Happy holidays! This year I got to experience Christmas in France. The festivities began on Christmas Eve with a visit to Church. A lot of friends and family came. After an hour of mass, we had a long dinner party with lots of food and conversation. The meal was venison with cranberries and a celery root purée. The children went to bed around midnight, but the adults stayed up for desert, coffee, and gifts. At 2:00 am, we put the children's gifts under the Christmas tree and went to bed. In the morning, the kids opened their gifts. Then, everyone gathered their belongings and returned to their respective homes. It was tiring, and I missed my family, but I still had fun!
I have moved to a temporary host family for a week because my host parents have gone to England. I will stay here until December 30th, when I will be moving to a new host family in Troyes for the final half of my visit to France.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Christmas Exams
The next major event in my life will be the Christmas exams next week. We will take a two hour test for each of the six core subjects, covering everything we have learned so far this year.
While reviewing for the exams, I discovered that the history test here will be very different from what I am used to (all the others are similar). On the ship, the final exam in history usually consists of several multiple choice, matching, or fill in the blank questions, a few short answer questions, and one longer essay question. Here, the entire test is one giant essay. We will be given a text about either Athenian democracy, Roman democracy, or immigration and the role of Europeans in the spread of people around the world. There will be a consigne (ex. after presenting the document, define the Athenien democracy as given by Aristotle and then explain his criticisms against this regime), which we will have to respond to in essay form using quotes from the text and our understanding of our lessons. I'm fairly certain that this will be the most difficult history test I have ever taken!
In general, the French schooling system seems to be more rigorous than those of the U.S and Britain. For example, every student takes French, English, and at least one other language, the options being Spanish or German. Many students also take a third language, either Chinese or Latin. In the U.S, most people only take English and one other language. Also, at my school in France every Friday there is either a two hour long test on a certain subject or two one hour tests on two different subjects. On the ship, we only take two hour tests four weeks in the year for midterms and finals. School hours here are from 8:00 to 5:30, while on the ship they are from 8:00 to 3:20.
In France, you choose a track (ex. Physics and Biology, Literature and Languages, Economics and Social Sciences, etc.) at age 15 or 16. In the first year of high school you receive a general education and in the second your classes are specific to your area of interest. The goal of school is to prepare students to succeed in scoring highly on their chosen Baccalaureate, a test which determines the person's level of mastery in their chosen area. Higher education institutions and employers choose whether or not to accept a person based on their Baccalaureate scores. In the U.S, you do not need to choose a major until you have completed two years of University. There are the SAT and ACT tests, but as far as I know they are not specialized and are much less important than the Bac.
This sums up what I have learned about the French education system so far. If you are American or British, be thankful that you don't have to learn a third language! If your country's education system is more similar than that of France, be thankful that you get to learn so much! :-)
While reviewing for the exams, I discovered that the history test here will be very different from what I am used to (all the others are similar). On the ship, the final exam in history usually consists of several multiple choice, matching, or fill in the blank questions, a few short answer questions, and one longer essay question. Here, the entire test is one giant essay. We will be given a text about either Athenian democracy, Roman democracy, or immigration and the role of Europeans in the spread of people around the world. There will be a consigne (ex. after presenting the document, define the Athenien democracy as given by Aristotle and then explain his criticisms against this regime), which we will have to respond to in essay form using quotes from the text and our understanding of our lessons. I'm fairly certain that this will be the most difficult history test I have ever taken!
In general, the French schooling system seems to be more rigorous than those of the U.S and Britain. For example, every student takes French, English, and at least one other language, the options being Spanish or German. Many students also take a third language, either Chinese or Latin. In the U.S, most people only take English and one other language. Also, at my school in France every Friday there is either a two hour long test on a certain subject or two one hour tests on two different subjects. On the ship, we only take two hour tests four weeks in the year for midterms and finals. School hours here are from 8:00 to 5:30, while on the ship they are from 8:00 to 3:20.
In France, you choose a track (ex. Physics and Biology, Literature and Languages, Economics and Social Sciences, etc.) at age 15 or 16. In the first year of high school you receive a general education and in the second your classes are specific to your area of interest. The goal of school is to prepare students to succeed in scoring highly on their chosen Baccalaureate, a test which determines the person's level of mastery in their chosen area. Higher education institutions and employers choose whether or not to accept a person based on their Baccalaureate scores. In the U.S, you do not need to choose a major until you have completed two years of University. There are the SAT and ACT tests, but as far as I know they are not specialized and are much less important than the Bac.
This sums up what I have learned about the French education system so far. If you are American or British, be thankful that you don't have to learn a third language! If your country's education system is more similar than that of France, be thankful that you get to learn so much! :-)
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Seasons!!!
