Today, for the first time according to my host parents, the trains have been blocked. Everyone always dreams of the trains being blocked when you're standing outside, in the freezing cold, whipping wind and black sky. But that little light down the tracks always seems to glow, getting bigger and bigger as it gets closer and closer. Not this morning. After waiting about 7 minutes outside, assured I had frost bite on my toes, Heloise and I returned to the car. Thankfully, her dad drove us this morning, usually we take the taxi. We sat in the car until 7:21. The train was at 7:08.
Le train était en retard-the train was late. No, it wasn't. Il ya un blocus à la gare- There is a blockade at the train station.
When we first got in the car, my host dad got out and stood by the train tracks, with everyone else. Heloise and I sat in the car confused. At 7:20, everyone started walking back to the cars. No train today.
The strikes are gotten to the point where no one can get to work or school or anywhere for that matter. There is no gas, there are no trains, there are buses, but limited and there are blockades. Know what that means? If you are lucky and have gas and don't care to waste it (because they have stopped making it), to bad, the city is blocked off. No way in, no way out. If you live in the city and thats the only place you have to go, awesome, but you'll be stuck in the middle of the strikes. Today a village about 5km away, very close, like 3 miles or something, has run out of gas. No more, all gone. Guess what...that's where we get our gas from. Guess what I'm doing saturday? Driving to the Swiss ALps. Guess how far it is? Over 700km. With what gas? You tell me. I have an idea! We could take a train! NOPE, blockade at the train station. We. Are. Stuck.
Tomorrow the government can decide to change their decision about the retirement age, or keep it. IF they decide to change it rioting, striking, and blockades will end, hopefully. IF they turn a blind eye and continue on with the pension and retirement age issue, it'll only get worse...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
C'est la piscine. And les grèves update!
Translation: It's the pool.
Last night I went swimming for the first time in a while. The moment I walked in the chlorine smell hit me and it was like being at home again. At that moment, I got a wave of homesickness but luckily it went away. I walked in and there is a group of people, about 25 or so, standing around doing the kiss on the cheek "bisous" thing. Odd-but here, not at all. As I walked in, everyone was staring at me and my host mom introduced me as the "petite americaine". Translation: little american, also known as the exchange student. I "bisous"(ed) everyone and make small talk with some lady who is taking Route 66 on the West Coast this summer. She wanted to know all about it. Unfortunately I've never really been anywhere on the West besides Washington State, and Cali. So I'm sure she thought I was stupid when I said "Sorry, I have no clue" "Desolee, je ne connais pas". I talked to the coach and my host mom made it clear I was there to swim laps, not scuba dive-Yeah "C'est cleare"
My host mom flaged me over and I walked to where she was-leading me to the locker room. It was right next to the front desk, which resembles the front desk at Pullen Park. In front of the door there were 3 boxes. My host mom began taking her shoes and socks off, so I did the same. She placed her shoes in the box and flagged me to continue through the door with her. I walked into a room with a door behind me and a door to my right. The room I was in was a changing room, but next to me was a mini changing room (for people like me, who aren't about being nakey infront of everyone and their cousin). I get dressed into my suit and my host mom and I walked to where the showers are.
It was a series of hallways then I was presented with the showers-which you had to "do" before entering the pool (like centeral-get wet enough so they know you "took a shower"). The showers were both sexes. Yes, men and women shower in the same place, odd-for me at least. I did my awkward spin under the shower head hoping I wasn't being watched-by both men and women, even though I know I was. Not only because I was American, but because I was probably the youngest there, yeah I was the youngest. I walked to the other side of the pool with my host mom. The pool had NO lane lines and NO flags. It reminded me of a pool I went to right after Davie was born-I'm pretty sure it was a trimeet or something, very small, but very similar to last night. Anyways, there were people in the pool with there scuba masks (which the coach INSISTED on me trying, but I refused). For a good 25 minutes people sat in and around the pool talking, again.
*I found the talking is a very common thing to do at the beginning of a gathering (swimming, school, work, etc. Except I don't do it at school because I'm ALWAYS late-kill me.)
