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.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
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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