French Exchange

I figured it was about time for another up date. Sorry that there wasnt one last week but I was just way too tired. Another two weeks have passed and I haven't been doing much. I now know all three pomme d'orée in brest quite well (there are tea shops basically but a chain) and visit them (all three) quite regularly for a big cup of tea. Also in my desperate attempt to stay awake, I have succumbed to the lure of coffee, with lots of milk and sugar mind you, but coffee all the same. I have had to resort also to pinching my self regularly in class because the small bit of pain gives me a little more energy. Sad I know but true. The meals in the Cafe are getting no better...fish the other day (it was fish or this beefish squarelike block of meat) with smilies and vegetable mash (over-cooked carrots and brocolli) with canned pears for dessert. Marginally better than the fish nuggets and liquid potatoes (with chunks of unidentifyable orange and green mixed in) of last week. Umm in school I have been getting creative as well. They are studying the water cycle currently in science which is thrilling to say the least. When drawing the diagram I personalised it with stick people, very realistic fish, and an awesome sun (with the whole sunglasses thing going on and a smile). My inner artist emerged out of the shadows and enveloped my boredom kind of like the psuedopods of a white blood cell (yes my analagies are also quite great, I know...my english skills have flown out the window). It is harder for me to speak english than french these days which I discovered after talking to the other canadian girl here. It was like kindergarten talk...we describe our want for milk and the fact that we were reverse cows...yes reverse cows...we did not say we drank alot of milk but instead that we cows in the opposite direction and we laughed at that for a good 10 min (yes pathetic I know, but when you have had no humourous events that you have understood for days, anything seems funny). Charlottes mothers store has opened so she is quite busy with that. I have been trying to think of something that is typically Canadian, some kind of meal, but lack any ideas. I mean what is truely a Canadian dish besides timbits, maple syrup, and peameal bacon? and seeing as charlotte hated every type of canadian food what could i possibley make to wow her family? If anyone has ideas send me them because I am in desperate need. Also I have seen the circus here which was great, although it wasn't really to international for me because they were from montreal but oh well. I had some awesome crepes with sausage smoked in algue, potatoes, and cheese, and thats about it for now. Writing in english kills my brain!

Here is the site for my pictures if anyone is interested http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/februaryglass/FrenchExchange

Well I'll begin by saying this week was fairly good considering the fact that I had to go to school and sit through classes where I understood nothing. Gym was torture as usual, but maybe a little worse because we had to do a fitness course before running for almost an hour in the wind and rain. I am proud to say though (and yes I know this is easter and pride is a sin but...) that I am the fastest girl runner and have the highest mark in the class (mind you the girls have it way easier than the boys)...Ha if it were only like that in canada...but in Canada we do fun things like sports which are difficult for people like me who are mal à droit or clumsy. I went to Charlottes gym class where they were playing badminton and discovered that I was the worst of the worst-you play against everyone and tally up the scores and I happily had 5 points after 27 matches, each point being a tremedous victory for me. I've now also discovered the wonders of permanence which is basically study hall. I just skip the classes that I don't like and go to the library or caf for the whole period. Unfortunately MP3 players are strictly forbidden. If you are caught with one it is taken from you and you can get it back at the end of the school year. Its a little harsh. I have also discovered the magnificent taste of french cafeteria food which is basically exsactly like the caf. food in American high school movies. The rather large ladies greet you with a lovely sullen expression and delicately dump food onto your plate which generally resembles chunky vomit and tastes roughly the same. The only drink is water and with your slop you get either watery potatoes or congealed rice, which ever one tickles you fancy for that day. And of course there is bread which is in huge baskets, and which has been picked over by hundreds of kids (our grade is the last to eat) who don't seem to wash their hands after going to the bathroom...There isnt even soap in the washrooms and to dry your hands there is always the same bathroom towel. Also, just for some info, there are no toilet seats on any of the toilets in public places so going to the washroom is always a bit of a chore. I will go back to speaking about the caf because I had a rather interesting incident on friday of this week. Because it was good friday (and yes even though they are in a catholic school they do not get good friday off) they had a special meal, rice, bread and an apple for 5 euros ($8.50) but the extra money was going to a good cause so alot of kids decided to participate in it. The form had been given out weeks before, on my first day of school actually, and I did not understand so I picked the safest choice and said no. Unfortunatly I discovered on Friday that Charlotte was indeed eating the meal, so I would be alone for lunch...which is two hours. So I decided to go with her to the caf instead of eating at the cafet(there are two eating places the caf and the cafet which is for older students and has better food but you can't eat there every day). When I arrived at the front of the line and tried to ask if i could take the rice meal instead of the regular caf. meal I think I nearly caused a diplomatic crisis because the caf ladies were so stressed they nearly bit my head off (I was holding up the line by asking this question eventhough it was allowed). There was five of them, all yelling at me at the same time so I understood nothing. Then when they discovered I was foreign they started speaking english to me. Or at least thats what charlotte said because their accents were so heavy. I just stood there, deer in the headlights, just waiting for the car to hit me so it would all be over when charlotte came to my rescue and saved the day.
Hmm other interesting things this week... oh I saw a pizza bank which was kind of neat. You put in your credit card and after a minute out comes a pizza through the money slot. Oh and yes I went to a Dee Dee Bridgewater concert as well. She is a jazz singer who apparently is quite well know but whom I have never heard of. The music was interesting because it was a mixture of traditional jazz and mali music with musiciens from all over the world. We were front row centre so it was a little difficult to see anything but it was all good. I love the fact that no one really knows me here because i definitely danced along with the music rather idioticly at times and at the end I was the first to stand for the standing ovation. They were quite amazing I have to say and it was thoroughly enjoyable. We got home at 12 and unfortunately I desperately had to wash my hair because we had had dance just before the concert so I went to bed at 1 and woke up at 6:25 for school the next day. Luckily the next day I had 3 hours of permenance, then an hour of history, a bit of economics, and then went to the cinema to watche pride and prejudice with the school which was very nice, although I almost fell asleep.
Yesterday was a lovely day. We had snow, rain, hail, and wind. My room is freezing because it faces the wind and the houses dont seem to be well insulated (my curtains move along with the wind). There isnt central heating either just a little radiator so I was wearing 5 layers of clothes, and still managed to be cold. I don't know if I have mentioned it yet but Marie-Odile, Charlottes mom, is opening a store in downtown so yesterday I went out with her to run some errands and had the privilege of being the first person to see the interior other than the workers. After we went to the pharmacy which is also much different. Half of the pharmacy is homeopathic medicine and herbs and the other half regular medicine. There is no shampoo or anything along those lines. Next I discovered Picards which is a food store dedicated to just frozen foods, but amazing frozen food such as Galettes, foie gras, and the yummist thing, which sounds disgusting but is amazing purée de celery. And you should see the easter chocolate over here! Its real chocolate...little handmade birds nests with chocolate eggs, and lots of other things. With Jean and Pierre (father and brother of charlotte) I visited the naval base here and saw the sight where the new nuclear submarine is, Le terrible I think is its name. Then at 8 we went for mass and the church was packed, standing room only. The service finished at around eleven so it was rather long but I survived and managed to take communion and respond fairly decently to all of the prayers. Today we are hopefully going on a walk around the countryside which is beautiful and reminds me of England and Scotland. I hope everyone has gotten lots of chocolate and is having a great easter! Lots of love!

