Bonjour Tout Le Monde
I hope Canada is doing well, not to cold and snowy. I just wanted to let you all know that France is going really great! It’s a much different country than I imagined, but turns out I love it here!! But gosh can a lot happen in three months!! I’ve been through so many new experiences in these first three months; it doesn’t really feel like it’s only been three months. In one perspective, the amount of new things I have done and learned, along with the amount of people I’ve met, doesn’t really seem like it could all fit into three months. And then again, with another perspective, I can’t believe it’s already been three months, and I’m still on the “slow moving” part of my exchange! Although the amount of learning exchange students happen to go through is most days completely overwhelming, a bedtime where you can just stop thinking becomes the best part of the day, I really enjoy the type of learning I get to experience here!
I have been kept super busy so far! Thanks to French school I somehow really enjoy that goes from 8am to 5pm, there isn’t much time to do anything after school during the week. So I usually jam pack my Wednesdays (school half days) and my weekends with places to go and people to meet. I can’t say there’s been a single weekend where I haven’t gone somewhere or met somebody new!
School is very different and much harder here in France, but like I said, I’m really enjoying it! School days start at 8am and end after a long day at 5pm. France has this system where people are divided into a “class” of about 35 students per class, and since you and your “class” take every course together, every day, every year it was easier than I expected to make friends. And although I can’t actually participate too much with the course work still based upon the language barrier, and I still don’t have a good enough grasp on the language or culture to be myself, I like going to school to try to socialize anyways!
I’ve just changed host families for the first time last weekend, and I have to say, it’s kind of a roller costar of emotions being an exchange student. With sadness leaving your new family, but excitement get to meet new people who are just as excited to get to know you. Frustration with the language barrier, but hopeful because they have new strategies to help you learn. Stress and confusion losing your finally developed routine, but anticipation and a new perspective with new opportunities to do different things. I kind of thought I had figured out this French culture, that is, until I moved. I’m so thankfully Rotary is an exchange program that encourages clubs to provide students with more than one family. It’s like I’ve moved to a completely different planet here. It’s funny because it actually gives you a much better perspective on the different between culture and family quirks!
Rotary has only had two weekends with the students so far, but they have been spectacular! There are about 40 exchange students in my tiny district, and somehow I ended up being the only Canadian. The events are so much fun and it’s crazy how many different languages end up being spoken around the dinner table! My Rotary club is really small, the classic European 20 old men club I suppose you could say. And although they can be really strict with my traveling rules, I do enjoy visiting with them at Rotary every Tuesday night. They’re so kind and so proud of the youth exchange program. I have been reminded numerous times that I’m the 18th student the club has hosted and the 3rd “English” speaking Canadian they’ve had. They’re always happy to visit and see how my exchange is going.
I’m sorry I have taken so long to update you all. I realized because I have such little free time, I need to learn to use it responsibly and get the things I need to do, done; which includes sending Susan my updates! I hope Canada is all doing good! Not too much snow! Apparently here it’s been a really warm winter (My backyard is still totally green) but it’s this wet humid climate I’m not used to which is making me look like a whimp to the French shivering in +10 and I describe to them “normal” winter conditions where I’m from. Miss you all! Pass around the hugs for me and have a great Christmas!!!
Bisous,
Melissa