Deep Breaths, It'll Be Okay...

I just got back from my second day in French. So far, I love it. I was never too excited to learn Spanish back in high school. I'm not sure why, but it's probably because I couldn't develop an interest in it. But ever since my visit to Montreal last year, I've been captivated by the French language.

Today, I sat next to this girl. She looked about my age, maybe a year younger, and she had a stack of photocopied textbook pages in front of her. We were going over the first pages in Chapter One, with the help of an audio CD for direction, and the girl rustled through her papers like a squirrel on a sugar-high. No exaggeration.

This was the question she asked after the teacher played each track.

"Can you replay that again?"

"Sure."

The track played...

"Can you replay it once more? How are you supposed to say that??"

"It's okay. I'll play it again."

The track played...

"Wait. Can you replay that again? I don't know what they're saying!"

It was like that the entire class period. The teacher played a track and we would pull out words we could identify and mark them in our textbook. Or the teacher would say something and as a class, we would repeat the words back to her. When the time came for us to partner-up and practice with each other, the girl next to me was only becoming more and more panic-stricken.

"Wait! I have to know how to say this or I can't do it! I have to have rules! If I don't have rules, I can't do it!"

One of her papers fell from out of her hands and I tried to loosen her up. "These desk-chairs don't compensate for all these books and papers, huh?"

The girl looked up at me with a gaze that said, Are you talking to me? Why are you talking to me? So I turned back to my partner, and continued on with the exercise.

When the class was ending, I overheard the girl tell her exercise partner, "I have to have rules. It's impossible for me to get anything done without them."

"Oh yeah, me too, me too..." replied her partner. Although, I'm sure it was a simple obligatory reponse.

I felt so bad for the girl. But at the same time, I wanted to shake her profusely and say, "Calm down! Deep breaths! You're not the only one in this room who doesn't know anything yet! It's only our second day!!!"

But it appears she may be this way... with everything. So now, I just feel sad for her.

Currently listening to:

Band of Horses
Tour EP