August 31

The large factory (maybe refinery, maybe mine) right outside Liege

I Went rock climbing in Liege with Fanny yesterday.  She’s a really good student, and really good chef, and a really good climber!  We all watched TV that night.  Trying to register for school and stuff.  Today I went to Liege with the other exchange students and some locals.  There was beer, but I didn’t drink beer.  It’s against Rotary rules.

            I’m getting lazy speaking French too a little bit.  For example, you feel like you can just say the things you think of really quick and they’ll be right, but often, it’s the wrong tense, or the wrong subject, so I have to be careful to keep thinking before I speak in French.

Prince Palace of some kind.  They tell me that the opera is held here once a month or so.

            It could just be a phase, but I’m starting to think people love language too much.  For example, take a phrase in English that people think is beautiful has no translation for French.  That doesn’t mean that the people of both languages can’t appreciate the beauty of the idea.  There seem to be fewer ways to express things in French, because it’s a more controlled language that English, but that doesn’t mean they are limited in their thoughts and shades of meaning.  It comes from both sides;  French could use a bit more variety, and English could use a bit more reigning in.  But language is really secondary in understanding other human beings and forming relationships.  We’ll see how I feel about that after starting school here in a week!

My French teacher from United States has conveyed her to desire to me that I modify my writing here to prevent bias.  Still new to this country.  Still new to this language.  She has told me to add "on verra" as in "We shall see."  Agreed, the facility of the French language will come, and when it does, I shan't have problems with expression.  and therefore, in the interest of diplomacy, and because I agree, I retract my statement about French lacking variety.

Lol

la meuse