Wednesday, October 28, 2009

2 months.

It has been two months now in this new, wonderful, crazy, challenging, beautiful life. Two months, that is 61 days, almost 1/5 of my exchange, it’s 1/6 of a year, and the amount of time it takes for a baby to learn to lift its head.

About a week ago I lifted my head. I looked around, up and down the cobble stone streets, the Seine in the distance, a slight breeze, a nearly cloudless sky, a woman riding a bike with 2 baguettes in the basket, a man walking his dog. I could hear the wooosh of the metro passing a few streets over, and I could see the top of a cathedral that is hundreds of years old, the contrast between the new and the old made me smile. That’s Europe. That’s my new life.

Two months in, and the sight of an ancient cathedral no longer sends me reaching for my camera. Now I look at the tourists, and smile to myself. I no longer thinks its weird to open the fridge and see at least 5 different cheeses. The French milk that I at first hated, is now my favourite drink.

School here is a different world entirely. Class begins with a lovely jingle, not the normal grating bell I’m used to. The students begin writing in beautiful cursive with their re-loadable fountain pens on ruler straight lines, while I sit with a dictionary and a book of scribbled notes. At the end of class everyone dons their 200Euro jackets and heads outside for a smoking break. This includes the teachers.

Although school here is a different world entirely, high school is high school whether it’s a cote de la cathedral, or surrounded by fields. Being an exchange students kind of excuses me from the social chain, we are items of interest with no social status. And that is just fine with me.

In these two months I have settled in, wiggled around and found my niche. I walk down the streets and feel like I am home, I don’t feel like the foreigner on the metro anymore, and I can order a subway sandwich in French. I can find my way from one end of town to another, I know where to buy the cheapest chocolate, and where to find the best Tarte aux citron. I can make rattaoullie (but I can’t spell it) and I can make crepes like there is no tomorrow. I have learned how to cut bread, and how to cut cheese (not in the farting sense). I have changed. It’s nothing drastic, not one specific thing, its like growing, you don’t realize it when your doing it until one day your pants are too short. I have picked up French mannerisms and ways of thinking. The sense of humor which once seemed bizarre to me, I now find extremely funny. I have realized that people aren’t “cold” in France, there is no “lack of warmth” here. They simply communicate differently.

I have lifted my head, and I like what I see. I am living my life to the fullest, and I am loving it.

Thanks you to all that made this a possibility.

Friday, October 23, 2009

sorry its been so long....

Hey everyone, sorry its been so long, I have been really busy/tired.

Soooo where were we? Mont Saint Michel? Oui, je pense.

We left chez moi at 8 and got there at about 11:45 ('we' consists of Me, Carmelle the australian girl, Carmelle's host brother, and a Rotarian)

Us students got to sleep in bungalows, which was pretty sweet :) I was in one with Carmelle. we had tons of fun. There was about 150 exchange students, from all corners of the world. Carmelle has been in France april, because she is Australian (they come in the spring), and so she has already gone on the bus trip and met a lot of the people, and she introduced me to everyone. We all hung out for a while then took a picnic lunch to eat while we walked in the sand.

Turns out the walk in the sand was for 4 hours.....thats a really long time to walk barefoot in cold wet sinking sand..... There was the occasional knee deep river that needed crossing. It was a rather cold, windy, wet, long walk... but in retrospect it was fun. It was great to talk to everyone.

When we got back to our bungalows we had (long) hot showers to try and defrost ourselves a bit. Then we had dinner, a large buffet. And after all the kids from each country got up in groups (or by themselves if there was no one else) and sang their national anthems. It was really neat.

Once that was over the lights went off and the music went on, and we danced until the wee hours of the morning. The music was from all different countries. It was awesome.

The next morning we were all tired with very sore feet. But after a long breakfast (involving as much caffine as my body can safely hold) we were off again to Mont Saint Michel. This time it was free time on the island. We could go anywhere, do anything, just be back by noon. So a group of kids from our district ( we call ourselves The Camembert Crew, because we are really cool) went through the back door to the cathedral. It was slightly 'interdite' I think, but it was beautiful.
The streets of Mont St. Michel are so narrow and old looking, i love it. And the secret little stair cases, and tiny ally ways. I loved it. Most of the stores though (all of them other than restaurants) were over priced tourist shops though. But we had a great time.

