La Une in English: January 2010

Constant Motion January always is a month full of changes. A new year, a new diet after all the parties, New Year’s resolutions, and of course the sense of renewal. The Dickinson in France progam also is seeing a lot of changes in January. The arrival of new students, ready to discover the « ville rose », coincides with the departure of those who either return to the States or leave to discover a new area. I would like to thank all the first-semester students for the good times and for their contributions to the program. « Bises » to all and we wish you a good rest of the year. I would also like to welcome all our new students and hope that your time here will be both enriching and unforgettable! -- Anna Cumbie, editor Christmas Reception 2009 A group of first-semester students pose for a snapshot with Madame Toux. Each student left with a gift from under the tree : Le Goût de Toulouse, a book that celebrates Toulouse. Chocolate macarons and lemon tartlets enchanted the attendees’ palates. Do you know argot? fac (nf) - university, college. « On se connaît depuis la première année à la fac. » « We’ve known each other since our first year at college. » texto (nm) - text message. « Je te tiens au courant par texto. » « I’ll keep you updated by text. » demi (nm) - a 25-cL glass of beer, (a half-pint). « Je prends un demi, s’il vous plaît. » « I’ll take a half-pint please. »

10 things to know when you arrive in Toulouse Before leaving for France, I’d tried to prepare myself for whatever might shock or leave me completely irritated. It’s a good thing that I did, because without this mental preparation I would have wanted to leave after a week! Thus, the first tip for surviving in Toulouse is: 1. Prepare yourself mentally for cultural missteps! I’ll also give you a few other tips now as well – 2. You will forget to put both of your hands on the table during the meal. Worse, it’s impossible to put them back on the table subtly! 3. Speaking of meals, the ones that you share with your host family will probably make up the grand majority of the time that you’ll spend with your host family. The table manners here are very different from those in the States. So, what I did was to watch my family and what they did before starting to eat, and like that, I never made a mistake. 4. On the subject of your host family, remember that you’re going to live with them for five months. You must always say « hello » or « good evening » to members of your family when you see them. 5. If you have any souvenirs from Grand Teton National Park in the US, don’t bring them with you. I made this mistake, and I can tell you that in France, « un grand téton » is definitely not a mountain. 6. Before leaving for Toulouse, I had this fantasy that I was going to speak fluent French after orientation. This isn’t the case at all. It seemed to me like I couldn’t speak French. I think that was what discouraged the other students this semester—that they thought they’d speak perfectly after only a month. 7. To make friends, you have to meet up with people outside the classroom. Okay, so maybe you speak with the students around you during your classes, but it’s not the same thing as going and grabbing a cup of coffee with them. 8. Along the same lines, you can’t make friends by going to bars or nightclubs, because these are not the best places to communicate with the French. I advise you to join a club, do an organized activity or find something in general that allows you to talk with French people in a more personal context. 9. For me, the university was the most difficult part. « La fac » isn’t anything like American universities. There are huge amphitheatres full of students who talk during the entire course. So, try and sit in the front row so that you can better understand the professor. 10. Also, you aren’t going to have a lot of homework. The French students are very independent—they often continue their studies outside of class, so find the bibliography of the course and spend a few hours each week in the library. I’m sure that everyone will find other things that are going to irritate them. The most important thing is to accept that you are going to be uncomfortable and to figure out what puts you so ill at east. Good luck!! -- Jarrod Bouchard Bloggers among us Some Dickinson students are on the net ! Follow their blogs for comments and reflections about life in Toulouse. Andrea Wiley, first semester : http://dreakeepsdreaming.blogspot.com Jarrod Bouchard, full year : http://www.bouchenfrance.blogspot.com Bryna Hautau, first semester : http://navigatedeftly.blogspot.com January Birthdays 12 : Emma 20 : Patrick 25 : Sara 26 : Catherine 27 : Maria Click here to return to La Une de janvier 2010. Click here to return to the La Une homepage.