Aleana Kings 4th Report (Christmas in France)
Posted by Bob Hlina
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Another great report from Aleana as the young lady shares her experiences from her year abroad on our Rotary Youth Exchange. This month she shares with us Christmas in France and some unfortunate mishaps.
realname: Aleana King
Sponsor Club: PG Downtown Club
Counsellor: Gerhart Rotter
Host Club: St Nom la Breteche
Host Family Name: Leger
Host Family Address: 5 Chemin du Aubrevoir
St Nom la Breteche
78860
France
Host Family Phone: 0130801958
Health Report: I was not as homesick this month, which was really nice. Winter holiday vacation started on December 19th and went until January 2nd. Let's just say that French food is really good, especially the winter dishes, and I won't tell you how much I gained since my last report... There are just two notable events regarding my health:
1. I broke my right front tooth on Christmas day. My teeth are quite small naturally, so after I got my braces off, my orthodontist put a build-up on my front teeth to make them look more average-sized. What they gave me is just temporary, and is to be replaced with a permanent version when I'm 18. Anyways, my teeth have chipped before, and I've gotten them repaired. No big deal. Well, we were taking a winter promenade on Christmas afternoon, I ended up tripping - the result was a chipped tooth. I did a pretty good job too; almost the whole added section broke off. Maman and I went to the dentist on January 5th; she was very nice and fixed my tooth. (My insurance will cover the cost.) I was pleased to be able to see what a French dentist is like, however I would have preferred it under different circumstances...
2. Further down in my report, I'll give you a break down day by day of what happened in the holidays, but suffice to say that I've never eaten oysters before, and I didn't know that I was supposed to chew them. I chewed some of them... I had seven in total. As a result I had indigestion and was feverish and felt terrible on January 2nd; I was too weak to start school on Monday. My French parents tried to help me get rid of the cause of my illness but their salted coffee concoction did nothing for me.
School Report: The first trimester ended, so that meant that report cards were sent out. I was stunned when I read my report. I am 6th in my class of 33! (Of course, having a perfect mark in both of my English classes did help my average.) My teachers were all very pleased with my work. I grasp most of the basic concepts and am able to give proof of that in my tests. The narrative notes in the report said that I was a very serious student, am great to have in the class, and that I am a courageous student overall. My host parents printed a copy of my report card to keep for themselves.
The week before Christmas break, I gave all of my teachers, and good friends a Christmas card. They were shocked. This is not something that is usually done in France. However, I wasn't the only exchange student to do it. Kim, from Ontario, (she does not attend my school) gave her teachers handmade cards for Christmas!
Rotary Attendance Report: On December 5th, we, the Inbounds, went to the first outbound orientation for the students of district 1660 and 1770. It was very similar to what I had attended at the end of September, shortly after my arrival. It was an information session about the exchange program. One of the differences was that all of the Inbounds had to do a presentation on their country. It was great to see all of other Inbound Exchange Students again. A couple of days later, December 8th, we all went to Lille, a city north of Paris, where we shopped at their Christmas Market. Besides Jose, the U.S. student who lives in the same town as me, my best friends within my district are Tuulia (Finland) and Kim (ON, Canada). It's so good to be around other exchange students; when we talk about what we're going through we often discover that we're at the same stage of the experience and that we're not alone, and what we're going through is normal. I think that's one of the best parts of the Rotary exchange program, is being in contact with other exchange students throughout the whole course of your year, and learning and growing with them.
Other Activities Report: December 21st to December 31st
21st to 23rd:
On Tuesday evening, the 21st, Pierre-Nils (my host brother), Clemence (my host sister), and Luke (Clemence's Australian boyfriend) arrived from England. We were all very happy to see each other, especially because of all of the cancelled flights due to the blizzards. Wednesday, the 22nd, I went to a Christmas Market in Paris with some friends from school. We started Christmas baking on Thursday the 23rd; we made cookies and chocolate truffles! Morfar and Mormor (Maman's parents) arrived that evening. It was also on Thursday that the internet and phone stopped working, due to the storm.
