Wednesday, April 29, 2015

J'aime Bien Ma Vie ...

Bonjour mes amis! Comment allez vous? Je vais tres, tres bien, mais aussi tres occupee. Je suis desolee pour l'ecriture sans accents!

Hello to everyone who might be reading this! How are you! I am very well, but also very busy. I am sorry for writing without accents...

As you can see, French has taken over my brain. On a daily basis my brain melts a little, grows a little, and melts again. It's been over a month since I've written and for that, I apologize. Not too much has changed, although it's nice to report that the blues have been staying hidden away.

My general weekday looks like this:

5:30am - alarm wakes me and I try to make it be quiet.
5:45am - alarm sounds again and forces me out of bed. I shuffle around until somehow I'm dressed, fed (sometimes), and ready to go.
7:xx - Arrive with J (who I pick up each day and who is learning Croation for her first post at Zagreb) at FSI. We generally have good conversation that revolves around what we think of the day or the news or the plans for the upcoming weekend.
7:40am - My brain melts and grows during French class.
10:30am - I take a break, usually outside, then study for an hour, then eat lunch. This varies depending on mood.
12:40pm  - Brain melt occurs during French class.
2:30pm - Take a break, then study for ~2 hours.
5:30pm - Arrive home and find dinner, relax, and study for a few more hours.
~10pm - Crash.

It's starting to feel very much like the movie "Hedgehog Day" after just ten weeks, and there are still twenty more weeks of French training to go! A few weeks ago, I took an informal assessment and performed well. That made me feel great and then immediately stressed me out. Why, you might wonder, since I was on track and seemingly in the groove? Well, my study routine had been fairly haphazard in subject material up to then: do some hw, surf the internet for French resources, do whatever felt fun, etc. So I worked with some instructors and came up with a pretty structured study plan, which while intense, scratches my itch of needing a routine. I have to say, I'm impressed with the resources and assistance given thus far in training.

Also, it's fun discovering the tricks of a new language: nuances, patterns of French thinking that appears, and idioms especially. Language is so cool! (And infuriating!)

Although my I feel quite sad about the decidedly odd coverage of the Baltimore events this weekend, as well as the awful earthquake and the devastation it wrought on Nepal, it has been incredible to be able to start expressing my thoughts and feelings on these subjects in French. Also, today I gave a (very broad, very basic) presentation about Mali in French and was able to answer a question or two!

Aside from French training, I've seen a few French movies (with subtitles), spent time with friends both local and work-related, and started swimming on a regular basis. Well, ok, I've only been three times so far, but it feels good and already it's easy to see improvement! Next on the list: eliminate (or severely limit) pizza intake. Hah!

Spring has sprung and it's finally warming up, which means there are lots of blue skies and seventy degree days.

Coming up is a weekend full of events: girl's night with a group from work on Friday; Passport DC (embassies open their doors to the public) and a going away part for a dozen classmates on Saturday; and swimming, studying, and a welcome reception for new incoming Foreign Service Officers on Sunday! Whew!

As my professor likes to say: La vie est belle!


--Z