Ce que j'aime, ce que je n'aime pas

There are things I love and things I hate.

I love that Charles is teaching me piano, though it's difficult in English and even harder in French. The ABCDEFG system is replaced with do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si (do=C).

I love going hiking in the Pyrénées, where you don't need a language to enjoy the mountains and the lakes, the little purple wildflowers and the forest.

I love the setting sun as it illuminates the kitchen, while I drink hot chocolate and learn French slang.

I love drinking wine at a bar with Charles and Magali, proud that I can hold a conversation in French about quantum mechanics and philosophy.

I hate getting stuck downtown at night with my English-speaking friend, waiting around for a bus for 45 minutes and finally deciding to drop 7 Euros on a taxi home simply because I don't want to walk alone in the dark.

I'm frustrated that my French isn't yet good enough to keep up with conversations at the dinner table. That I always have to say "repetez" or "encore une fois" or "quoi?" when I don't understand. That I forget a new word as soon as I hear it.

I'm already tired of eating so much baguette at every meal.

I hate how easy it is to get lost here. And I hate pulling out the map and looking like such a damn tourist, but it's the only way to direct myself through the maze of streets.

I hate not having a phone. Or a bike or a car. All I have is my feet, the bus, and taxis (and taxis are too expensive).