Customs is a joke at CDG (Charles De Gaulle) I literally walked up to a window, the man stamped my passport and off I went. I got my bag and then found some Swiss airline attendants and asked them (in french) where the TGV (train) station was. I followed their directions and nervously navigated my way to the station upon which I found my lovely friends Grace, Erika, and Magda. I won't bore you all with my travel tales but I was that American girl with too much luggage who almost cried on the train because she felt like she couldn't do anything for herself. Needless to say that an Irish boy had to help me get my suitcase off the train. Had I not been so tired and embarrassed I would have hit on him (sorry mom, but he had the eyes and the accent).
Mme took us to dinner and I have to say that my first meal with a Nicoise Salade and I was one happy girl. It is one of my favorite dishes and I have never eaten a bad one. We were without Internet in the dorms for 24 full hours (none of us were happy) and apparently WiFi signals aren't free in Europe... I was not prepared for that. After class on Monday we went to Monoprix (french target) to buy groceries and other necessary items. Then I walked back into town a few times with some of the girls even though I didn't actually need anything. It was fun to look at it all. The first days blended together because I was so tired and almost unaware of how quickly time was moving. On Tuesday a few of us went to the Botanical Gardens. It was glorious. I sat in the grass, listened to John Mayer's Born and Raised and wrote for two hours. I was in heaven.
The next day was my first day at my internship. It is a volunteer position at a community center in West Poitiers called La Blaiserie. It helps handicapped people, underprivileged people, African women, and young people who are in need throughout the community of West Poitiers. I am sure I will do an entire post about the place once my work is done because there is a lot to say. Most people there don't speak english at all and that is difficult. They probably thought that I was illiterate because I barely spoke the first day. I was so overtired and nervous that it made my shell shocked. I was also noticeably overdressed and this is a place where it is better to fit in instead of stand out in a hot pink skirt, headband, military jacket, and ballet flats (yes I looked like a JCrew ad). The second day was better because we helped African women in the Epiceriee (little market) cook food for the big street festival the center was putting on. I was able to watch one of their children for a little while and that was really nice because I have missed my little munchkins at The Dailey Method. Her name was Fanta and she was dirty but still incredibly cute. Even with language barriers children are more adept with reading eyes and body language, it was clear that she and I became fast friends. We went back there the next day and helped cook for the entire time. It was a lot of fun and honestly the more I go back, the more I like it.
I am a bit homesick, but I think its normal because it really has only been a week. I have things to get used too and things to learn, but such is the beauty of life. I sat at the festival last night and I was holding back tears because I missed home. I began to realize that I was complaining and being a basket of "White Girl Problems" in the worst possible way. I looked around at these children who basically have nothing yet they were smiling and having the time of their lives while I was upset because I miss Starbucks, my treadmill, my family, and being able to verbalize what I was feeling in a familiar language. I was mad at myself because I was taking this amazing opportunity for granted.
Affectionately,
Annie
