My French Travels

Jour un- Samedi (Saturday)

Today was so boring, we spent 24 hours on planes and trains and I had to wait five hours at the Parisian airport to get my train to meet my host family. I was originally very excited but I’m so drained as I have had very few hours sleep the past two days on the plane and it’s 5 am back in Australia. I was so tired I started to worry that I may seem rude to my host family because I just needed a bed to crash on. My friend and I caught the train to Nantes and when we finally arrived I was overwhelmed with excitement. My host family had made me a huge bandanna saying ‘Bienvenue, welcome , Gen’ and it had everyone’s handprint on it in paint. At the train station my host mum, Aurelie, my host sister, Morgane (17 years) and my host brother, Robin (3 years) were holding the bandanna; it was so exciting. Robin is so cute, he keeps coming up to me and handing me his toys and he loves reciting the colours to me in English. I came home to meet my host dad, Ludo and my baby sister, Alice (1 year). They are all extremely sweet but it was difficult to understand everything they were saying because I’m not used to their language yet and I was so tired. I had a tour of the house and then went back to my room; it’s actually so cool, it looks like a tumblr room because of it’s interesting shape and I have a roof window and Zzz.

Dimanche (Sunday)

The morning was fun for me, I come out to have breakfast and my host brother was showing me all of his toys and cars and wanting me to play with him. At ten, me, my host mum and Robin went to the pool which was good because I got to talk properly to Aurelie and how we are going to ease myself into the language and school. When we got back from the pool I started to suffer with culture shock, all these things were different to Australia that normally you wouldn’t think about. Things like having to wear shoes inside and not having conditioner (little things) that just got to me and it was stressful. But I got a grip and the afternoon turned out to be fun and I found a way to communicate to Morgane and Ludo because they don’t speak English and I hardly speak French so there was a language barrier. By the evening I could bond with Morgane and Robin, which I was so excited and relieved about.

Lundi (Monday)-

Ma premiere jour d’ecole (My first day of school)

I was a bit nervous for school because I didn’t know what to expect and if I would understand anyone and if I would make friends. But I came to class and these 2 girls offered me to sit with them. It’s so true about the people in France, they’re all sooooo beautiful and skinny. The girls I sat with were absolute angels to me and afterwards they introduced me to their friends. Everyone seems to be so interested in Australia, which is such a relief because before my arrival I was worried that French may not like Australians. They are very interested in Australian life and the way things operate. I had no idea what was being discussed in class so I just zoned out for an hour ahaha. French schooling is so different to Australian schooling. In France you do not get to choose electives, the only thing you get a choice in is what two out of the three languages you learn. So because I chose my two languages as French and Spanish my class is all people who learn those two languages. I prefer that over how Australian schooling is done with different people in every class, but I would much rather choose my subjects and not do history. The cafeteria at the school is called a restaurant (such sophisticosity), my friends said it was not good French food but I didn’t mind it. It was a relief that I made friends so quickly who are understanding of my struggles with the language and will offer to help me when needed.

Mardi (Tuesday)-

Today was a public holiday in France because it is Remembrance Day, so this morning was spent playing with the littlies and then we had a family friend and Aurelie’s sister come over and had lunch together. It was fun and the family friend spoke a bit of English to me, which was quite nice of him. I don’t get frustrated by not understanding all that is said, but it is annoying when something funny happens and I can’t join in because I didn’t understand.

After lunch Morgane and I went shopping for sweaters, the quality is amazing and so cheap for what it is. Australia is so overpriced. My French and pronunciation is improving and I am gradually getting better at doing the hacking noises which everyone finds so cute that I can not do. I can understand people better and they can speak to me a lot faster. People are not speaking to me in English as much and I have found a way of communication with my host family because the only one that speaks English is Aurelie. After dinner Aurelie, Morgane and I played a game called ‘Yams,’ it was a bit difficult for me to pick up at first because they taught me in French but I soon caught on. I am happy with my progress.

