And…hello from the United States! I have taken the holiday vacation to come back to Pittsburgh to spend time with family and friends. It is a nice break, to have some time around things that are comfortable and familiar and to not always be thinking of how to explain something I want to say! (French conversation has undeniably gotten easier for me though since I arrived in Royan at the end of September.) The past week however, has not been without reminders of France and some cultural pondering. First, my family is hosting a friend, Jenny Yin, from Nanjing, China this week for the Christmas holidays. Jenny is a student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill with my younger sister. Over the past few days, I have seen some similarities between Jenny and I in terms of the experience of being an expatriate in a different country! For example, Jenny wants to be aware of new terms and phrases that she hears or sees, and frequently asks us for their meanings. As my Dad was explaining something to Jenny on a walk today, I whispered to my Mom, "this is the same scene that occurs when I am with the Sores!" The Sore Family is the family of my responsable in Royan, a woman named Sylvie who works for the schools in my area and has generally organized my work schedule. Her family is very kind and frequently invites me to events, at which, much like Jenny, I am often asking the meaning of a somewhat vernacular term I may not know! As someone interested in pursuing a career in international education after my year in France, it is really interesting to observe both sides of an exchange experience, and realize first hand that people traveling, working, or studying abroad experience the same struggles, regardless of language!
Another moment that brought my mind to France occurred during yoga this morning. My mom, sister and I like to go to classes, so I thought practicing yoga would be a nice hobby to continue in France! It has taken me a little while, but I have found a nice yoga class of senior ladies that I attend on Tuesday mornings in Royan. A few weeks ago, the instructor of my class in France was talking about the importance of keeping one's back straight while doing forward folds, and that it is more important to have a flat back than being able to bend so far to touch one's toes. At the time I thought it was a rather detailed point. I was at a yoga class in Pittsburgh this morning, and the instructor started to speak on the same concept! An important part of the yoga philosophy is that everyone can practice, regardless of age or flexibility or physical strength. This morning I found another part of the universal philosophy of yoga: that regardless of culture or language, caring for our bodies is a something that we all as humans strive to do. A forward fold is a forward fold, regardless of whether explained in English or French!
Another moment that brought my mind to France occurred during yoga this morning. My mom, sister and I like to go to classes, so I thought practicing yoga would be a nice hobby to continue in France! It has taken me a little while, but I have found a nice yoga class of senior ladies that I attend on Tuesday mornings in Royan. A few weeks ago, the instructor of my class in France was talking about the importance of keeping one's back straight while doing forward folds, and that it is more important to have a flat back than being able to bend so far to touch one's toes. At the time I thought it was a rather detailed point. I was at a yoga class in Pittsburgh this morning, and the instructor started to speak on the same concept! An important part of the yoga philosophy is that everyone can practice, regardless of age or flexibility or physical strength. This morning I found another part of the universal philosophy of yoga: that regardless of culture or language, caring for our bodies is a something that we all as humans strive to do. A forward fold is a forward fold, regardless of whether explained in English or French!
Jenny, Ellen and I on Christmas Eve!