Je Suis Arrivé En France

For everyone wondering, the title translates to I have arrived in France. I got here three days ago and so far, I love it! I guess you could say I am a temporary addition to Bertrand and Karine's family. The girls I am taking care of are so cute! Sarah is 10 and Marion is 8. Neither of them speak English, so communicating with them is both frustrating and comical. Usually we can figure out the basis of the conversation using charades and words from my very small French vocabulary. Even though we don't understand each other, we still chat away about random things. The phrases, "Tu ne comprends pas" (meaning you don't understand) and, "Je ne comprends pas" (I don't understand) are spoken often. Eventually, the girls and I will understand each other better, but for now, I am getting really good at charades.

My first day here, the girls and I watched High School Musical 2 in French. I was exhausted and couldn't understand what they were saying anyway, so I dozed off a little. Sarah and Marion LOVE High School Musical. Since the songs are in English, they don't understand the meaning. And when they try to sing along, it sounds more like humming and mumbling. But watching them follow along with the dance moves and trying to sing along is cute. It's a good thing I have all the soundtracks on my laptop. Sure we can't really make any conversations, but we can listen and dance to music together. Marion loves Katy Perry and Sarah likes Justin Bieber. Since Karine wants me to teach them English, I told the girls I will translate the American songs they like.

Sarah and Marion also showed me around our area on my first day. It took awhile to understand what they wanted to do, but thanks to my laptop's translator, I figured out they wanted to go on a walk! So we ambled down to the beach which is literally a 3 minute walk away (Oh and thanks to the ocean being so close, there is always a nice breeze flowing). Then we walked down a road that was filled with tall grass and wildflowers that eventually led back to our home. I really like the girls. I feel more comfortable using my French with them rather than the parents. Maybe because I know they will just laugh if I mess up and try and tell me how to fix it. Ha, I am nervous to mess up with the parents even though I shouldn't be. It will take a little to get fully comfortable here.

The house is beautiful! And for those who don't know, toilets and showers are not in the same rooms. There is one big room with a small shower in the the corner, a tub right next to the shower, and sinks on the other side of the room. Toilets have their own little rooms that they share with a small sink. My room is very small. I think it used to be an office because there is a desk in here that takes up the majority of my room. I do have my own sink. I thought the small door was going to be a closet, but it lead to a very very small room that had a low ceiling and a sink. My bed is small, but very comfortable. My first night here, I didn't realize I was supposed to pull shutters over my window. At night, all the windows in the house have shutters that you crank down, or if you are downstairs, all you have to do is push a button and all the shutters roll down by themselves. I'm still not sure why they cover all the windows at night, but because of the window covers, I slept in too long on my second day.

The food here is pretty tasty, and we have dessert after every meal! Don't worry, dessert here isn't the typical kind of dessert in America. In France, dessert usually consists of fruit, compote (fruit purée), pudding, or yogurt. Speaking of yogurt, it does NOT taste the same as in America. I'm sure you could find yogurts similar to the USA versions, but the one I have tried here is super thick and strong. It is different that is for sure, but I can't decide if I like the yogurt here or not. My favorite dessert I have had so far is a tie between apple compote and a peach. Karine gets all the fruit and vegetables at a farmer's market, so they are very fresh and very tasty! I haven't tried the milk yet, but I am nervous to do so. They don't refrigerate the milk until after it is opened. And I don't know if they have fat free milk here, which is the only type I drink. Oh and just a warning for all those who are planning on coming to France sometime in their lives, vinaigrettes here are very thick and very strong! So beware!

Breakfast is wonderful! Basically, I wake up in the morning and eat dessert. Croissants are delicious, jams are delectable, and like I said before, fruit is amazing! Today for lunch, we had fish. I don't know what kind, but it did not taste like fish at all. It certainly looked like fish though! Bertrand grilled the fish whole, including scales and two still had their heads on. I have tried plenty of cheeses already, but I am still nervous to try Roquefort. I have no idea how it doesn't make them sick, because it looks very moldy. My favorites are the Brie and the goat cheese. Oh! I forgot to mention the baguettes! Karine buys fresh baguettes from one of the best boulangeries in Saint-Malo. Someday, I think I will buy a whole baguette just for myself...

France is beautiful. It is so green and full of history! Hopefully I will be able to walk around and take pictures of the buildings here soon. I love it and I haven't even seen the popular monuments and structures yet! Greeting people is still funny to me. All I say is, "Bonjour!" trying to look happy and friendly, but if they say anything back, I have no idea what they said. And the kissing on the cheeks thing is not what I thought it would be like. French people cheek kiss very slowly. I find it a little amusing. Oh yeah! I almost forgot to mention that I start working on Monday. Brooke will come and be here in Saint-Malo for the week with two of the kids she is looking after, Maelle-Marie and Aymeric. Sarah, Marion, Maelle-Marie, and Aymeric will all be taking sailing lessons, so Brooke and I get to sit on the beach and relax while the kids are sailing. Doesn't sound too bad for my first week!

I feel like it hasn't really clicked in my mind that I am now living in France. I feel lost when we go out because all I hear is French and I have no idea what any of it means. I really hope I catch on soon, and I would appreciate any prayers for me to understand French. I already miss some things from the US of A. For example, I have to put special oil in my shampoo/conditioner/spray bottle of water to help prevent getting head lice. EW! I guess lice is common here? And I miss big, spacious showers.

P.S. I promise I will get pictures from France up soon!