Weeks Thirty Six and Thirty Seven

My first two weeks with my new host family have been great! I have to admit I was a little worried. My first two host families lived in the city very near to downtown. With them I was able to walk to and from school, this family lives in what the French would call, “Plein Compagne.” It is a change but it’s not necessarily bad. Living so far away makes some things complicated but it is great to see something that I’ve never seen before, which at the end of the day is sort of the essence of exchange. This change brings with it the end of my exchange, which is exciting but also terrifying. Leaving a host family is always hard but I find that going to a new family where you don’t know any of the rules or habits is not the hardest part. The hardest part is definitely leaving the people who have become your family.

My first week with my new family was a sort of discovery time. I had to put in a new wifi password, learn how to use a new shower, and get used to a new place at the dinner table. Not the hugest things but you know what they say, home is where the wifi connects automatically. After doing all this it’s really just a matter of getting used to a new routine. Now, after two weeks I am pretty accustomed to this new family and am starting to really bond with them.

The first Monday was a little rough I’m not going to lie, it was the first week back from the vacation and I had to get up an hour earlier than I had for the last four months. The bus isn’t that bad though, I can download an episode of a tv show and watch it or read a book while I’m going to school. After school I hang out in the city or go to my second host family’s house while I wait for a bus to head back to my new city.

I spent most of my week getting used to my new house and so I didn’t do that much extraordinary stuff. Thursday we had people over to the house for dinner. That weekend I spent on an island off the coast with a couple Rotarians. This couple has owned the house on the island for about 40 years. Needless to say, they know a lot about the history of the island and about neat places to see. The Rotarian I went with is actually the same person who gives me French lessons. It was a good weekend despite the fact that it rained a lot. At the end of the weekend we visited a city called La Rochelle. It’s a pretty big city right on the coast and played a role in the hundred years war. It was an enlightening weekend to say the least and I learned a lot about the history of the area.

The second week with the new family was a little special. It was a sort of finals week at school. I ended up only taking the History and Math tests. This meant that I didn’t have a lot of school. It did not however mean that I could get up later because the way the scheduling worked out placed the two tests I was taking at eight o’clock Tuesday and Wednesday and we had had a half day Monday. Even though I still had to get up early I did not mind having the extra time in the afternoon. I got some stuff done and hung out a lot. It was a pretty relaxed week.

Friday we didn’t have school to commemorate the end of the French involvement in the Second World War. I spent the night with my first host family. We were supposed to go go carting to celebrate my and my host dad’s birthday.  We were unlucky and it started to rain and so we went bowling instead. It was a fun thing to do with the whole family!

The next day I woke up early to go the market with my host parents to buy stuff for the arrival of my dad. He’s coming to visit me for the next two weeks. We’re going to visit my city and my region of France for a couple of days and then go to Germany to visit an exchange student we hosted in 2008. We will then come back to France and stay in Paris for a couple of days. I think it’ll be a great trip and it’ll be really nice to see my dad again.

Saturday night Hugues and I went and picked up my dad. He had just the time to change and take a shower before people arrived at the house for an aperitif, we had invited my other host families over to eat with us and meet my dad. It was a great night but I felt bad for my dad because he didn’t understand a whole lot of what was going on and being said. He speaks “some” French. He took a couple years in high school and college. Sunday we went to La Rochelle and visited to city. That night we all went to my third host family’s house for dinner. It was really good, the reason they live in the country is because they are butchers so they live there to take care of the animals they raise. It’s been a really great time so far and I’m excited for the rest!

This year has been really great and with this new step I realize that it’s just going to keep changing and evolving. This year has been more and I’ve seen and done more than I ever thought I would. It truly is an amazing experience and I can’t believe how fast it’s gone by. At the beginning of the year it really does feel like it go on forever but as the year went on I began to realize that a year is actually a very short amount of time. Now, I feel as if I’m on the edge of my exchange about to jump back into my normal life.

EUROTOUR

The best two weeks of my life.  That’s how I would describe the tour of Europe I just went on.

It was simply amazing. We saw nine cities in countries in twelve days. It wasn’t even going to all these countries that was the best, it was meeting all these people and getting to know everyone. Nothing brings people together better than a road trip, that effect is amplified when you’re with 50 other exchange students on a bus. Seeing so much in so little time was not easy and required a lot of time on the bus but it was well worth it. And over all, this trip was well worth the money. I had the time of my life.