We all met up again for a goodbye lunch, then the buses started to head off. We were the last to go (our district didn't get a bus, we had to find our own rides). It was me, Carmelle, and her host brother again. Her host brother was an exchange student last year. We all fell asleep on the ride home. haha. School the next day was not the funnest. :P

Since then I have mostly been sleeping, and slowly regaining feeling in my feet. haha.

here are some photos :)

Friday, October 16, 2009

....you want me to read...in english....?

Today in English class I had to read aloud. For those of you who know me well, you know that reading aloud is not something that I am particularly good at. I trip over words, and miss lines. I have no problem reading in my head, and absolutely no problem talking, so it is a mystery why rading aloud is difficult, but c’est comme ca.

Anywho, so I am handed the text book and told to read from line 1-50. (say whaaaaat?). Of course everyone is staring at me, because hey, she’s Canadienne, she will have no problem with it, right?

Wrong!

Hahahaha. So the teacher had to stop and correct me 3 times. The other mistakes I just hope they didn’t notice. I havn’t read an english book since the first week of September, and I have not read aloud in English since…….May? And it appears that it is a skill that needs regular practice to uphold.

I have my fingers (and my toes) crossed that the teacher will not ask me to read aloud again ( but my toes are also crossed because they are cold).

Thursday, October 15, 2009

7 weeks.

7, the lucky number. Well, this certainly feels like a lucky week.

Bridget and I celebrated yesterday by making crepes for the first time here. They were delish. Afterwards since it was so beautiful out we decided to go for a bike ride (pretty French hey?). Bridget lives about 20 minutes outside of Rouen, in a little town called Petite Coronnes (not sure on the spelling). Ridding our bikes through the little downtown with the sun shinning and the crisp breeze, it was perfect. We rode to the town park, and it was so picturesque. A fountain surrounded by trees with golden red leaves, little grassy hills with fallen leaves, benches covered in leaves, it was amazing. We sat on a bench in the sun. It was just warm enough that I had to take off my jacket. It was that perfect autumn sun that makes you feel like you are glowing. I felt like we were in a children's book, with those paintings of ‘the perfect autumn day’. And to make it all even better, it was in France.

After 7 weeks I am home. I am home here. The food that I was at first not completely fond of, is now what I crave. The milk here that I wasn’t able to drink at first is now the best thing I have ever tasted. I love the culture here, the way of life. I love the grocery stores. I love the old lady sitting on the metro nibbling the top of a baguette. I love the plate of cheese in everyone’s fridge. I love the quirky aspects of day to day life. I love life. I love France.

A few days ago at school I was talking to a group of girls in my class, and one of them said that I spoke French very well for only having been here for a month. I didn’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.

Today I have no school. Well, there is school, I am just not going. The metro is on strike again, and I have no way of getting there, so I will be kicking it at home today. I plan on cleaning (my new favorite pass time), writing, and baking an apple pie. Sounds like a perfect day to me 

On Saturday morning I am heading off to Mount Saint Michel for the weekend, with about 200 other Rotary students. I am really looking forward to it. And since the weather is so great right now, it should be awesome.

I hope everyone reading this is having as wonderful a day as I am today.

Monday, October 12, 2009

photos!

so this is Charlie, Waldo's French Cousin. He is not as good at hiding.



















these two are of a beautiful garden. I still can't believe that this is in my day to day life. I LOVE EUROPE.




















this is all the exchange students with Rotary in my districs. I am in the 2nd row from the back... center right.





and this is me in Rouen :)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

live, love, eat <3

So its coming up on 7 weeks, and life is great.

I was searching for a word the other day to describe how I felt. I couldn’t find one, then it just came to me, the french word for happy, “content”. I was perfectly content.

Life here is great. There is really nothing that I would change. I am more confident in speaking French, the prospect of going downstairs in the morning is no longer daunting (speaking French in the morning was a bit of a hurdle to get over), and I don’t crave North American food anymore (except for the occasional perogie).


Here are a few more things that I have learned in these last amazing 7 weeks:


- ‘donc’ is their version of ‘like’. If you throw it in about 5 times per sentence you sound French.