Mercredi (Wednesday)-

Today I caught the bus to school for the first time; I was a bit nervous because I had to walk there and it was still dark and I was worried I would get lost, but I made it! My first two periods was something called SVT, I legitimately have no idea what the class is because everyone is doing different things. I asked multiple people but I am still extremely confused. Some were doing pracs, some were doing assignments, some were revising for exams and my teacher hasn’t addressed me once. She has given me no tasks so the three classes I have had this subject I have just talked so I am pretty sure she hates me whooopppss. Then I had maths. My maths teacher and my French teacher are the only two who have addressed me about being on exchange and understanding what is going on in class etc. It’s so different to Australia, if we were to have an exchange student every single teacher that had you would be asking you all sorts and checking on you; but in France they really don’t care and just expect you to do the work with no given explanation other than the one in class that is said ridiculously fast. I have so much homework and I have been told nothing slowly so I have absolutely no idea what is expected of me. But today lots more people were coming up and talking to me; it was a bit difficult because I was tired so it was harder for me to understand what they were saying and also just focus on them talking so I ended up having to asking them to repeat things soooo many times. But I came to France to learn a new way of life and meet new people and that’s what I am doing, and the people are all very kind and understanding.

Jeudi (Thursday)-

Today was really shitty, I was tired and I had school at 8 o’clock. I got lost before school because I was trying to find administration, then I went into the wrong classroom, then I come to my Biology class late and the teacher already hates me. In biology I do nothing, it’s kind of ridiculous that she just doesn’t tell me to do anything. She doesn’t give me work, doesn’t talk to me to let me know what is going on, doesn’t talk to me to see where I’m at, I may as well just not go to class. So today, after 4 double lessons of the subject without once being talked to by her I decided to break the silence because I was that bored. It was awful, because it was on the spot my French was not up to scratch, and she laughed at me. I laughed along so it wasn’t awkward but my god it’s a hate-hate relationship. She told me off for always talking today but I had finished my work and she didn’t give me anything else to do soo… Then after biology I had double physics, which may have been even worse than biology. I literally just copied the answers off a friend and I probably made up words in French ahaha. After physics I had an hour to eat which most of that hour is spent waiting in line for food and then after that it turns out I have a single of physics and then a single of biology and then a single of maths. I was so bored, I did nothing and none of my teachers spoke to me to check on me. I miss Australian school, the teachers are much nicer, the subjects are better, you can talk, you can use your phones and computers. Here, all of my teachers are bitches except for my maths teacher and ew maths. In maths I think I actually drove myself insane; I was zoned out and thinking about jokes with my Australian friends and then I cracked up in an absolutely dead silent classroom, and I couldn’t get a grip. And we have assigned seats so I was sitting by myself so everyone looked at me because it was so out of the blue. Then after that I missed my bus stop so I ended up in the middle of France and my host mum couldn’t get me because there was no one to look after the kids so I had to wait ages for a bus and finally I got home. It was really rough on me. I feel a bit excluded because they all speak so fast to each other and I can’t understand so I just sit back a bit and like I don’t expect them to speak slowly just because I’m around but idk it kinda sucks. I love France but idk I just had a bad day and when on exchange you have to expect that but it was just very long.

Vendredi (Friday)-

Today was alright, it’s very up and down at the moment. I haven’t settled in yet, and the new girl thing is wearing off a bit. I get frustrated because I can’t understand what’s being said so I can’t join in conversations and I can’t really joke so I feel as if I may come across as boring. I’m sure it will be easier in a week or two when I can understand more of the language. It’s so different in friends, I think it’s so sophisticated. I adore it. There is not a single cake face, their makeup is entirely about the eyes. You can’t even tell if they’re wearing foundation. My friends told me that if you wear tonnes of makeup people think you’re a prostitute ahahaha. Everything has chocolate in it, omg the food is so good. When I buy stuff at shops half the time I don’t even know what im buying ahahah but it always turns out well. Literally before school everyone is smoking and in between long classes you have 15 minute smoking breaks ahahaha. I have achieved the impossible, my friends don’t smoke! Tomorrow I am going into the city of Nantes to explore with my host family and then on Sunday I am going out for dinner, which I am so excited about. There’s like a code for how many kisses for what the occasion and it is so confusing, I have embarrassed myself so many times because I don’t know to go for one or two kisses ahahah. This week has been very up and down for me, but it’s been mainly good. Sometimes it’s difficult because you understand nothing in class, you understand hardly anything when your friends are talking to each other and it’s very difficult to join in unless they involve you in the conversation. But on the whole, France is pretty amazing.