to shift?
This question of generational change is obviously of great interest in a country like Japan, one with years of very particular tradition but with very rapid modernization over the past two hundred years. Such change is especially interesting in language study. Vernacular is a great way to trace the shifts between generations, such as in slang usage. For example, when I brought up slang with my hostmom, she said that Japanese チョ (cho) is a common way to emphasize something; an English equivalent might be “totally,” or “way,” as in “totally cool” or “way tight” (I’m sorry for my suburban lingo). But, she said, one would never use cho with a superior, and in a country like Japan where entire grammar structures are dedicated to superior-inferior relationships, this is an important warning.
However, when talking with local university students, they had a different opinion. As one girl told me, やばい (yabai) is currently a trending word among younger Japanese. While yabai literally translates as “dangerous,” current usage follows such interpretations as “great” or “cool.” It is a versatile slang word. Importantly, when talking with a group of older Japanese parents at a neighborhood party, they collectively understood yabai stricty in its literal interpretation; the slang usages were new to them. And thus, but one sign of the generational gap, in no more than three syllables.

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Right, thank you for reading.
Joshua Kuiper
カイパーヨシュア

Week 1 in Amman

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Upon arrival in Amman, I had a very clear plan: buy my visa, find my bag, and look for my ride to my new home. The visa line took a while and the rules commonly accepted in other places do not apply (read: budging & bribing) but I found my bag immediately! The only problem I encountered was not finding the driver but that was quickly resolved when a friendly local woman took pity on me and offered her phone to help contact him. I rode from the airport to Sports City (مدينة الرياضة), a neighborhood in Amman, with two other Qasid students.

When I arrived at my apartment, I was it was so much better than what I had been expecting! It was in a nice location, walking distance from classes and easy to get a taxi. There are 7 of us girls living in my apartment, all attending Qasid, but the apartment is certainly large enough to accommodate all of us. We have a kitchen, laundry room, two living rooms and a small balcony.
The night I arrived, one of my roommates, Glo, and I walked to Mukhtar Mall (our closest supermarket) and I became somewhat familiar with the area. The next day was our Qasid Orientation. We took buses to the Landmark hotel and received some light refreshments, which was surprising because it is Ramadan (will explain later). We were welcomed, given information and our placement tests, then we went upstairs and enjoyed an amazing buffet dinner.

For those of you who do not know, we are in the middle of Ramadan (a month of fasting). This means that during the day, restaurants in Jordan are not open, shops close unexpectedly at weird times, and it is illegal to eat or drink in public. When the call to prayer is recited around 7:50, the city comes alive for the night. During Ramadan, the country comes alive at night. After the call to prayer at sundown, people break their fast at a meal called Iftar. Then people go to the streets to celebrate.

The next day, I went grocery shopping with some of my roommates. If I want to eat anytime when the sun is up, I have to make it myself. That night we went to Rainbow Street, a vibrant modern street with lots of cool restaurants, cafes, and a lot of nightlife. Anastasia, Sarah, Elle, and I found this adorable (and cheap!) cafe and sat down for kebabs, hummus, and tea.
Thursday, Qasid arranged an orientation trip to Ajloun Castle. This castle was built in the 12th century as protection from Crusaders. Beginning in the 13th century, it was used to help send messages by pigeon between Cairo and Damascus. While standing at the top of the castle, we could see the West Bank, Syria, and the Eastern Badia that leads to Iraq.

Friday and Saturday, my first weekend in Amman, I spent cooking, sleeping, and exploring Amman. Saturday night I received my schedule for classes beginning Sunday!

Entry 1

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When I took my first Irish Literature course Freshman Year, I had no idea as to how much it would affect my course of study and to the degree it would influence me as a person.  This past week, I have lived and learned in one of the most beautiful places I have been in my life – the small town of Gleann Cholm Cille in Co. Donegal.  When the bus I was on pulled into the town I could not believe the beauty that surrounded me (and therefore the lack of buildings I have grown accustomed to growing up in Southern California).  It was truly breath-taking.  I spent the first couple of days in town meeting locals, exploring some of the town and its spectacular views, and making myself familiar with my new home for the next couple weeks.

