Seriously, though, class was kind of boring, but I did make some linguistic connections. I think what helped me not get irritated and overly bored was that the teacher is more chill than the one Id had before this week, and he was much more patient. I learned a lot of vocabulary, and it is interesting to me to see where the overlaps between French and English or French and Spanish are. If only I could have an etymological dictionary with me all the time in class! For example, I just learned on this etymological dictionary that, for one, "interpellate" is actually an English word, which corresponds with "interpeller" in French, and it has a sense of interrupting, which is what happens when someone is interpelle--they are taken from their everyday life and taken in for questioning as a suspect. inter (between) + pellare (call). SWEET! Well, not sweet when that happens to someone, but sweet that I can see another linguistic relationship. Maybe it doesn't quite make sense the way I'm explaining it, but it just clicks in my mind. It's interesting to think about all the quotidian words we use and associate meaning with without making root connections. It's just a pity I'm not able to constantly amuse myself like this in school. Nevertheless, flashes of inspiration have helped. Another example I just remembered was that in class itself, the teacher asked what the verb is that the adjective for "coupable" ("guilty") is. Using what I know of it being "culpar" in Spanish and that it wouldn't be "couper" ("cut") the {u} in the French word was once an {l}, I took a stab at it and guessed "culper." I was only missing a prefix: in- to make it inculper! Language patterns and systemic change are magical. :D
Anyway, class done for for the day, I went with Ayumi to a Monoprix we found yesterday that has a ridiculously inexpensive lunch deal. I was so pleased with myself for being able to ask a worked where the drinks were and for being able to select my lunch items and even ask to change my sandwich and correct the cashier when she almost charged me too much. I mustered up the guts to even add that I didn't want to cause problems, and both the woman grabbing my sandwich for me and the one being my cashier were patient and kind, adding that it was no problem and that the price mistake was cashier's own fault. (Note: When a menu offers a Normand with camembert, beurre, salade, and noix, just expect huge chunks of foreign cheese, butter, some wimpy pieces of lettuce, and a few walnuts. And if you decide to change to the Forestiersaucisson, beurre and something else you don't recognize, you can expect a baguette with salami-like meat, butter, and pickles.) To add to the experience, Ayumi and I went over to a little park adjacent to the busy street. It was dirty and many benches were covered in pigeon poop, but we found a pleasant clean spot in the sunshine between the two fountains in the park. I didn't have my camera on me to prove it, but Ayumi took a pic. Not that I have it to post here...
Ayumi needed to return to school for a workshop, but today was one of my free afternoons, so I went grocery shopping and thought to go to the French Open for tennis. It turns out that I missed the rendezvous time to go with some of the BYU students, though, so I ended up spending some time watching the Jonas Brothers. And I ate dinner and took a much-needed nap. I wish I had a blankie to keep warm, but a bed and a jacket work quite well, too.
So, you reach the end of this post and might think, "School, food, and your apartment??? Boring." Sure, but in a way it's nice to relax. And I got to talk to a bunch of people here and back in the States. :)
Oh, I did re-discover a gem on the Mormon Messages site!
"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." I've considered my scholarship to study in Paris as a means to my end of becoming a better, smarter, savvier linguist and to get to Spain, but I realized that in doing so, I've turned the people here into a means to my ends as well. I've spent too much time worrying about my problems and deficiencies in comparison with others' strengths rather than taking more time to love them. That's not what I'm here for. No, we are here at this time in each others' lives to help one another and be loving support. I can be a friend and missionary here as well as a student and tourist. I want to make a difference? I need to love people in the way they need love, and the Spirit is key to helping me do so. For example, I became jealous of and irritated with a girl I met yesterday during lunch because she is 22 and is already quadrilingual and better than me at French. But she's been here for eight months! When I finally took a moment to get over myself and listen a bit better, I asked if she ever gets homesick. To that, she quickly responded, "Yes," adding that her family was just in town recently. Here I was, jealous and irritated, and she was just trying to be friendly and fighting homesickness while going to school and trying to find a job! I'm ashamed of myself for being harsh with her at first, and I am grateful for what the Spirit taught me. To further help myself improve, I plan to read the Book of Mormon/Livre de Mormon on the metro more and take more time to listen to people well. "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved."
Ariel!! you know, i pushed myself in vienna to see everything right away, which was awesome! but at the same time, i was kind of burned out at the end, so i ended up just buying a couple episodes of the office and stayed home in bed watching them. so worth it. haha. but really, we all need that veg time where we just chill at home, even if we're in a foreign country.
ReplyDeletethings are different there, but i'm glad you mustered up the courage to speak up! it's so easy to let things like that get us down. go carpe some diem, my friend!!