Because I have lived on a ship in Africa for the past seven years, I have not seen seasons recently. In Africa, there is the wet season and the dry season, but no summer, fall, winter, and spring. Here in France, I am seeing the seasons! It is fall now, and it is really cold. The leaves are colorful and it will probably snow within the next few weeks. To everyone who lives here, this is normal, but to me it is exciting.
I have noticed people look at me weird when I pick up red leaves to look at them more closely or try to step on every crunchy brown leaf I see. I think that the way the sun shines in at an angle instead of straight down is really beautiful and that the sky is a different color blue here now then it was in the summer. I feel like running around outside and jumping in the piles of leaves and singing Christmas carols. I feel like taking off my coat and feeling the bite of the chilly wind, finding a seat under a tree, and writing an ode to autumn. I feel five years younger. Of course, I can't actually act on these thoughts since I have to go to school and study and do homework, but I am still amazed at the beauty of seasons.
Seeing that most people here don't feel the same and simply take the changing of seasons for granted makes me wonder how many beautiful things I participate in on the ship that I take for granted. It encourages me to look more carefully at the everyday things in life and to thank God for them.
One thing that I will be more thankful of once I return to the ship is the sense of community. Living in a house on land with just one family has made me realize how blessed the crewmembers of the Africa Mercy are to live and work together. I miss the feeling that comes of knowing that me and my role is just one small part of something much bigger: serving God, serving the poor, and serving one another in the messy, crazy, unique, wonderful community we call the Africa Mercy.
I have noticed people look at me weird when I pick up red leaves to look at them more closely or try to step on every crunchy brown leaf I see. I think that the way the sun shines in at an angle instead of straight down is really beautiful and that the sky is a different color blue here now then it was in the summer. I feel like running around outside and jumping in the piles of leaves and singing Christmas carols. I feel like taking off my coat and feeling the bite of the chilly wind, finding a seat under a tree, and writing an ode to autumn. I feel five years younger. Of course, I can't actually act on these thoughts since I have to go to school and study and do homework, but I am still amazed at the beauty of seasons.
Seeing that most people here don't feel the same and simply take the changing of seasons for granted makes me wonder how many beautiful things I participate in on the ship that I take for granted. It encourages me to look more carefully at the everyday things in life and to thank God for them.
One thing that I will be more thankful of once I return to the ship is the sense of community. Living in a house on land with just one family has made me realize how blessed the crewmembers of the Africa Mercy are to live and work together. I miss the feeling that comes of knowing that me and my role is just one small part of something much bigger: serving God, serving the poor, and serving one another in the messy, crazy, unique, wonderful community we call the Africa Mercy.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Fall Break
For the past two weeks I have been on fall break. I went to a lot of dinner parties, went bowling with my host family, went to museums in Paris, carved pumpkins, and made pie. Here are some pictures of my adventures.
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| River boat |
Sunday, October 20, 2013
My Birthday
Yesterday was my 16th birthday, and it was a lot of fun. I woke up at 6:00 am to get on a train to Paris, where I spent the day in Disneyland with the other exchange students from my program. I had a lot of fun, and got to ride my favorite roller coaster, Space Mountain. I also discovered that Disneyland in Paris has very similar layouts and attractions to Disneyland in California.
Here are some photos I took at Disneyland.
The picture below the one of space mountain is a pole with a quote on it. It says "Tout ce que est dans la limite du possible doit être et sera accompli," or in English "All that is in the limit of the possible must be and will be accomplished." (I don't agree with this quote, but I thought it was a interesting picture to take.)
Here are some photos I took at Disneyland.
The picture below the one of space mountain is a pole with a quote on it. It says "Tout ce que est dans la limite du possible doit être et sera accompli," or in English "All that is in the limit of the possible must be and will be accomplished." (I don't agree with this quote, but I thought it was a interesting picture to take.)
Sunday, October 6, 2013
It's a little late but...
Hello,
I completely forgot that I had these pictures from orientation week. We went to see a horse race and walked around a small town near the sea for a bit. It's a little late, but here are the pictures.
I completely forgot that I had these pictures from orientation week. We went to see a horse race and walked around a small town near the sea for a bit. It's a little late, but here are the pictures.
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| The one photo I managed to get as the horses ran past us |
Monday, September 30, 2013
Hello.
Hello everyone,
I have not been up to much lately. I'm getting into the swing of things, getting to know people, and learning a little bit more French every day. I just wanted to write this quick blog post to let you know that I'm still here; although some days are rougher than others, I am starting to adjust to and feel more comfortable in this new culture and environment.
I have not been up to much lately. I'm getting into the swing of things, getting to know people, and learning a little bit more French every day. I just wanted to write this quick blog post to let you know that I'm still here; although some days are rougher than others, I am starting to adjust to and feel more comfortable in this new culture and environment.
