Aero: Henry Livingston – France 2018 – Family Life
Aero: Henry Livingston – France 2018 – Family Life
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Henry Livingston
During my far too brief visit to Vitré France, I had the privilege of being graciously accommodated by a local host family who provided me with innumerable insights on the culture and country. Before arriving in Vitré I had no previous correspondence with my host family, therefore they knew relatively little about me and vice versa. However, I found the family very friendly and welcoming to a total stranger. Morgan Bouvier and his father lived in a moderately sized stone house, just a five-minute walk from the local school. The interior of the house was immaculate, with relatively few actual possessions being prominently displayed. Similarly, there were comparatively fewer family photographs displayed throughout their home—perhaps one childhood picture could be found.
This experience also gave me opportunity to experience a different parental structure than what I was accustomed to. Like most of the modern world, divorce among married couples is common in France, this was the case for my host family. I was therefore unable to communicate much with his brother, sister, and mother. Nevertheless, I found that the family operated similarly to most American households; the children treated their parents in the same way most American teenagers do and they helped out with daily tasks. Although, there didn’t appear to be any assigned chores given to each member of the family, instead it seemed to operate on a “as needed basis.”
The scheduled meal times were very different from what I usually experience. Breakfast was seemingly unimportant, normally consisting of a croissant or cereal and rarely being consumed by everyone. On the weekends, lunch was punctually served at twelve o’clock, and was always a full sit-down meal. Later on, at around 5:00, the family would gather around the TV or simply sit together on the couch and talk, while eating small snacks like chips, fruit, or yogurt. Immediately preceding this event would be supper, which was typically served at 7:30-8:00 in the evening. Both the father and the son would help make the dinner and set the table. The dinner was always planned out days in advance and the ingredients were purchased ahead of time, although this could be skewed by my presents. None the less dinners appeared to be an informal activity, occurring in much the same fashion as typical American meals, although there was no texting, smoking, or television at the table.
Family activities were fairly common on the weekends, including fishing, bowling, and watching sports, but this was also likely influenced by their willingness to entertain me. In summary, I found French family life to be strikingly similar to what I was accustomed to, with a few notable exceptions, but mainly I was impressed by the politeness and courtesy that was shown between all the members of the family and to myself.
Henry Livingston
Study Abroad – France 2018 @ FLCC
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(Click here to browse the entire FLCC @ France 2018 Gallery!)
