Wow I really wish I knew French- Day 2 cont’d-January 10th 2018

If you’re wondering why I wrote this in two parts, so much happened after I arrived that it deserved it own post.

Prior to meeting my host family, everything went somewhat smoothly.

We arrived at the office and are introduced to the program director, Celine. To our surprise, we learn that we have classes tomorrow and that our first week will all be French classes.

After some basic orientation, Celine take us to get SIM cards from Free Mobile. Don’t let their name confuse you, they’re anything but free. Unfortunately for me, capital one decides to decline my card making my life more difficult. Of course when I get back on the WiFi later, I’ve received fraud alert emails from my bank. 

This is particularly annoying because Capital One 360’s website said I didn’t have to notify them of travel plans.

On the walk there and back, our program director points out a bunch of stores and places to eat. There is also a tram that runs all over the city as public transportation.

Here’s a couple pics to give you a sense of what Grenoble looks like.

As you can see, the alps are pretty much visible everywhere.

When we get back, we’re given special folders with maps, notes, rules, suggestions and an unlimited tram card. There’s another hour to kill before host families arrive, and everyone is very clearly tired, hungry and in need of a shower.

One by one, people’s host parents finally show up and I soon meet my host Mom, Anne-Marie.

To my surprise, she speaks pretty much no English. I attempt to introduce myself (emphasis on attempt) with the little French I know.  We then have a very poor English conversation, but she’s seems very nice. I attempt to make small talk, but the language barrier makes its pretty difficult. While we are walking, I figure that Andre, her husband, probably has a better grasp of English.

We get to the car and I give Andre my most enthusiastic Bonjour and firmest handshake.
Andre is either a man of few words, or doesn’t know how to speak English. I’m pretty sure it’s the second one.

I participate in a very silent car ride and think to myself, I need to learn French as quick as possible. We arrive at their house, and it’s looks pretty nice from what I can see. 

Here’s a picture I took the next day.

What follows next reminds me a lot of the scene in Big where Tom Hanks has to stay in a sketchy and confusing motel during his first night as new adult, minus the crying that is.

Anne-Marie gives me a tour of their smaller, but pretty nice home. I would say it was a good tour, but it was completely in French so I just smiled and said “Merci” about fifty times. She later gives me this sheet in English which clarifies a ton about the house rules and stuff.

Here’s a picture of the sheet which can be difficult to read.

I quickly learn that not only do they not own a dryer, and I have no idea how to use their European shower. Additionally, due to the food stipend I get from BU, they will provide  breakfast everyday and dinner twice a week (Though I will have dinner with them three times the first week). No alcohol at the dinner table. I cannot have guests stay over. Shoes must stay downstairs. No showers from 10 pm to 7 am. Anne-Marie will ring a bell around 7:30 for dinner every night I eat.

On the bright side, I have my own room and for the first time in my life, not a twin bed.  I don’t really fit on it normally, so the key is to lie diagonally. Also they put the wifi code on this sheet so I was a happy man.

Here’s my room. Note my interesting comforter. 

After realizing how much I smelled from my many hours of travel, I embark on the adventure known as, “Will vs. the European Shower”.

For reference, here is a picture of the shower.

You may be thinking, “Will that’s not shower, there’s not even a curtain”
Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

To prevent water spilling everywhere, I have to get in a weird squat and hold the shower nozzle and precise angles using what I learned in my physics class. The lack of the curtain is extremely confusing and I don’t clean about half of my body due to risk of getting water everywhere. I get debatably clean and decide to give up on the shower.

I sneak back to my room, get changed and start unpacking. While doing this, I realize how little clothing I brought to Grenoble. The lack of dryer will definitely make this interesting. I hope Anne-Marie likes seeing my Supreme underwear.

The whole day made me super exhausted and all I wanted to do was to lie down on m new bed, which I proceeded to due.

While doing this, I was google translating like a madman to figure out how I would present my gifts for Andre and Anne-Marie. I memorize a sentence that translates to “I have presents” in my crappy French and hear the dinner bell ring soon after.

This is when I awkwardly meet my American housemate, Jessica. I quickly learn that she is a student from Texas and is studying French at another university. Not that this counts for anything, but she is also not the most pleasant looking.

I come downstairs and Jessica and I give them our gifts. Host family gifts are weird, but Anne-Marie seems to enjoy my Berkeley Heights coasters and New Jersey dish towel. Andre smiles at my New Jersey t-shirt. Afterwards, Anne-Marie hangs up my family’s Christmas card that I gave her on the kitchen door.

In her broken English, Anne-Marie asks what Berkeley Heights means. I don’t know the word for town, so now I’m pretty sure she thinks Berkeley Heights is my village. Apparently state-themed gifts are popular, because A-M proceeds to pull out a New Jersey shaped cutting board.

We start the meal and have dinner consisting of salad, mashed potatoes, some type of sausage. I get asked a few questions, and fortunately their 36 year old son,who has a better grasp of English, is visiting that day. Jessica has a decent grasp of French and occasionally converses with the family. Though for me, most of the dinner consisted of me eating in silence, saying the occasional “merci”.

The food was pretty good, and I make sure to not only be as courteous as possible, but to eat all my food as well. Celine told us earlier that it insulting to reject food or not finish it. Our meal then becomes more stereotypically French as A-M pulls out the fresh baguette and fancy cheeses after the main courses. They’re all really good and I feel especially cultured. Fortunately one of the few french phrases I know is, “C’est délicieux” or this is delicious. I say this in regards to the cheese and everyone finds it hilarious. 

The meal continues on as A-M brings out fancy cookies and ice cream with kiwis. As usual it is delicious. I wish I could take pictures of the food, but I was trying to be as respectful as possible. Eventually Andre gets up, and Jessica and I get our cue that dinner is finished. It doesn’t seem like A-M wants our help in cleanup, so I head upstairs for the night.

At this point, I have been up for 24+ hours and am extremely exhausted. I quickly unpack everything and get my room settled. I then proceed to figure out how to Capital One without having phone service. After some quick online research and app downloads, I call them via wifi and sort out my bank situation.

I set two alarms, lie down diagonally, and quickly pass out.