Well, 3 weeks ago I was planning on writing a post regarding some of the many many many differences between school in Canada and school in France. I guess I could outline some of them now...
1) School in France begins at 8am and finishes at different times for everyone, every day. Although, usually it finishes at around 5:30pm. Monday, I finish at 4:30, and Wednesday everyone in France finishes at 12. Every other day, I finish at 5:30.
2) Everyone takes the bus to school. You have to get a bus pass and then the city provides students with a specific bus (I guess you could call it a school bus but it just looks like a regular city bus) that takes you to and home from school. My bus drops me off at school at 7:30 in the morning when it is still dark out. But actually, usually it's still dark when school starts.
3) If the teachers are sick or can't come to work, they don't call in a sub, they just don't show up. If the teacher doesn't show up, we just leave. So far I have missed 2 English classes and a Sports class because the teacher hasn't shown up.
4) Spares are much more common. The school campus actually has a little cafe, several different recreational rooms, and study rooms (where you have to be quiet for the people who study) for the people who have their spare classes. It's nice.
5) Everyone works hard at school and tries to succeed. They all use their planners, they all do the homework, no one talks in class, no one (well a few people do but not nearly as much) has an iPod or cell phone out during class, and everyone participates in class discussions. This goes for Sports as well. In Canada, most people don't do the homework if it's not going to be collected or marked, and if they do do it, half the time it's late. Almost everyone doesn't use their planners, only a handful of kids actually participate verbally in class, and in Sports, everyone participates to the best of their ability, even if they suck! It's awesome and really weird at the same time.
6) There's no competition in school here. When I say this, I mean, there's no competition for the best mark in class, for being the best person in Sports, to be the most popular, or the most liked person. Everyone talks to everyone, everyone is friends with everyone, and sure there are different groups of people, but they aren't so cliquey to the point where you won't sit next to someone in class because they are different from you. C'est bizarre!
7) Relationships with the teachers are very different. It's usually tense, strict, and extremely formal. I understand there has to be a certain level of respect with them, but in Canada we can talk with our teachers and have some kind of a friendship with them. In Canada, the teachers like to be there for you if you need something, and I feel like they approach teaching as "Well I'm going to be seeing these people almost every day for the next year, I may as well like them!" But here, teachers are strictly business and you had better respect that. I'm used to and like having a friendship with my teachers which makes it difficult sometimes.
Well that's that for now. What next? Oh yes... I have found 2 other international students at school. There is a boy named Maik, from Germany and a girl named Kate, from USA. Maik usually comes with Lais and I at lunch time. He speaks Spanish fluently, enough English to get by, and German (obviously). He's really nice. Kate is really nice too! I have a lot of respect for her: her program doesn't allow her to speak any English at all. She is not allowed to use her computer (no Facebook, Email, not even Google Translate) and I think she doesn't even use a dictionary. The only time she speaks English is for 30 minutes a week with her family on Skype. She takes this very seriously. I don't agree with all of it but I think it's a really good idea and that I should start approaching my exchange the same way she is approaching her's. I just think that things like Google translate or a dictionary are necessary to help you learn the language. And I don't see anything wrong with checking Facebook before bed or emailing my parents every now and then. How is her French? Well it when I speak to her, it sounds the same level as mine although I suppose her comprehension is better and other students told me her French is better than mine. She's only here for 6 months though so it's good she's picking it up faster because she has less time than I do. Her accent really needs help though...
They say that the best memories are the ones you can't describe. Well this couldn't be more true for the rest of this post....
2 weeks ago, I had my first party. It was so much fun! I can't even describe how much fun it was because if I did, it would sound boring. It was my friend Alexandre's 19th birthday party. 40 people were there, we were all dressed up pretty, and we ate dinner and danced a special Bretagne dance and listened to special Bretagne music.
And this sums up some of my friends from the party!
I can't actually recall anything special that happened the week after the party... but then last weekend I went to Mont St Michel again! Oh it was definitely worth going a second time!
