Dinner with my Host Family, again!

Tonight R-M's nephew and great-nephew from Normandie are staying over, so R-M made dinner to welcome them. I was invited to join them, and there's no way I would've turned that down!






I'm surprised how much better I was able to understand what everyone was saying and keep up with the conversation compared to last time. But that might just be due to the fact that R-M talked most of the time, and I've gotten used to listening to her speak everyday. Tomorrow her great-nephew is taking a really important competitive exam to get into Sciences Po (hence why they're here), so she quizzed him a lot with practice questions and tips to prepare him for the interview portion. The kid seems a little soft-spoken, but he's also quite intelligent and thoughtful. I wish him luck!

I also had the privilege of learning what R-M's impressions are about hosting a foreign student. She talked about the agency that arranges everything, the different rules that the host family and the foreign student are supposed to follow, her motivations for doing it and what she gains from it, and so on. She also mentioned that all the students she's hosted have been girls, and they came from all over (Brazil, Korea, China, the US). She couldn't really put her finger on what motivates her to keep hosting, but I gathered that it's cultural exchange and personal enrichment more than anything. It was fascinating to hear her point of view on this, since I've often wondered what the advantages are for French people to do what she's doing (other than the money that supplements their income, of
course).

Oh yeah, and the food was great. I couldn't tell you the exact names of what I ate, but know that I have no complaints, haha! A much more casual spread than last time, but I enjoyed it just as much.






 Bread and Butter [Paris] photos - JUNE
 
 Bread and Butter [Paris] photos - MAY