Mary-Est-En-France

Grenoble

This morning in our grammar class we went over different tenses used in telling stories. It was helpful as we wrote about our experiences the day before during the street art tour.

In my visual art class we went over different art movements. I had the chance to talk to Brenna about Dadaism, which was an artistic movement between the first and second world wars aimed at breaking all conventional rules of art.

In our class with Ryan we talking about breaking up the meanings of words and their genders in French. It was much smoother sailing than our previous chapters on phonetics, which was difficult to learn at our breakneck speeds.

After classes I hung out with others students as we waited for the tram to come at 4pm. We talked about Macron and the concentration camps on the US border. Some of the students in the program are Jewish and they shared their opinions on current events, which I found absolutely eye opening. I was happy to hear from them. When the tram finally arrived we hopped on and headed downtown for some ice cream. I tried the coffee flavor and loved it.

We all wanted to discuss our final project for Ryan’s class, a huge research paper on linguistics. Ruby and I are thinking about writing about missing words in the French language that isolate and exclude minorities from participating fully in dialogues.

Dinner tonight was fairly quiet, but after the hectic day I was glad. We talked about the different cheeses we were going to sample later on. Janine though the word “goat” in English was really funny. She kept saying she was excited to eat the “fromage goat.” Our main plate included porc, peppers, and cucumbers. For our after dinner plate we had goat cheese, cow cheese, and bread.

Grenoble

I didn’t realize it at the time, but this was the day that marked a full month in France. Before I left I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it, but here I am!

I was really thankful for Monday because my grammar course was scheduled for later in the day, allowing me to sleep in until 8:30. I left the house by 9:30 because tram construction work had begun. Thankfully, when I hopped on I was able to find Daniel who is also in my class. We rode together until the line ended and then found the connecting bus. It gave us a chance to get to know other students in the program who were also on the bus. A lot of them are from Utah this summer! The girl we talked to was studying French and ecology.

Monday was also the beginning of our third week of CUEF classes. We got to start our second optional course. I had chosen visual art. The first day consisted mostly of vocabulary and the professor staring at us aggressively with wide eyes. It was decided by the class that she had a heavy Italian accent.

After grabbing fries for lunch, I found Daniel at the bus stop for our grammar class. We rode together to the Parc Mistral where we were meeting everyone else. Today we were finishing our street art theme by doing a guided tour with our professor of artworks around the city. Apparently, Grenoble is known for its annual street art festival. We got to see collages, spray paint work, and classic paintings.

After class I headed home and worked until dinner. Compared to the previous night conversation was a lot more calm. We discussed my classes and some of the art that I had gotten to see during the day. We ate a salad with eggs and a vinegar dressing, potatoes, green beans, and had a peach fruit cup for dessert.

It was a good day, but very busy.

Grenoble

After what seemed to be the longest bus ride of my life I was absolutely exhausted. I spent the morning relaxing, trying to recuperate. I wanted to have energy for the rest of the night because July 14th is France’s national holiday. It celebrates the storming of the king’s prison (la Bastille) in 1789 which effectively launched the French revolution. It was a pretty quiet morning, Gilbert and Janine left early for a picnic with their family.

I decided that I should wander around downtown to see what it was like and I found that it was surprisingly calm. There were relatively few people out and about, stores were closed, there were no firecrackers and there was no loud music. No one was wearing patriotic clothing, no French flags hung from buildings. The only sign that it was the national holiday was the concert stage in the park.

While I was out and about I found one of my classmates, Daniel, out in the park. I went over to say hello and we talked for about an hour about what we thought of France and the differences between the US and France. He had noted that the French vacation much differently than Americans. During his time working at a French vacation spot he had noticed that the French enjoy planned activities that allow them to mix on site with other families on vacation. Americans usually are not interested and planned activities and like to relax. We wondered if that was because the French work significantly fewer hours than Americans and would therefore become bored with so much empty time.

I left Daniel when he had to call his roommates and went to find a snack. I stopped into a local boulangerie where I ordered some pain au chocolat. The woman behind the counter asked me where I was from and she told me she was from Algeria. She said that she was a level B2 in French grammar and was excited that I was a B2+. It was a cool interaction.