We started the trip in Paris. We got there at about 10 and waited for people until noon. It didn’t seem like that much time though because we were all together and getting to know each other. We spent the other half of the day with a guide visiting Paris, we went to a garden and learned about some history of the city, saw the Eiffel tour and stopped at the Louvre. It was a nice short comprehensive visit of the city. On the other bus trip we had already spent an entire day in Paris so this was just sort of a follow up visit. After saying goodbye to the guide it was time to hit the road towards Strasbourg, a city on the border near Germany.

We spent the next day in Strasbourg. We got there, had time to eat and then headed pretty much straight to the main cathedral where we had a guide. On the way to the cathedral we met up with a group of exchange students who live in Strasbourg or in the surrounding area. I spent most of my time with a boy named Hugo from Brazil and a girl named Emily from Arizona. They are really lucky to live in a place like that. They also live about fifteen minutes from the German border so they can really go whenever they want. My day in Strasbourg was great, I saw a lot of new things and it was really a good start to the bus trip and I met people that I will know my whole life. We spent the night at a hostel in a small German city between Strasbourg and Munich, the next step.

In Munich we started the day by eating lunch. We had been eating at places like McDonalds but decided that in Germany we had to eat an authentic meal. My group and I went to a German restaurant and ate sausages and drank German beer. It was the first time drinking beer for some of our group and it was cool that they got to take that milestone in Germany, which is after all the country of beer. After eating we took a guided tour of the city and then had some free time. This was a pretty typical schedule for the bus trip. We spent the night in a city between Munich and Prague. We had some free time in the city that night and it was cool to be able to walk around the city with my new found friends.

Prague was one of my most awaited cities. My mom has visited the city a few times and it was always sort of a mystery to me. We spent two days there exploring the city. The first day we were with a guide and stayed primarily in the old part and didn’t really have much free time. The second day we visited the castle of Prague and then walked down to the city to explore a little more on our own. We had quite a bit of free time. One of the things that is really marking about the city is the architecture, it’s really a mix of everything. Another really marking thing are the Segways. There are a strange amount of them. Öykü and I went up to two of the people riding them and asked if we could try and they were really willing. It was my first time on a Segway and let me tell you, dreams do come true!

Our group really chose the right two weeks. A lot of things aligned themselves in just the right way. One of the best things was that there was another group of exchange students doing the exact same tour as us who had left the day before us. That meant that in all the places where we stayed for two days, we saw them. Prague was the first place; that was why we didn’t have any free time the first day. We spent it all talking with the other group who we met up with. One group of kids that size is already crazy enough, I’m sure you can imagine what 100 exchange students meeting for the first time looks like. It was sort of crazy but so awesome!

The second day was really interesting and the castle in Prague really is nice. It’s not really a castle in fact. It’s more of an ensemble of buildings that form a governing base and a tourist attraction. We had a lot of free time in the city to eat and then explore. We decided again that we had to eat authentically. There were a lot of people handing out flyers for this restaurant and we were fairly hungry so we said why not. The person took us to the restaurant which was down this fairly sketchy and dark passageway, we were a little bit worried about what this place was going to be and then we come into this room with huge windows looking out onto this basin of water that was fairly beautiful. The food and service wasn’t great but I would suggest the restaurant just for the view.

The next day was Vienna. We had time to eat and see the city a little bit. The cathedral there is pretty typical but has a really interesting and beautiful roof. In order to see the most possible we conducted the tour primarily from the bus. We did stop to see the main castle of the city. We spent some time and took a group picture. There is a pretty big amusement park in Vienna. As a surprise they took us. It was really great, we only had an hour so we ran around the whole time so we could ride the most rides possible. We ended up doing six, which was more than anyone else. It was incredible!

We drove the entire next day, it was literally just time on the bus all day but it was okay because when got to see the other bus tour. That night we were in the same hotel so we got to hang out and really talk. Our hotel was beautiful and just a couple blocks away from the beach so we started the night off there. On this bus tour I was happy to have had to opportunity to swim again, even if it was still freezing. Rotary also took us to an underage club to celebrate our time together. It was a really fun night and I really got to know some cool people.

The next day it set in that we were in Italy, the land of pasta, gelato, and pizza! We spent the first day in Venice. It was incredible to actually be there. It’s always been a place I’ve heard about and known existed so to actually go was crazy. We took a gondola tour, which is really the stuff of dreams and then had about five hours to do whatever we wanted and explore the city. That’s really what you have to do there, there’s so much to see and it’s so beautiful, you just have to spend some time walking around looking at things.

