Author: simhende

I would like to emphasize on the fact that the Summer Language Abroad program helped me see other people’s culture from a different perspective. It was beyond what I had imagined before my arrival. I had hoped to learn more about my environment, meet new people and get fully immersed in the culture generally, not only the language. I compared my experiences with stereotypes and other cultures I have experienced in order to comprehend better. For example, the stereotype of French women not being fat is really true. I could count the number of women who looked fat but in actual sense were merely “big”. Also, I can attest to the fact that France, and not just Paris, is a country of love. In the city where I lived, I could see couples everywhere, holding hands, and talking to each other lovingly- most especially during the evenings. The Napoleon Park was also a destination for couples with its kiosk beckoning them to dance.

When compared to American culture, I noticed that the French are stricter when it comes to cutting down on waste and recycling. It is so evident to the point that the government banned the sale of bulbs which consume electricity, in order to reduce the amount of electricity consumed in homes. The list goes on and on, restriction of the use of water, plastics, limitation on the use of nylon bags in stores- most people bring their own shopping bags to the supermarket or malls to make purchases, so they do not get charged for shopping bags.
At the end of my stay, I can confidently say that I have learnt a lot about the city where I lived, and I had picked some values from them. I learnt how to eat their food and appreciate their uniqueness, cut down on my water consumption and became more intentional about recycling wastes. It is indeed an experience that has become a culture.

Wow! It has indeed been a really memorable experience in France. One fact that remains is that I got to understand the French better. I was able to compare what I have heard about them and make a comparison with what I was experiencing, and I have come to the conclusion that some, if not most, of the stereotypes about the French are true. For example, France is the home of fashion, food and wine.

I came into Vichy, France at a time when they were preparing for Napoleon III’s celebration which lasted a few days. It was a beautiful experience with the parade and all. Shortly after, we celebrated music in France. My host sister and I walked from one part of the city to another, listening to different types of music. It was an entertaining experience.
From the excitement of travelling into France for the first time to being awed by the celebrations, I gradually settled into a routine; wake up for prayers/reflections, bathe, have breakfast, walk to school listening to an audio player, have classes till afternoon, sign up for activities previewed for that week, attend the ones that are imminent, have lunch, visit the city, return home, have dinner while listening to the news and having conversations with the host family, call friends and family, work, bathe and sleep. On Sundays, I attended mass at St. Blaise. At some point, I think it felt monotonous.

Surely, I met new people as the school welcomes students from all over the world; Latin America; Mexicans, Americans, Asia; Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Indians, Pakistanis, Europe; Spanish, Germans, Italians, Irish, Africa; Francophone Africans. Towards the end of my stay, I began to feel more involved in activities and recognized in class, mostly after my participation in an event that involved representing one’s country in a cooking event titled “La degustation de plats internationaux”. I did very well, and many people wanted to meet with me. I was elated. I still am whenever I think about it.

As the saying goes, “whatever that has a beginning, surely has an end”, it gradually began to dawn on me that I was leaving the area soon. At this point, I had gotten used to the system and made quite a number of acquaintances. I had also improved my oral communication as well. I made a quick visit to Paris as a way to mark the end of my stay. I visited the Louvres Museum, the National Assembly, Notre Dame Cathedral, the Eiffel tower, and generally walked around Paris.
I enjoyed my stay thanks to the school, Pole University- Cavilam and my host family who were a fun and lively couple.
I am forever grateful to my sponsors and the CSLC department for giving me the opportunity to experience this level of exposure. I have really gained a lot.
Thank you so much.

