Week One. Whew.

^photo from the bus tour of Paris during the AFS orientation. Orientation probably deserves its own post, but isn't as interesting as the ACTUAL French stuff.


After my first week with my French family, I feel...very very tired. But happy!! A lot has happened this week and I feel like I'm already changing. First of all, school. School is a bit different in France, especially the length of the school day. This week I've gone almost every day from 8 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon. Oof. Combined with the stress of taking courses in a foreign language and the horrible food at the cantine, school has contributed a lot to my coming home every day ready for bed. That being said, school is also really fun for me. That might have to do with the fact that I won't have to take le Bac this summer. :P

Contrary to what I thought they would be like, the students were actually very friendly and welcoming. I had been warned by both my French teachers and AFS returnees that the French tended to be less welcoming than Americans in that they wouldn't be likely to come up to you and start a conversation, so I was very surprised when the secretary announced who I was before my first class, and by lunch I'd already had to turn down probably 3 or 4 invitations to eat with people. Another great thing about school is that we have a lot of breaks and if one of our teachers isn't there, we don't have that class. The first time that happened, I was a little bit hesitant, because not only did it seem too good to be true, but I also had no idea what to do with my free time. Fortunately, my classmates are very kind, and I have been invited to attend many classes just to have something to do, and ended up enjoying them. I'm frequently invited to English class (surprise) but I've also gone to rock climbing and art history.

At home, I've been enjoying my family very much. Two of my three host sisters are currently living at home, and they are beginning to become like real sisters. My host parents are also very kind, and seem to think I need to eat more. Well...I'm not likely to say no, am I? Dinners this week have included crepes, galette, and vegetable soup. Mmmm. There is also plenty of cheese and bread laying around at all times. In addition to good food, my host parents are interested in theater (which is probably why I'm taking five hours of theater a week) and they've had 3 rehearsals this week for a play they're putting on next Saturday. It's very fun to watch and it's helping me improve my French. It also stresses me out less than conversation because I'm not expected to reply.


AFS warned me about culture shock, and I didn't listen. I thought that learning about the French culture would prepare me for when I actually got here. Wrong. I'm probably a lot better off than someone who doesn't know a thing about French culture would be, but the first time someone gave me the traditional French greeting--a kiss on each cheek--I kinda freaked out. Since then, I've given countless bisous. It still freaks me out. However, I do understand that it's part of the culture, and I haven't been too awkward about it (although I still blush most of the time) and I wouldn't be surprised if, by the end of my six months, I'll actually be in the habit.

So, all in all, the week has been very stressful, but I can already tell that my French is improving (or my comprehension is, at the very least) and that the next 5 and a half months will be very fun and very interesting indeed.

Watch out France, here I come!

After all the planning, all the paperwork, and all the headaches, we're finally down to one week to departure! I just got my host family last week, so I know I'll be headed to the small town of Menetou-Salon and staying with a host family of a mother, a father, and three sisters (one of whom is away at school). I'll be about 20km away from my best friend in Bourges and studying at the Lycée Alain Fournier, which is also in Bourges. I can't wait for all the great experiences I know I'm going to have as an exchange student in France, learning about the culture and the music and the food. I know it will be hard, but I'm hoping I'll get the hang of it pretty quickly. I hope to keep up this blog while I'm away (and my family does have Internet!) so check back soon for updates!

ACCEPTED!!

This is just a quick post--I wanted to let everyone know that I've been accepted by AFS France, and the next step is a host family! I'm so excited, this makes everything real. Even though I know it's still almost three months away and I probably won't get a family until December, I can't stop thinking about how many great experiences I'll be having shortly. Thanks to everyone who helped me get to this point, and thanks to those who continue to support me. I know I'll have a great time thanks to all of your help!

France Update

It's been a while since my last post, so I just wanted to give a quick update. I finished my application and it's been accepted by AFS USA and forwarded to AFS France. I should hear about whether or not I've been accepted in a few weeks, so I'll be posting then. After that I should receive my host family and placement information. I'll be leaving in late January for the whole semester! My best friend is in Bourges, France for the whole year, and hopefully we'll be able to meet up once I arrive and she'll be able to help me out a little, but other than that I'll be on my own.

Here in the States, I'm taking AP French at school, hoping it will help prepare me for my arrival in France (though I know there will still be some pretty serious culture shock and the French speak a lot faster than my teacher, so I won't be completely prepared), I'm participating in the AFS club at school and building up my good exchange student karma. Last weekend I had a sleepover at my house with a few exchange students and members of the club, and while many weren't able to attend because of annual mid-September colds, we had a great time and I hope I was able to help them learn more about the American culture. We made t-shirts and watched movies and shared our cultures, and it was a lot of fun.

A few weeks ago there was also orientation for the students who are here in the United States from other countries. It was a sleepover as well, and they were allowed to bring guests. My friend Mary from Kenya invited me, and it was so much fun. We played games and listened to music and I was surprised at how little our cultural differences affected our friendships. Even after years of participating in AFS and planning to go abroad myself, it was inspiring to see how much staying up late, giggling and telling stories, and just sitting around talking when it got late, was just as great with foreigners as it is with my American friends. I hope that my experience with AFS France will be as great as my experience with AFS USA.

ChipIn

Just a quick post to say that I've added "ChipIn" to my blog, so you can help me raise money to go to France. The application is almost done now, so we'll be sending that off ASAP, and hopefully I'll have more information once I turn that in.

Interview and Sending Orientartion

Last Friday I had my AFS interview. A volunteer from AFS came to our house and talked to me about myself and what kind of family I was a part of and what kind of family I would like to be a part of in France. She was very kind and helpful, and I think she convinced my mom, who still wasn't sure, that going abroad would a good experience. :-) I just have to finish my application now and then we can send it off and hopefully get a host family.

Last Saturday I went to sending orientation for AFS. We got to sit in a meeting for six hours while the volunteers told me and other future exchange students about all the scary stuff about being an exchange student and how to deal with it. We talked about our hopes and fears and some fun stuff too, and we got to talk to other people from Ohio who would be going abroad at the same time. I met a girl from Shaker who will also be going to France next year and we were really excited. Maybe we'll meet up, but the best part is that we'll have our own host families and friends and make new connections. It's still a while until I leave, but I'm starting to get excited. I couldn't wait to leave for France after the meeting was over, especially since some of the students already had host families. We learned some really useful things and heard stories from former exchange students and I'm glad I met the people I did. We'll have a lot of fun.

Le petit triangle

On Sunday I went to Le Petit Triangle Cafe with my family for brunch. We ate crepes and I had a chocolat chaud and it reminded me of eating in my favorite cafe in Paris, Cafe Charlot. I remembered listening to the people speaking French, which I hardly understood at all (eavesdropping on others' conversations, I couldn't get past "Bonjour, ca va?") and eating delicious food. Best was the chocolat chaud. Being in Le Petit Triangle brought back the memories.
The crepes also reminded me of an experience everyone should have when they go to Paris. It was a cold, rainy day and we had been walking around all morning and all afternoon. We'd walked past Notre Dame a few times, trying to decide if it would be worth it to pack inside with everyone else. Our shoes and socks were soaked and we were about to just go home, when Maggie spotted a small, steaming crepe stand with nutella jars on display. We stopped to buy some and they brightened our rainy afternoon. They were the most delicious thing in the world just then.