The next day we said goodbye to the other bus tour and then it was off to Milan. We spent the majority of the day with a guide but had some free time to eat and explore the city. In the main square of the city there are all these guys who will come up to you and put corn in your hands and then all these pigeons come and land on your hand. It’s really cool but a little scary and then the guys ask you for five euros after so it’s not the best. But it is surely something else to have five pigeons land on your hand at the same time.

We spent the next day in a city called Chamonix, which is right at the foot of Mont Blanc. We ate in the city and then went up the mountain on a tram. There is a glacier there that is called the sea of ice. We got to see it and even go inside of it because they have carved tunnels into the ice. It was a really impressive sight. Right before leaving we found out that we were going to see the other bus tour that night, something that made us all happy! We had a great time that night, we were celebrating the end of their bus trip and we said our goodbyes to them.

The next day was spent in Geneva Switzerland visiting the UN. It was a really cool thing to see and I’m not sure it is something I would have thought of. There are some beautiful buildings there and there’s really this feeling that you feel while you’re there as well. You know that the place is important. We spent the rest of the day eating and buying souvenirs, not the least of which was some Swiss chocolate. This was our last full day together which made us all pretty sad. We had a good party that night though. it was one of the best nights of my life!

The next day was hard, it was time to say goodbye. We only spent two weeks together but at the end of it we really did feel like a family. I feel like I know everyone who was on that bus so well, even if I don’t really know them at all. It was an incredible amazing experience and all I can say is that it was “Trop Bien.”

Week Thirty Three

Another last week before vacation.

Monday we didn't have school because of Easter, so we went to Pornic to eat with some extended family. It was a really nice day and it was nice to spend some time on the beach.

Tuesday was a brutal way to end the extended weekend. We had a four hour French test. Through out the year there are several practice tests for the bac. Most of. The tests for the bac are taken during the last year of high school but those for French and science are taken during the equivalent of junior year. To prepare for these end of the year tests they have four or five practice tests.  This one was over poetry. Let me just say that poetry is not my forte. The rest of Tuesday was really nice though, we got out of the test at 12 and only had one more class before the end of the day. 

Wednesday we had our final evaluation at the pool. It wasn't that bad actually. I think I must've improved by the end. I ended up doing the entire course in 3 minutes and 41 seconds. I was pretty proud  of myself.  I might've almost drowned at one point but it wasn't terrible. I finished out the day with French lesson and my dance class. 

Friday we finished school an hour earlier than normal. A group of friends and I went to park together. It was sort of a celebration to the end of the quarter and to the end of the year. It was really nice to get out and hang out with them. I'm starting  to make some pretty close friends here. It was sort of tough at the the beginning because my French wasn't the best and I was sort of timid but now I'm starting to feel closer closer to these people. 

Friday night I caught a train to Bordeaux, a relatively large city in southern France. I went with Oyku to see some people that we met while on our bus tour in Spain. It was great to go to see them. People always see they're going to stay in touch and see each other but it normally doesn't end up happening, but we made it happen. It was great to see them again, we had gotten really close during the week together. We got there pretty late Friday night so we didn't  really do the much. 

Saturday we visited Bordeaux some and did some shopping. My grandma lived in Bordeaux for several months after the Second World War. We went to and took pictures of the apartment she lived in while she was here. The rest of the day we spent walking around talking. It was a really nice day.

The weather was incredible Sunday. I put on shorts for  the the first time since winter started. We spent all day outside. There are  a lot of parks in Bordeaux so we spent a lot of the day sitting in one of the them talking. Bordeaux has a different feeling than a lot of the cities that I've visited. All the public places like the parks we really crowded of people just hanging out. It was a really nice vibe. I also got a small sunburn which was awesome! Summer is finally here!

Week Thirty Two

A week in the life of Isaac the exchange student.

Monday I finally finished my art project. I've been working on it for long enough, I have to say though that I'm really happy with way it turned out. I ended up making a sort of 3D triangle that sort of hangs in equilibrium. It's supposed to represent my astrological sign: libra, which for those of you that don't know is a balance. I decided to take the more ambiguous approach we could say.

Wednesday was a great day. I had classes and then to end the school day I had gym. In gym we're at the pool. Basically what I have to do is go through this obstacle course in under four minutes. The first time I did it, a couple of weeks ago, it took me five minutes. This week I got through it in 4 minutes exactly. It wasn't the best time of the class but I was pretty proud of myself. I'm starting to like the pool.