It was a Rotary event with 7 districts, 200+ students. It was so much fun! Definitely the most fun I've had since I've arrived in France. I came back from the weekend feeling fuller, happier and more content with France than ever! It was really nice to be with other students who are having the same experience and facing the same challenges and difficulties as me. There's something about Rotary students, once you are one, you have this instant connection with anyone else who has ever been one.
Sandrine (my host mother) drove Lais, a boy from a neighbouring town called Sebastien (from Ecuador) and I. We left after school on Friday and spent the night at the grandparents house. Lots of fun! Sebastien is really nice. (Here's a picture but it was taken on the last day of the weekend... it's the only good one I have that he let me keep.)
We spent the first walking for 4.5 hours across sand from Mont St Michel to an island. Was it fun? Given the circumstances (200 people I didn't know but wanted to get to know to talk with...) yes. Would I recommend it to anyone else? ... No. It was cold, and long, and there wasn't really anything to see at the island. It was worth it to bond with other students.
After that, everyone went to dinner which just okay... we were all starving from the walk and had to wait 3-4 hours to eat while we "watched" (but not really) traditional Bretagne dancing and were disappointed in the end to find a less than satisfactory dinner. It's not even worth describing. After the dinner, there was a dance with all the other Rotary students. It was a lot of fun! Very squished though.. and hot! 200 kids trying to fit onto a squished dance floor while Rotary watched us dance... probably not the most ideal setting but we made the most of it!
I left the dance floor at about 12:30/1:00 am I guess and the dance ended at 1:30. But most people stayed in the hallways of our hotel for an hour or so afterwards just talking and stuff. There was some scandal with some kids stealing alcohol and drinking and they were caught, or almost caught... but from what I gathered from the rumours and stories, I think they got away with it because they weren't able to find the actual person/people who stole or brought the alcohol. I turned in at around 2:30 but I know some people didn't sleep until 5am or later (or earlier if you want).
Breakfast was at 8 am and I can legitimately say that almost everyone who went down for breakfast was more than half dead. I liked it though. It was a French buffet style but there was cereal and coffee! YES! I've never been much of a fan of cereal but I didn't realize how much I missed it! Along with my cup of (much needed) coffee in the morning. I ate with Lais, a New Zealand girl named Amelia and an American girl named Anna. It was really nice! Anna was my roomie along with Lais and Amelia is one of the best people in my district! I love them all very much and I hope that either they can come and visit me or I can go and visit them soon :)
This is Anna on my left and Amelia on my right. The other girl in the picture is an Argentinian girl name Augustina but I don't know her too well.
Anna from California
Amelia from New Zealand
And here's that crazy Brazilian of mine
After breakfast, the 4 of us looked into finding a Mass service somewhere in the Mont St Michel but to our disappointment, we missed the first because of breakfast and the second was at the same time we had to leave. Next time I guess.
Most people went to look into the castle on the second day, but Lais and I decided to explore the castle grounds and do some shopping. It was fun! But my feet were really starting to hurt by the time we turned back. I suppose it was because of the sand walk, the dance in the evening, and then more Mont St Michel walking afterwards. Definitely worth it all. (Even though my feet remained sore all this week...)
After all that, we all said our goodbyes to the other students, (Oh I forgot to say, I saw Hannah and Jonathan again, the two Canadians I flew here with!) and went home.
What can I say? Exchange students are always tired... especially after we've been together! Yes, we actually fell asleep like this.
Although sleeping in the car didn't last too long. Just when you think you've had enough excitement for one weekend... life throws a curveball. Only this time, it was actually really scary.
We were driving, and I woke up to my host mum screaming in the front seat. Now understand that French people tend to over exaggerate their reactions a little bit... so when I heard her screaming, I looked behind me to see that behind our car was a another red car that had a completely smashed front. I thought at first that she was exclaiming at the front of the car. However, when she kept screaming and looking in her mirror, and I saw my host sister's worried face, I realized something was wrong.