- There is never any money laying on the sidewalk. No lucky pennies…

- Never take being able understand how to work a microwave for granted.

- It’s really dark outside at 6am

- Food addiction is a real thing…….watch out French bread, here I come.

- Cocoa-Cola tastes different in France

- Everything tastes different in France

- Putting jam on cream cheese is like sacrilege in France. You will be stared at. Not in a good way.

- No one understands peanut butter here…its expensive, and hard to find.

- Lights-OFF. Always. France is very dark. Only the lights that NEED to be on are.

- French shortbread cookies are the closest thing to perfection you will ever taste.

- I love France.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

lookin out my back door

“Bother me tomorrow,
Today I’ll have no sorrow,
Do Doo Do
Looking out my back door”

All my friends grew up listening to Brittany Spears and The Spice Girls. I grew up listening to CCR, Bob Marley, and Neil Young. This morning as I was getting ready for school I put on the radio, and “Looking out my back door” by CCR started playing. It was such a flashback moment. So mommy and daddy, tonight while you are eating dinner put that CD on and think of me  It was a little bit of home, thousands of miles away.

Today while grocery store wandering I found the North American food isle. And more importantly I found PEANUT BUTTER! Which is unheard of here. Unheard of. So I think I will be buying some of that, and making some good old fashion PB&J sandwiches soon.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Sunrise on the Seine

This morning as my metro was crossing the Seine the sun was rising. The sky was lit up a beautiful grapefruit color, with golden clouds, and the water was reflecting it. It was a beautiful way to start the day, and a great way to mark 6 weeks in this amazing new life.

6 weeks. Wow. I can’t believe how fast the time has passed. Though it seems like years and years ago that I was stepping off the plane. I’m in a French time warp, but I am loving it. I am so glad that I am here for the full year, because right now the idea of going home after 3 months is so depressing, even 6 months. I am happy I am here for the long haul. It is still a bit mind boggeling though, to think about just how long it is. So I avoid that. I take things one day at a time, one meal after another.

I am building a new life. Constructed mainly of bread, desserts, dictionaries, and lots of sign language. I recognize people on the metro now, the regulars. I know the hours of the public library off by heart, I know where the best hot chocolate in the city is, and I could walk around the grocery store blind folded. I feel at home. I have made my own little niche in this huge city, my own little place.

Yesterday I played Rugby at school….. I have trouble understanding the rules of a game in English, but in French? It was sad. I understood that if you had the ball you wanted to run it to the end of the field. I thought that was pretty much it. So, someone passed me the ball, and I held onto it for dear life and ran. I ran and ran, all the way to the end of the field. Then I started to wonder why no one was chasing me, and why everyone was laughing at me…..turns out I was supposed to run the other direction. They all thought it was pretty funny, but needless to say, no one passes to me anymore.

The other night I woke up having a really bad dream. It’s rather complicated, and weird (as most of my dream are) but I will give a shortened version:

I was on the ferry boat going from Vancouver to Naniamo, it was the end of October or early November. It was me and Bridget, my dad and someone from rotary. I kept asking why we were going home, it hadn't been a year yet, it couldn’t have gone by that fast. And everyone kept telling me ‘Yes, it was a year, and now you are back.” But I knew it hadn't been a year. I kept saying “I don’t remember Christmas, I don’t remember Christmas. It wasn’t a year. I want to go back.”
Later on we were back in my house (only it wasn’t actually my house), and I asked my dad if it had really been a year, and why I was back so soon. He told me that no, it hadn’t been a year, only 2 months. I was back home because Orange (a phone company) was having a really savage battle with another phone company, and it was safer for me to be in Canada. I was distraught. I just wanted to go back.
I woke up and for a second I thought I was in Canada, then with a huge sigh of relief I realized I was in my bed, in France.


I want to thank all of you who have given me this opportunity. Thank you thank you thank you.


A teacher of mine once told me that everyone had a choice in life. We could choose to live, or to simply exist.
I am choosing to live, and I am loving it. I have never felt so alive. Sure, there are days where I just want to curl up, times when I want nothing more than to be surrounded by a language I understand, or to be simply hugged by my parents and told that it will be okay. Sure, there are hard times, but that comes with choosing to live. And trust me, it is worth it.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

grocerys stores, greek mythology, and moon landings. what more could you want?

