By Keriann Boone
Lyon Correspondent
We participants in the 2003-04 Lyon Program have been in France for one week, yet it feels like one month. Our hopes for a relaxing year living and traveling in Europe have evaporated into reality.
The term “total immersion” suddenly has weight. We are not here to study in France; we are here to become French. We are living in a French home with a French family. We are attending Université Catholique de Lyon, a French college where we study under French professors. And we are all alone.
Unlike the other Pepperdine programs, Lyon does not have a Pepperdine campus. Our homes are scattered throughout Lyon. This seemingly minor detail has a monstrous effect on us.
We have each grown so much within our first week that I cannot even imagine who we will become by the end of the year. This week has been especially exhausting because each of us is coping with change.
Adapting to the French culture is anything but easy. As if moving in with strangers is not stressful enough, we must also adhere to new customs in order not to offend our families. We have to conserve water and electricity, which means taking five-minute showers and hanging our clothes to dry.
However, adjusting to the language is much more strenuous. Most of the families do not speak any English, and most of the students speak limited French. This handicap makes for awkward conversation during dinner; but these dinner table experiences are more educational than those in the classroom.
The language barrier is extremely frustrating at times and exaggerates simple tasks. I proudly asked, en français, a stranger for directions, only to realize that I could not understand his response. Since then, my French-English dictionary has become my best friend, and my new paper cuts are incentive to improve my French as quickly as possible.
The real adventure, however, has been interacting with the 1.6 million Lyon inhabitants. People-watching has become my new favorite sport.
The fashion is more bizarre here than in Venice Beach. I have seen people wearing anything from Hermes to trash bags (seriously). The only common trend is chain-smoking.
I have also found that meeting new people has never been so much fun. I recently found myself discussing politics with three Norwegians and a Swede in a discothèque located on a boat in the Rhône River in Lyon. I have discovered that studying abroad is full of amazing (and frustrating) surprises.
Now we are waiting for our heads to stop spinning and for routine to settle. The best part of this program is that none of us knew what we were getting into. We each dove head first into the program, not realizing that we would land in the deep end.
We really are totally immersed and struggling to stay afloat; but each day is a little more fluent than the day before.
September 25, 2003