While everyone was talking I decided I was going to swim. Did a good "50m" and was like "oh buddy has it been a while". Once the coach got there he told us our "150m" warm up and we went off. OK, remember how I said NO lane lanes? Yeah, disaster. Apparently, you swim on the left lap 1, right lap 2, middle lap 3. And like that continuously. Thanks for the memo everyone! I ran into everyone and was SO confused. I think the lane line thing would do everyone a hand. We ended and the coach told me I needed a scuba mask-NO thank you. He insisted and made someone get it for me-pointless, cause I didn't use it. My host mom was laughing because she knew I didn't want to, and understood it was because I have been trained with the simple "petit" goggles, as she called them. The nice lady who did me a pointless favor handed me the goggles, no, mask, and got back in the water. We swam a little more and ended up on the deeper side of the pool. We got out and were jumping in with the mask off and putting it on underwater and having it good and on when you came up out of the water. WHAT? impossible. I pretended I understood and just jumped in with my mask on when no one was looking.
Towards the end of the "practice" (in parenthesis because I'm not sure what I was practicing) they started doing stuff with fins. I don't like fins. Even the "TRES VITE!" didn't convince me. The coach didn't care what I wanted, he wanted me to wear fins (keep in mind we already told him, just laps, yeah c'est cleare my ass). My host mom, a man and I went looking for fins, I thought I'd gotten lucky until the kind man, whom I was not happy with at the time, because he was actually searching for fins while my host mom and I were pretending, found some. Walked back to the pool, fins in hand, got in, put them on and went. I hate fins, can I repeat it one more time? I HATE FINS. Thanks.
Practice ended. I walked to the locker rooms and got my shampoo and conditioner-apres shampooing. Awkwardly I stood and took my shower while everyone around me was joyfully letting it all hang out-boys and girls. WELCOME TO EUROPE. After my awkward 5 minute shower that I rushed through, I changed. As I walked out of the locker room there was a man standing holding a tray with who knows what on it. It was food though. It was some cracker thing with something on it-even though it kinda was slimy and gross, it was good. After swim practice a man stands with a metal tray like a waiter and gives you food? SO weird!!!
PS: Update on "les grèves": Went to school today. One train in the morning-PACKED and was late to school. Rode the bus from the train station-COVERED in eggs. Haha, the bus got egged!! During English second period there was what sounded like cannons going off and a HUGEEEEE line of kids marching in the streets-oh how I wished I was in the middle of the action. Then after school my host dad told me my "host aunt's", who is a teacher, car was egged too by students today. Although it would be awesome to egg a teacher's car, it's really sad that teachers and people are getting treated this way!!
Last night I went swimming for the first time in a while. The moment I walked in the chlorine smell hit me and it was like being at home again. At that moment, I got a wave of homesickness but luckily it went away. I walked in and there is a group of people, about 25 or so, standing around doing the kiss on the cheek "bisous" thing. Odd-but here, not at all. As I walked in, everyone was staring at me and my host mom introduced me as the "petite americaine". Translation: little american, also known as the exchange student. I "bisous"(ed) everyone and make small talk with some lady who is taking Route 66 on the West Coast this summer. She wanted to know all about it. Unfortunately I've never really been anywhere on the West besides Washington State, and Cali. So I'm sure she thought I was stupid when I said "Sorry, I have no clue" "Desolee, je ne connais pas". I talked to the coach and my host mom made it clear I was there to swim laps, not scuba dive-Yeah "C'est cleare"
My host mom flaged me over and I walked to where she was-leading me to the locker room. It was right next to the front desk, which resembles the front desk at Pullen Park. In front of the door there were 3 boxes. My host mom began taking her shoes and socks off, so I did the same. She placed her shoes in the box and flagged me to continue through the door with her. I walked into a room with a door behind me and a door to my right. The room I was in was a changing room, but next to me was a mini changing room (for people like me, who aren't about being nakey infront of everyone and their cousin). I get dressed into my suit and my host mom and I walked to where the showers are.
It was a series of hallways then I was presented with the showers-which you had to "do" before entering the pool (like centeral-get wet enough so they know you "took a shower"). The showers were both sexes. Yes, men and women shower in the same place, odd-for me at least. I did my awkward spin under the shower head hoping I wasn't being watched-by both men and women, even though I know I was. Not only because I was American, but because I was probably the youngest there, yeah I was the youngest. I walked to the other side of the pool with my host mom. The pool had NO lane lines and NO flags. It reminded me of a pool I went to right after Davie was born-I'm pretty sure it was a trimeet or something, very small, but very similar to last night. Anyways, there were people in the pool with there scuba masks (which the coach INSISTED on me trying, but I refused). For a good 25 minutes people sat in and around the pool talking, again.