Christmas Eve, the 24th:
My day started with wrapping Christmas gifts and continued with various preparations for the evening. Around 6:00 P.M., Maman's sister, Susanne, arrived with her husband Francois and their children Tom and Teane. Shortly after, we all left for the Christmas Eve service in Marly-le-Roi (30 minute drive with the weather conditions). It was just like a Christmas Eve service in Canada. It was cool when we sang the Christmas Carols because the hymnbooks had the lyrics in French, German, and English. So my grandparents were singing in German, my host family were singing in French, and I was singing in English. When we got back home we started dinner. We had two appetizers; the Fois Gras was followed by smoked salmon. The main course consisted of Celery, Broccoli, and Carrot purees, and Chapon (a rooster that is no longer a rooster). Everything was delicious! After dinner, we installed ourselves near the fireplace and opened our gifts. My host family, grandparents, and aunt and uncle all seemed pleased with the gifts from me ââ'¬" all of which had some significance to my region of Canada. Once all the gifts were opened, we had three types of Christmas log desserts. A Christmas Log is a cake, a bit similar to Ice-Cream Cake, except that the ice-cream is replaced with a filling; it is in the shape of a log. We eventually went to bed around 3:30 am.
25th and 26th:
Morfar and Mormor stayed for a couple more days. During that time, I broke my tooth, learned how to dance the Waltz, went (along with everyone else) to a Monet Exposition at the Marmottan Museum in Paris, and learned how to play 1000 Bournes.
27th:
We prepared for Christmas at Papa's sister's house in a town north of Paris. In other words, more truffles and cookies were made!
28th:
Papa, Maman, Clemence, Luke, Pierre-Nils, and I spent the day at Odile and Philippe's (Papa's sister's house). The food was amazing! One of my favourite foods was the Rockford Cheese and Pecan Macaroons that we had as an appetizer. The meal began with homemade fois gras and was followed by deer, potatoes, and cooked pears. Afterwards there was salad and cheese which was followed by a Christmas Log. Philippe had been to Western Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary) for his job, so he knew about B.C. It was so nice to be able to talk to someone who knew about my side of the country. We left their house after midnight.
29th:
I went to France with my school in the spring of 2009. I stayed with a family for 5 days. So on Wednesday, the 29th, I went to Paris to see the Opera Garnier with the two girls of that family, Claire and Laure. It was neat to see them again and actually be able to communicate without too many problems.
30th:
Clemence, Luke, Pierre-Nils, and I all went to Paris in the afternoon. We started at the Canadian restaurant near Notre Dame. They were charmed by the atmosphere - it's quite Canadian, a bit like a Boston Pizza. We went bowling afterwards, which was the source of many laughs, and inside jokes for the rest of the holidays.
31st:
For New Year's Eve, it was just Clemence, Luke, Maman, Papa, and I at home. We had oysters, and raclette. Raclette is a meal where you eat melted raclette cheese with potatoes, mini pickles, mini onions, and various types of cold cut meats. Papa taught Luke and I how to dance Rock n' Roll. We finished the evening with homemade Chocolate Ãâ?°clairs made by Clemence and Luke. We went off to our beds around 3:30 am. So that's my detailed description of my first Christmas in France ââ'¬" lots of amazing memories and photos; that I'll show when I'm back in Canada.
Comments-Requests: I've changed families for 5 weeks. My next report will be during my month with them. It has started out really well, so look forward to another long letter from me in a month or so. Speaking of change, I'm really glad that I have to write reports every month. It gives me a chance to reflect on what I've done, and the memories that I have made. When I look back at who I was 5 months ago, it's hard to believe. It is not to say that I'm embarrassed or don't like who I was, but comparing the Aleana who arrived in August to the Aleana today, there's definitely a difference between the two. It's a good change. Not to say that it has been easy ââ'¬" change usually is not. The experiences have strengthened me, given me more understanding and a clearer view on things. I'm sure that the next months to follow I'll change even more. I'm not even half way through ââ'¬" time flies though. I'll return to Prince George on July 15, 2011. I cried when I seen my flight ticket back home. I already care so much for the people that have come into my life here in France. Thinking about leaving makes me feel sick inside. However, a positive note, by knowing when I am leaving I am pushed to make the most of every day and to not waste a second.
Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Gros Bisous!
