Hello Everyone!
So after 6 o'clock today, I have been in a French school for exactly one week! What experience that has been!
First, let me explain my scheduale here in France. First off, you have Semaine A (english translation: week A) and Semaine B which you alternate for the entire year. There are no semesters also. Next, I will most likely be dropping out of Spanish because here they speak it almost as well as French. I understand French almost perfectly (sometimes they talk way too fast) but Spanish I know maybe 30 words so today when I had the class, I understood maybe 5 words in every paragraph she spoke.... They also have a 10 minute break every 2 hours so they can pretty much let the kids who need a smoke get a smoke. Yeah it's really pathetic. Every class is an hour at least, I have 4 classes that are 2 hours. The days start at 8 and end by 6. I usually end by 5 o'clock in the afternoon but I have to wait for the bus.
SEMAINE A:
Monday: 8h00 - English (reinforcement). 9h00 - English. 10h10 - Work Period (this is shared between two teachers so whatever they teach they use this period to do their own teachings). 12h03 - Lunch! 12h55 - Spanish. 13h55 - Pause (This means I can do what I want, study, go into town, hang out with friends, etc). 14h55 - History and Geography (once you finish a chapter in one of the subjects, you switch to the next. We have begun with History).
Tuesday: (I don't have anything for the first two periods in the morning = I can sleep late and be driven to school). 10h10 - English. 11h05 - French. 12h03 - Lunch! 13h55 - French. 14h55 - Science. 16h05 - English.
Wednesday: 8h00 - French. 9h00 - French Literature. 10h10 - History and Geography. 12h03 - Lunch! Then I go home for the day because there are no classes on Wednesday in the afternoon.
Thursday: 8h00 - Gym (I swear my gym teacher is like, 80 or something. I'm not joking, she shold have retired at least 20 years ago. When I walked out the changeroom and saw her I almost chocked on my spit!). 10h10 - Spanish. 11h05 - Philosaphy (this is to prepare the kids for Terminale; our grade 12). 12h03 - Lunch! 13h55 - Science (I only have this class certain weeks in the entire year. They are marked on my scheduale so I don't have it every week I have Semaine A). 14h55 - French Literature. 16h05 - English. 17h05 - Science.
Friday: 8h00 - English. 9h00 - French. 11h05 - English. 12h03 - Lunch! 14h55 - History and Geography. 16h05 - Spanish.
SEMAINE B:
Is exactly the same except on Monday I have a class at 17h05 - Civics and Thursday there is no Spanish at 10h10 and I have an English class that takes the place of that Science class I only have sometimes and it covers the other weeks that I don't have Science on and there is no Science at the end of the day.
Long days.... The French here is difficult, some teachers like to talk super fast but I'm getting by pretty well and doing the best in my work as I can. Yes I already have homework, I did the first day.
I have also met lots of friends, YEAHH!!!
There is Agathe and Tiki. I must say these two together for a special reason. Tiki is from Equador, here on a short exchange. She will already be leaving me in 3 weeks and the thought makes me so incredibly sad! For short exchanges, you have the person first come to your country, and then you go to theirs. Soooo Agathe first went to Equador, and Tiki is here now.
Now let me explain each of them. Agathe is very kind and helpful. If it weren't for her, I would be really lost in school. She is in my grade so she helps me with the classes we are in. She is very smart, caring, funny, and super cool! She drew me in cartoon (it's so awesome!!!!) and we get along extremely well!
Then Tiki. She is the sweetest and cutest person ever! Now you're probably thinking, "Interesting name!" Her name is actually Marie Astrid but her nickname is Tiki and it suits her so well we don't even call her by her real name. She speaks very good in English so we help each other in French but it's nice to have breaks and speak in English. Plus, I understand the lessons more then her so if she doesn't understand the words in French, I translate the ones I know. If not I ask Agathe!
Then there is Charlotte. Ohhhhh so cute! And funny oh my goodness she is always laughing an adorable giggle or making us laugh! She is very helpful and friendly. She also knows lots of English so she helps me when I see her during break or lunch. She makes me always feel included, if I start to wander off she is right there getting me back into the conversation!
Then there is Anne. Anne is just a happy person. Not scary happy but she is always there if you need her, is laughing and smiling always...
Annnnddd I just saw naled guy commercial on television... eww. Yes as you can see, culture difference!
Anyways, so Anne is awesome!
Then there is Eva. She is here on exchange for a year like me! She is with Charlotte in her "class" (I am in L which means Literaire so more languages and they are still in grade 11 but in ES/L so they have languages and other things) and is very good at French! She is friendly also and kind, a very good friend in total.
Lastly there is Suzanne. She is very helpful, right there to my aid if I need help with anything! She is very caring and thatnk God she is so willing to help this Canadian in her first week in a new school!
My teachers are very nice and understanding, my English teachers ask me for help sometimes with the questions from the others (haha!) and the food in the cafeteria.... OMG IT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
The food is SO GOOD like... I always had to bring lunch from home unless I wanted to go out but even the times I ate our cafeteria food I was like eww this is so unhealthy and nasty.
First, the food in France in total is very natural. Which I love! Like, in yogurt, there is no blah blah blah this chemical and blah blah blah that chemical. There is cream, the kind you chose directed on the label (example, it is REAL fruit and REAL coconut, not fake tasting chemicals), and a small amount of syrup to make it thick and give a light sweetness.
SO anyways, the food in the caff is extremely, fantastic-ly (I know it's not a word), amazingly good. I have had it three times now (the first day my host mom took me to lunch with my host brother, Rémi, and my younger host sister, Mathilde, and the second day my friends invited me to lunch (we were going to this awesome hamburger joint but it was stillclosed because of summer so we went to McDonald's cause it was the closest restaurant. Let's just say the McDonald's here is the heaven of McDonald's. It is all natural products and no grease). And yum yum!
That is pretty much all so far. I am going to sleep in late tomorrow, some of my host family's family is coming down this weekend, and that's it!
A bientôt!
