Très typique, naturellement!

It was my first day of school today. I left early to prepare for the worst. I didn't want to be the person walking in late. Everyone always gives that person eye rolls. It's not the easiest trip to school, so I brought along my book to read along the way. I have done more reading, on the metro alone, than I have done in the last six years of my life. I had to take line 13 to line 1 to line 2, stopping at Victor Hugo. I got off and walked down to my destination of 14 rue Leonardo de Vinci, salle 15. I found the building without any problems and walked into my room and sat down.

I didn't speak. I checked my bag, turned off my phone, applied chapstick, checked my phone again to see if anyone called in the last minute - anything to keep me from awkward, silent interactions with people that potentially didn't speak English. The prof soon walked in. She launched into full-French mode. I mean, she was FAST. I wish I could have written down my thoughts and then projected them directly onto this page because I promise you, it was hilarious. I had no clue what she was saying. Then the class would laugh in unison and respond. I am thinking "Holy cow, what is the intermediate class like if this is beginner." She would turn to me and ask me a question. No idea. I gave her the blank stare.

We all had our schedules out and I looked again. I was in the right building in the right room. This was possibly going to be the longest and most excruciating two hours of my life. Then I would have to do it tomorrow again and for the rest of the semester. My future began looking very grim. I just had no idea that this school REALLY practiced the full immersion method of teaching French. I noticed on the student card of the girl next to me that she was Canadian. I leaned over to her and said, "Do you have any idea what she is talking about?" She, very loudly, said "Nooooo! Do you?" She raised her hand and asked the prof if she spoke English. She did. We told her that we thought we were in the wrong class. She looked at our cards and saw that we were in a different group number and someone in administration must have written the wrong address. We were in the advanced Business French class. The prof announced to the class in French that we were absolute beginners. Everyone laughed - "For thirty minutes did you have any idea what I was saying? hahahheheh oh oh oh ahhahhahhaha". Yeah it was funny, I say with a grimmace and clenched teeth.

So we walk about half a mile to another building to find out classroom. There I was, exactly where I didn't want to be, walking into my class 45 minutes late. Everyone was friendly and didn't throw daggers at me with their eyes. We introduced ourselves in French and told our ages. It seems as though everyone was born after George Michael's music wasn't popular anymore. The poor Canadian gal had no idea what anyone was saying. Her French in limited to "bonjour" and "au revoir" and that's it. Overall the class was great. A little long, but great. I will have to get to bed at an earlier hour so that I can be ready to tackle the language. I feel much more encouraged now that I found the right classes room. This would have been an entirely different blog if I didn't.

I have a song class tomorrow. I think basically I will be learning French through music. Please, dear Jesus and to all that is Holy, do not have them make me sing.