After an hour or so back at my house it was time to leave for the military parade. I felt really out of place at the parade, it was quite different from ours. We usually have bands and we cheer for the passing floats. However, the French parade just had military groups carrying huge guns. Everyone clapped politely as they went by. Marches played on the loudspeaker.

I left my friends in the park to eat dinner with my host family. We discussed differences between celebrations in the United States and in France. They agreed that the French were much more calm and admitted that many French people don’t really care about the Fête nationale except for the fact they get a paid vacation day. We also got into some politics that night which was really exciting because it can be a bit taboo here. They told me that the country is divided on their president because half of the country loves his tax cuts (aka the rich) and the other half thinks he only has big business on his mind (average people). However, they agree that he was the better choice over Marienne le Pen who represented the fascist right-wing party le Front National.

After dinner I hurried back to the park to meet my friends. I brought a towel which one of the host families ended up taking over when I left with Tara, Joyce, Clarrissa, and Sajini to explore the park. We found a huge dance floor and jammed out to American tunes with the French. I was so impressed because the French were using real dancing techniques and seemed to have coordinated steps to each dance. I wish that we had something similar in the US. I joined a congo train that moved around the dance floor and loved spinning around with my friends.

Right before the fireworks we returned to our towels. There wasn’t even room to move in the main square. People were lining the grass area and were three or four rows deep. I had to balance on my toes to make it across the lawn, but it was worth it. The fireworks (feu d’artifices) lasted about 30 minutes and were color coordinated. They shot up around a tower in the park, giving them a greater effect. I loved being so close to them. I felt like a little kid as I stared up at the sky.

After the show I walked Sajini to the bus stop and headed home. It was really busy, not because of the holiday, but because Algeria had won their soccer match that night in the African cup. People stopped the trams, ran through the street with flags, and drove all through the city honking their horns. It was really something.

I’m really thankful I got to be here on the national holiday. I think I got to know the French a lot better. It was truly a day of cultural exchange.

Turin, Grenoble

The morning air was crisp as we left the AirBnb for the city center. The city was quiet, it seemed like everyone was still asleep. Coffee shops were covered by iron gates and church doors remained closed. I enjoyed seeing the buildings we had passed the night before. There was a church with beautiful mosaics, a wonderful decorated clock, and several museums along our route to the Shroud of Turin. We had left early in case there was a long line to get in.

Fortunately, we were able to walk in without a problem. Some of the girls had to put on t-shirts because tank tops were not allowed. The sides of the church were full of smaller alters dedicated to saints. One was dedicated to a local man who was in the process of becoming a saint; I was surprised because I was able to read the Italian signs that told about his life and the miracles he had preformed. Behind the church’s alter there was a huge glass window, which I later discovered was attached to the royal palace. The shroud was displayed to the left of the main alter in a glass case with thorns surrounding it. I learned that it is revered because many believe it was used to wrap the body of Christ after he was taken from the cross. I think it was important for my friend Jillian to see.

Nearby was the local open air market. I’ve never seen any market as big. There were so many fruits I didn’t know what some of them were. There were vegetables, fish, cooked dishes, toys, and more. Jillian and I split a bag of cherries, black berries, and some very tart red berries that I do not know the name of. We all met up and ate them together under the Roman ruins. Ryan shared some olives, Tara shared some peaches, and we shared our cherries.

After all of us had had a chance to enjoy the fruits we headed back through the main square to find a spot to have a coffee. I got a cappuccino and a plain croissant. I don’t think I’ve ever had coffee that tasted as good. I was amazed. It differed from France because you went inside to order, then paid inside after you had eaten. In France you would have either paid at the table or at the counter when you ordered your food.

Once we had enjoyed our snack, the girls walked across town to the cinema museum. We had all purchased tickets for the panoramic lift and we got to go up earlier than our ticket time. It was gorgeous. We were able to see the entire city. I walked around alone because I needed some space and I was surprised when a woman offered to take my photo. She did a great job (pls enjoy my shameless pic promotion here).

