The French Leave-taking

August 7th, 2009

I am absolutely exhausted. This week has been rough. Planning and teaching ten hours in French was hard. A whole week of my stomach hurting and a small appetite made it harder. I think I picked up some parasite along the way. I’m going in to get tested on Monday.

The medical care here is the best I’ve received in my life. Upon arrival we were given medical kits containing almost every medicine I have ever used in my life and some I haven’t. On top of that twenty four hours a day I’m a text message away from a doctor. And I’ve needed to use almost all of it this week. It has been a long one.

Tonight is the last night the two French teachers, Vanessa and Sophie, will be staying with us. They are leaving early in the morning. I will be sad to see them go. They have been a wonderful influence on my family. We’ve started eating at the kitchen tabled as opposed to on the couch. We’ve had bread with dinner. They have changed so many of the things I have wanted to change, but have not the words to do so. They have even started to teach Belguissa the alphabet and numbers.

Tonight is a night of gift exchanges. My family gives two matching custom fitting dresses, matching purses and jewelry for the French women and they give the children journals, balloons and candy in return. My dad gives a speech about how happy they have been to host such great people. I understand about half of it, smiling through the rest.

My mind wanders to my own departure from this house, exactly two weeks from now. Time here has gone by quickly, and not quickly enough. I’ve learned a lot, mostly just how much more I need to learn. My communication has gotten better, but to date I’ve had only one meaningful conversation within these walls, with Sophie about politics, Obama, and Euro-American relations. There have been good times here and bad. I think I’m ready to go.