Excerpts from Ryan Lapham’s Letters from Clermont-Ferrand, France:

Why I chose Clermont-Ferrand: The process of choosing my study abroad destination was rather simple. After taking 4 years of French in high school and traveling in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France during my junior year, I fell in love with European culture. As a French major at Kalamazoo College, I had two options: Clermont-Ferrand or Senegal. Although I would some day like to visit Francophone Africa (possibly in the Peace Corps), at this point in my life I am more interested in European culture and thus the choice was obvious. The program at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce (business university) in Clermont looked perfect for me. Students are more or less integrated into the French educational system. We work closely with a small group of French students in one of our groups, attend a mandatory first year lecture class on Marketing, attend a European Community class with other international students, and of course take French civilization and language courses with the other K students. This program was quite appealing. My family at home was encouraging and I was intent on going to France. Once that was decided, I began to gather as much information about my destination as possible (having only gone once before during Spring Break). Since I shared a room with a French international student my sophomore year, I was able to probe him for a European perspective. We discussed racism, the presence and importance of European monarchies, the implementation of the Euro, places to see and things to do (as well as places to avoid and things to watch out for), views on homosexual relationships (marriage/adoption), etc. He really gave me an inside view. I also talked with other K students who had either just gotten back from Europe or were planning on going there. Other than that I researched as much about France and Europe in general as I could on the Internet. The homepage of the city of Clermont-Ferrand as well as the European Union are on my favorites list. I had heard all the stereotypes (the French are rude, the women don't shave, they rarely bathe, everybody is thin, everybody speaks English, etc.), but I paid little attention. I believe that distinguishing them from reality is not that difficult. I value opinions from people I believe to have experience and viable information to share with me. Still, I try to understand that false information is easily transferred from person to person if one is not careful.

First impressions after arrival: Upon arrival, our K group was rather scared, and emotionally and physically exhausted; still, most of us were ready to get started! We all knew that once off the plane we would be separated for 4 days, each with our own respective host family. I expected that I would have difficulties understanding spoken French at first. Indeed, the first words my host father said to me sounded like Greek! The car ride from the airport was so stressful. They kept asking me questions at a speed I was not used to. At home they made sure I was settled in and continued to explain various things I would need to know about the house. Our first dinner was not to my liking. We ate a casserole composed of different types of seafood. Octopus was definitely one of the ingredients. I thought I was going to be sick, but I forced it down regardless. At this point Véronique and a few of her friends asked us to go out to play pool with them! We met up in the central Place de Jaude. When we walked up to it, I was stunned. Fountains, gardens, ancient statues of local heroes, and people filled the plaza. It was like nothing from home. The architecture is absolutely beautiful. The buildings that made up the borders of the place include the Opera, the shopping centers, bars, and banks. Not anything like at home, however. Most of the buildings are hundreds of years old. There is a story behind each one of them. The streets wind and wrap around everything in no particular order. After observing the place for a bit, Véro took us up the rue de Gras, which actually is up a hill that leads to the cathedral. Again I had a moment. This cathedral constructed from black volcanic rock was the largest one I had ever seen. Spotlights surround the building completely lighting it up and making it even more impressive. The left side of the structure provides the north end of the second largest square in town, La Place de la Victoire. Véro's friends met us there. At that moment Heidi and I had completely forgotten about the kisses that French people give each other in greeting, so we were caught a bit off guard by that. We took a side street in the vicinity of a cute bar with billiards. All was going well until we had to order a cocktail. Obviously we had no idea what they served or any of the names of the drinks. The French kids (Guillaume, Mathieu, Clémentine, et Véro) helped us choose a caramel beer. Delicious. Neither Heidi nor I knew how to play pool so they showed us how. The balls were a bit different than in the U.S. This seems to be the case with a lot of things here; almost like home but not quite. Only two solid colors (excluding the cue and black ball): orange and red. The girls wanted to play a little language conversation game. They wanted us to speak French and they were going to speak English. Ha Ha! That made me feel a bit better about my French abilities. The evening was a great first! The second night, I simply sat on a bench with Heidi at Place de la Victoire. The cathedral was on our right, a massive fountain on our left, and structures older than our entire country surrounding us. We sat for over two hours talking about how wonderful it was to be someplace with so much history and culture, to be someplace so special. It was pure euphoria. It was like a dream.

Language anguish: After being in France for over a month I would have to say that my greatest challenge will be feeling inferior to native speakers and thus not being able to have the relationships that I so badly want to have. This applies to my host family as well as my French peers at school. Still, I feel that overall these people do try to make sure I am understanding. For the most part, they are warm, and genuinely interested in what I have to say. Sometimes, some of the students ask me if they may practice their English with me! There have been a few days (especially at first) when speaking French gets overwhelming. When I am having a bad day, when everything that surrounds me is French and I am still thinking in English...I sometimes want to scream! I want to speak in English! I want to express myself fully! This is especially frustrating when I am having a conversation with a French person who claims to know more about my country than I do. For example: US political policies, patriotism, racism etc., trying to explain something purely American. I would not want them to get the wrong idea on a subject because I cannot explain it accurately. My language skills are improving, but in the beginning, these things were especially difficult for me.

