French Word(s) of the Day: tremblement de terre (tremb-lay-mon duh tare)- earthquake

I go to a language school in Paris.  The French don’t need to learn French (though some of them could benefit from a few classes), so I usually have made friends with people from other countries in my courses.

I still keep in touch with several of them from the first time I was here.  Guess where the people I talk the most to are from?  The Ivory Coast, Libya, and Japan.

Nooooot such great places to live right now.

For me, the hardest ones to talk to have been my friends from Japan.  One was talking about how her city was running out of mineral water, and she was worried about her friends in Tokyo.  Another has been experiencing a ton of earthquakes and is desperately trying to contact a friend she hasn’t heard from…

My friend from the Ivory Coast has been here for longer, so his family are all safe, but he’s worried about a few friends.  My Libyan friend lives here now with his family, but can’t return to his country because he’ll be questioned about why he left, etc.  He’s also worried for friends left behind and has been having nightmares about bombs and Khadafi…

I’m never sure what to say to any of them when they tell me these things.

My experiences in Paris have been surreal.  I think meeting so many people has opened me up to all the catastrophes that happen in the world in a new way.  When you hear about something bad that has happened in the world and see footage, it’s hard.  However, after awhile, you find yourself distanced from it.  I’m guilty of doing this quite frequently when it’s a country that’s far away from me.

It’s different when it’s affecting someone you know.  When I heard about what had happened in Japan, I immediately went on facebook to check that my friends were okay.  It’s much harder to hear that Yulia is in the middle of an earthquake and terrified or that Reina is running out of water than that people I don’t know or can’t envision are having problems.

I think it’s made the world a bit smaller.  It makes me sad that the world is having so many problems.  I always just wish I could help them all. 😦

*EDIT*: Yulia’s friend is safe!  She finally heard from her (a week later)!!!!!  I’m so happy for her.  🙂

Pain au chocolat count: 62