Wifi and language in Lyon

I'm alive! Haha, not that people couldn't infer that from my Facebook presence...but I haven't blogged as much as I hoped to mostly due to the fact that access to Wifi has been infrequent. Still waiting to officially have it in my apartment but hopefully that will be soon. I'm crossing my fingers!

Well, I'm finally moved into my apartment and waiting for a few things to come together and then my life will finally be established here. As soon as I have real internet I shall document my experiences more thoroughly. Until then, sporadic updates it is!

The apartment is great. I absolutely love the view, my roommates are awesome, and we have a nice big kitchen to cook in. I'm excited to invite people over during the holiday season to make Christmas cookies : ) . I'm hoping it will snow so a) I can have a real Christmas and b) I get to take advantage of my view and see all the rooftops covered with snow. We shall see.

Anyway, life in Lyon has been interesting. I'm so glad I'm here for a year. I feel like I tell myself that every day but it's true. This whole experience wouldn't be as gratifying if I were to leave in 3 mere months. It's already taken me 1 month to start to feel established, so 3 more would go by way too quickly. My language skills could definitely use the full 10 or so months!

Speaking of language, I suppose I've been improving, but it's hard to tell. Some people are easier to understand than others. The most difficult part for me is not having a broad enough vocabulary. Or when I can't understand someone. That is really frustrating but I know as time goes on it will only become easier. Also, sometimes I know the right words or phrases for something but I mispronounce them so people don't understand me. It's slightly embarrassing, but all part of the process nonetheless. Being in a city where the majority of people do not speak fluent English is a humbling experience, I must say.

I speak French with my roommates because Ona (the Spanish one) speaks French better than English and because we are all here to improve our French, after all. I also meet with a French friend, Manon, once a week just to have conversations in French (and I help her a little bit with English). I met her through the apartment-search process. I think having full conversations is particularly helpful because it involves more than just asking to buy a baguette or inquiring where the nearest restroom is.

Overall I'm really pleased that I chose Lyon because it's a big enough city that keeps things interesting but it's also not overwhelming like I fear Paris might have felt. It feels very comfortable. And not everyone speaks English so that forces me to speak French, another benefit. I'm excited to discover what more this city has to offer : )

Below are some photos from my time here so far.

Lyon sunset

Delicious gelato/ice cream made from local, organic ingredients!

Artsy pic from my apartment