Music Music, Everywhere!

After a night of insomnia (always happens to me on Saturdays for some reason) I was having myself a nice Sunday morning lie-in. Nestled up in my covers, barely conscious, the sweet sound of trumpets wafted into my dreams. Slowly, I began to wake up and realize that the trumpets were not a byproduct of my dreams, but real trumpets. I lay in bed for a minute, trying to figure out exactly what was going on and also trying to muster up the energy to sit up and look out the window. When I finally did, I indeed saw three elderly beret-wearing men tottering down my street, trumpets in tow. We made eye contact and I smiled to show that I was charmed, rather than annoyed by their (supposedly spontaneous) production.

Now I find myself wondering if didn’t just dream that whole thing up. It all seemed so surreal. Or perhaps I was so delirious with sleep deprivation that I was actually hallucinating. What makes me think I might have been a little delirious is that I remember thinking the music was absolutely gorgeous, and that it sounded like an orchestra rather than just three guys.

There you go, France has officially rendered me crazy.

This has been a rather quiet weekend. On Saturday, I went to a « Salon des livres » in Bellecour. It was only a euro and, bibliophile that I am, I quite enjoyed just being in the presence of piles and piles of pretty books. The ones that delighted me the most were the children’s books, such as « Mademoiselle Princess ne veut pas manger » (Miss Princess doesn’t want to eat). But of course, I’m always a little uneasy in a market setting- afraid I’ll be solicited if I show too much interest. Add the fact that it’ll soon become evident that I’m foreign and it makes for a bit of an awkward situation. That said, when I was spoken to by a woman trying to sell a literary magazine, I found that I understood everything that she said and furthermore, was able to carry on a coherent conversation with her. Doesn’t sound like much, but I don’t think I would have been able to do it when I first arrived here.

I hope it’s not all in my imagination that my French is improving. Just lately I’ve begun to catch myself comprehending a lot more of what’s being spoken around me. Sure, I don’t get every single word, but I’m not as lost as I used to be. It’s odd, because I think I’m actually speaking less French than when I first got here, but just in the past week or so, it’s like something has begun to click. My sentences are still flawed, but it’s no longer a headache to put them together.

The other day, I went for a babysitting job interview. The mother spoke to me very quickly and the atmosphere was a bit chaotic- far from ideal. Paradoxically, the pressure seemed to actually be conducive to my French. I didn’t have time to think, my subconscious knowledge took over, and as a result I heard myself speaking more fluently than I thought I was capable of.

But what’s most encouraging, and more than that, satisfying, is the comprehension part. It makes a world of difference, psychologically, to understand what is being said around me. I feel less isolated, less vulnerable, and of course, less foreign. And that’s one of the reasons I’m really glad I decided to stay here a year rather than just a semester. It would suck to finally get the hang of things, only to turn around and go home ! Studying abroad is a funny dance of constantly taking two steps forward, one step back- meaning- progress is slow. I thought I’d finally gotten the hang of crazy store hours only to walk all the way to Carrefour on Sunday only to find out it was most definitely closed.

One thing I still don’t understand : why is the mall open on Sunday if none of the stores are ? People, what are you DOING ? I really wanted to approach one of the several aimlessly wandering persons and ask just that.

But my French is about to really be put to the test- literally. Assesments are fast approaching. Sure, I might be able to understand the people in the street, but does that mean I can write an eight page paper on the theme of death in baroque painting ?? Or give an extemporaneous presentation on the poetry of Stéphane Mallarmé ? I’m more than a little apprehensive.

Luckily this place is quirky enough to counterbalance the anxiety. If ever there were men who made instruments out of vegetables and played them in public in the US of A, I might be able to deal with academic stress much better.

No kidding, who would think you could turn a carrot into a flute or a radish into a harmonica ? Only a man named Pascal Gayaud, who has seemingly made a full time vocation of it.

http://www.arbre-a-musique.fr/catalog/images/livres_CD/LICD-LUG-02GF.jpg

But to take a little detour back to the babysitting interview-- it seems that my life will be changing yet again next semester. No, I'm not leaving France (they haven't pushed me out yet). Instead, I'm going to be moving out of my apartment and in with a French family. Essentially, I get a free room and board in their apartment, plus a monthly salary, in exchange for part-time babysitting. The weekends are free, and I still get my school vacations, so I'll still be able to travel. The family is really nice, two school-age girls and two adorable kittens. Moreover, the location couldn't be better- right in the heart of the city. I'm really excited about this, as I think it'll do a world of good for my French. It also just seems like more of an authentic way to live in France. Maybe, too, I'll even be able to afford such luxuries as going out to eat, instead of living on cereal and spaghetti!

It's been wonderful having my own space, and I'm certainly going to miss blasting my music and cooking in my underwear. At the same time, that's not what I'm here for. I'm here to learn French, to learn French culture, to travel. I gave the whole thing some thought and decided, ultimately, that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.

So I move in January. Until then, I'll be busy with schoolwork, and planning my Christmas vacation, which will involve going to Paris and hopefully touring the Loire Valley.

I also opened a flicker account, if anyone wants to see what I'm up to these days.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16979015@N08/

I've only just gotten around to my daily coffee and am going to use that for being unable to conjure up a witty parting line. Peace?