First Day of School

Bonjour!

I had my first "school day" today. I'm not even sure if it deserves to be called a day, since it was a mere hour and a half. This morning I woke up, attempted to look presentable, and even ate breakfast (which I I rarely do, so I've obviously become a whole new person). We first dropped off my little host sister at her school and then headed into Montélimar. Due to the fact that my host mother works for the school, we went into administration and I guess I just kind of stood there awkwardly. 

Hold on I'm getting ahead of myself. My first thoughts when we drove up to the school:
- Oh my, that's a lot of people.
- Welp. There goes my sanity.
- I'm scared.
- Why do they all look so French?
- Why do so many guys have some mohawk hairdo?
- Why are people wearing high heels? Are they crazy?
- How am I going to talk to them? 
- Okay, time for a new rule: I will talk to someone different in my class (or at least attempt to) until there is no one left.
- That's going to be difficult. 

Continuing on. Once it hit 10:00 the students started flooding the halls, and the administration woman was like "Les deux viennent avec moi" (I think). Rugged translation: "Hey you two that are so obviously out of place that it's painful, follow me". She showed me to the classroom and I took a seat (in the front, but in the corner, because hey, I DON'T KNOW ANYONE. The teacher said she would find me a friend (a girl so I would be more comfortable I guess...?), but some other guy like sat down and she had to ask him to move. That was rather uncomfortable for me. 

So on that awkward note, I made a new friend (not the person who had to move, but the girl that the teacher basically told to be nice to me). She was very nice and explained the introductory form that I didn't understand at all. The two girls behind us overheard that I am American and started to talk to me. It was actually pretty cool knowing that they didn't HAVE to be nice, but they were anyway. One of the girls loves Seattle. She literally said "C'est ma ville" (That's my city). So she likes me (or at least where I come from). 

I understood a surprising amount today, but I'm still unable to remember French on a consistent basis once something has been said to me. So I know that I understood, but I don't remember a lot of it. That amount today only being during the orientation portion, because once the teacher started her Physics lesson, I was completely lost. My new friend (at least I hope we're friends, only time will tell) kept asking me if I understood, so naturally I just sat there shaking my head. It was a lot of French and a lot of Physics. Two things I have yet to master. 

Now during these classes, I had no idea if anyone was staring at me because I chose not to look around the room like a lost puppy. I mean I did notice a few people looking at me funny, but I just decided to ignore that. Also I think someone asked how to spell my last name...? The "H" throws them off. It's actually hilarious to hear the French say my last name. It's something like "AIR-VAY" and I have to try super hard not to laugh, and I'm /usually/ successful in that. It concerned me a little that they were asking, but hey I wasn't about to get up and tell them it was none of their business. 

Also, I forgot to mention that when she introduced me to the class, I just kinda stood there awkwardly. I had made up my mind earlier that I would attempt eye contact. I ended up doing a quick glance and then turned away and just stood there until she finished. Then I sat down. Then people obviously whispered and stuff, but hey it's whatever. You definitely have to embrace being awkward when you're on exchange. You also have to be crazy strong.

Moving on to what happened after the hour and a half of school! (Sorrynotsorry this is such a long post)

My host mother found me and we went to eat lunch at this café. I had a croque monsieur. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's basically an epic grilled cheese. It's bread, cheese, ham, cheese, bread, cheese. Basically perfection. We then went to the local Church and I lit a candle in honor of my friend. I'm not religious really, but he was, so I thought he'd appreciate it. My host mother suggested it the night I found out and it was really touching. The support system I have here is already magnificent. 

After the Church was retail therapy. I don't normally do retail therapy, but I'll just say that wandering down the streets of Montélimar and going in and out of shops full of beautiful (and mostly expensive) clothing was actually very relaxing. I did buy a few things and I am looking forward to pretending that I might fit in. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Just kidding. If I wanted to fit in I would be back home, and I barely blend in there anyway. 

I think it was a good day today. Hopefully even better days will follow. 
Au revoir!

Amelia

PHOTO BLOG

Sad news

Bonjour,

Sadly, my friend did not make it. I will still be continuing my exchange, but rather than just be for me, it will be for me and for him. He wanted to do this next year, and sadly he is unable to. I know that this is not the most happy thing to be reading, but it's my reality, and this is my blog, so please keep it together and continue reading.

Through all of this, I have realized two things:
1) I cannot stop this from being a part of my exchange experience.
2) But I can stop this from preventing my experiences.

This is not easy, nor is it what I signed up for, but giving up the rest of my year is not an option. With that, I will continue on.

I start school tomorrow (no, I will NOT be skipping due to recent events). I am very nervous, scared, and basically every emotion ever right now at this point. I just want to get it over with. Break the ice with these French people. Be more foreign than I will ever be in my life. Have no idea what's going on. Get an idea of what's going on. Talk to people. Listen to people. All of it. I will update tomorrow on how my first day went, so stay tuned.

Au revoir,

Amelia

Mon nouveau lycée...et les nouvelles (My new high school...and news)

Bonjour!