*I found the talking is a very common thing to do at the beginning of a gathering (swimming, school, work, etc. Except I don't do it at school because I'm ALWAYS late-kill me.)
While everyone was talking I decided I was going to swim. Did a good "50m" and was like "oh buddy has it been a while". Once the coach got there he told us our "150m" warm up and we went off. OK, remember how I said NO lane lanes? Yeah, disaster. Apparently, you swim on the left lap 1, right lap 2, middle lap 3. And like that continuously. Thanks for the memo everyone! I ran into everyone and was SO confused. I think the lane line thing would do everyone a hand. We ended and the coach told me I needed a scuba mask-NO thank you. He insisted and made someone get it for me-pointless, cause I didn't use it. My host mom was laughing because she knew I didn't want to, and understood it was because I have been trained with the simple "petit" goggles, as she called them. The nice lady who did me a pointless favor handed me the goggles, no, mask, and got back in the water. We swam a little more and ended up on the deeper side of the pool. We got out and were jumping in with the mask off and putting it on underwater and having it good and on when you came up out of the water. WHAT? impossible. I pretended I understood and just jumped in with my mask on when no one was looking.
Towards the end of the "practice" (in parenthesis because I'm not sure what I was practicing) they started doing stuff with fins. I don't like fins. Even the "TRES VITE!" didn't convince me. The coach didn't care what I wanted, he wanted me to wear fins (keep in mind we already told him, just laps, yeah c'est cleare my ass). My host mom, a man and I went looking for fins, I thought I'd gotten lucky until the kind man, whom I was not happy with at the time, because he was actually searching for fins while my host mom and I were pretending, found some. Walked back to the pool, fins in hand, got in, put them on and went. I hate fins, can I repeat it one more time? I HATE FINS. Thanks.
Practice ended. I walked to the locker rooms and got my shampoo and conditioner-apres shampooing. Awkwardly I stood and took my shower while everyone around me was joyfully letting it all hang out-boys and girls. WELCOME TO EUROPE. After my awkward 5 minute shower that I rushed through, I changed. As I walked out of the locker room there was a man standing holding a tray with who knows what on it. It was food though. It was some cracker thing with something on it-even though it kinda was slimy and gross, it was good. After swim practice a man stands with a metal tray like a waiter and gives you food? SO weird!!!
PS: Update on "les grèves": Went to school today. One train in the morning-PACKED and was late to school. Rode the bus from the train station-COVERED in eggs. Haha, the bus got egged!! During English second period there was what sounded like cannons going off and a HUGEEEEE line of kids marching in the streets-oh how I wished I was in the middle of the action. Then after school my host dad told me my "host aunt's", who is a teacher, car was egged too by students today. Although it would be awesome to egg a teacher's car, it's really sad that teachers and people are getting treated this way!!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Since I have nothing better to do...
Today is Wednesday, October 13.
Aujourd'hui c'est le 13 octobre 2010.
In France there is a huge issue with the government-retirement age, taxes, etc and people here take it into their own hands. Although I don't know much about it, since I've been here there have been numerous "grèves". Grèves are strikes. There are student and adult graves and today happens to be one. Along with a couple weeks before, yesterday, and probably tomorrow. Grèves cause HUGE chaos.
1) ALL public transportation is CLOSED. 2) Teachers at public schools tend to NOT be there. 3) Traffic is ridiculous because there is no other way to get anywhere-except by car. 4) There are huge riots-people and police. 5) And students and adults, even if they're not taking part in the grèves, they usually don't go to school. Like me, today.
To school everyday I take the train. Home from school everyday, I take the train. With the grèves there is NO train. So that means NO way to get to school..Except for my host parents. My host dad isn't working now because of health problems. And my host mom doesn't work on Wednesdays-meaning I have no way of getting to school. I'm not sure if it is an excused absence or not, but I haven't gone to school two Wednesdays because of grèves. Some of my other friends within CIEE who live here, in France, go to a public school (The school placing was random. On the application it says private, public, I don't care. I chose I don't care and ended up at a private school-no extra cost! hey! haha). My friends who are at public schools are lucky-and unlucky at the same time.
Lucky: A majority of public school teachers participate in the grèves because they are paid from the government, like in the US-except they are federally paid. SO grève day, means no school practically. Also, in France everyone eats at the canteen for lunch unless you go home-usually. In public schools, there is a week where the canteen is CLOSED. Meaning no way to eat lunch-problem. Way to solve it? Don't got to school.
