Chez Madame Poidevin

Place des Vosges (in the Marais):

I was going to entitle this post, "My Madame," but then remembered that my mother informed me that this phrase sounds wrong...

I thought I would write a bit about my homestay and where I live! I am in the 15th Arrondisement, a bit south of the Eiffel Tower, and my street, Rue Tiphaine, is right off rue de Commerce, which is covered with shops and boutiques, cafes and brasseries. My apartment building is newer than most in the city, but not necessarily new...which is nice, it gives it an authentic feel on the inside. I think that several children live next door because around bedtime each night I have heard what sounds like five babies screaming. The walls are thin!!

The 17th Arrondisement:

My room is absolutely adorable: it is covered in orange and yellow fabrics, and has black laquer furniture, as well as a melange of art and interesting decorations! It is fairly large, as well, for a room in an apartment in the middle of Paris.

Madame Poidevin is very nice, and she makes fabulous food! She does not speak English, but she is a tutor to children for whom French is a second language, so she is very patient with me when I take a little longer to explain things. I've gotten very good at figuring out certain vocabulary: "What is the opposite of this?" "What is the word, for when you are the opposite of hungry?" for example.

She also is a fantastic cook. The first night, she made me steak and delicious, thinly cut potatoes, and an avocado salad. We had cheese for dessert. No one has ever asked me so casually if I would like cheese. As you can probably guess, I did not hesitate to say "Oui, bien sur!!!" On Monday night we had a delicious salad of beets and apples and hazelnuts, and then chicken with cooked endive. And last night, we had carrot and parsley soup, and rice and le canard...duck! It was delicious. I wonder what is for dinner tonight...?

Somehow, we are able to talk about all sorts of things without awkwardness...I think I am lucky because she is good at listening and guessing what I am saying when I am kind of roundabout in my sentences. But I think my French is a lot more fluid than I thought. It's all up there, it's just a matter of extracting it.

At the same time, however, I am starting to over-think my French a bit more now that I have been here for a week, and so getting out certain sentences has been a bit harder the past couple of days...I think I am more self-conscious, and just mentally exhausted! I haven't slept so well in so long, but after a long day of speaking French, taking intensive French review sessions, and then having two-hour long conversations at dinner time, I am wiped out.

I think that fluency will come, but the hardest part is capturing the nuances of the language, and being really fluid about speaking it. We will see...

rue de Commerce (avec le GAP):