I was nervous to begin classes on Monday because I had been out of practice with speaking the Irish language since school had ended.  To my relief though, after the first day of being immersed in the language and working through some of the vocabulary I had forgotten, I was able to relax a little and truly enjoy learning Irish again.  It is incredible being surrounded by people all day who have such a great and particular interest in common and really are here to learn this beautiful language.  I could hardly believe it when I walked into the shops, restaurants, and even the Church and heard the Irish language being used outside of an academic environment.  I am so excited to continue learning Irish here and cannot wait to see what the next three weeks have in store.

Weeks 2-3 in Beijing

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My second and third weeks in China definitely had its ups and downs. These weeks seemed to go by considerably faster than the first week because I finally got into the swing of things and used to life in China. One minor problem I still have here is definitely getting adjusted to the food. I actually enjoy most of the food but my stomach is unfortunately just not used to the how different it is here than in America. Some of my favorite foods that you don’t see that often in the US are Chinese 饺子和包子, or dumplings and buns. Along with good Chinese food, we have surprisingly found some decent American restaurants in Beijing that I will surely go to again whenever I am missing home.

The recent weeks of classes proved to be more challenging to me than the first. As our vocabulary adds up, we still have to retain the previous material while learning the new lessons, and also our assigned essays have also consequently gotten longer. Although I think the classes are starting to get even more difficult, I have been seeing more success in my speaking and my use of grammar correctly. I can already tell during my daily individual class sessions that my Chinese is becoming more fluent and listening comprehension is becoming better by the day. I have also seen better success using my Chinese with actual Chinese natives whether it be at a restaurant where I ask a worker what they would recommend to me or with someone who I am just asking directions. The biggest part of mandarin I struggle with is the different tones that change the meaning of each word you say. There is 5 tones and if you use a wrong tone for a certain word it changes the meaning completely and this is what frustrates me a lot of the time.

Last Saturday we also made a trip to Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. I already knew a little about the square since this was my second time coming here and I did a project on Tiananmen fall semester of my freshman year but it was still definitely worth going to. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and it was interesting to relearn about all the buildings that surround the massive square and everything the forbidden city was used for during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The only downfall of the day was how hot it was and how many people were there. It was sometimes hard to see everything you wanted to because you had to push through packs of people in order to do so. After we go to the end of the Forbidden City, we also climbed this hill where you can overlook the city and see all the buildings which was quite a sight to see.

This coming week we have our midterm on Thursday but luckily we actually have some extra time off since we will be half way done with the program. We will be going to the city of Xi’an which is famous for its terracotta warriors. I am looking forward to this break and seeing a new city and I will update my blog while I am there or shortly after I return.

Radolfzell: Week Eight

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This week we learned grammar that was completely new to me. We had reached a point where are our teacher told us it may be helpful to stop translating the grammar to make sense in our native languages and just learn it as German, because we all struggled to understand how to correctly use the grammar we were learning. I understood the concept but kept making mistakes in using the actual grammar in sentences. By the end of the week, I managed to get a better grasp of how to use it and made less mistakes which made me happy.

Since it was my last week in Germany, I ended up trying to eat more traditional German food. Because I had not stayed with a host family, I ended up cooking or buying meals from the most convenient places, most of which were not German. I ate a lot of meat; most of the German food I tried was some kind of meat between bread, such as sausages or schnitzel. Schnitzel was interesting, mostly because it reminded me of a hamburger. It is a slice of meat that has been fried and can be eaten with noodles or with bread. Although I asked, no one really provided a clear enough answer on the historical importance of the food. Regardless, it tasted good and I enjoyed the new foods I tried.

This was my last week in Germany. While I have greatly improved my German, I hope to return one day and become even better. I appreciate this opportunity and all it has given me, whether it be friends from new places or a better understanding of a foreign language. I think most of all, I realized I want to keep learning new material and improving.