Aleana
P.S. If my writing sounds better this month, it's because I sent my report to my mom before sending it you - half of the time I find it easier to talk in French than in English!
Sponsor Club: PG Downtown Club
Counsellor: Gerhart Rotter
Host Club: St Nom la Breteche
Host Family Name: Leger
Host Family Address: 5 Chemin du Aubrevoir
St Nom la Breteche
78860
France
Host Family Phone: 0130801958
Health Report: I was not as homesick this month, which was really nice. Winter holiday vacation started on December 19th and went until January 2nd. Let's just say that French food is really good, especially the winter dishes, and I won't tell you how much I gained since my last report... There are just two notable events regarding my health:
1. I broke my right front tooth on Christmas day. My teeth are quite small naturally, so after I got my braces off, my orthodontist put a build-up on my front teeth to make them look more average-sized. What they gave me is just temporary, and is to be replaced with a permanent version when I'm 18. Anyways, my teeth have chipped before, and I've gotten them repaired. No big deal. Well, we were taking a winter promenade on Christmas afternoon, I ended up tripping - the result was a chipped tooth. I did a pretty good job too; almost the whole added section broke off. Maman and I went to the dentist on January 5th; she was very nice and fixed my tooth. (My insurance will cover the cost.) I was pleased to be able to see what a French dentist is like, however I would have preferred it under different circumstances...
2. Further down in my report, I'll give you a break down day by day of what happened in the holidays, but suffice to say that I've never eaten oysters before, and I didn't know that I was supposed to chew them. I chewed some of them... I had seven in total. As a result I had indigestion and was feverish and felt terrible on January 2nd; I was too weak to start school on Monday. My French parents tried to help me get rid of the cause of my illness but their salted coffee concoction did nothing for me.
School Report: The first trimester ended, so that meant that report cards were sent out. I was stunned when I read my report. I am 6th in my class of 33! (Of course, having a perfect mark in both of my English classes did help my average.) My teachers were all very pleased with my work. I grasp most of the basic concepts and am able to give proof of that in my tests. The narrative notes in the report said that I was a very serious student, am great to have in the class, and that I am a courageous student overall. My host parents printed a copy of my report card to keep for themselves.
The week before Christmas break, I gave all of my teachers, and good friends a Christmas card. They were shocked. This is not something that is usually done in France. However, I wasn't the only exchange student to do it. Kim, from Ontario, (she does not attend my school) gave her teachers handmade cards for Christmas!
Rotary Attendance Report: On December 5th, we, the Inbounds, went to the first outbound orientation for the students of district 1660 and 1770. It was very similar to what I had attended at the end of September, shortly after my arrival. It was an information session about the exchange program. One of the differences was that all of the Inbounds had to do a presentation on their country. It was great to see all of other Inbound Exchange Students again. A couple of days later, December 8th, we all went to Lille, a city north of Paris, where we shopped at their Christmas Market. Besides Jose, the U.S. student who lives in the same town as me, my best friends within my district are Tuulia (Finland) and Kim (ON, Canada). It's so good to be around other exchange students; when we talk about what we're going through we often discover that we're at the same stage of the experience and that we're not alone, and what we're going through is normal. I think that's one of the best parts of the Rotary exchange program, is being in contact with other exchange students throughout the whole course of your year, and learning and growing with them.
Other Activities Report: December 21st to December 31st
21st to 23rd:
On Tuesday evening, the 21st, Pierre-Nils (my host brother), Clemence (my host sister), and Luke (Clemence's Australian boyfriend) arrived from England. We were all very happy to see each other, especially because of all of the cancelled flights due to the blizzards. Wednesday, the 22nd, I went to a Christmas Market in Paris with some friends from school. We started Christmas baking on Thursday the 23rd; we made cookies and chocolate truffles! Morfar and Mormor (Maman's parents) arrived that evening. It was also on Thursday that the internet and phone stopped working, due to the storm.
