France

Each student has a unique and individual experience on their Experiment program. The following essay is a single glimpse into a program from one student's perspective.

Ben Pasternack -- Capturing France on Film

My whole experience in France with the Experiment in International Living was incredible and amazing. Paris was amazing, and my mind holds many gratifying memories of it, from riding on the Metro to taking pictures of street people for a photo essay. Yet Paris wasn’t the whole program. The first day living with the Giffran’s in the small town of Langueux symbolizes the anxiety, confusion, hilarity, enjoyment, and ecstasy of my entire time in France.

The homestay was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. Living with another family in a different culture, trying to understand each other through the giant language barrier is tough. But once you live with people for long enough, it gets easier and even familiar. I gained so much insight from this--seeing the way a family lives in another culture and also seeing how their society and community functions, as well as identifying and comparing the differences between my life and theirs. All in all, French life is a lot less complicated and more laid back than life in America. Although my days were full and occupied, the French way of living was just much more peaceful than our fast-paced way of living in America.

Our group’s homestay was right outside of the city of St. Brieuc in Brittany, the northwestern most part of France. My new home ended up to be right outside of the city in the small village of Langueux.

When we hustled to get all of our baggage off the TGV--France’s fastest train--after I had been asleep for the last 3 hours, I didn’t realize that the 12 of us only had only four minutes to get more than fifteen forty-pound bags off the train. (This is the main reason why the TGV is the fastest--they don’t hang around train stations long.) So we all frantically hustled and made-as I called it-a "Henry Ford style assembly line" in order to get this done. Also, because I was one of the three guys, I was getting the bulk of the load. So it was a bit of a relief when I realized that, as I was plunging bags off the train, some generous French people were helping on the platform. I thought to myself, "that’s so nice; we could use all the hands we can get." Well, we finally made it, and I realized that the people who had joined our assembly line were actually our host families! I had been too occupied with the baggage situation to put two and two together. Now that I look back on the trip, this first impression of our host families remains clear and important to me.

Anna, our EIL group leader, called out names, and one by one we found our families. I watched my group leaving, a group that had only known each other for 3 days, but that was already so close. We were like family; we had looked out for each other and got along well, and now we had to separate, as we all did with our birth-families at the JFK airport. Sure we would see each other in the next month a few times on group outings, etc, but now, each of us was on our own, going off with a new family who didn’t speak English!

I greeted my mother, Mrs. Giffran, and we went back to Langueux, speaking in a dialect that we would all come to learn and love over the coming weeks, Franglais. She told me a few things about the family. Although it was Saturday, Mr. Giffran worked, and wouldn’t be back till later in the evening. My host brother, Jonathan, was away in the Alps for a few days. On our street, Rue St. Ilan, in Langueux, three of the Giffran’s neighbors were host families of my group members. Also, they all had siblings who were my age that I could hang out with before Jonathan came back from the Alps. I was relieved and excited. Later, I would meet the boys: Emeric, who was fellow Experimenter Sheree’s brother across the street; Simon--Anna S’s brother two houses down; and Tugduel (a neat regional Breton name) who belonged to Gabba, four houses down. Also in Langueux, were four more of my American comrades: Anna L, with her interesting host sister; Jamal, with his elusive brother; Jonathan, with his brother, Batiste--one of the weirdest and most awkward people ever; and Katie, with her brother, Gaeton, who was one of the funniest people I have ever met, and who was fluent in speaking English with a British accent. Langueux was the place to be, and I felt badly for the other EIL group members and our group leader, who didn’t experience the magic of our small community and neighborly outings.

Anyway, my mother and I got home and ate our first meal. There was seafood, rice, salad, a baguette, and butter--the smoothest and best butter that I’ve ever tasted. I noticed that the butter was kept in the cabinet rather than the refrigerator. Well, at first I was skeptical of this non-refrigerated butter, but then I decided that if these people had been keeping their butter in the cabinet for all these years and weren’t getting sick, I probably would be okay. I used this logic with many other things in France.

Prior to the homestay I had been told about some important French customs and mannerisms by my group. First off, it is appropriate to put one's elbow on the table if you enjoy the meal—no elbows or both elbows on the table are considered very rude. Next, I was told to never cut the baguette--always tear it. The last important rule I had been told was to never cut the lettuce with a knife.

Well back to lunch--so I’m sitting there thinking about these important rules, and firstly my mother offers me some bread. So I take some and proudly rip it--making crumbs fly everywhere. Mrs. Giffran takes the baguette and cuts it with her knife. Also, as I tried to make sure my right elbow was on the table, and my left arm in my lap, I noticed that both of Mrs. Giffrans elbows were on the table! Then, she brought out the salad, and strike three; she cut it up with her knife. I relaxed when I realized that all three of these "holy" and "crucial" rules were broken by my French mother during our first meal together.

Eventually, I did learn that the French have some table manners that are different from mine in America--though not strict and quite varied by region. Mainly, I saw that when eating bread (nearly at every meal), it is acceptable to keep the bread on the table rather than the plate--something that my mom at home would certainly not find acceptable in her kitchen! Also, there was no need to keep my napkin in my lap. These little things made the whole home stay with the Giffrans relaxed and very sweet. The homestay showed me a relaxed French lifestyle rather than the stereotypical strict and rude French lifestyle that I had heard about.

The Giffrans turned out to be exceptionally warmhearted people. Their ethics, morals, and politics were very similar to those of my family. In fact, I can see the Giffrans and my parents getting along really well and being close friends--of course the only obstacles to this are the large language barrier and the large body of water. St. Brieuc reminded me a lot of my American hometown--White Plains, New York--because population trends and diversity were similar. The main difference was that all the buildings were older. And don’t get me wrong, White Plains was one of the first cities in America--established in the 1660s--but some of the buildings in St. Brieuc range back to nearly 1000 years old.

The first night in Langueux, a few more great things happened. A few of us went to the beach, and I made friends with Anna S.’s brother, Simon, and Gabba’s brother, Tugduel. We talked mostly about America. And the question arose, "Do you like boosh?" I had no idea what "boosh" was. Then I got it. "Oooh Bush-yea that guy". More questions arose on the subject, and after which, along with a diagram I drew in the sand, I went on to explain how the US Electoral College works--civics 101.

Later that night, I went with Simon and Anna S, to watch the Soccer Match--the World Cup quarter final game Brazil vs. France. We also heard Sheree’s brother Emeric’s band play. We watched the match at an outdoor teenage music festival. On one side, there was a stage, and on the other there were about 30 people crowded around a large screen TV. That night, the music amused me, since most of it was local bands covering America hard rock songs--songs that I hate--and desperately trying to sing them in English. Well, it wasn’t my taste of music (to say the least). But most importantly, the French team of underdogs overcame and beat the previous World Cup Champions, Brazil, triumphing over the Brazilian all stars Ronaldo, and Ronaldino--two of the highest regarded soccer players in the world.

After France won, everyone went crazy. It was intense and spectacular seeing these people so excited that their country had won. This exuberant national pride rang through the streets, as people opened bottles of wine, sang, got in their cars, held down the horns, waved giant French Flags out their windows and chanted "Allez les Bleus." It amazed me that even in the small town of Langueux, this was so important. I could only imagine what was going on in Paris.

Overall, the summer in France was an incredible experience. In Paris I learned about photography and took many pictures which I hope will give me international fame some day! Nearly everyday was filled with fun, freedom, excitement, curiosity, and understanding. Yet my homestay with the Giffrans in the small town of Langueux was the most important part of my experience.