First off, I'm really very sorry for not posting regularly. School started on the 2nd and since then it's been nothing but work. Hopefully, though, I'll find time in the future to at least post a small update.
So back up to where I left off. When I last wrote I had just started settling in with my first host family. They're admittedly pretty awesome. It took a little getting used to, especially since I had just started getting used to the Lachenauds, but they're really nice. And I especially love it because my host mom's mom has been staying with us from time to time and she's wonderful.
I had a couple days with the family before school started and we spent most of the time going places and trying to get stuff done for the rentré, or the going-back-to-school day. It was mostly filling out forms and going to places to turn in the forms but it was nice.
The first day of school was... typical of an exchange student. First off I arrived late. Not super late but just a minute late. I realized later though that being late was probably a good thing. Mario took me to school and walked in with me. We went to the "Bureau de la vie scolaire" and talked with a guy there. He told me what class I was in and to go wait in the courtyard for them to call my class number. He also told me I could come to him if I needed help, an offer which I have taken up countless times. Mario and I parted ways and I went out into the courtyard. I only knew 2 people who go to the school but neither of them are in my grade so I basically awkwardly stood in the back until my class was called. Being the 5th class didn't help. When my class was finally called I followed the group of kids that assembled at the front and we went into a big classroom.
Again, since I didn't know anyone I was about to sit by myself in the back. But instead I chose to sit next to a random girl I didn't know who had an open seat next to her. We were with Madame Ott, our main teacher. She spent most of the time talking. She explained her system of teaching and all and we filled out a couple of papers. I was pointed out early on by the teacher as the American exchange student. And then of course anytime she mentioned anything that had to do with the US. Which wasn't the greatest since I couldn't always keep track of what she said. But it was better once class finished. All of the new students met at the front and took a tour of the campus. I didn't retain anything from the tour but it was nice getting to meet some of the other new kids.
School had started at 9 and finished at noon. So Mario came and took me home then. We might have gone to meet his dad that day but I don't recall. His dad was nice though.
At home I took a nap. And I think it was that day that I helped Mario make an apple tart. It was quite delicious and super easy to make.
Nothing interesting happened Friday. I had PE and we played badminton. And I packed for the weekend.
The weekend is the interesting part. I went with all the other inbounds in my district and the new Rotex who just got back this summer. We stayed in a chateau (castle) in Belfort. I rode the train with Sharayu (who's from India) to get there. It was really fun riding in the train, not only because Sharayu makes great company, but the countryside was absolutely beautiful and we have nothing like the train in the US. It was the weirdest thing, though. I found it incredibly hard to speak English. Well not particularly hard, but it felt funny for the first 10 minutes or so. Now I find I can make the transition pretty easily since I have English class 4 times a week and I spend a lot of time listening to music in English, but that train ride was difficult.
We eventually arrived in Belfort and met up with two other exchange students, Feggy and Simon. Feggy is from South Korea and Simon is from Australia. They're both really awesome. Feggy goes to my school but unfortunately doesn't speak any French and just a little English. But I've been trying to help him out at school. Simon reminds me of Suraj. For those of you who are reading this but don't know Suraj, that is a shame. Because he is a cool kid.
After a few hours of watching shadows, writing songs, and using large hand motions (and thumbs), the Rotary people finally arrived to pick us up. We drove to the chateau with some other students. We were some of the first at the chateau so we dropped off our stuff in the tent just outside of the chateau and hung out. After a long while all of the other students arrived and we went and chose rooms at the dormitory next to the chateau.
After picking rooms we went to take pictures with everyone with all the flags from the different countries. It was pretty cool. The pictures are on facebook. Then we took individual pictures. From there we basically hung out. We went down to the soccer/basketball court and played soccer with a basketball. For me since I'm not exactly athletic it wasn't exactly ideal but I tried to play anyway. But I recieved no major injuries nor did I injure anyone else. So I consider it as a success.
We were called up to the chateau to eat eventually. I think we had lasagna for dinner. Although not particularly amazing it wasn't quite as interesting as the following meals. After dinner all the inbounds were called upstairs and we had the rules explained to us by what I think might possibly be the scariest French man I have yet to meet.
From there we had free time to do what we wanted until it was time to go to bed. I don't recall the bedtime but I do remember that we had only until 10 to be outside because otherwise the neighbors would complain. At first we all went into the dorms and piled into two different rooms. There, we decided to sneak out. So, at 9 30 when we were still allowed to be outside, we snuck out through the window. Jumped out of the window actually. Which was surprisingly fun. This was followed by an Australian rolling through the grass and games of ninja and big booty. And impersonations of Snoopy (5 of us climbed up on the roof of a small playground house). Then we went inside.
