ah oui oui Strasbourg!

A Strasbourg!!

Hey guys!!!!

So my summer blog was a total flop and I don’t think a blog of my study abroad will be any better, but I’m gonna try really really hard, maybe 3 entries about Straz? We’ll see!!

I got to Strasbourg on Monday, after a 24 hour flight from Accra through Dubai to Paris and then to Stras. It was not such a bad trip and I loved that I got to see Dubai even though it was just the airport and only for a couple hours. There were about 5 people from my high school (Go Gey Hey) on my flight. 4 were from U of Ghana studying abroad in France and another was flying to school in China, she’s in med school there!!

And then I got to Charles de Gaulle in Paris and I was like “OMG, they like… speak only French here!!” Lolllll, this was when it really struck me what I was about. And it was at this eureka moment when I was all panicky that some poor old French woman chose to come up to me to ask a question. I think I must have really shouted: ”pas de francais,” because I got a few stange stares. I know: wayyyy to be chic in Paris, right!! It was not for long though, the panic attack, and I got over myself soon enough and settled down to kill three hours before my flight to Stras.

Then lo, a cuuute brother walked up to me, all afro-euro chic and smooth. He asked: “tu veux un taxi ?” And to this question I did not panic, I took some seconds to gracefully batt my eyelashes, pull my neck in and out a couple of time, smile coyly and finally purr, “non, mais c’est tous?” Ha, brother just walked off to find another customer!!! I was like, ‘dudddde where’s the love? This is Paris mahnnnnnnn, amour, amour!! Painful first blow but I dealt with it and settled down to people watch till I got on my flight to Stras. It was a small plane and like 45mins to Stras. I slept throughout I was sooo jetlagged.

My host family and a lady from my prog met me at the airport. Ma famille is really nice- Daddy: Karim, Mummy: Amina, Kids: Jaoud and Iness. And OMG Joaud is soooooo finnnne, as in super model hottttt! He’s French-Algerian, with beautiful tan skin, a jauntily manly walk, accented English, a sparkling smile, and perfect manners. And oh yeah, he’s 16 and LOOOOOOVES Rihana, lol.. And Iness is very pretty as well, also model thin with beautiful skin and she’s 13. The kids are so well mannered. The first time we met they each offered their cheeks for the double French kiss and agya sista from Ghana, it took me a while to figure out what was up before I finally offered my cheek and cluck clucked in the air instead of the chic, ‘mwah, mwah.’ Hmm, is hard but on va apprendre.

My family is observing the fast this Ramadan so I eat my breakfast and dinner with another American student who is also staying here. He’s from Colorado, Alex. He’s pretty cool. However, after the EID feast, (which I am counting the days to btw, looking forward to a soiree), we will have dinner and breakfast together as a family. Soo cute, right!

And my home is very beautiful, a three-storey house set in this picturesque suburb with lots of greens and a big park. I live in a room in the attic, with euro-maghrebian décor and I have the whole floor to myself with my own beautiful bathroom and all. Sweet! My home is also very conveniently located, close to the tram that I take to school in the city. The tram is a much more modern version of the philly trolley, much much much more modern (not hatin on Philly oooo, lol). And It has big glass widows so it’s makes for really enjoyable riding.

It takes me 30 mins to get to the city and to school and what a lovely ride! Gosh, this city is really really pretty, so quaint and unreal almost: with a river running through the center of the city and the trams perpetually moving through the streets. And there’s so much French and pastries and French and bread and French and snob that you could film a silent movie and it would still be very evidently French!

So my first day on the tram, right in center city I notice a shop “Ghana House Boutique.” I was so excited, it was right there you know, with all the other big shops, Hermes and Mango and stuff that I was not sure if it was truly a Ghanaian shop. O but I was excited nonetheless. Gosh, I even dreamed about it that night! And the next day with the first break I had, I hopped on the tram and went in search of the shop and O la la la……

To be continued…..

(my fingers are hurting and I should probs study a little so I promise to continue tomorrow cause I still have so much to talk about!!)

And please oo, all this blogging is not for naught, I expect to be kept updated on all of your lives, so please please share share ☺