Second Week in China

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After smoothly transitioning into the daily life and routine at Peking University, the second week of our summer in Beijing was even better than the first. Each day consisted of class, one-on-one tutoring sessions, office hours, and individual study, yet we still found time to explore local malls, restaurants, and attractions. It was during the second week that a friend and I first met with a Peking University Law School student named Roger—one of the language partners assigned to our group for the summer. Not only is Roger incredibly funny, kind, and down to earth, but he is also one of the smartest and most interesting people I have met. Majoring in history and currently studying law, Roger’s hobbies include reading, drawing, philosophy, physics, and history, and he shared much of his insights, opinions, and thoughts on different aspects of Chinese culture and government. Though Roger has never been to the United States, his English is nearly perfect, and this was very helpful as he tried to teach us different Chinese sayings and common phrases. Roger offered his advice and further help on our study of Chinese, and we plan to meet with him again in future weeks.

The highlight of our second week in Beijing came on Saturday, as our group departed on our day trip to the Forbidden City. The Forbidden City is the center of Beijing, and as believed in ancient times, the “center of the cosmos.” The beautiful buildings of this small inner city were home to many of China’s emperors, and the entrance of its outer gate displays a prominent picture of Mao. Our tour guide led us through the many sections of this ancient “city,” in which we were able to view the living areas and even the throne of China’s emperors. After finishing our tour, we hiked to the top of a man-made hill overlooking the city, and were able to view the Forbidden City from above. The city and its many golden-roofed buildings is incredible to see. 

After finishing our tour of the Forbidden City, we walked as a group through one of the city’s Hutongs (traditional Chinese neighborhoods), with the purpose of spending the afternoon at Haihong, a shopping and eating area encircling one of Beijing’s beautiful lakes. The area had a number of shops selling items like traditional Chinese tea, clothing, local foods, and other souvenirs, and the lake was surrounded by a number of interesting restaurants and bars. We spent the afternoon exploring what the area had to offer, as well as making note of places we wanted to return to and things we still want to do.   

To close off our second week in Beijing, a few friends and I took an early morning subway ride to the Beijing Zoo. While there, I got my first glimpse at a Giant Panda, as well as an assortment of other animals native to Asia. While the panda exhibit was definitely the highlight of the morning, the zoo was home to a huge assortment of different animals, and it was one of the largest zoos I have ever been to. This small excursion was definitely worth it, and a great way to finish off the week.

First Week in Beijing!

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The first week in Beijing was incredibly nerve-wracking, yet extremely exciting. Arriving in Beijing, there was a lot to get used to. Besides the jet lag, smog, and culture shock experienced in the first few days, we also had to quickly adjust to China’s lifestyle and traditional customs. No longer could we drink tap water or use an excessive amount of electricity—which we learned when the hot water in our shower turned off—but it wasn’t long before we were accustomed to daily life in China. Another major change was the transition into eating Chinese food everyday. Navigating a Chinese restaurant, let alone the cafeterias, was extremely challenging, as all of the menus were not only comprised of unfamiliar foods, but they were also written in Chinese characters. After a few days of pointing at different foods that looked good, we each found a few favorites we could rely on finding everyday in the dining hall. After receiving a tour of the campus and dorms from our teacher and our future language partners—Chinese students at Peking University—we were prepared to start our first classes at Peking University. 

It also took a few days to get into the routine of daily classes and activities at Peking University, but within a few days we had a general knowledge of our host university, our dorms, and how to navigate our way through Beijing. The first week was both exciting and nerve-wracking, in that it was our first opportunity to use Chinese in our day-to-day lives. After signing the language pledge on the first day of class, we were required to speak only Chinese for the remainder of the program, and this forced us to use our Chinese not only in class, but also in our interactions with native speakers on a daily basis. While we all had prior experience with the Chinese language, this was quite a humbling experience, in that we quickly learned how much we didn’t know. From ordering food at the dining halls and restaurants to navigating public transportation, dorm life, Chinese banks, and shopping centers, we began practicing our Chinese in everything we did. The rest of the week progressed as we attended our daily morning classes, afternoon one-on-one sessions, and evening office hours. The rest of our days we filled with extra individual study, exploration of Beijing, and time getting to know one another. 

On that Friday afternoon, we finished our first week of classes with a scavenger hunt intended to introduce us to different aspects of our host university’s campus, and after completing this scenic and interesting hike, we were given a demonstration of Chinese calligraphy by one of China’s most famous artists. After finishing our first week of classes, we got up on Saturday morning to depart on our first day trip—our hike of the Great Wall of China. While I had seen pictures of the wall in the past, I could never have imagined how truly amazing it truly is. After arriving at the wall, we began our ascent up roughly 6 levels of stairs, and though the roughly 100 flights of steps we climbed left us exhausted, the view was definitely worth it. The Great Wall was like nothing I have ever seen before.