I think it would be out of place to consider France as having a rather feminine culture just because the French do not work for long hours, and they take enough time off work in a year. In my opinion, that evaluation of the French culture creates the notion that they are weak and need all the rest they can get to get through work, for a country that has been able to develop complex technologies and systems in the case of nuclear power plants, rapid trains and the aviation industry. What I strongly believe is that they are trying to create a balance between work and social life. Thanks to the holidays they enjoy in a year, they get to spend more time with family and friends. I recall my host family planning trips whenever we are at table. Places they were going to visit over the weekend with their grandchildren, where they were going to spend the next summer holiday, what activity should be explored and cuisine to try out. Listening to them always gave me the impression that they had a very balanced life. And many times, I caught myself comparing the work system in France to the Work system in the United States where one gets paid by the hour and workers do not get much of the desired break.
The routine I observed with my host family is that at noon and during weekends, they are either out with friends and family or enjoying nature while riding their bikes or taking a walk in the park. Whenever I go to the park, I see other people doing the same activity- either walking around the park with family or riding their bikes. Little wonder the French people are usually fit and less likely to be obese.

When it comes to avoiding uncertainties, I believe that France is one of the leading countries. Listening to the news every dinner time, I observed that the French do not only cast the news but make predictions about the future occurrences and how they can be managed or completely avoided altogether. A good example is the Climate change which has resulted in excessive heat waves and hailstorms. The prediction is that it would worsen in 2050 except we cut back on a lot of activities which affect the climate. Meanwhile, we were also advised to employ precautionary measures as regards our buildings in the case of hailstorms; reconstructing the roofs to prevent damages and refilling the walls to prevent cracks. As for the heat, one would have to keep being hydrated. Smokers were also warned to carefully put out lighted cigarettes to avoid the recurrence of fire outbreaks.
Another worthy example is the preparation for the Olympic games in 2024. Seeing that there would be an influx of people from all over the world to France, they constructed a whole new village, what is called “village de joueurs”. Over 14,000 participants are going to be housed there. It is also interesting to note that after the olympics games, the apartment would likely be leased out thereby solving the problem of accommodation in France.New railway tracks are being constructed to make room for more trains and prevent overcrowding thereby creating new jobs for its people.

In all, I would say that the French are a very conscious set of humans. They weigh the pros and cons carefully before taking a leap into making a decision which I must admit is quite different from the Americans who act based on sentiments without carefully weighing the pros and cons. They are not perfect, but they have set standards. I would also like to point out that Americans are somewhat extremists, most especially in the issue of freedom, forgetting that “the freedom of one ends where the freedom of another begins”. It can never be absolute. Everyone definitely has restrictions. The earlier we understand that, the better for all of us.

I came home from school one evening and I met my host sister in tears. First thought that came to mind was that she had been hurt by someone. I could barely wait for her to tell me who it was, how it happened rather than listen to what it was and what had happened. I was becoming impatient when she blurted out “I saw a dead body at the river today”. In my mind I was like “hold up, so you weren’t hurt. That’s ok.” And then I remembered she just said she saw a dead body. I asked her to calm down because she was shaking all over and crying. When she was a bit relaxed, she continued the conversation. As usual, she had been to the river with her friends and they were swimming in the river when they saw the dead body. In my mind I could finally comprehend what had happened. It was indeed a terrifying experience to be swimming one moment and then see a body pop out of the water the next minute. We both came to the conclusion that it was not right to go out alone. Probably, the person she saw could have been murdered and the body dumped in the river. In her fear, she told me to help her relate the news to our host parents.

During dinner that evening, I told our host parents what happened at the river that day. Thankfully, our host father is a police officer. So, he explained that the person that was found in the river had been missing for a couple of days. He was diagnosed with cancer and did not want to go through chemotherapy, so he took an overdose of sleeping drugs and jumped into the river. He was a man in his seventies.
His explanation cancelled the notion that he had been murdered because he had actually committed suicide.
As I look back on that incident, I notice that my host sister and I interpreted and evaluated the situation before getting a good description of what had happened and verifying. But then, verification would have been the last option in mind in that scenario. At least not until, one was past the feeling of having seen a dead body. We both felt relaxed after the explanation. We also saw it on the news. I must confess that it is difficult to use the D.I.V.E method because our brains are swift to respond. It will take a lot of practice. I sincerely do not recommend it in severe cases like if one hears gunshots. It would be better to call 911 first then leave it to capable hands to D.I.V.E.