Oldenborg Center

Where do you live in your home country?

I live at the foot of the Mont Ventoux in the South of France, near Avignon which is about 60 miles north Marseilles. The town I live in is very small, with only 2,000 people.

What is your favorite cultural tradition or holiday? Why is it special to you?

It can sound common but I love Christmas. Even if I am not fond of snow, I like it when it snows on Christmas day (which is quite rare where I live). I love the atmosphere during Christmas, I like hanging around with friends and going shopping, seeing all the lights on houses’ walls, hearing Christmas songs… I find it very festive. It has always been a family tradition at home; we gather for lunch on December 25th and eat, drink and talk for hours. We usually are about fifteen, and since it is close to my brother’s and my cousin’s birthdays, we celebrate them at the same time with a big cake at the end of the meal.

What is your favorite dish?

My favourite dish is very simple; if you want to make my day, you just need to cook pasta with basil and garlic (or pesto)! I assume it is not very typical from France, but it certainly is Mediterranean. Apart from dishes, I love sweets like nougat (especially the black one with honey and almonds) and chocolate. Dark chocolate is the best, and everything that contains chocolate is delicious to me.

What fun activities do you like to engage in?

I have two horses so I love going for a ride with a friend and spending time in nature. I started watching tennis on TV during Roland Garros 2004 and since then, I love playing tennis and going to tournaments to see the professional players (I have been to Monte-Carlo each year since 2006) and cheer for my favorite one. I wish I could practice extreme sports more often. I have already done parachute jumping (I was fifteen), but I never got the chance to try bungee jumping.

What do you look forward to the most about being in the U.S. this coming academic year? (Or simply in terms of being at Oldenborg or Pomona College?)


Spending one year in the U.S. has been a dream for years, since the trip to the West Coast I did with my parents and brother when I was fourteen. I literally fell in love with this country, so I look forward to going back there. I love meeting new people so I am really looking forward to getting to know American and international people to share my French culture with them, and learn from their own. This is going to be such an amazing experience!