Hello Aix!!

I have arrived!!! After about 18 hours in the airport, my host mother has welcomed me with open arms and plates full of food.

Genevieve, my host mother, is absolutely lovely. For one, she is a great cook and I can totally learn from her... Look out powersuite!!! Also, when we had dessert we played this game where if you bite into a figurine, that is evidently jesus, that lucky person gets to wear a crown and becomes The King of Christmas. They celebrate the holiday for about two months here. Basically, a field day for Emily Wallen. Anyway, guess who bit into Jesus? It was not Genevieve!! It was me!! After quite a few good laughs, I decided it was not the right time to tell her I was Jewish. Today she is going to show me the town before Orientation Week.

My flight experience was also lovely. I can immediately see a difference in Europeans. Even the flight to Frankfurt, everyone just says HAI! I decided that in Germany I should not discuss that I was Jewish either.

Upon waiting for my plane in Marseille, these three french people assumed I was from New York and began talking with me... they all loved Times Square, and they all mentioned they accidentally took the wrong subway and ended up in Harlem. One of the men of this group kept referring to me as "panique" as he jittered his hands. How anxiety is a universal language is beyond me. They were a fun group, but essentially laughed with me or at me in an endearing way because I could not carry my bags and my guitar. One of the others eventually helped me. After also meeting a French older man on the plane who spoke to me about guitars in English for about 10 minutes, I decided it had been a good day.

Also, Aix is absolutely beautiful.
Bisous, America!!