Sunday, September 15, 2013
This Weekend...
...I went to a small fair in Lille. It was not very exciting, and everything was expensive. The only money I spent was 2 Euros for a bunch of churros. A lot of the food stands were advertised as American, and I even saw a statue of a giant hot dog wrapped in an American flag.
...I ate a very French meal. For Louise and Flavie's birthdays we had a small dinner party at our house (only four or five hours, not as long as the one I described before). The appetizers were bread with smoked salmon, garlic sausage, dried sausage, and bread with fish eggs. I ate everything but the fish eggs. The main course was salad with foie gras, chicken liver, and smoked dried duck. I tried everything, but I didn't really like the foie gras or chicken liver. The foie gras was very rich and had an almost nutty taste. The chicken liver tasted like chicken, but was more pungent in both taste and smell. I also tried a teeny sip of white wine. It was not too bad, but I'm sure it would be amazing to people who like wine. At least, I was told that it is a very good wine.
...We went to our town's "Fête du Sport." In the morning there was sports competitions, which I did not attend because I wanted to sleep in and get my homework done. In the afternoon, I went with my host family to a parking lot that had bouncy castles set up. I played a game with my host sisters where you are harnessed to elastic cords and you have to run against the cords and place a Velcro triangle as far away from the starting point as you can. Whoever puts their triangle the farthest wins. There was also an activity where everyone put tags with their names and phone numbers on balloons and released them into the air to see where they would end up. At the end of the afternoon there was a raffle, and we won a small poker set. I'm fairly certain that no one in my host family plays poker.
On a side note, French people having cheese and wine is not just a stereotype. So far every lunch or dinner party I have been to has included a discussion about and consumption of wine and cheese.
...I ate a very French meal. For Louise and Flavie's birthdays we had a small dinner party at our house (only four or five hours, not as long as the one I described before). The appetizers were bread with smoked salmon, garlic sausage, dried sausage, and bread with fish eggs. I ate everything but the fish eggs. The main course was salad with foie gras, chicken liver, and smoked dried duck. I tried everything, but I didn't really like the foie gras or chicken liver. The foie gras was very rich and had an almost nutty taste. The chicken liver tasted like chicken, but was more pungent in both taste and smell. I also tried a teeny sip of white wine. It was not too bad, but I'm sure it would be amazing to people who like wine. At least, I was told that it is a very good wine.
...We went to our town's "Fête du Sport." In the morning there was sports competitions, which I did not attend because I wanted to sleep in and get my homework done. In the afternoon, I went with my host family to a parking lot that had bouncy castles set up. I played a game with my host sisters where you are harnessed to elastic cords and you have to run against the cords and place a Velcro triangle as far away from the starting point as you can. Whoever puts their triangle the farthest wins. There was also an activity where everyone put tags with their names and phone numbers on balloons and released them into the air to see where they would end up. At the end of the afternoon there was a raffle, and we won a small poker set. I'm fairly certain that no one in my host family plays poker.
On a side note, French people having cheese and wine is not just a stereotype. So far every lunch or dinner party I have been to has included a discussion about and consumption of wine and cheese.
Monday, September 9, 2013
French Dinner Parties
This weekend I went with my host family to a birthday party for my host mom's father. It was the third or fourth dinner party I have been to here in France, so I thought I could tell you about these French celebrations.
Around 2:00, you arrive and kiss everyone, once on each cheek (actually, it's more like touching cheeks and kissing the air). Then the children eat a quick meal and go outside to play. The adults sit down and talk while having small snacks like nuts, pieces of cheese, and sausage slices. Each person also drinks two glasses of Champaign. After two hours everyone sits down at the table and eats the appetizers. Adults drink two glasses of white wine. Then you talk some more. The main course comes out and you eat. The adults have a glass of red wine. Then there is a break, where you sit and talk or take a walk outside. Next there is cheese and bread. The adults have another glass of red wine. Then there is chocolates and coffee or tea. Finally, there are desserts like strawberry tarts, crème pies, and rhubarb pies with beer for the adults. When you leave around 9:00 or 10:00, you kiss everyone again. All in all, seven hours, five courses, and seven glasses of alcohol.
Two things that are strange for me here in France are the amount of alcohol consumed and the whole kissing thing. I have kissed a lot of strangers and acquaintances now, both male and female. At school, friends kiss each other on the cheek when they meet. It is hilarious to think how my friends at school on the ship would react if I kissed them, but here in France people are offended if you know them and don't kiss them. It is hard for me to adjust to this, but I have to just do it and remember that it is a different culture here.
