Students’ Views

Last semester, everyone studying abroad this semester had to meet with the Sue Menicke (the study abroad coordinator) and a student who studied abroad the previous semester. I remember the student recommending that we try to get close with our home-stay families if we had one. Good advice. This has easily been the most rewarding part of my stay here. My brother went to college when I was 12 and my sister when I was 14. I haven’t lived with a ‘whole’ family for quite sometime. It’s nice (in this respect) and interesting because they eat together every night, go to the movies together often, go on vacation together. At the same time, after living alone at a school for the last semester, I’ve had some trouble adjusting to living with other people’s schedules.

Family seems so important here. I asked my home-stay mom if she thought it was ‘unfair’ to her kids that they’ve had students stay with them for the last couple of years. She responded that they don’t feel like having students interferes with their family dynamic or with family time. I think the important of meal time here is a little beyond my comprehension. The other students I’ve met, who are from Toulouse and live with their families, say the same thing, they can’t imagine not eating with their families every night. For one reason at least, it’s cheaper, probably more importantly, family seems like home base. This is not to say that these relationships are better or closer than American relationships. Family occupies a lot of time.

Statistically, most students don’t go very far from home for college if they can avoid it. It is also interesting what topics or conversations feel very personal in the US (politics, personal opinions) and are not here. I always felt like once I talk about politics or family or my love life with people in the States that we’ve had a pretty meaningful conversation, and that once one or two of these subjects has been discussed the other ones aren’t much more personal. Here, or at least with my family and friends here, family and especially family history is so different. It’s a completely different level than your love life and especially your political opinions. It’s an interesting experience to feel like you’ve had a personal conversation or witnessed one when in fact it was not for the other people involved.

Every night when I sit down for dinner, I can have no expectations for how long the meal will go for. Sometimes, a half hour. Sometimes, two. It’s ‘pas agréable’ to leave the table before everyone has finished dessert. You shouldn’t technically get up for anything before everyone has at least finished their main tray. Dinner time seems kind of sacred. I feel like I’ll never really get how important it is. Last night, home-stay mom and home-stay son were having a very ‘heated’ discussion about the new mayor in Toulouse while the rest of us listened. The CD playing in the background was skipping, but no one got up from the table to correct the problem. The musician, American musician at that, in me was really annoyed by the skipping CD but no one got up! No one moved! Finally after the conversation had ended the CD was stopped and conversation continued.

I think this stuff is really interesting. I’m so much more aware of my first instincts now because I constantly have to check them at the door or tread lightly not to be ‘offensive.’ Okay, well off to dinner now.

Bonne Journée !