When you have a three hour long lunch break, and a school with no sitting places, and a city with very wet weather, you find a place of refuge. Mine is the grocery store.

Every time that Bridget and I have a 3-hour break we hop on the metro to Saint Sever, a mall across the Seine. Its only 3 stations away, so just about 6 minuets to get there. The mall is huge, with many bars/café/restaurants, many clothing stores, and about 5 phone stores. You could find everything you need to live off of. There is also an E.Leclerc. for those of you who aren’t familiar with French brands, E.Leclerc is to France, as WalMart is to North America. But more food focused.

Bridget and I like these stores very much. We will spend hours and hours just wandering the isles. It never gets old. Its always interesting, and it always smells good (and it never rains unexpectedly). We make little mental notes as we go “We gotta try that one day” “Whoah, what do you do with that?” “They eat that here?” “Hey! Its like Kraft Dinner!! With no cheese…..” “Why don’t they have ________?”.

We do often get strange glances when we walk out with nothing, because most people don’t go to the supermarket just to browse…. But hey, we get weird glances everywhere.

Our second place of refuge is the library. Which is conveniently located right across the street from our school, and is in the same building as our third place of refuge (that is the next paragraph). Bridget and I both have library cards now. I am currently reading a book (IN FRENCH) on Greek mythology. I am not really sure why. It was a sudden need to learn about mythology (I am already becoming a more ‘well rounded’ person. But that is also due to all the bread I consume). They have a small English section, mostly just the classics. We also like the children’s section; we are frequent visitors there.

The third place of refuge is the Fnac. It is also right across from the school, and sells computers, televisions, cameras etc, and books, and music. Upstairs there is an exhibit of photos on the moon, and there are some comfy chairs. The staff must think we are very interested in the moon landings……

The rain has started. Lots of it. I have a feeling that Bridget and I will be spending a lot of time in our three little spots. I will take some photos of each for you 

Friday, October 2, 2009

mind of a toddler...

So learning a new language is kinda like being 3 years old again.

I will learn a new word and then every time I see something that applies to that word I want to point and yell. (thankfully I have learned to repress this). On the metro I have memorized the order of the stops, and I sometimes find myself speaking along with the nice computer voice “Prochaine station, Hotel de Ville de Sotteville.” “Destination Technopole, Saint-Etienne de Rouvrey”. Ya, I get some funny looks.
If I am walking down the street and I over hear a conversation with one of my “new words” I always want to turn around and tell them “Je connais ce mot!!! Je connais ce mot!!!” thankfully I refrain from that one too.

The small things in life are what matter now. The simple basics of human nature. None of all the complicated stuff we have to deal with when we grow up. Understanding is way over rated.

But, like a 3 year old I am going through that annoying stage. The “why” stage (only for me it is “pourquoi?”).

*this is a recent conversation with the guy who hands out ice cream at the school cafeteria *

“Non, tu ne peux pas prendre un pomme et un crème glacée”
“Pourquoi?”
“Parce-que tu ne peux pas prendre deux desserts.”
“Mais un pomme n’est pas un dessert, c’est un fruit, si je prend un glace, je pense que j’ai BESSOIN de prendre un pomme.”
“Non, tu ne peux pas prendre un pomme et un crème glacée.”
“Merde”

- No, you can’t take an apple and an ice cream.
- Why?
- Because you can’t take two desserts.
- But, an apple isn’t a dessert, it’s a fruit, and if I take an ice cream I think I NEED to take a fruit.
- No, you can’t take an apple and an ice cream.
- *darn*



So, apart from being a toddler again, I have noticed some things that I miss and that I will miss.

Things I Currently Miss in Canada:

- full fridges (with snack foods)
- snacks
- cold pizza (…..actually pizza for that matter)
- perogies
- baths
- lockers at school (unheard of here)


Things That I Will Miss in France:

-THE BAKERIES! (and all they sell)
- the fresh bread every morning
- the chocolate (and the HOT CHOCOLATE)
- the cobble stone streets
- the metro, and ability to get around without a car
- the crazy drivers


There is just so much here that I love. And it has only been 5 weeks. I have a feeling that someone will have to drag me onto the airplane when it is time to leave……