The end of the week was comprised of a trip to the mall, which we soon discovered housed stores and restaurants from all over the world. Besides places to shop and eat, the mall includes a movie theater—with English movies and subtitles—and even an outdoor park to explore. This was a good end to the week.

Theatrical Adventures throughout Moscow- 2

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This week has been full of cultural excursions to театральная metro station. There, one can find the theater district in Moscow. The most famous theater, the Большой, can be found in the center of the square directly off the metro. It is there that I saw a ballet performance of Ondine, the story of an encounter between a water nymph and mortal man. Russian ballet is recognized around the world for its prestige, and after seeing the skill-level from these performers I would readily agree with the assessment. Every movements were perfectly coordinated and the stage design was beautiful. The theater itself was beautiful as well, boasting ornate chandeliers and painstakingly painted scenes. This performance was held on the New Stage, which has only been open for performances since 2002.

New Stage interior:

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In my experience so far, the people in the city are incredibly friendly. The stereotype of unfriendliness derives from people keeping to themselves in public areas. Everyone is very quiet on the metro, either reading a book, using their phones, or resting their eyes. Loud behavior on the streets is also frowned upon and rowdy behavior is a surefire way to spot foreigners. However, despite their reserved nature, people are incredibly sincere and helpful when they open up to you.

Later in the week, I went to a performance of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night in another Moscow theater. We learned about the performance from a Muscovite we met who happened to be the sound engineer for the theater and offered us some tickets to the performance. This was the greatest linguistic challenge that I have experienced thus far because they maintained much of the integrity of the play by using archaic language. It was difficult to extract meaning from some parts of the play, and at some parts I was relying entirely on my fellow audience members to recognize when Shakespearean jokes were being made. This evening was also my first encounter with the stereotypical Russian grandmother (babushka). It was a hot day, with a high of 88º F. The woman sitting next to me turns to me and asks if I’m not cold in only a short sleeved shirt before offering me one of her two wool sweaters to wear so I don’t catch a cold.

In the vein of language-related adventures, the immersion experience has allowed me to make leaps I would never be able to in an American classroom. I am learning a tremendous amount by listening to my Russian friends speak amongst themselves. Colloquial speech is drastically different from what I learned in class prior to my trip. For example, by going out to restaurants, I’ve picked up four different, and more idiomatic, ways of asking for the check.

Tours Week 4

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Like always, my week was filled with events and was even more busier than before. This week, a couple of festivities have drawn all sorts of people from their homes, and never before have I seen Tours so crowded. First, on Tuesday there was the Music Festival of Tours which attracted visitors from all over France. Each plaza and park was packed with people and temporary stages were built to host various musicians over the course of the day. Each and every type of music could be heard; in fact, one every other ten feet. A walk in the park at the center of Tours made me feel like I just walked into Georges-Pierre Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”.  During the evening after dinner, we went to Place Plumereau (the iconic plaza surrounded by old European style buildings) to enjoy the tip of the iceberg, and we were awarded with delicious treats and wonderful music.

Also during the week is the national bi-annual sale, and the central pedestrian road, Rue Nationale, was packed from start to end with people hoping to land a deal. I loved shopping in the grand shopping malls and little shops, but I loved to walk around the markets even more. There, one can find flowers and second-hand jewelry, fresh pastries and fruits, and what’s more, one can sharpen french oral and bargaining skills. All of the sellers love to chat with you, and each one is eager to hear about stories from United States and my hometown, Beijing.

On the weekend, my host family took me to a charity club meeting, of which my Madame was the president. We cooked finger foods in preparation for the event and then drove to the reception close to the castle Villandry. The meeting composed of a casual pot-luck dinner and a handicap representative who gave a speech thanking the board for their efforts throughout the year. Even though they were reluctant to speak in English, all were very nice and tried to explain to me what was going on. During the dinner, I found myself talking members of the charity on issues such as handicap facilities in the USA, the presidential election, and the EU referendum—all in French!