Author: abuckle3

On the TGV from Paris to Avignon, I sat next to a very nice English lady. We spoke throughout the train ride, and at the end, she offered me a ride with her husband to the hostel I was staying at. Growing up, I was always taught to be wary of strangers, stranger danger! Getting in the car of a stranger on my first day in a country I’d never been to before did not seem like the greatest of ideas. However, I had spoken with this woman for two hours on the train and I didn’t feel any alarms go off. So, I decided to take up her offer. I made it safely to the hostel and even got to meet her new puppy in the car. She’s since invited me (and a friend) to her and her husband’s countryside estate. I think I’ll take her up on the offer.

The critical incident here is the interactions I’ve had with others regarding this offer to the countryside. The other Americans in the program all think I’m crazy. They say this sounds like the beginning of a horror movie. And I do admit that it does seem a little crazy. Going out to the countryside estate of a woman I met on the train in a foreign country does sound like the beginning of a horror movie. But when I speak with someone who’s French, they say that this is a wonderful opportunity. They don’t seem to see any of the red flags my American counterparts do. When I was telling one of my French professors about the opportunity, two of my classmates were laughing about how bizarre the situation seemed to them. My professor asked them why they were laughing.

The culture surrounding strangers and hospitality here in France is completely different from the United States. In American culture there is a sort of fog blocking our view of strangers. A fog that forces us to keep our guards up, instantly labeling strangers as dangerous. This fog disperses for the French. It’s still there, they don’t just blindly trust strangers, but it does not completely cloud their view. Instead of mainly seeing the fog, they see a chance for genuine human interaction. Where Americans see danger, the French see an opportunity for new experiences and connection. In my opinion, this creates a much more cordial society of strangers. A society in which we don’t immediately assume the worst of those we don’t know. A society that encourages kindness towards others.

I’ll be leaving for Avignon in a little less than a week, an exciting yet nerve-inducing fact. Thankfully, this will not be my first time engaging in language immersion. I come from a mixed household, my mother is from the Dominican Republic, and my father grew up Irish Catholic in New Jersey. I was raised engaging and identifying with two very different cultures, so I’ve always felt I had a unique approach to engaging with and learning about different cultures. With my Dominican heritage, I’ve spent time in Spanish immersion in the DR. These prior experiences of language immersion somewhat mitigate my nerves. However, in the days approaching my previous trips to the DR, I never felt as I do now. I attribute this to my having never been to France (or any of Europe) before. Unlike in the DR, in France, I will be encountering a completely different culture, a culture that I don’t belong to. I’ve studied French for three years now, but I don’t think all the time I’ve spent in the classroom, with tutors, and watching films has truly prepared me for immersion into French culture. This discomfort and aspect of the unknown fuel my nerves as I approach my trip. Yet at the same time, it provides me with great excitement. Avignon is an opportunity. An opportunity to not only engage with but to experience an entirely new and different culture. Not many are afforded such an opportunity. So, while I am nervous, I’m excited to encounter the unknown.

In preparation for Avignon, I’ve been trying to immerse myself as much as possible in French media. It may not be the perfect training regimen, but I’ve found it to be rather helpful and far better than doing nothing. I’ve been reading Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which was actually my second choice, but I’ve given up on trying to read Montaigne in French for now. I’ve also been going on a French film binge, and highly recommend Les Diaboliques and any Jacques Tati films. Tonight I’ll be finishing Cleo de 5 à 7 and then watching either Playtime or Les Yeux sans Visage. I don’t know any native French speakers, so I feel as if this is the best way to prepare. While France has changed a lot since La Nouvelle Vague and Les Liaisons Dangereuses, through books and films, I’m engaging with both the language and culture. I won’t pretend that these books and films have taught me everything to know about French culture, but I do believe that they are bringing me to a rudimentary understanding that will allow me to come to a better appreciation for the culture and my experiences in France. 

I’m hoping that my time in Avignon will be a very formative experience. I’m expecting the combination of French cultural immersion and the independence of living on my own to profoundly affect me. And I hope that these blog posts will reflect this effect. If my Provençal dreams don’t fully come true, at the very least, I’ll be able to tell people I summered in the South of France.