Paris is not a dream

Today we had two more orientation sessions and then we met our home stay families. I honestly can't imagine a more perfect family for me to stay with. Monsieur et Madame Dumontier are an older couple with four grown children. Jacques Dumontier (the dad) is a retired journalist having spent his career as a radio journalist, traveling all around the world. Now, his oldest daughter was telling me, he sits at home, in his chair, reading and drinking coffee - I told him he had lived and was living my ideal life. Gaelle Dumontier is a high school teacher, she teaches Latin and French. Two of their children live in Paris and were here for dinner tonight. Their other daughter lives with her husband in Boston and their other son works at the French embassy in Tunisia. There are books everywhere in the apartment, every single room, including the toilet, has a sagging bookshelf. Marielle, the eldest daughter, told me her dad has never given away a book. In my room they have placed all the English books and few French ones that Jacques expects me to read and discuss with him, we'll see how that goes. They are a very international family. Marielle is married to a man from Mozambique whom she met while she was teaching French there. Elliot, the older son, works for Zodiac and is constantly traveling. The younger son who works in Tunisia has also worked in Egypt and Syria. Jacques himself saw a lot of the world while working. So we had a lot to talk about at dinner.

Before dinner Jacques had driven me from the hotel to their apartment and I had an entire tour of Paris at night. He pointed out the museums, the parliament, Notre Dame, mosques , and so on. To complete this perfect fit of a home, from my window you can see the Eiffel Tower. Gaelle said they give this room to the students so that they can assure themselves Paris is not a dream - they are really here.