Unlucky: In public schools they're really strict about piercings (NO facial piercings-so i'm out) and NO dying your hair.
I'm not really sure why the trains and all public things close, but they do. (it PISSES my host parents off-and my host sister, because she had a Bac "sport" test today...) Pretty much everything being closed is really inconvenient for everyone. But when you're sitting in class and you hear helicopters and people screaming and loud music and sirens, it's rather entertaining.
Aujourd'hui c'est le 13 octobre 2010.
In France there is a huge issue with the government-retirement age, taxes, etc and people here take it into their own hands. Although I don't know much about it, since I've been here there have been numerous "grèves". Grèves are strikes. There are student and adult graves and today happens to be one. Along with a couple weeks before, yesterday, and probably tomorrow. Grèves cause HUGE chaos.
1) ALL public transportation is CLOSED. 2) Teachers at public schools tend to NOT be there. 3) Traffic is ridiculous because there is no other way to get anywhere-except by car. 4) There are huge riots-people and police. 5) And students and adults, even if they're not taking part in the grèves, they usually don't go to school. Like me, today.
To school everyday I take the train. Home from school everyday, I take the train. With the grèves there is NO train. So that means NO way to get to school..Except for my host parents. My host dad isn't working now because of health problems. And my host mom doesn't work on Wednesdays-meaning I have no way of getting to school. I'm not sure if it is an excused absence or not, but I haven't gone to school two Wednesdays because of grèves. Some of my other friends within CIEE who live here, in France, go to a public school (The school placing was random. On the application it says private, public, I don't care. I chose I don't care and ended up at a private school-no extra cost! hey! haha). My friends who are at public schools are lucky-and unlucky at the same time.
Lucky: A majority of public school teachers participate in the grèves because they are paid from the government, like in the US-except they are federally paid. SO grève day, means no school practically. Also, in France everyone eats at the canteen for lunch unless you go home-usually. In public schools, there is a week where the canteen is CLOSED. Meaning no way to eat lunch-problem. Way to solve it? Don't got to school.
Unlucky: In public schools they're really strict about piercings (NO facial piercings-so i'm out) and NO dying your hair.
I'm not really sure why the trains and all public things close, but they do. (it PISSES my host parents off-and my host sister, because she had a Bac "sport" test today...) Pretty much everything being closed is really inconvenient for everyone. But when you're sitting in class and you hear helicopters and people screaming and loud music and sirens, it's rather entertaining.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
10 random facts
SO this is going to be short. But it's random things I want to say..that don't really have a spot.
1) Yeserday, when I was on a bike ride I saw a poorkipine. yes.
2) I ate mcDonalds yesterday. If you're a high school student, you get TWO burgers, fries and a drink..no wonder they think we're so fat.
3) Went to a hockey game...not the same. Theyre not allowed to fight, and the biggest stadium near us is the size of sportsplex. AND it's definitely not like the US with the whole all you can eat junk food. There wasn't even a drink stand...:(
4) I live an hour from the beach...but I dont count it as the beach...its the english channel.
5) I technically am in Canada... relatively speaking the the US.
6) I LOVE my friends at school
7) Not all french people smell bad, but some really really need a shower.
8) I got the COOOOOOOOLEST "erasable" pens.- will be bringing them back to the US!
9) Weather is so random here. Today is hot, tomorrow i'm sure, will be cold.
10) Next saturday Amiens throws a HUGE party-hopefullllyyy am going...and it's ALL night. but according to heloise "generally you drink a lot..so heads up"
I'll be back with more random facts, promise!
1) Yeserday, when I was on a bike ride I saw a poorkipine. yes.
2) I ate mcDonalds yesterday. If you're a high school student, you get TWO burgers, fries and a drink..no wonder they think we're so fat.
3) Went to a hockey game...not the same. Theyre not allowed to fight, and the biggest stadium near us is the size of sportsplex. AND it's definitely not like the US with the whole all you can eat junk food. There wasn't even a drink stand...:(
4) I live an hour from the beach...but I dont count it as the beach...its the english channel.
5) I technically am in Canada... relatively speaking the the US.
6) I LOVE my friends at school
7) Not all french people smell bad, but some really really need a shower.
8) I got the COOOOOOOOLEST "erasable" pens.- will be bringing them back to the US!