Around 2:00, you arrive and kiss everyone, once on each cheek (actually, it's more like touching cheeks and kissing the air). Then the children eat a quick meal and go outside to play. The adults sit down and talk while having small snacks like nuts, pieces of cheese, and sausage slices. Each person also drinks two glasses of Champaign. After two hours everyone sits down at the table and eats the appetizers. Adults drink two glasses of white wine. Then you talk some more. The main course comes out and you eat. The adults have a glass of red wine. Then there is a break, where you sit and talk or take a walk outside. Next there is cheese and bread. The adults have another glass of red wine. Then there is chocolates and coffee or tea. Finally, there are desserts like strawberry tarts, crème pies, and rhubarb pies with beer for the adults. When you leave around 9:00 or 10:00, you kiss everyone again. All in all, seven hours, five courses, and seven glasses of alcohol.
Two things that are strange for me here in France are the amount of alcohol consumed and the whole kissing thing. I have kissed a lot of strangers and acquaintances now, both male and female. At school, friends kiss each other on the cheek when they meet. It is hilarious to think how my friends at school on the ship would react if I kissed them, but here in France people are offended if you know them and don't kiss them. It is hard for me to adjust to this, but I have to just do it and remember that it is a different culture here.
Friday, September 6, 2013
First Week of School
I am very relieved that it is the weekend! The school days in France are from 8:00 to 4:30 to 5:20, depending on the day. I understand most of my classes here, except French class. Unfortunately, I cannot yet read French novels. The rest of this week was much better than the first day, although I did have a few mishaps such as not being able to find where some classes were. Even though school was not too terrible, I am ready for a rest.
I am sort of beginning to make friends here, but it is hard since I cannot really speak to people or contribute to a conversation. There are some girls that I carpool with that live nearby and a girl in my class that I have been eating lunch with. I am impatient to learn French!
I am sort of beginning to make friends here, but it is hard since I cannot really speak to people or contribute to a conversation. There are some girls that I carpool with that live nearby and a girl in my class that I have been eating lunch with. I am impatient to learn French!
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
First Day of School
I'm not going to lie, today was
hard. It started when I walked into the classroom last and everyone else was
already sitting down. Then, I only got one student assigned to me because he was
the only one who spoke good English.
Several times there was miscommunication or something important that I didn't understand because it was in French. At the end of the day, I had a huge headache from hearing French all day and not understanding 3/4 of it.
On the up side, I met a group
of girls that live nearby and are nice. One of them speaks good English. And I
survived without any major mental break downs or horrible mistakes. I know that even though it's hard I will be O.K and at the end of the year I will be able to
speak French and have a great experience to talk about!
Monday, September 2, 2013
My Host Family
A few days ago the prep course finished and everyone took trains to their host families. We were all excited and nervous.
I am living in Tatinghem, a small town in the north of France in the Lille area. I have three host sisters who are 13, 12, and 6. There is also the two parents and a golden retriever.
When my host family picked me up, we went to Nathalie's (my host mom) sisters house for lunch.
Albert, an Australian exchange student, and his host family also came. His host family and mine are good friends, so we see each other whenever there is a family and friends get together.
Yesterday my host dad, the girls, and I went to the beach. We walked on the sand, ate ice cream, found a little sea anemone, and saw the coast of England across the channel.
Today I will start school at La Malassise, a private school that specializes in science and economics. I am nervous, since I don't know much French, but I know I will learn eventually. The school's administrator said that he will assign two students to me who I can ask questions and get help from.
I am having a great time in France so far, and am excited for the rest of the year!
I am living in Tatinghem, a small town in the north of France in the Lille area. I have three host sisters who are 13, 12, and 6. There is also the two parents and a golden retriever.
When my host family picked me up, we went to Nathalie's (my host mom) sisters house for lunch.
Albert, an Australian exchange student, and his host family also came. His host family and mine are good friends, so we see each other whenever there is a family and friends get together.
Yesterday my host dad, the girls, and I went to the beach. We walked on the sand, ate ice cream, found a little sea anemone, and saw the coast of England across the channel.
Today I will start school at La Malassise, a private school that specializes in science and economics. I am nervous, since I don't know much French, but I know I will learn eventually. The school's administrator said that he will assign two students to me who I can ask questions and get help from.
I am having a great time in France so far, and am excited for the rest of the year!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Paris
Hi everyone, sorry I haven't updated my blog. I have not had access to the internet for the past week. I have been staying at a boarding school outside of Paris and participating in a prep course. In this course, there are some French lessons, information about the culture, and trips into Paris. I got to visit the Eiffel Tour, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, and other famous sites. Here are some pictures!
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| The building I stayed in |
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| The students in bright yellow for our walk along a busy street into town |
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| A tower of an old church |
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