Today, I went with my host mom into Montélimar to not only visit my new high school, but to meet my fellow exchange student who is also living in/near Montélimar, as well as my third host mom. The school building itself is fairly similar to the high schools in the States, but there are still differences. The main building is broken up into three sections: A, B, and C. There are (I believe) four floors plus the main floor. So the second floor is the 100 hall, the third is 200, etc. There is also a science building and a gymnasium. I have been enrolled in course S. S is for science. 

This means I will have two science courses rather than a literature and an art course. My schedule varies day to day, which will be new since every day is so uniform in the States. I think it'll be a nice change. I received 8 text books today. They aren't the huge and domineering books like back home; they are paperbacks and relatively small.... but I do have 8 of them. I have books for: Biology, Chemistry/Physics, Maths, English, Spanish, French, History, and Geography. Also I will take a PE course, but there obviously isn't a book for that. The other exchange student is very nice and I am happy I have one friend already (in the same city that is).

On the less joyful side of things, I found out earlier this morning that one of my friends who moved to Minnesota last year is in the hospital. He has a very bad flu (they think) and he went into a coma. We became very close since he moved and this was a wrecking ball. I don't know if he'll make it or not, but I do hope with my entire being that he does. 

Thank you to all my exchange friends who have been supporting me through this. It really does mean a lot. I found all of this out before I went to the high school and held it together until after lunch. This afternoon was really rough, but my host parents have been more than kind and supportive about it. The other exchange students have also been very supportive and wonderful. This is my family for the year, and I couldn't be more content with the people I get to be around and open up to. 

No matter what happens, I will not be going home. Since he is in Minnesota it would not help anyway. He told me before I left that I need to be strong and see this exchange through, no matter how homesick I get. I am sure that even in this situation, he would say the same thing: to stay strong and see this through. I will not be giving up on this experience because of a bump in the road (no matter how huge it may be). 

Sorry if this post was a bit depressing... hopefully the next one will bear good news and an interesting story.

Au revoir!

Amelia

PS: I have my SD card reader now, so pictures will hopefully be posted later tonight or by tomorrow :) http://la-france-en-photos.tumblr.com/ 

Lyon!

Bonjour!

Yesterday, my host family said goodbye to my host sister! She left for Canada and I think has arrived safely. She didn't have the gross trip that I did. Because we trekked the two hour drive up to Lyon, we stayed up there for the day. It wasn't very nice out, so we just went to this huge Catholic Church that overlooks the city. It's called "Notre-Dame de Fourvière". It was so beautiful and I took a lot of pictures. Alas, I still do not have my SD card reader so I will post them when I can! Sorry about the delay on that! The pictures really do speak more than I could describe so I guess you will have to be patient.

After the Church, we went to a HUGE mall. While there, I bought my phone for France. That was a bit of a struggle. I had to listen to and attempt to comprehend more French today than I have in the past five that I have been here. It was really intense and very tiring. But eventually, I selected a phone and I can call or text anyone in France all I want (because it's unlimited...yay). That literally took 3 hours.

In between the phone hunting, we had lunch at this sandwich shop in the mall. There had been a few of these shops scattered around with ads for their "L'americain" sandwich. Once again, pictures will be posted when I can do that. But I obviously noticed these ads and the sandwich surprised me, but at the same time did not. It was ground beef, lettuce, ketchup and.... fries (?) on a baguette. I could not stop laughing once I realized what it had on it. I explained to my host mom that we don't put our fries ON our burgers in the US. She seemed surprised, because apparently all "American" sandwiches have fries on them. It was hilarious though. I probably laughed for a solid minute about it and intermittently for the rest of the day. It has become apparent that the USA is no more than burgers and fries. ;)

After we sorted out my cell phone issues, we roamed the mall and my host parents looked for things. This is when I really bonded with my other siblings. They hadn't really talked to me until today. I don't understand all of what they say (because they don't slow down when they speak) so I make them repeat everything like 3 times. It probably gets annoying, but hey, it works. I'm going to watch "Raiponce" ("Tangled") with my little sister tomorrow and it's going to be awesome :)

Also one thing I've noticed: French women are always extremely put together. They always have enough accessories. Like they perfectly balance rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings and everything with what they're wearing. I must learn this art. Soon. I'm already going to stick out because everyone I've met so far is super tan and I'm whiter than cream cheese (as my best friend back home would say). Oh well, it will all work itself out... I hope.

Until next time! Au revoir!

Amelia

The Party and the Unexpected Friends

Bonjour!

I have been here for days now and I have yet to see Montélimar! I have been living just outside of it and will hopefully visit very soon. The first few days were relatively uneventful as I have slept a lot more than I was expecting. But hey, staying up 30 hours straight will do that to a person. My sleep schedule has been really strange. The first two nights, I consistently slept from 1am - 4am and then 5am - 10am. That was thrown off last night though.

My host family took me to a party celebrating one of their friend's 50th birthday. There were two other people who had recently turned 50, so it was turned into a huge gathering. When we first arrived I was very nervous and hoped that I would be able to talk to someone without being a bumbling idiot. I awkwardly followed my host sister through the crowd and came across a British family. Now I hadn't heard consistent English in over 48 hours, so I was quite relieved. I love learning French and hearing it, but it can be a lot to handle! I have been so tired from all the concentration, and meeting these people was relaxing in a way. They were a family of five that was very nice and quite funny.  

