2007

This past Sunday marked exactly one week I have spent with my host family in Lyon, and I was pleased to be invited to a birthday party for a family friend. I had a smashing time dancing, partaking in warm French conversation, and sampling every type of food I could find. If before I had any slight misconception of the French being unfriendly, this party erased all traces of it. In case you do not read French, this is not a box of pasta. This is a picture of a card box made of a box of pasta attached to a poster board in a frame. The cards were not similar to Hallmark cards we frequently see at birthday parties in America; they were pages personally handwritten or typed with words of encouragement, appreciation, and love. It has been said that the French are initially a cold culture, but I've found it to be quite the opposite. If you take time to notice how the French seem to value personal relationships, you will find that the true French nature is one of genuine companionship and affection.