La Une in English: January 2007

Hello & Goodbye --Anna Cumbie, rédactrice

Toulouse, Finally A student’s first steps in a city of knowledge, art and culture It was almost noon when I left Carlisle and the weather was beautiful, as far as winter weather goes. The sun, having freed itself from the embrace of a long sleep, strolled majestically throughout its kingdom. I smiled at it and left. My first flight took me from the center of Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., and a second took me as far as Frankfurt. It was seven a.m. by the time I touched German soil, and the sleep I still hadn’t gotten due to the time change between Uncle Sam’s territory and the Old World decided to make itself known. Eyelids heavy and body weak, I stubbornly resisted its pull, but not for long. I kept on the lookout for a free bench in the airport waiting room, and as soon as I saw one, I snatched it and lay down, curling up like a dog. After that, I don’t remember much. A few hours later I realized that I hadn’t quite reached the end of this episode or, rather, my treasure hunt. Once again I found myself between the sky and the ground, above the clouds that I contemplated dreamily from my window. This time, however, my flight was much shorter. In fact, I was in Toulouse after only two hours. Aptly named La Ville Rose, Toulouse welcomed me with all the promise of a new beginning. First, my family was waiting for me at the airport: Chantal, my host mother, Joanna, my sister, and Renaud, her boyfriend. Nobody could have outdone them in celebrating my arrival and, consequently, making me even happier. On the way home, I couldn’t keep from looking all around me, first at my family and then at the beautiful old buildings we passed along the Canal du Midi. Various in styles, the buildings are, among other things, what make up the charm of Toulouse, once the capital of Aquitaine. At the house, I was happy to find myself in a calm, serene setting that didn’t make me miss home at all. What touched me the most was when my host mother asked me to call her Chantal, and told me I could use “tu” instead of “vous” when speaking to her. Everything combined to put me instantly at ease, and it was the beginning of a nice long conversation. This morning was the beginning of Orientation, which started with a presentation of the Dickinson Center staff and the Dickinson in France program in general. We all got the opportunity to get to know Madame Toux, Gersende, and Laura—women without whom we wouldn’t be here—a little bit better. Afterwards, we were all tested on our knowledge of the language of Molière, given basic information, and finally introduced to French cuisine at a local restaurant where we got to try several different quiches. Lastly, we were given a tour of the Pont des Demoiselles neighborhood by Anal Cumbie, a student who has been in Toulouse since September, before we all left to hunt for cell phones downtown. Today, then, was the beginning of a new experience, the turning of a new page in everyone’s life that will, by May, undoubtedly be covered with beautiful images etched in indelible ink. --Moustapha Minte Cliquez ici pour retourner à la version française.