So the next day after the rally we packed up our stuff and got ready for the school trip to Strasbourg. We all got on to the bus at 10 at night and by that time I was just about ready to collapse from lack of sleep. We had to sleep in the bus the first night which wasn't so bad for me because I took 2 gravol, had ear plugs and listened to some jazz but for the others, most of them only got 2 hours of sleep. We had breakfest the next morning at a "fast food" restaurent. It was nothing like McDonalds though because they had yogurt, fruit, cereal, baguettes, and other things which were fairly healthy over all. All the students had a baguette and croissant with butter and hot chocolate for breakfast, but I decided agaist that because I hadn't seen cereal for 3 weeks and opted for that instead. We returned to the bus and began some siteseeing. We visited the Franco-British Memorial in Thiepval which was erected to commemerate the soldiers who lost thier lives in the battle of the Somme in the first world war. We also saw the Beaumont-Hamel Monument whichwas erected for the numerous Newfoundlanders who died in the Batte of the Somme and the Lochnager crater which is 100 metres in diameter and was created by a mine. We didnt really didnt get a good view though because it was a miserable day, with tons of wind( I broke my umbrella) and rain (this created slippery conditions...not so great for me and I fell into a rather large puddle of mud). After that we went to Peronne for lunch at a school. That was interesting thats for sure. The food resembled the cafeteria food you see in the movies. There was a square block of beef, macaroni noodles, and bread...not so appetizing. After we visted the Historal of the Great War which is a museum...We then headed to the hostel like hotel that we were staying in. It was called an auberge pour jeunesse, or youth hostel and there are lots of them all over France for students. The room was fine because it had a bed and I basically crashed that night. We were allowed to go out but I didn't feel up to that. Breakfast was nice and early of course, and we headed out the next day to Verdun where we visited a WW1 fort (Douaumont) which was definitely an eye opening experience. The conditions were worse than I could have even imagined. I would have gone mad in that situation. There were 9 toilets for 2000 men and the excrement was never taken outdoors of course because the enemy was attacking. It was all underground and made of stone so it was cold, damp, and incredibly loud. After that we visited l'Ossuaire de Douaumont which is the place where, because there were so many mutilated bodies, 300000 missing soldiers bones lie (you can see the bones through the windows). The land around there is martian like becaus there are so many craters. It was estimated that 6 bombs were dropped per m2 which I found unbelivable. Then we visited the Verdun Memorial Museum. After we headed to our hotel...which was rather interesting. Each room was about 2 metres squared...for three people and there was no washroom or shower, just a communal one down the hall. But there was a Tv so all was good. I yet again fell asleep immediately. Again we got up early and had breakfast which this time was as interesting as the hotel. each person recieved a plastic container in which there were two peices of baguette, nutella, and a glass of watery orange juice. After the sumptuous breakfest we left the hotel and drove into strasbourg where we spent the morning in the European Parliment. A guide talked to us for about an hour and a half...in which I almost fell asleep, then we sat in on a session which was really interesting. 27 different languages are spoken by the different members so they need interpreters for every thing. There were about 50 offices around the centre of the session in which the translaters worked. It was a boring morning overall but good to see and understand...well see at least because I understood nothing. We then visited Strasbourg and the cathedral there which was neat. We had free time so we walked around and I was the person in charge of directions because I was the only one who knew which way was north or south. The map was rather complicated and needless to say I got rather lost, though I never told this to the others...luckily the catherdral was very tall and I eventually spotted it so that we could return safely. I have lots of picture because it was a very pretty town. We stayed at another auberge de jeunesse which nicer that the previous hotel but was also very small. We played some "baby-foot" or fooseball and I discovered that I am a complete failure at that surprise surprise. Then bed yet again. Then next day was a long day and very difficult because we visited the Natzwiller-Struthof concentration camp which is very close to the german border. Never have I felt so moved by a place. I cannot even bring myself to describe the horror at which I felt. We saw the gas chambers, creamatorium, and centre for medical testing. It made me feel physically sick and I came very close to crying but was too horrifyed. After seeing the furnaces in which humans were actually burned I dont think I will be able to even look at the war in the same way. And the atopsy table in the medical building where the human guinea pigs were killed for research. It was the most horrific thing I have ever seen in my entire life. After leaving the Camp we walked 3 km back into the village where, freezing and cold, imagining the horrors we found sactuary in a very nice little hotel where I ate my first fruit in three days and a lovely cup of warm tea. We had dinner in this quaint little mountain restaurent then headed back to the car for the night. We had eated so much sugar at dinner though that nobody could sleep so we basically turned the bus into a party bus. We were driving through the mountain at night dancing around the bus to oldies music and then everyone took turns at the mic. singing and doing call and answer songs. It was fun. For our last day we visited The Museum for Peace in Caen and spent the day there then started the drive home. We arrived exausted but quite happy at 10:30 last night. Congradulations to anyone who has reached this far in reading because I know this is a rather long entry and the last one of its kind thats for sure- Ive been typing for an hour. Hope everything is good at home! Miss you guys lots!

