Home Sweet Homestay

My homestay has been going well so far! My host mom is named Bénédicte. She teaches theology at a middle school part time. She has four adult children, two of whom are married and one of whom I've heard has a very cute cocker spaniel. Another American student, Patricia, is also staying with us. She's pursuing a masters in marketing. She's from Las Vegas and has returned to Lyon following her summer 2022 USAC program.

At first, things were a tad awkward. Bénédicte picked me up from the university residence nearby as the other USAC students got settled in their housing. She greeted me in English, and I responded in French. The information I'd received about the homestay prior to departure said the homestay was entirely in French, and I wanted to respect that. Bénédicte was pleased I spoke French as well as I did. She speaks a little bit of English, but she's not fluent, so she only uses it when she wants to be absolutely sure I understand something.

We returned to the apartment, which is in the 5th arrondissement, up on the hill near the Basilique de Fourvière. Bénédicte showed me my room and took me on a tour through the 2nd floor (premier étage) apartment. There are three bedrooms, one for each of us. Mine is across from the bathroom (which in France is composed of both la salle de bain, with the shower and sink, and a separate room for the toilet). There are two balconies surrounding the apartment, a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room. My room is equipped with a closet, desk, bookshelf, bed, and bedside cabinet. As she gave me the tour, Bénédicte went through some basic rules, such as texting her if I won't be home for dinner and how often I can wash my sheets. (The washing machine is in the kitchen, and there's no dryer, which is common in France. When I washed my clothes on Wednesday, I had to let them dry overnight on a metal drying rack.)

Then, we walked about seven minutes to the grocery store to get some breakfast items for me and other essentials. We only bought about four or five things, but it was only about €6! Later, I learned that we'd gone to one of the more expensive grocery stores. From there, we stopped at a bakery, where Bénédicte bought me a gateau du roi and explained the January tradition. It was still raining, and it was after dark, so I couldn't take in too much of the neighborhood, beyond bus stops Bénédicte pointed out and the wet cobblestones. Bénédicte had dinner plans with family that evening, and while she offered to let me come, I opted to stay home. She prepared my dinner--chicken with a red sauce, peas, and the delicious gateau du roi--and I was left to take in my new living situation.

The shower doesn't have a fixed holder high on the wall, so you have to hold it by hand while washing at the same time. This, combined with the lack of a shower curtain, makes for a very cold shower. The first night's shower wasn't exactly pleasant as I struggled to figure out what I was doing. (To make matters worse, the shampoo I bought the next day at the grocery store ended up not working for me, so my hair was greasy for a week as I oscillated between sticking it out until my hair acclimated to the new shampoo or just buying something else. I bought a new kind yesterday that works perfectly.) The mattress was springy for my liking, and the rug in my room was rough, woven burlap that shed annoyingly. Over the next few days, I moved the rug mostly under the bed, padded the mattress with an extra blanket from the closet, made a make-shift laundry hamper out of a hefty shopping tote, and hung pictures on the wall.

Dinners during the first week were awkward, as Bénédicte and I didn't have a lot to talk about. She'd ask me questions--where I'm from, what I did that day--and I would respond, but sustained conversation never really developed. Things have been improving though. We played Bananagrams, which a previous student had left for her, and had a lot of fun. She corrects my French more often as time goes on, which I appreciate. On Saturday, she took me to see Hiver à Sokcho at the movie theater. I'd actually read an excerpt of the novel the movie is based on in a translation course last semester, so I could follow the story well. On Sunday, I got lunch at a nearby bakery. My accented French earned me a "we can talk in English if you want" as I ordered. The worker was very nice even if the interaction was embarrassing. When I managed to get my food, I turned around to find Bénédicte sitting right there, eating with a friend. Speaking of embarrassing!

Patricia got sick right before she was set to return to France, so her trip was delayed. She returned late Thursday night after I'd gone to bed. Her contract doesn't include meals, so she didn't eat with us on Friday. I met her briefly over the weekend. She's very nice and has lots of tips about Lyon, so hopefully we can spend more time together as the semester goes on. On Monday, we all ate dinner together, which proved much less awkward. Patricia and I did the dishes together afterward, and she told me about some other apartment customs that Bénédicte hadn't mentioned yet, such as how to sort the trash and which pans I could use to cook if I wanted. (The homestay doesn't provide weekend dinners, so I can cook or go out.)

Despite the rough patches, I'm getting more settled as time goes on, and the homestay is starting to feel like home.