What a privilege. These are the words I’ve kept repeating to myself for the last month or so as I’ve been studying abroad, but it hasn’t always been what I’ve expected. Ever since I knew… More
Bonjour, Bonsoir, Bienvenue!
From France, to wherever you’re reading, hello.
To introduce Aix-en-Provence, I must first introduce your narrator.
Picture a little girl in brown pigtails. You know, just a typical eight year old, who likes fairies and the Cars movies and running around in the backyard with her two brothers. What do you think she’d request for her birthday?
New colored pencils? A stuffed animal? Perhaps one of those barbie secret passcode journals that you unlock with a password.
I requested a beret. A French one, a real one.
It has been and always was a dream of mine to come to France. I don’t really know where it stemmed from, but I think the idealized version of a place filled with baguettes and the love of life was quite tempting.
So that brings me to, well, Provence. Aix was founded by Romans in 122 BC, but I’ve been here about five weeks now. I took a direct flight to my hopes and dreams. It’s full of tall buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and so much history you can (and I might) write a book on it. There’s these little metal indicators of the daily path that the artist Cézanne took as he strolled the promenade, and markets three days a week. It’s mainly students here, but the population is wide and diverse and a lot more casually involved in life itself.
I walk past buildings with ‘1618’ stamped on the side, and it takes me a second to process that. The cathedrals are detailed and beautiful beyond compare. I’ve wandered into galleries, tasted croissants and gelatos, and waltzed around the Cours Mirabeau. I’ve been able to take slight excursions to all different places on the coast, including Cassis Port, Saint-Maries-de-la-Mer, and St. Tropez. I’ll be heading to the Velcludes for a day trip to learn about the architecture of the town, and the local monastery. It’s safe to say, I’m living in a storybook. I certainly am filling up the cameras I bought, with little saint statues on the corners of the buildings and people dancing in their apartments, framed with the iconic blue shutters.
I have this wonderful host mother, named Anne. We share Madelines over coffee. My host is kind, sweet, and laughs easily. Her daily routines are a complete envy of mine, and I love her dearly. She is quick to laugh, patient to understand, and won’t ever let me do the dishes (though I thoroughly try). It’s about a 20 minute walk to the city center for me, which I opt for, but when returning I take the bus. A relatively efficient system, though you have to hail it like a taxi when you need to hop on. Dinners happen later, so I’m able to catch the late news with her too, to stay up to date and practice my French. My roommate is actually from CU Boulder, and we’re able to bond over music and the gorgeous St. Victoire mountain that we are eyeing for a hike.
My French isn’t that of a local, obviously, but I’ve gotten a few choice phrases down.
« Je voudrais un café décaféiné et un croissant s’il vous plait. »
That one is heavily repped, I hate to admit. I am in love with the phrases and words and sometimes sounds that people use to express themselves. A sigh, a shrug, a « ca marche » (it works). I love it all, and find myself slipping into it when I can. Chatting with my host has been the best practice of all.
Overall, I find myself all the more present. I put my oldies French music playlist to work, don’t get me wrong, but there’s something about walking around a town that is far older than the country you were born in that is so fascinating.
One of the other DU Abroad bloggers is with me, too! You should check Marley Flanagan in the DU Abroad Bloggers section. We’ve been having a blast together, exploring the town and eating our weight in croissants. I’m quickly loving having a diverse range of friends from all over, who are all undoubtably down for an adventure.
I’m studying art here, and every day I get to paint or draw to my heart’s content. I would say our work is similar to the impressionist era, of course, we’re in the space that it was born. I get to sit out in fields, watching the seasons change as I try to capture them in oil paints and pencils.
I write more. I read more. I’m collecting postcards to embellish with stamps and send on their merry way. I sit in parks to draw, and listen carefully to the chatter of passersby. I love watching people play the game of pétanque, and may have tried it a bit myself.
And so, my dearest reader, I bring this rêve to a close. I will write you as soon as I can, and with matched passion. In the meantime, I’ll be heading to the beach to peer at the linens, try gelato, and start living life at the pace it should be.
Want to keep up with my adventures in photos? Follow @ouaiscestmae on Instagram, and if you want more to read, check out The Memo on Substack!
Thanks for reading, and à bientôt!
My One Month Reflection
It doesn’t feel that long since I arrived in Taiwan, yet I am already one month in. I am really glad I chose to study abroad with CET Taiwan. They have been helpful in terms of adjusting to life in Taipei as well as supporting me with any problems I have as they arise. I am living in an apartment with a couple other CET students and a local Taiwan roommate. I like my living situation, as I often do a lot of activities with my housemates, such as having barbeque for the Mid Autumn Festival and exploring various neighborhoods. Having a local roommate is also pretty helpful for practicing my Chinese with her as well as understanding Taiwan culture. In addition to a Taiwanese local roommate, I have two Taiwanese language partners that I meet up with once a week and practice Chinese.
So far I have enjoyed my time here in Taiwan, but it was hard adjusting to the cultural differences. I have experienced some culture shock while adjusting to life in Taipei. A difference from America is there are a lot of motorcycles. This makes it hard walking across the street, because I don’t want to get hit by a motorcycle. One thing I didn’t expect is how frequently it rains and how humid it is. I always have the AC on in the apartment so it doesn’t get too hot. I am sure I will get used to the humidity with time, and it won’t be that uncomftorable. I always bring an umbrella with me because I am not sure when it will rain. Due to the humidity, there are also a lot of mosquitos. The first day in Taipei I got a lot of mosquito bites on my legs. Now I always apply bug spray and wear long pants to prevent getting mosquito bites. Another cultural difference is that you are not allowed to drink water on the bus or MRT. Before knowing that rule, I made the mistake of drinking water on the MRT, but my local roommate told me I should put away my water. Also, since there is no dryer in my apartment I have to hang up my clothes after washing them. This just means I have to wait a couple of days for my clothes to dry.
Although it was difficult adjusting to culture shock, there are a couple of things I appreciate about Taiwanese life. Everyday I take the bus to National Taiwan University (NTU), and I have found it to be pretty convenient and clean. Busses come almost every 15-30 minutes, making it a reliable transportation. Besides taking the bus, I also ride the MRT which is the local train system. Compared to America, I find the MRT more convenient since it comes around every 6-10 minutes. There are also other transit systems like the high speed rail, which I have yet to take, that is a pretty fast mode of transportation connecting you to other parts of Taiwan. I also love how hospitable Taiwanese people are. Sometimes I get lost navigating different areas, but Taiwanese people are always eager to help me find where I want to go.
I also experienced what it is like to eat in a Taiwanese restaurant. Although I am learning Chinese, it was still a bit difficult to order in Chinese. It is sometimes hard to figure out what characters mean, especially on menus. I had to ask my Taiwanese roommate how to say what I wanted to order. Hopefully with time I can order in Chinese without using Google translate. The food is pretty good and also pretty cheap. Food in Taiwan is generally cheaper than food in America, so it will be nice to eat a lot of good food while also saving a lot of money.
There are a lot of cultural differences that I need to adjust to in Taipei, but I am sure with time I will get used to it. Although there are a lot of cultural differences, there are already a lot of differences that I enjoy about Taipei. I am excited to spend the next two months studying abroad in Taipei. So far I have met a lot of other students in my program, but I am excited to make a lot more new friends. I am also looking forward to exploring various places in Taipei as well as other places outside of Taipei.