The museum itself was really unique. I think I can only compare it to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame that I remember visiting as a little kid. There were about 3 floors open to us, but it looked like there were several more exhibits under construction that would open soon. There were sections with props from horror movies, Star Wars, sixties sitcoms, and art films unknown to me. We were able to take some fun photos around the museum and we each got some cool glamor shots. Throughout the museum there were a lot of props and pictures from American films. I saw a bodice from Marilyn Monroe, French posters for The Fly, and original costumes from Batman movies.

By the time we left the museum we were famished. We found Ryan and ended up splitting up for lunch. Ryan, Jillian, and I went our own way and found a hole in the wall Italian place. Jillian and I started with the “menu” so we got to choose a pasta dish and a meat dish. We all got to be sternly talked to by the owner, an older Italian woman, in a mix of French and Italian. She knew we didn’t know the language and was clearly more than irked. For the rest of the meal she sent out the waiter who was a lot younger and spoke excellent English. After the entire ordeal, I chose a meat sauce pasta and got meat balls. Let me tell you, I have never had pasta so good *Italian food kiss*. Jillian and I also decided we’d split a bottle of wine so it’d be a little less expensive, however we did not realize that the restaurant brought us the good stuff, which cost us a solid 14 euros. We also did not realize that it was 13.5% alcohol until we started giggling after our first glass. Whoops! To top off lunch, we all got tiramisu (I still like my dad’s better). It was an amazing lunch, but really expensive.

Ryan, Jillian, and I left lunch overly full, but in good spirits. We wandered across town to see the royal palace of the Savoy family. If I understand correctly, they were originally French but then took over this portion of Italy. We got into the palace for 2 euros each, checked in our bags, and went on our way. I loved the palace, but thought it was a lot less ornate than the Louvre or Versailles (which is to be expected). One of the first rooms we stopped in had a huge altarpiece that was back marble. There were white angelic statues all around and we discovered there had been a huge fire there that had burned all the marble black in the 1700s. As we entered that room we heard beautiful organ music and peeked through the huge window at the back to discover it was connected to the church were the Shroud of Turin was housed! The music was coming from a wedding ceremony taking place below! It was a once in a lifetime moment. The rest of the palace was gilded, had huge lighting fixtures made of crystal, and several rooms of weaponry. I was moderately creeped out because one room had at least 10 taxidermied horses similar to Napoleon’s that we saw in Paris.

Exhausted, we walked toward the bus station and decided we’d spend the rest of our time hanging out and enjoying some drinks. We grabbed mojitos and were given some free nachos along with them. When Jillian went to the bathroom, an old Italian woman came out of a mysterious door, spoke quickly to me in Italian, and disappeared. It was really strange. We left after our first drink for some gelato. I did my best to order in Italian and got my order across! The patron and his wife asked me if I was a French student and told me I had an accent. I told her in French that I was actually American but I was studying in France for the summer. They were thrilled that I had tried my hand at their language and I went on my way.

As we ate we continued toward the bus, discovering one of the buildings we had passed by the day before was an old prison. We had hour passports checked as we entered the bus, we chose our seats, and settled in. Outside our windows we saw fireworks going off in smaller towns in France for the Bastille day that would occur the next day, I was sad we couldn’t stop to watch them. It was the longest bus ride of my life. I was so so thankful when we arrived in Grenoble at midnight.

Grenoble, Turin

In the grammar course on Friday we closed up our discussion on street art. We each did a little skit on either street art or ecology. It was fun to see everyone put on their little skit. For mine, Joyce and I pretended to be roommates horrified that the other had purchased cookies with GMOs in them.

Two weeks in the CUEF program finally brought an end to our first optional class. For culture and civilisation we had a short test. I didn’t think it was really hard, which was a relief because I hadn’t been able to study much the night before. The brevity of the test gave us all some time to go down to the cantine to grab a coffee before we went to the auditorium to watch a play our friends were putting on. I enjoyed my drink with Brenna and Jillian, then we marched over.