Beginning to feel at home: Aside from my language difficulties, adapting has gone relatively smoothly. I have done a lot of everyday things by myself (or with another American) already. All in French. I have gone grocery shopping, gotten a haircut, ordered food and cocktails, had daily conversations with French kids and my host family, just to name a few. It gets easier and easier by the day. Although I do have my down days (this usually lands on a Sunday when NOTHING is open in this city), there are many more good and great days. I am generally in a good mood. Actively participating in a conversation at dinner always keeps my spirits up. All the trips we have taken around the area have been amazing. I have been to most of the principal cities in the department. I am in the heartland of France! Issoire, Riom, and Thiers gave me a true sense of the area. More impressive was the view of the rolling volcanoes and the city from the Puy-de-Dome. I have only just arrived but I feel so much at home! This place is the birthplace of my ancestors. It makes me feel warm inside. Everyday is an adventure and only keeps getting better. I love it.

Minor triumphs: Everyday errands have given me contact with different types of people from my host culture as well as boosted my vocabulary (food words at restaurants, business words at school, French slang at parties, and all sorts of words with my host family). It really makes me feel as though I have achieved something when someone is talking about going sledding, or needing a corkscrew, or even cussing about an exam and I can understand exactly what they are saying. It feels even better when I can express myself and engage in a conversation on subjects on which I probably would not have been able to say anything before coming to France. One of the greatest feelings I have had here is the sense of accomplishment after a really good conversation with a member of my host culture (whether it be on a deeper subject of a common European currency or about something smaller such as what a jerk the server at the café was.) I love it here more and more every day.

I’m not in Kansas anymore: Although I have not had any huge difficulties in adapting, there have been challenges to face besides the initial language shock. I have discovered that French and American cultures are much different than I had previously believed. There is a slightly different sense of humor, of body language, and even of what is expected of friends. When a French male friend of mine gives me bises (greeting kisses) and keeps his arm around me for a good portion of the night at a dance club you may imagine how confused I become when he starts pointing out cute girls! Ha! Little differences like this make it quite evident that I am definitely not in a culture mirroring my own.

Smoking stinks: Some aspects of French culture still make me a bit annoyed at times, but I have learned to live with them (enjoying some and disliking others). Take smoking, for example. Almost ever since I knew that this country existed, this bad habit has been a stereotype associated with French culture. Coming from the U.S., which puts a huge stigma on smokers and has massive anti-smoking campaigns, this is an interesting aspect of where I am currently living. People are allowed to light up just about everywhere and do so without regard to other people. In the United States, you would rarely see people smoking a cigarette in the mall! I get asked at least a few times a day for a light. Because of this, I have begun carrying a lighter with me at all times. This is actually a good way to meet people (believe it or not!) When classes let out at school, a good portion of the kids flock outside and to the foyer to have a quick smoke before anything else. As far as I can see, more French people smoke than Americans do, and the French are quite surprised when they discover that I do not have a cigarette to offer them because I do not smoke. I am well-adjusted to the often present haze, but sometimes I will cuddle up in my bed to read some La Fontaine poems rather than going to a smoke-filled bar.

What’s with these strikes? Another aspect of French culture that at first was a bit bizarre is the strikes here in France. I have had trains cancelled because of strikes, my friends have had planes cancelled because of strikes, and I have seen ambulances and fire trucks driving around with EN GREVE (On Strike) written on the sides of their vehicles. From an American perspective, this is outrageous and completely uncalled for. If strikes went on in the U.S. with the frequency that they do here in France, the employees would be fired and new ones would be hired. It comes off as a huge inconvenience, but I suppose that my thinking is not exactly “culturally correct.”

Everything’s closed! Virtually nothing is open on Sundays, little is open on Saturdays, and the rest of the week shops take off for a lunch break and close before 7pm! I suppose my American ''work hard and earn money'' upbringing initially prevented me from seeing the value of this in French culture. At first, I was frustrated at not being able to buy something when I wanted. How dare they be closed in the middle of the day? Now, I understand that French priorities are different from those in the U.S. Things are not often rushed here. Doucement (slowly, gently) is the name of the game. Love it. I really enjoy observing and living amid these small (but large enough to notice) differences.

Avoidance, when times get tough: I will admit that on some days I am so mentally worn out that I will lie in my bed just long enough for my host family to leave so I will not have to give an entire account of the previous day. This is rarely the case, but sometimes essential. Otherwise, I have found myself changing the subject when my French peers or my family start talking about things I do not feel comfortable talking about. One man I was talking to in a pizzeria started telling me that the French social healthcare system was far superior to that of my country. Now, even if I agree with him, I’m not responsible for this! I would never go up to a French student at K and say point blank "I do not like such and such aspect of your country. We do it better here in the States." That seems a bit rude. Now, I have had intelligent conversations with countless people here in France about socialized healthcare, the ''war on terror,'' American imperialism etc. Yet sometimes when certain individuals verbally attack me as if I was directly responsible for certain aspects of my country and culture, I just try to avoid the subject. Otherwise, I may get angry or upset. It is an awkward position to be in. Of course, it’s not easy to have a serious conversation with certain U.S. Americans, either. In general, it is better to think before you talk!

Coping strategies: I sometimes team up with another English speaker in times of desperation or complete mental fatigue. This is especially useful when I am feeling homesick. Otherwise, to let off some steam or just to relax and reflect I take walks around the city by myself with my headphones on blasting some of my favorite music. The majority of my time in Clermont-Ferrand is spent stress free, however.