"...I don't know, but we'll find out."

             It has been over 4 weeks now that I have been in France.  As I have figured out, there are many challenges that come with living in a different country; most of which involve adapting to their culture, daily routines, and way of life.  Having said that, you can imagine that the first couple weeks here were full of learning experiences.  But trust me, they are not about to end.

            Being in a foreign country, making mistakes is the easiest/most common way to learn. Well, for me at least.  Observing the locals also works well.  Since I’ve been here, my housemate and I have found ourselves constantly responding to each other’s questions with, “I don’t know, but we’ll find out!”  This has appeared so frequently in our daily dialogue that it is now basically our motto.

            “Does this bus go by our stop?”

            “I don’t know, but we’ll find out!”

            “What’s in your sandwich?”

            “I don’t know, but I’m about to find out.”

            “Do we bag the fruit ourselves in this store?”

            “I don’t know, but we’ll find out.”

            *Puts fruit in bag*

            “Where is our host mom taking us?”

            “I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out.”

            I’m happy to say that the French people have been very nice with helping “lost” Americans.  The following is a list of things I have learned or observed so far while in France:

(If you sense there are stories behind some of them, you would be correct).

1)      French write on graph paper.  Normal lined paper doesn’t exist in schools.

2)      French women ride bikes while wearing skirts and high heels. I know, right?  I didn’t think it was possible either.

3)      Shopping baskets at the grocery store can be carried…or wheeled.  

4)      Many people wear apparel with the American flag on it. Shirts, jackets, pants, shoes, scarves, helmets - you name it. (If anyone needs a cute Fourth of July outfit, let me know.)

5)      It’s a bit difficult showering in a tub with no shower curtain to keep the water in.

6)      If needing to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, don’t try to be polite by quietly sneaking down the squeaky wooden stairs without turning on the light. Madame will wake up and yell to turn on the light so as not to fall.

7)      I don’t like squash soup.  Not the first time or the eighth time.

8)      Not all the number 12 buses go by my stop – including the last one at 8:11pm that turns around half-way and goes back into town.

9)      At some markets you weigh the fruit yourself; at others, the vendor puts the fruit in the bag and weighs it for you.

10)  It’s apparently unusual to not drink coffee or tea every morning.

11)  I can be mistaken for being German.

12)  No one says thank you when getting off the bus, nor do they wave at cars that let them cross the street.

13)  Don’t smile at strangers you pass. They’ll be confused and think they know you.

14)  Most places are closed on Sunday, so lunch for that day should be bought the day before.

15)  Dinner usually begins at 8pm, which is also when the news starts. Channel 1 news is a must-see every night.

16)  We go through five plates each for every dinner at home. In other words, 5 courses.

17)  What sounds like a fire alarm is actually just the doorbell.

18)  At school, the unlabeled yellow door is the women’s bathroom and the unlabeled green door is the men’s bathroom.  I guess pink and blue just didn’t suffice.  A lot of bathrooms are also unisex.  

            It’ll take a while to adapt and completely fit in (especially when a shop worker yells “Goodbye American women!” as you're leaving the store), but eventually it will happen. Part of the experience is learning the culture while being immersed in it.  That’s the fun part.  Every day is a new adventure.