Being a Foreigner

An excerpt from something I wrote last week during an English class:
Before coming to France, I never thought of myself as becoming a "stranger." A stranger to someone in another country. Now that I'm here I realize that I am someone unfamiliar to French natives and that I am now the minority. As an American, I feel that I am never put in this type of situation for an extended period of time. The country that I live in is so large that I don't find myself traveling to other countries very often, simply because they are so far away. Here in Europe it is immensely different. The countries are small and close together, granting people the opportunity ti become a foreigner with just a quick travel to the nearest boarder. This has made me wonder- How does a person from France, for example, feel when they travel to Germany? Do they feel just as much of a stranger as I do in France?


I think that one of the clear disadvantages to being a "stranger" is simnply that you are labeled as a "stranger." You are one who is different and the one who natives here don't understand. This can lead to a lot of judging and starring, as I have found. However, some natives are also drawn to foreigners because they do have a different story to tell. I have already run into a few natives here who really want to speak English with me and want to learn more about my culture. This is a cool experience that makes me feel like I am no longer the only "stranger."

One thing I do enjoy about being the foreigner is that I'm always wanting to be active in the culture. The fact that I am in a foreign place and don't know a lot about the culture here is making me want to go out and learn. (This makes me feel like such a tourist though!) This is easy to do here as I am surrounded by historical places and artifacts.

My hope at the end of this experience is that I don't hear French people speaking around me and feel totally out of place. I realize that French language will always be a foreign language to me, but I want it to become something familiar. I've only been a "stranger" for two weeks, but I already feel myself soaking into the culture and starting to look at Angers as a familiar place.

Kaitlin

Next post: My first week in French school...coming soon