The play was put on by the students in the “oral perfection” option. They did a short rendition of the Petit Prince. It was really cute and super funny. It was fun to see everyone having a good time. They wore costumes and had different sets for scenes!

I had been excited for class to end because I had a 2:30 bus to Turin, Italy that afternoon. I was part of a group of 8 students who decided to split an AirBnb for the night and explore the city. I returned to my house with Jillian to grab my things, we grabbed a sandwich as Macdo’s, and hopped on the bus. It was roughly a 3.5 hour drive between Grenoble and Turin. I saw 6 different castles as the bus drove through the Alpes. I was amazed by the changing landscape outside my window. I found it really strange that I could travel just a few hours and have everything around me change so vastly.

We arrived in Turin a few hours before dinner. We took a half an hour walk between the bus stop and our Airbnb so we could see the city as we went. Street signs were different than in France, monuments were different, and everything was in Italian. I experienced a bit of culture shock on our walk. How could everything be so different just a few hours away? On our walk we saw an old prison (Museo del Carcere “Le Nuove” – Museum in a prison) that had operated into the 20th century. It was constructed by Emanuele II who wanted to concentrate inmates in one central location, today it sits next to an old railway workshop.

I was amazed at the size of the apartment that we got! Each of us had a bed to sleep in, there was a newly renovated kitchen and shower, and there was a wonderful courtyard outside where a nectarine tree was growing.

We all decided it was time to venture into centre-ville for dinner. Unfortunately, we had new clue where centre-ville was and none of us spoke any Italian. We wandered around for about 30 minutes before realizing that we had headed in the wrong direction. When we were finally better oriented, we were able to find a cute restaurant down town where the staff spoke English and French. Everyone ordered pizza and a drink. I thought it was really tasty. I enjoyed my food and was ready to explore after dinner. I was really thankful we were able to split the check because it can be really difficult to get the euros to come out even with a huge group.

After dinner we were all ready to try some gelato. I did my best to order in Italian, but my accent must have been horrible because the cashier automatically switched to English to take my order. (His English was flawless.) Because of the language barrier, I didn’t entirely know what I ordered. It ended up being a dark chocolate ice cream. Chocolate isn’t my favorite, but it was really good quality gelato. I felt bad because Ryan bought three scoops and the second he walked outside it flopped on the ground. Luckily, some Italian couple passed by and mentioned it to the clerks inside who remade the cone.

We kept walking, eventually finding a huge square with fountains, three castles, and a bunch of statues. I found out the next day that it was the square next to the royal palace. We walked through the city and found a bar near where we had had dinner. Sadly, there was no air conditioning and Italy was nearly 15 degrees warmer than it had been when we left Grenoble. I was so so thankful for my cold beer.

All of us were exhausted so we returned to the Airbnb for the night soon afterward. The place felt extravagant because each room had a fan (my room in Grenoble doesn’t have one.) I went to bed excited for the next day.

Grenoble

Today in our grammar class we broke into groups to discuss contemporary art. We each were given statements that we could choose either to defend or to oppose and then we would discuss the statements within our groups. Essentially it boiled down to whether or not contemporary art has meaning or whether it is a just a reflection of an empty, capitalist society. I argued that all art has meaning, even if it has to be made to produce economic gain.

In the culture class today we heard two hours of lecture on French gastronomy. I can’t believe how slowly time ticked by. I learned that formel French meals can take up to four hours and sometimes require more than five plates for each person. It was an interesting concept, although I’m not sure I’d ever want to partake in a meal that long. I’ve got things to do!

By the end of our discussion I was absolutely starving, I was so excited to see that the restaurant near the school had lasagna and hoped in line to order. However, when I got to the front of the line the stoney-faced cashier informed me that they were out, not making anymore, and removing it from the menu. I asked if there were any other pasta dishes ready and she told me there wouldn’t be until the next day. So, I ended up having fries and a tiramisu for lunch.