At this party, there was a folk duo that was playing and teaching everyone group dances. They were so much fun and I cannot remember the last time I was so happy in one night. Everyone was laughing and the music was wonderful. Many of the French guests there spoke English, but I still attempted to respond in French when I could. The entire night was so wonderful. My host father brought my mandolin from the house and they must have told who they were sitting around, because I was eventually being called over to perform. 

Mind you, I have never performed in front of a group like that, but it was alright. Except for the part where I forgot the words two verses in (I blame the fact that my English is rusty)..... I just sat there awkwardly hoping they would return to me and that no one would laugh at me for being so incompetent. No one did laugh though, and when I eventually remembered and continued, the violinist in the folk duo improvised along to the song. It was a truly wonderful experience. 

After dinner, cake, and more dancing, 3/5 of the British family and I jammed a bit. And by jammed I mean we played one song that had 3 guitar chords and a piano part. So naturally, it was very upbeat and fun. The folk duo joined in on that two and improvised along the way. They were a very talented pair and the party was lucky to have them. I hope to stay in touch with the family and maybe see them in England when I go to visit my grandfather. 

This exchange has already been quite the experience and I'm only 4 days in! I have met so many wonderful people, talked with (but sadly have yet to meet) so many exchange students, and have already made memories that I hope will last a lifetime. With that I must once again thank Tacoma Narrows Rotary for this opportunity, and also Rotary Montélimar for having me! 

Au revoir!

Amelia

I'm here!

Bonjour!

I have officially made it to France, but not without some bumps in the road. My mother and I left on time, arrived at the airport, my bag was under the weight limit, I had no trouble going through security and then.....DELAYED. For two hours. Because of this, my second flight left Amsterdam before my first flight even landed. I had to get assigned a completely new itinerary. Rather than fly direct to Lyon from Amsterdam, I flew through Paris with an hour layover. I was on standby until 15 minutes before boarding. It was fine, except for the pay-phones in Paris. They hate me. I tried to call my host family to tell them the situation. I even rehearsed the French on the plane for when I arrived on French soil. Alas, I never used my planned sentences.

When I finally arrived in Lyon, I made my way to the baggage claim, hopeful (stupidly hopeful) that they had successfully transferred my luggage. No, it will be in Lyon in about half an hour from now and will be delivered to my host family's house on... Saturday .-. Not only did I arrive 6 hours after I was originally supposed to, but filing the claim for an un-transferred bag took an extra half hour. I felt so terrible! But that all went away when I actually met them. They are amazing and nice and wonderful and everything positive...ever. 

I had my first French meal today. It was different from what I expected. It started off with a tomato and avocado salad. Then zucchini au gratin that was LITERAL perfection. And then there was cheese and plums. It was wondrous. All of it. 

I'm now off to wander my new village/town/city! Until I have more news or post a vlog or pictures, au revoir!

Amelia

Final day in the United States!

Bonjour!

Today was my last full day in the United States! I started it off with my last Tacoma Narrows Rotary meeting (at least for a year) in the morning. They have truly become another family. I am so thankful for this opportunity they have given me and hope to repay them somehow. After the meeting, I went home and attempted to repack my suitcase (which I initially packed yesterday). About an hour later, I went with my YEO to pick up the German girl that would be taking my place in Tacoma. I met her first host family and they are AMAZING! She is very lucky to have them! We met a few other groups who were there to pick up students, including a woman who was picking up the girl from my host district! Sadly, I did not get to meet her, but I am sure I will eventually. 

After about three hours, our student came up the escalator! She is so sweet and we exchanged our pins first thing. Hers are adorable! They were bottle caps and corks painted with red, yellow, and black stripes with red, yellow, and black braided yarn for hair. I love them so much. They are my first real pins from a foreign student! I gave her a district pin and one of my USA ribbon pins. Then the group gathered for various pictures. We also exchanged chocolate. We traded Hershey's for Kinder....I personally think I got the better end of that deal ;) 

After returning from the airport, I repacked and had to sacrifice a few items in order to get under 50 pounds. Packing is annoying. It's not that I don't like the idea of leaving, because trust me I LOVE that, but I hate having to play real life Tetris over and over again. Oh well, it got done eventually. I only have one large bag, my mandolin, and a small briefcase-type bag! I feel like that's a major accomplishment. Of course I have a collapsible duffle bag in my suitcase for the return, but at this point I have 3 bags to take care of (well 2 and an instrument). 

Tonight my mother is preparing one of my favorite meals. It's French, but I don't see a problem there ;)
After dinner, I have plans to skype with a few of my friends (some exchange students, some not) and will probably not sleep very much. Big day ahead! Hopefully all goes smoothly and I can arrive on time in Lyon to meet my first of three wonderful host families! 

Until I have arrived, au revoir!

Amelia

P.S. I will have a blog for all my photos on tumblr. The url is: la-france-en-photos.tumblr.com
but there will not be any uploads for a few days! (Also, you do not need a tumblr account to view it!)