I don't know if I've talked about this before but I recently bought a longboard. It was probably not the most practical purchase seeing as it's gonna be tough to get home with me but I said to myself that I had to do it. I haven't had that many opportunities to use it as of late. Recently though it's been starting get warmer and nicer so I've been using it pretty often. Last Wednesday especially, I used it to go to my French lesson and then to my dance lesson after. It was nice to get outside and do stuff and not be stuck inside. 

My dance teacher was in a really bad mood so we didn't have a normal class. We started by running and working out a little but the did about 45 minutes of ballet. It reminded me how much I missed it. I really wish it had all w irked out well but I guess at the end of the day it's okay but I have been doing a lot of cool things here and I've gotten to try a lot of things. 

Friday we had an event at my school called the Bol de Riz which as you might be able to guess means bowl of rice. It is a fundraiser that one of the clubs at school ours on every year. Basically, the people who participate pay the regular price for their lunch then eat just a plate of rice with some tomato sauce. The money that is leftover is then donated to one or two humanitarian organizations. I am actually apart of the club that is in charge so I helped serve the food. It was an interesting experience and I'm glad I got to help out.

This weekend was Easter! 

Saturday night we went to a city called La Trance sur Mer, a beach town. We went because my host sisters' dad helped organize an event. They set up two high powered projectors and then projected images and animations onto a church, all set to music. It was extremely well done. I almost felt like it was the church that was projecting the images and not the projectors. It was incredible to say the least. 

Easter Sunday we had a nice family lunch at the house. Throughout these last couple months I've really started to feel like a part of this family. I really love them. After lunch. We hung out together for a while and then Lou and I went to Les Sables d'Olonnes to eat a crepe on the beach. One of the many perks of living 30 minutes from the beach.  It was a nice day.

The day after Easter is a holiday in France. Or I guess not a holiday, but we don't have school in any case. We went to Pornic, another beach city to eat at my host aunts house.  I really like Pornic, it's not like most cities in France. It feels different and the beaches are much different, a lot of cliffs and rocks. It was a good weekend.

Well there you have it,  a week in the life of Isaac. 

Week Thirty-One

The week went pretty well I’d say. I spent the beginning of this week, as I do with most beginnings of weeks, being lazy and chilling out. However, Wednesday was a busy day. I went to the pool with my gym class. It wasn’t too bad this time. The last time I went I felt pretty close to drowning. I guess any improvement or amelioration would have brought me to a new level. After the pool a couple of friends and I went to a restaurant called For Time. It’s a restaurant, which specializes in a type of sandwich called Kebab. It’s basically a type of gyro but so much better. It’s something I’d never seen before coming to France but am incredibly glad to have discovered.

Friday night we had a party for my host brother’s birthday. It was great. It was just with his and Lou’s friends so it was like an actual party. I didn’t go to bed too late though because I had to get up early the next morning to go to the city of Angers for a Rotary weekend.

I had to get up at 7 AM to leave the house at 7:45. We started the day with some free time to talk to each other and hang out. I think that honestly these are the best times about Rotary weekends. The down time where we talk to each other and get caught up on what’s going on with everyone else. I also met the new Australian girl who just got here. She had a problem with her visa so she came a little later than the others.

After eating lunch we took the bus downtown and spent some time at the castle in Angers. It was a cool castle and I felt like it had a different spirit than a lot of castles in France. There was also a display of a tapestry, which is apparently the oldest of this size. It was fairly impressive. The afternoon they gave us some free time to do what ever we wanted in the city. We checked out a sculpture garden and then did some shopping. On the way back we stopped into a café and bought some hot chocolate. We spent the rest of the night talking and hanging out.

The next day we spent a couple hours at a slate museum learning about the history of the region. It turns out that this part of France is actually really famous for it’s slate and according to the guide it is the best quality. It was at the very least an interesting place and they gave us little samples of slate at the end, which was cool!

It was really sad to say goodbye to everyone at the end of the weekend. We really are coming to the end of the year. The next weekend is at the end of May and it’s the last time we’re all going to be together until the end of our exchanges. I can’t believe how far we’ve come and how much we’ve learned. I have officially less than 100 days in France. I have less and less time every week and when I start to look at the calendar and see the things I’m going to do I realize how fast it is all going to go by. It sort of scares me, the idea of going home. It’s one of the strangest feelings. You want to go home but at the same time you never want to leave.