I headed home and got to enjoy a 2 hour nap, a phone call with my family, and dinner. Tonight we had sliced tomatoes, lentils, and a oil vinegar sauce for the first plate. Our main plate was green beans and potatoes. For the final course we had some bread and cheese (for sure the stinkiest I had encountered). After dinner I decided to go for a walk. I grabbed some raspberry ice cream and wandered along the river to watch the sunset.

Last night I received a message from Miranda saying that my language placement would be at the B2+ level. She assured me they would know when I arrived to class the next day. I woke up knowing that CUEF teachers are never informed on anything in a timely manner, so I sprinted out the door to get to school early. I talked with our professor Louise, asking if she knew if I was on her list for the day. She said no, but suggested that I talk to a Ms. Berger. I found Ms. Berger in her office and she immediately knew who I was. She and I marched up the stairs to the classroom, where she told Louise that I would be staying in the B2+ class for the remainder of the semester. Phew! Problem solved at last.

In culture and civilization we talked about important dates in US women’s history, having a discussion about abortion policy. We moved on to go over the subject of Francophone nations.

After class I went with some other students to a dumpling restaurant. I got to try bao for the first time and I really like them. I thought it was a little difficult to eat with chopsticks, but that’s alright.

When we were finished, Jillian and I took off to see the medieval museum in town. We got the see artifacts from the period in which Romans occupied Grenoble, paintings from the 1400s, and the ruins of a chapel underneath the building. Many of the artifacts in the museum were actually from Grenoble, something that I think is pretty unique. Most of them were discovered when the trams were being built in the city. While were were at the museum, we were able to sit and watch a film that showed important events in Grenoble’s history year by year. We watched until roughly the end of WWI and realized we’d be there all night if we continued.

For dinner we had a tossed salad with croutons, cheese, and a vinegar dressing. Our main plate was a al dente noodle dish with meat sauce. For dessert we had a refreshing chopped peach salad with mint leaves, a splash of grape juice, and a squirt of lemon juice.

Grenoble

Waking up for Monday morning classes is proving to be difficult. Today I skipped breakfast and made it to class early. It was my first day in my new grammar class. I think the professor for this group is a lot more prepared. The students seem more passionate about the French language and all speak really well. I think it will be a good chance for me to improve my language skills.

My second class of the day is French Culture and Civilization. I thought this class would be really interesting, but alas, it remains dry as a communion wafer. The professor is sweet, but the class is essentially just two hours of trivia on France. Anything we discuss could be googled instantly. Today we went over French holidays. It was difficult to stay away and attentive.

Class finished at 12:30, so Jillian and I went over to the French Coffee Shop to do some work. On the tram we encountered a man who was very obviously on drugs, so we hopped off a few stops early and walked the rest of the way. I got a vanilla milkshake and cinnamon roll while Jillian got a frozen latte and a muffin. We enjoyed the air conditioning while we finished our work.

I headed across the street to my house around 2pm to get ready for my interview with Michael. We discussed my honors thesis for the History Department newsletter before chatting about our summer experiences. I did homework for the rest of the afternoon and prepared for my quiz the next day.

For dinner we started with a fresh tomato and mozzarella salad. There was drizzle of vinegar and oil on top. For the main plate we had pasta with a white sauce and salmon inside. Our dessert was a simple pear compote. We talked about the differences between the US and France in the education systems. Noting the expenses involved in the American system and the length that both programs required.

After dinner I took a run along the river. The breeze was cool and refreshing. I enjoyed listening to the news while I went. I got to see new neighborhoods up river from me and discovered several new parks I am excited to visit.

Grenoble

Started the day off with Jillian at her place on the edge of the city. We managed to wake up at 7am. Petit-chat (“little cat”) came in to say hello and we walked downstairs together for breakfast. We had coffee, fruit, bread, and jam at the table.

Off we went to the Centre-Ville for homework at the French Coffee Shop. We got an adorable table out front where we could sit in the shade. Today had the best weather we had experienced so far. There was a gentle breeze and temps only reached 85.

