21 days and counting. I have been in France for 3 weeks now and I still get mixed feelings about it.
It is impossible to compare this with my year as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student in Apple Valley, Minnesota. Before I left Brazil, I actually thought this would be easier than going abroad two and a half years ago. This is not as intense, it is just a lot harder and different. When I first went to the United States, I already knew enough english to get around; I could communicate with others and express myself however I wanted to. Now, in Bordeaux, I can barely introduce myself in french and carrying a conversation is out of the question. The fact that I haven’t learned a language since Middle School doesn’t help either, I learned english and spanish as I was growing up, and later it was just a matter of improving those skills.
French is what I came here to learn, so I’ll work on it, I’m not scared. When I first arrived in Bordeaux, I took tests and had interviews that measured my ability to write, read, listen and speak the language. I got placed on the second level for beginners, which isn’t bad, considering I’ve only had one semester of french. So I am right where I should be.
- Post’s Photo: My first essay in french. Embarrassing? Maybe, but definitely memorable.
Sorry, I can't stay long 