9) Weather is so random here. Today is hot, tomorrow i'm sure, will be cold.
10) Next saturday Amiens throws a HUGE party-hopefullllyyy am going...and it's ALL night. but according to heloise "generally you drink a lot..so heads up"
I'll be back with more random facts, promise!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
I've learned more than French so far.
This past weekend my mom came and visited. She left today at 515. If you don't know already, my mom and I are extremely close. Saying bye was really hard too.
Although it has only been a month, I have learned so much about life really. I appreciate my family so much more than I did before I came and I have a good concept of what I have, and the way I live, it's a privilege. Here, I am alone. Although I have a family, friends, teachers, and a small convenient store owner who care about me, no one KNOWS me. At home when I'm sad I can cry to my mom and have her already know how to act when I'm sad. Or when I'm angry or frustrated, she and my family really, know how to make it better. Here, yes the parents can hug me and tell me they love me, but nothing is the same as your mom or dad telling you I love you and being there with you. And no one really understands you better than your family. For example: When I came here, I brought a converter, and a mini baby fan. If you've slept at my house, you know we all sleep with fans, including Davie. Well, the mini baby fan made NO noise, which is why I brought it. My mom and dad understood how difficult it is to sleep without it and sent me a noise maker. WELL, this weekend I went to Paris, and it blew. My mom, determined, helped me find a hardware store in Amiens and bought me a fan, and converter (that blew too in Paris). Just things like that you miss when you're here.
Everyone thinks being an exchange student is easy. Go to school on the week days, party on the weekends, take advantage of the chill drinking laws, and compete with your other American friends (in France) on who can kiss the most people. Well, unfortunately as much as I'd like to say this is the life I'm living, I'm not. 1, 3(only this past weekend when I was with my mom), and 4. Except four is: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-1 so far...SO. Some of my other friends have an easier time with 2, but it's a crap shoot with your host family. My host family does not want me drinking, and definitely would not approve of my going to a party. It's difficult. Although back home I was not a party person, I'd really like to see what it's like here...still waiting on that. Also when you have something exciting happening and you are happy and excited and jumpy and you want to tell someone, your family, your friends, or anyone, it takes about 10x more time to get it out, and once you've spent 5 minutes thinking about how to say it in a different language, the excitement is worn off.
Although this is a rather, bland, downing post, I really have learned to appreciate everyone and everything at home so much more. I love my family so much and don't know what I'd do without them.
Although it has only been a month, I have learned so much about life really. I appreciate my family so much more than I did before I came and I have a good concept of what I have, and the way I live, it's a privilege. Here, I am alone. Although I have a family, friends, teachers, and a small convenient store owner who care about me, no one KNOWS me. At home when I'm sad I can cry to my mom and have her already know how to act when I'm sad. Or when I'm angry or frustrated, she and my family really, know how to make it better. Here, yes the parents can hug me and tell me they love me, but nothing is the same as your mom or dad telling you I love you and being there with you. And no one really understands you better than your family. For example: When I came here, I brought a converter, and a mini baby fan. If you've slept at my house, you know we all sleep with fans, including Davie. Well, the mini baby fan made NO noise, which is why I brought it. My mom and dad understood how difficult it is to sleep without it and sent me a noise maker. WELL, this weekend I went to Paris, and it blew. My mom, determined, helped me find a hardware store in Amiens and bought me a fan, and converter (that blew too in Paris). Just things like that you miss when you're here.
Everyone thinks being an exchange student is easy. Go to school on the week days, party on the weekends, take advantage of the chill drinking laws, and compete with your other American friends (in France) on who can kiss the most people. Well, unfortunately as much as I'd like to say this is the life I'm living, I'm not. 1, 3(only this past weekend when I was with my mom), and 4. Except four is: 0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-2-0-0-1 so far...SO. Some of my other friends have an easier time with 2, but it's a crap shoot with your host family. My host family does not want me drinking, and definitely would not approve of my going to a party. It's difficult. Although back home I was not a party person, I'd really like to see what it's like here...still waiting on that. Also when you have something exciting happening and you are happy and excited and jumpy and you want to tell someone, your family, your friends, or anyone, it takes about 10x more time to get it out, and once you've spent 5 minutes thinking about how to say it in a different language, the excitement is worn off.
Although this is a rather, bland, downing post, I really have learned to appreciate everyone and everything at home so much more. I love my family so much and don't know what I'd do without them.
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