Melted Measuring Cups and Rum Flavored Desserts

My host parents returned last night after being on vacation for 12 days. That's right, they let me house sit all by myself for 12 days. No worries though, I was well taken care of. Before leaving my madame had cooked dinner for each night and my host brother and sister who live nearby stopped by occasionally. And when they returned everything was in order except for a plastic measuring cup my friend and I had managed to melt.

After being here for almost a month I can easily say that my French is getting better by the day. Conversation takes less thought and I am beginning to think in French when I am speaking instead of translating from English to French in my head. I am using expressions that only make sense in French and can now have conversations about politics, traveling, and French history. I also started phonetics this past week which is basically an hour of moaning French vowels into a headset. It surprisingly helps a lot though. I am still making humorous language mistakes such as today at Sunday dinner I said I like drinking rum in the desert instead of I like rum flavored desserts. I have also said at another dinner with my host parents that I have my mom's ex-boyfriend instead of saying I have my mom's eyes.

What's wonderful about being in Paris learning French is that it's more than just the language, it's the French culture and history as well. Living with a fairly traditional French family has taught me so many customs I would never have learned otherwise. For instance, proper French families set the table with the forks and spoons turned upside down. I asked my host sister about this and she said that centuries ago when silverware was actually silver the seal of the family was also put on the utensils. In England the seal was put on what we consider the right side up, but in France it was put on the other side and they always set the table with the seal facing up.

Life here has developed a comfortable rhythm and familiarity and as I was telling my real parents the other day, if I could find a way I might just stay here forever.