Hi everyone! I've been lurking around this forum for a while and I suddenly decided I wanted to be part of its active side. So, here I am :smilewave A bit about myself: I'm a little French girl living somewhere near the German border (please make allowance from my probable grammar and/or spelling mistakes and the occasional odd mix of American and British English ^^), I've never been much abroad, I have a bad knee that gives me hell, I'm fascinated by the Middle Ages (and will start studying medieval history next year - can I get a fuck yeah?), my little brother means the world to me, I'm working on healing my extreme social awkwardness, I read too much for my own good, I drink more tea than everyone and their mother, I'm a nerd with a dash of geek, I keep postponing learning to play the guitar, I will bake banana muffins whenever I'm bored, there's poetry pinned on my bedroom walls and I enjoy painting my nails a different color each. I'm also a homoromantic asexual currently crushing on one of my male best friends, and I fully support the idea that there's never too much cake - even if it is a lie. This being said... I guess that must be about it ^^ I will just add that I'm really glad this forum exists - it has helped me come to terms with lots of things just by reading the threads - and that I should have joined much sooner. I really look forward to my new life as an active member. Anyway. This is getting kind of longish, so I'll stop here for now. If there's anything else you want to know about myself, ask me questions! (yes, this is kind of obvious. Sorry, I just suck at concluding.)
Hello Fräulein! Medieval History! Wow! I studied Medieval Literature in London, many moons ago. Where are you going to study? I've spent some very happy holidays in Alsace, mainly in the north in Wingen sur Moder and Hagenau. I've been to Stasbourg a lot too. I love the trees........ Do you speak Alsatian at home of French? My partner and I used to stay in a gîte in Wingen and the family spoke Alsatian at home but French in public. It helped me a lot that I speak both! Anyway - Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome!
Thanks everyone ^^ @Bobbgooduk: Ooooh, someone who knows my corner of the world *_* I'm more from the south of Alsace myself, but I will move to Strasbourg next year for school. Sadly, I don't speak Alsatian, as there's still a lot of shame surrounding this language and the people who speak it are usually a bit reluctant to teach it - my father told me horrific stories about how, when he was younger, he would get a detention if one of the teachers heard him speaking Alsatian. Has to do with WWII and the fact that we have always been seen as too French for the Germans and too German for the French, in my opinion. I do understand it though, thanks to the fact that my great-grandmother didn't speak French at all, only Alsatian and German. Sadly, she passed away five years ago
lol when i read your intro it was like reading my life story lol except i have a older sister who i lol... and being odd is never wrong just saying...
Ah - Haut-Rhin! My partner and I went to a lot of churches in the south to see the stained glass windows of Paul Chagall. WOnderful! So you're sort of Mulhouse area? My hosts told me about how the ALsatians were called "Les Boches" by the rest of France. But studying in Strabourg - now I'm jealous! A lovely, lovely city - stunning cathedral, amazing Museum of Contemporary Art, the fortifications by Vaudin - I just love the place. Lucky you! I spent Christmas and New Year in Alsace and Strasbourg had a wonderful Christmas Market too. Keep in touch - I'd love to know how you get on with your studies!
Yeah, sort of - stuck between Mulhouse and Colmar, if you will ^^ That's exactly what I meant. There's a deep historical misunderstanding between us and the rest of France, mainly due to the "malgré-nous", namely Alsatian soldiers who were forced to serve in the German army when Alsace became a part of Germany. Many people still don't understand that they didn't decide to put on the German uniform: they had to if they didn't want their families to be killed - it happened in my grandfather's village and he still remembers it, even though he was only a kid at the time. I also feel very lucky - especially when you take in consideration the fact that the school I will go to is right across the cathedral square It's just an amazing neighborhood and I will definitely look forward to the Christmas Market ^^ There's one in Colmar, too, but I prefer the one from Strasbourg, mainly because of their Christmas tree - even though a part of me feels bad for liking it because I think it's so sad to cut down a 300-something tree every year. But, yeah. I can't help it. And I will, definitely