Family Time

Alors, I just finished a highly entertaining dinner with the family. At the beginning, it was like being a stranger at some other family's dinner table (which in fact, I am), because the family was having an intense discussion/argument. The Beguins really want Laure to learn/practice/become fluent in English, and they want to send her abroad for a year (since living with American students isn't working...Laure rolled her eyes at the suggestion of practicing by talking to Americans). They wanted her to go to England or the United States, or some other well-known anglophone country, and the only place she wants to go is Malta, the tiny island in the Mediterranean. She's quite stubborn and argumentative. One of my first nights at dinner, Julien, her future brother-in-law, told her she had a "spirit of contradiction" and this phrase has been tossed around and debated ever since. Mme. Beguin whipped it out tonight as Laure was arguing about the benefits of studying in Malta and why she didn't want to go farther away. After the discussion died down a bit, Mme. Beguin turned to me and asked why I was so quiet...why was I intimidated tonight? was it the cold? It would have taken someone far more outspoken and audacious than I to burst into that conversation. Plus I have difficulty understanding, because when they get passionate, they get loud and talk fast, particularly Laure. Luckily the conversation died down in pace and intensity, and I was able to join in a bit. M. or Mme. Beguin usually helps me get involved, particularly Mme. Beguin, because it's much easier (in any language) for me to talk to one person.

The cousin who lives here during the week...I think her name is Jeanne...who is super nice and much more personable than the other children/relatives...came to my room to fetch me for dinner and asked if I'd be willing to speak English with her sometimes b/c she needs to practice for some really important exam she has to take. It's funny how I always think that the French are so much better at English than I am at French, when in fact often they are not. I think it's partially due to the fact that it sounds okay when the French speak English with a heavy accent...their misprononciations are cute, whereas when Americans speak French with an American accent, we are butchering their beautiful language (and it just doesn't sound good). Anyways, Jeanne and I are going to walk to school together on Thursday and speak English and French. I said I'd be happy to help her out with HW or whatever in English, and she said she'd work on my French with me if I wanted. I told her I was taking a translation class and could probably use some help with the English to French. She said she'd be happy to help, which works out very nicely for me.