Christmas Eve, the 24th:
My day started with wrapping Christmas gifts and continued with various preparations for the evening. Around 6:00 P.M., Maman's sister, Susanne, arrived with her husband Francois and their children Tom and Teane. Shortly after, we all left for the Christmas Eve service in Marly-le-Roi (30 minute drive with the weather conditions). It was just like a Christmas Eve service in Canada. It was cool when we sang the Christmas Carols because the hymnbooks had the lyrics in French, German, and English. So my grandparents were singing in German, my host family were singing in French, and I was singing in English. When we got back home we started dinner. We had two appetizers; the Fois Gras was followed by smoked salmon. The main course consisted of Celery, Broccoli, and Carrot purees, and Chapon (a rooster that is no longer a rooster). Everything was delicious! After dinner, we installed ourselves near the fireplace and opened our gifts. My host family, grandparents, and aunt and uncle all seemed pleased with the gifts from me ââ'¬" all of which had some significance to my region of Canada. Once all the gifts were opened, we had three types of Christmas log desserts. A Christmas Log is a cake, a bit similar to Ice-Cream Cake, except that the ice-cream is replaced with a filling; it is in the shape of a log. We eventually went to bed around 3:30 am.
25th and 26th:
Morfar and Mormor stayed for a couple more days. During that time, I broke my tooth, learned how to dance the Waltz, went (along with everyone else) to a Monet Exposition at the Marmottan Museum in Paris, and learned how to play 1000 Bournes.
27th:
We prepared for Christmas at Papa's sister's house in a town north of Paris. In other words, more truffles and cookies were made!
28th:
Papa, Maman, Clemence, Luke, Pierre-Nils, and I spent the day at Odile and Philippe's (Papa's sister's house). The food was amazing! One of my favourite foods was the Rockford Cheese and Pecan Macaroons that we had as an appetizer. The meal began with homemade fois gras and was followed by deer, potatoes, and cooked pears. Afterwards there was salad and cheese which was followed by a Christmas Log. Philippe had been to Western Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary) for his job, so he knew about B.C. It was so nice to be able to talk to someone who knew about my side of the country. We left their house after midnight.
29th:
I went to France with my school in the spring of 2009. I stayed with a family for 5 days. So on Wednesday, the 29th, I went to Paris to see the Opera Garnier with the two girls of that family, Claire and Laure. It was neat to see them again and actually be able to communicate without too many problems.
30th:
Clemence, Luke, Pierre-Nils, and I all went to Paris in the afternoon. We started at the Canadian restaurant near Notre Dame. They were charmed by the atmosphere - it's quite Canadian, a bit like a Boston Pizza. We went bowling afterwards, which was the source of many laughs, and inside jokes for the rest of the holidays.
31st:
For New Year's Eve, it was just Clemence, Luke, Maman, Papa, and I at home. We had oysters, and raclette. Raclette is a meal where you eat melted raclette cheese with potatoes, mini pickles, mini onions, and various types of cold cut meats. Papa taught Luke and I how to dance Rock n' Roll. We finished the evening with homemade Chocolate Ãâ?°clairs made by Clemence and Luke. We went off to our beds around 3:30 am. So that's my detailed description of my first Christmas in France ââ'¬" lots of amazing memories and photos; that I'll show when I'm back in Canada.
Comments-Requests: I've changed families for 5 weeks. My next report will be during my month with them. It has started out really well, so look forward to another long letter from me in a month or so. Speaking of change, I'm really glad that I have to write reports every month. It gives me a chance to reflect on what I've done, and the memories that I have made. When I look back at who I was 5 months ago, it's hard to believe. It is not to say that I'm embarrassed or don't like who I was, but comparing the Aleana who arrived in August to the Aleana today, there's definitely a difference between the two. It's a good change. Not to say that it has been easy ââ'¬" change usually is not. The experiences have strengthened me, given me more understanding and a clearer view on things. I'm sure that the next months to follow I'll change even more. I'm not even half way through ââ'¬" time flies though. I'll return to Prince George on July 15, 2011. I cried when I seen my flight ticket back home. I already care so much for the people that have come into my life here in France. Thinking about leaving makes me feel sick inside. However, a positive note, by knowing when I am leaving I am pushed to make the most of every day and to not waste a second.
Thank you so much for this opportunity!
Gros Bisous!
Aleana
P.S. If my writing sounds better this month, it's because I sent my report to my mom before sending it you - half of the time I find it easier to talk in French than in English!