I'm sorry that I have been out of contact for a week but I was away on a school trip. Lots has happened since the last time I wrote. The Rally first of all was amazing. A rally is basically a dance but better and very chi-chi. Charlottes family was one of the hosting families so we had to help with the preparations. This included peeling 12.5 pounds of clementines(I couldn't eat one for days after) and setting up the dance hall- the theme was "voyage voyage". I am very proud to say that the Canadian flag was the biggest of all the flags, including the American flag (it was the size of a kleenex). I really didn't help to much with the set up because I had no idea what was going on most of the time. Charlotte and I watched the guys setting up the sound system, strobe lights, and smoke machine, which was very tiring. Afterwards we headed home for a nap and started to get ready. Charlotte and I watched Star Wars V which is rather comical in french. The whole"Luke*heavy breathing* I am your father" just isn't as menacing in french "Luke je suis ton père" so I had a bit of a laugh at that. We got dressed and headed out to the Rally at around 8 that night. When we arrived we had to present our invitations and a piece of identification. Alot of people try to crash the rally's because thats how you get into the higher society. It was quite interesting actually the different social classes that they have here. We went into the hall, and the guys took our coats and hung them up for us. They were all decked out in tailored suits, ties and dress shoes because that is a requirement for entry. Then the greeting process began which is always long because you have to kiss everyone twice to be polite. When the music started I was throughly surprised because it was fifties and sixties music which was kind of neat I have to say. When the dancing started I was yet again surprised because the dancing here is nothing like dancing at home. It is much like the dancing in the Beatles Era or like Hairspray. It was like I had been transported to a different era. And everyone dances over here. There isnt that same level of shyness between boys and girls around dancing. I danced 10 times or more all with different guys who were extremely polite. At the end of every dance, they took my hand and bowed and thanked me. Then they escorted me off of the dance floor, asking if I was thirsty or hungry. If I was they would scurry off and fetch whatever I wanted. I felt rather like a princess. The dancing is so much fun as well and fairly easy to learn if you are a girl. It is harder for the guys because they lead so they have to make up the steps as they go where as the girls just follow. The food was also absolutely amazing and overall the night was extremely enjoyable. The Rally finished at 1:30 and we stayed to clean up so we didnt get home until 3. That wouldn't have been so bad if we hadn't had to wake up at 9 the next day for mass but what can you do?