We basically just hung out inside and talked. As well as learning about my fellow exchange students, I also learned about the Australian government. This was interesting needless to say. We went to bed late that night and woke up early. Or at least woke up and stayed awake early. It was so freezing cold at night that I eventually fumbled in the dark for my jacket, zipped it up all the way, put the hood up, and tucked myself into the covers.
Early the next morning we got up and went to go eat breakfast. Breakfast was cereal with cocoa powder. Apparently in the houses where they eat cereal for breakfast they put cocoa powder (or basically chocolate powder since I'm pretty sure there's a difference) in their cereal. I wouldn't know because at my current host family we eat small packaged pastries for breakfast. Which, I might add, are delicious. I much prefer them. During breakfast we discussed literature at our table. After hearing the books that my fellow exchange students have read it not only made me want to go out and read Vonnegut, but only confirmed my suspicions that exchange students are the most incredibly people in the world.
After breakfast we had another meeting upstairs. This time it was a lighter subject. We talked about the trips for the year. This includes not only the trips to Spain and throughout all of Europe, but weekend trips throughout Alsace. I was not aware that there would be trips like these throughout the year so needless to say it was a pleasant surprise.
At some point we packed up and left our stuff in the same tent from before. We went back to the court and played more basketball and soccer but I did not participate this time. Instead I rolled down the hill to the court and got more beat up in those 3 seconds than in hours of playing soccer with the others. Well I only got a little cut on my elbow but it did leave a very tiny scar.
During soccer/basketball most of the people left with different Rotarians. There were Rotarians from every club so they drove all the students home. Being one of the last to leave, I got to stay with the other students. We eventually migrated from the court to the entrance to the chateau, where we threw around a basketball and told jokes.
Being exhausted, I slept on the car ride home. And that was my weekend at the chateau.
Since then my life has consisted mainly of school. For all of you who are wondering, yes school is hard. I've been getting good grades in most of my classes except History-Geography. However, I have my first test in French on Monday so we'll have to see how that goes. History and French are the subjects I understand the least. And Economy, considering the fact I don't understand Economy in English. However, my Life/Earth Science, English, Spanish, and Math classes have been going well. Oh and one class that's basically a class on how to be a citizen but does not translate well to English. But the only reason I've got a good grade in that class is because the only thing we've done was a group response, in which I did not participate at all.
Besides that, it's been all right. Classes consist mainly of dictation and note-taking. It isn't particularly easy for me, but I can kind of manage to follow. I basically copy what my neighbor has written with the intentions of reading it over later to understand it. However I rarely have to time to review my notes with the daily homework I've got. And with the fact that if I don't get to bed before 10 at night I'm dead tired the next day.
Other than that it's going really well. Everyone in my class (I stay with the same class for all classes except language classes) tries to help me when I need it and they're all really nice. And yes, I am starting to make friends :). Outside my exchange student friends that is. Even though it's much harder trying to connect with the French students since they've kind of established their groups, I'm making it work. And speaking French already does help. But I have definitely learned how useful being able to invite myself along can be.
Although now that I think about it I should probably describe school in France. I've gotten used to the differences by now but there are many.
For one thing classes are set up like at a college. Except for the fact that we always stay with the same group of people. I have 4 hours of French a week, 3 hours of Spanish, 3 hours of History-Geography, 4 hours of math, etc. They're at different times each day (though not each week) and in different classrooms. I have a total of 12 different classes. Here are the names (some are in French--sorry but it's easier that way): French, English, Spanish, Math, History-Geography, English Civilizations, Economy, PE, Science de la vie et de la Terre, and Education Civic Justique et Sociale.
I also start and end school at different times every day. A normal school day is from 8 in the morning till 6 at night with an hour for lunch. But most everyone has free hours in between. I start at 9 two or three times a week and I finish at 5 for the most part. Wednesdays are nice though because I end at noon.
To get to school I have to take the train. It's kind of cool but at the same time it's kind of a pain. I get some independence being able to take the train into town when I want but at the same time I have to get up earlier in the morning and when I finish at 5 I have to wait till 6 11 to take the train... But it works for now. And it'll be nice being able to go into town over the weekends. From the train station--which is gorgeous, I might add, I take the tram to get to school. The tram is like a subway system above ground. It's basically the most amazing thing in the world. With it I can pretty much go anywhere in Strasbourg and I have a card that lets me take it 24/7. It's amazing.
That's school in a nutshell. And while there is still much more to write about, I'm going to post this for now so my friends and family back home can have some news about me. And so they don't worry. Because I'm having an incredible time here. Even though I'm missing them all.
A la prochaine.
