Dear Laura，
Thanks for your message .Yes, I"m having a great time on my student exchange program in France. I was a bit nervous before I arrived here, but there was no reason to be.My host family is really nice. They go out of their way to make me feel at home. The grandmother knows that I miss Chinese food a lot.So she actually learned how to make Chinese food!She also has a teenage granddaughter about me age who is really kind. She always talks to me in French to help me practice. you wouldn"t believe how quickly my French has improved because of that. I"m very comfortable speaking French now. Although I still make lots of mistakes, it doesn"t worry me as it used to.
My biggest change is learning how to behave at the dinner table.As you can imagine，Things are very different from the way they are at home.For example you are not supposed to put your bread on your plate.You are supposed to put it on the table!I thought that was pretty strange at first，But now I"m used to it.Another example is that you are not supposed to eat anything with your hands except bread not even fruit.You have to cut it up and eat it with a fork.Another thing is that is impolite to say you are full. If you don"t want any more food, you should just say," That was delicious."Also you are not supposed to put your elbows on the table.I have to say that I find it difficult to remember everything， but I"m gradually getting used to it I don"t find the French customs so strange anymore.
I will write again soon and tell you more about my life in France. Hope you are having a good school year.
Yours，
Lin Yue
亲爱的劳拉：
谢谢你的来信。是的，我正在法国享受我的交换生项目的美好时光。在到达这里之前，我还有那么一点小紧张，但现在想想这的确是没有必要的。我的房东一家很好。他们竭尽全力让我感受家庭的温馨。家里的祖母知道我十分想吃中国菜，她甚至为此去专门学习了如何做中餐！他还有一个和我年龄相仿的孙女，这个女孩人真的很好，她总是跟我用法语交流来帮助我练习法语，你不会相信正因为这些练习，我的法语有了多么大的进步。我现在说起法语来已经很顺口了，虽然我还是会犯很多错误，但这些不会像以前一样让我担心。
我最大的挑战是学习餐桌礼仪。正如你能想象的一样，在这里用餐和在家里有很大的不同，例如，你不能把面包放在盘子里，应该把它放在桌子上！起先我认为那样做很奇怪，但现在我已经习惯了。另外，除了吃面包，你不能直接用手去拿任何东西来吃，即使是水果也不行。你必须把它切好，然后用叉子吃。还有一件事，如果你说自己吃饱了，也是一件不礼貌的事。如果你不再需要别的食物了，你只要说：“这真的很好吃”。还有，你也不能把你的胳膊肘放在桌子上。不得不说要记所有这些礼仪对我来说真的很难，但我也在逐渐习惯。我不再觉得法国的习俗很奇怪了。
我会尽快再写信给你，告诉你更多有关我在法国生活的事，希望你能度过一个愉快的学年。