The car kept speeding up to us, then slowing down, then speeding up even faster, and he would stop speeding right before hitting our car. My host mum was screaming "Il est malade! Il est malade!" which means "He is sick! He is sick!" I looked at the man's face and I have never been more afraid of a person in my life. He had this intense, focussed look on his face. His eyes were determined and purely evil looking. If I had seen this man walking towards me on the street, I would have thought for sure he was going to kill me. I can't think of any other way to describe it. He was leaning forward, over his steering wheel with both hands on the wheel. More than a few times, I thought for sure he would hit us. Sandrine started honking her horn and telling the car in front of us to go faster. As soon as she had the chance, she pulled off onto another street and the red car with the crazy man kept going. I think my host family said something to me about him hitting another car, and then pulling away from that accident to hit us, but I was asleep and didn't see that.
About 10 minutes later, we called the police. I was the only one who had gotten a good glimpse of him but when I described what I remembered about him, the police said they already caught him. He was in another accident after we pulled off the road. I assume he had reared another car. I was honestly terrified... especially when I heard what the police said, because then I knew, he really was trying to hit us. Why? I don't know. I don't think he was under the influence of anything... I just think he was honestly sick and insane.
Monday, I stayed home from school because I was too tired to do anything but sleep and upload photos. Tuesday, I was still limping because my feet hurt. (You know you've had a good weekend when you miss school on Monday, and are still limping on Tuesday!)
Wednesday, Lais missed her bus: looked at my phone at my bus stop to find 9 missed calls from her. When I called her back, she told me she missed her bus and was walking to my bus stop now... when I found her on the corner looking slightly lost (she's never been to my stop before) she burst out crying saying that the bus left early today and she never wanted to take the bus again... then we both laughed (while she cried) and she came home with me for the day.
Thursday, I woke up to find a pimple the size of a penny on my chin. :'( And discovered information about 2 Bus Trips for Rotary! The first is to Versailles, Paris, and Barcelona! The second is a Europe tour to many places not in France but I don't know where because it's all the names of the cities we will visit, and not the names of the countries and I'm too lazy to Google the names of the cities for now.
Friday- surprise! No sports because of no teacher!
Saturday! Oh today! I forgot to mention before, but I have started tennis and I love it! I play tennis every Saturday for an hour and a half with Constance. Our trainer is a ginger... nice guy. And I'm not half bad at tennis! In fact, every week I'm getting better and better. I love it! So so so much! And so yes. I had tennis today. Now I'm in a good mood! I think I should start playing more when I return to Canada.
Also tonight, I'm going for a sleepover at Lais' house (ma famille prochain//my next family). GIRLS NIGHT <3 Should be fun :) Here are some more pictures of me and friends. (I love these people very much). This is Oceane:
This is Marine:
This is Skylar and Bryan and Lais:
I have other friends too of course, it's just that these are the friends I have accessible pictures with!
Forgot one thing from before: Skylar (from USA) gave me some of the clothing she doesn't want anymore and a watch too... so I scored new clothing from her. And then, a friend from Australia, Suzy, gave me some of her old clothing, and I gave her money too to buy me a scarf and a 'let's learn French!' study book! Came home from school yesterday to see the surprise package on my bed! Love love love it all :) Here's a picture of my new warm scarf!
It's possible I will by a second scarf while I am here but that's only because I'm in France and falling in love with all the scarfs! (And it can be really cold sometimes!
Also, I should announce this here.... I am starting to fear that I am not learning French fast enough! So therefore... if you are a French person, please speak French to me! Slowly, but French (and if I don't understand, I will ask for the English word!) and please listen to me when I speak French and help me correct my sentences too! :D This also means that my Skype and Facebook time could be possibly limited for a little while too...
Now, be jealous because you wish your breakfast looked like this too :)
A tout alors!
