My first day here was a word disastrous. I arrived at the airport in Detroit with a headache that I can not befuddle. It of that in a moment of madness I lost my phone so I cut the world at a time or I would have had the most need to talk with those who I miss. I also broke a wok on arriving in the house by dropping my bag, so eventful arrival. Then my roommate comes in and leads me to the basement for my ... room whose windows are ground level. Besides, in December, he will think of the shovel to remove snow from windows if I do not want to feel buried under an avalanche. Ah yes the surprise arrival, a large machine that rotates in the room a bit like air conditioning and more noisy, it a dehumidifier that from time to time may be used to prevent mold. The good news is that there is moisture in summer.
DISCLAIMER: This section includes a number of general points relating to the American mentality and are a very biased and partial transcript of a far more complex reality, I know! Other
world the next day, hosted by the University for all international students for the orientation week. We were received in the ballroom of the Michigan League, one of two unions on campus are central places of relaxation and gathering dedicated solely to students. The area impresses with a prosecutor who could easily have reflect rings in my eyes a stormy night. The warm welcome of the Office of International Program, which deals with exchange programs and the reassuring support that Elin is a Swedish student who lives in my house.
breakfast in a room of Rackham Building, which is the lair of graduate students (masters wholesale). Session ultra al'américaine sociability, the "Hi I am Samuel! Where are you from? "You want some sailing. This allowed me meet international students with whom I spend a lot of time. With hindsight, the sociability of the American right, it allowed me to meet many people as possible in a short time. We start with an open mind about people here, brandishing his biggest smile and the world we encounter. In France, such a meeting would have been much more uptight, it easily passes for a hypocritical by seeking to meet many people but where's the harm he has to seek to meet people?
Everywhere, Americans seem generally very open and just talk to you very easily. Here individualism is king and his little life comes first but it does can exist only in an incredible sense of community and openness to others. You take the bus and you talk like that unsuspecting without any more than I understand everything I'm told. Of course, the other side is the superficiality of many meetings and I am aware. Anyway, I met a lot of people these days, retained some names and spend a lot of good times and it's essential. I met many Americans thanks to the coop and that is a good thing, I do not want to stay only with foreign students. It is, I think, much more mixed qu'al'IEP and then it must be said that as French, we are custodians of a "certain idea of France" would have told the general that the Americans love it. It's funny the "I Am French" is often accompanied by a 'wow it's cool! Everyone has their own tiny memory of French class in high school and that's a good boy!
So this week was orientation at the University of Michigan. The name is quite fitting since I spent my week paumer me here in the streets or in my head. The famous language barrier that I did not apprehended at all points the tip of her nose and made me stammer, hesitate on my English and repeat phrases. I missed a lot of words but I was struggling daily to make me understand. Often it's a problem of pronunciation. I dragged my little sad the first few days with this feeling of being misunderstood and then it passes and we begin to talk as'habituer in a foreign language. Nothing new on the sun expats, we go all through, the "cultural shock" seems that even the suffering people of Michigan in Ann Arbor has arrived. I must say that it is a small island in the middle of the golden reality U.S. and Midwest. I will talk longer in the post on the trip to Detroit. Funny anecdote: some easily confused words easily certain words in English. I spoke with people from my home office that was rather small. The word "board" came to me spontaneously, I am correct, that is obviously a desk. Then in the confusion of the discussion, the word "dick" out of my mouth in a slip doubtful. Most uncomfortable situation of being given the eyes of my interlocutor and my embarrassment but now makes me laugh to fatigue the first day of orientation.
Well, here are some events that mark me this week:
- calling the country during orientation. 2 French, thirty Europeans about 1000 people (probably more) and 90% Asian. A little lesson in geopolitics in the auditorium.
- Free Food! The University crumbling under the dollar organizes many events where you can eat for free. I am a national sport and yesterday I ate gratos for the 3rd time in a row in one place. I am very proud.
- Organic and vegetarian. I never eat as much organic's Ann Arbor, the city is a stronghold of the liberals who proclaim their flush bowl of beef fed with hormones and GMOs. So, we often eat organic, many people in the coop are vegetarians and finally we do not eat so badly. I think we're going to eat down here when work will start at the coop. Yes, we must work 4 hours per week at home in exchange for the pittance of the house and in a century home. I think I'll go in the kitchen trying to best represent the country of the pie and wine.
- "Woooooooooooooooouuuhhhh" is the noise made in the middle of the afternoon, the slut (let me) of the sorority next door. It's a great house as a brotherhood of American Pie but for these ladies and welcome to the weekend we face like Britney in the middle of the afternnon. In fact, this week had big night in every house in the neighborhood and yes I like it more. See post to come on the block party
- Ann Arbor is a very nice city otherwise. It's very green, very wooded, lots of bars and restaurants. The campus is super nice, a lot of ways. They can afford to 30,000 dollars per year for students from outside Michigan and non-scholarship. I'll try to post pictures shortly
Good here I wanted to share very much my first day. Tomorrow classes start I'm pretty excited AC elsewhere. I would be more concise in my next posts but I do not know want to write today. In any case, you will understand everything is going well here, new life begins, but I think those with fort on the other side of the Atlantic.
Well, in case you're not satiated, you can always look at the mythical scene that sums up the experience of the arrival of any expat:
