Forbidden English
I attend class 5 days a week for about 5 hours every day. The morning class is composed of French grammar and conversational skills. The 15 minute break in the morning is quite interesting (it’s more like 20-25 minutes everyday: typical of Europeans). The students and teachers from the different levels of classes congregate in a common area to sip coffee. The teachers are quick to send a sharp glance if they hear you speaking English. It is in this coffee break that one realizes that English truly is the universal language. When we students of different class levels from different countries get together to chat, we often revert back to English. It is a bit frustrating/embarrassing for me because my international friends are working on their third or fourth language. I’m just on my second.
I truly enjoy our morning classes. My professor, Annelise, is quite engaging; she has a lot of spunk. I, of course, am already her favorite student. We are forbidden to speak anything but French in class, but that doesn’t stop my two Polish friends or my two Turkish friends from sneaking in some non-French conversation. Annelise fusses at them in a humorous way. I sometimes get annoyed in class because if I am speaking French and can’t think of or don’t know the word I need, I have to act it out or describe it in French. This is fine if you the word is something simple to imitate or describe, like ‘ironing,’ but it is not as easy if it is an abstract concept, like ‘guilt.’ I’ll survive.
Afternoon classes are not as enjoyable for me. We depart from grammar and address cultural issues. The classes can be a tad banal. The higher level classes discuss literature and poetry, while my class is discussing the different types of food indigenous to Belgium.
The city where I get to take these classes is wonderful! It is gorgeous and reminds me of the Latin Quarter in Paris. The city is small with a population > 100,000 people, but it has the several different things found in a big city. Mons has amazing restaurants, especially in the city center, known as the Grand Place. Most of these have sidewalk seating. Mons also has mainstream clothing stores like H&M, Celio, Zara. My favorite stores, however, are the upper scale shops with various brands of clothing. Sadly and obviously, they are très cher (very expensive).
I practically live in the city center amidst all of these beautiful, old, historic, European buildings. It is a great feeling to leave my dorm room, walk a block, and end up in a café or a boulangerie (bakery). Another block will put me in the city center. I feel so urban and European.
I'm signing off with a few pictures of Mons. Enjoy!
A view of the bell tower from my favorite park.
My school is the building with the statue
Hotel de Ville (City Hall) in the Grand Place at night
The weekly flower market in the Grand Place