After studying and chatting for a few hours we went across the street to my place. I took a nap while Jillian studied. We realized around 3pm that we were ready for lunch, so we wandered outside. To our dismay, absolutely nothing was open. Most diners said they would reopen for the evening meal at 8:30pm. Monoprix was shuttered, Carrefour was closed, and even ChickenWay left us out in the mild heat. Desperate for a meal, we wandered the streets until we came upon a New York style burger restaurant. Both of us were craving a burger and fries, so it was perfect. We topped off our lunch with ice cream from the vendor next door.

By 4:30, it was time to meet the other UM students at Shakesbeer for the FIFA World Cup Finals. We were all excited to see the US women play the Netherlands. About 8 UM students gathered in a small booth, while the rest of the bar was full of students from North Carolina and Utah. While the first half of the game proved to be mildly dull, the second half was fast paced and exciting. We got the see the women score 3 goals and win gold for the 4th time. The bar exploded into cheers.

After the game, I was able to make it home for dinner. We had a salad, grilled ham and cheese, and a wonderful fruit salad. It had oranges, kiwi, apples, peaches, and mint.

Grenoble

I headed into class today expecting to go to the B2+ class I had joined the previous Friday. I was excited to continue discussing street art, because the professor had promised that we would be going on a tour of Grenoble street art sometime during the coming week. However, when I arrived to class I was told that my name was not on the list. The professor told me I should go down to the B2 class for the day. I did and was really saddened. I had been excited to be part of the class and had enjoyed the structure. I was frustrated because the B2 class was moving at a slower pace and was changing professors the next day, bringing my total to 4 professors for one class in less than two weeks.

In our culture class we discussed inequalities that women face in France today. I found this topic to be a lot more interesting than holidays. We had a discussion about abortions in France. Apparently, only far right and nearly fascist candidates argue that abortions should be illegal. They had been allowed in France since the 1970s and are no longer viewed as a controversial issue. This is obviously something that is vastly different in the United States, where women are being stripped of their rights at an alarming rate.

After CUEF courses we went to lunch. I tried a French hotdog. I was curious to see what it was like and wasn’t disappointed. It was the weirdest color, an almost plastic-y red, and came of a full baguette. It tasted alright though. During the rest of our lunch break Jillian and I explored, finding a coffee vending machine! I was shocked to see that a cup only cost 1 euro. We made sure to get a cup and enjoyed a “kinder beuno” for dessert.

UM courses went by quickly today. We discussed phonetics and transcribing in phonetic language. At the end of class there was a short quiz on work from the previous week.

When classes had finally ended for the day, a small group of us went back to the campus store. I got a t-shirt that I thought would be fun to wear around campus. It lists the founding date of the university at 1339. Can you believe that? There are also symbols that represent the revolution in French universities after the 1968 protests which I think is super cool.

Our group decided it was time for a snack, so we headed over to Café de la Table Ronde, which is near my house. It was founded in 1739. It is the oldest café in Grenoble and one of the girls in my group told us that is it actually the second oldest café in France. I got a crème brûlée. It was really beautiful.

Tonight dinner was super interesting. We had an amazingly sweet and delicious melon for our first course. It was followed by a potato purée and small sausages. For dessert we ate peach fruit cups. On the side we had a lovely glass of rosé. Dinner conversation was really something tonight. Janine kicked things off by asking if I had a boyfriend in the states. I laughed and told her that I was too busy with school work and my clubs. She told me that that was good and proceeded to let me in on some family gossip about her niece who had gone to the Sorbonne to study, met a 32 year old man, fallen in love, and dropped out. She told me I should do my best not to be like her niece. For Ryan’s class we had to record a small snippet to transcribe in French, so I decided to ask them during dessert what they thought the largest problem was in France today. They told me while I was recording that it was unemployment of young people. That young people get degrees and want to earn more money, but often are hired because they lack work experience. Gilbert told me that young people frequently leave the country to find work. I thought it was interesting because the situation is really similar in the US where people are underemployed for the degree that they have earned. When I stopped recording, they told me that the recent wave of immigration has been a huge problem for French taxpayers because the French have pledged to give free medical care and lodging to all immigrants.