Sunday, September 19, 2010

Let's get rich and buy our parents' homes in the South of France

Wow, So I've officially been in France for 3 weeks and 2 days. it honestly does not feel like its been that long, time goes by so fast here. A lot has happened since my last post. I started school on the 4th. The first day was really scary and intimidating- I was very confused and had to go down to the main office throughout the day so they could tell me where to go. But all of the kids in my class have been so welcoming and always make sure to help me out- the stereotype that French people are cold has proven to be very incorrect. I cant understand most of my classes- except english, and French is by far the hardest because they are learning about symbolism and analogies in poetry which is just WAY above my comprehension level at this point. The school system is so different here than in the US- when you don't have a class you are allowed to leave the building and when a teacher is absent class is canceled. My history teacher is gone alot- in the 2 weeks that I've been in school i've only had 3 hours of her class. On Wednesdays and fridays I get out at noon but on Thursdays I get out at 5 which sucks. In general I like school better here becasue you have more breaks: for example on Tuesdays I have a French then a 3 hours break and then spansih. But, sometimes you'll have 2-3 hours of the same class in a row- which is way too long in my opinion and is especially difficult when you dont understand anything. I try to take notes but even when I comprehend something the teacher says I have no idea how to spell it, so mostly i just listen or write in my journal then copy notes from my friends later. The language is still proving to be a challenge but I am noticing improvements everyday and had my first dream in french- even though i couldn't understand it, i think my brain is starting to catch on to the new language. The weather is starting to change here in Southern France aswell- its been raining more often and the days are starting to get a bit cooler, but its still warm enough to swim in the Mediterranean so I guess it's not that different. I am also starting to understand the bus system here as well, which is really nice because it gives me a little independence so I don't always have to rely on my host parents for rides. Life here is starting to feel like a normal life and not just a vacation like it felt like the first week. I am starting to make French friends, I am doing French homework, I listen to French music and am overall am diving into this new and beautiful culture. Although, i truly love it here, I do miss my family and friends at home on the States a lot. I miss having independence like I had in the States. At home I could walk almost everywhere so hanging out with my friends was not a big deal- but here it takes days of planning ahead of time for something to pull through. I guess that's really not a bad thing, I should probally learn how to plan things better anyways. Yesterday I went on a hike at the Cap d'Antibes which is a STUNNING walk right on the Mediterranean sea. i was listening to music as I looked out at the beautiful mountains and sea and realized how lucky I am to be here. The contrast between my life in Wisconsin and my life here is so strong, but that doesn't mean I love either of them less. Actually, being here has made me appreciate my home and my loved ones even more. Next weekend I'm going to Monacco with my host dad for a boat show and next monday I start swimming! Oh, and about the title of this post those are song lyrics from the Song "You and I" by ingrid Mcihelason. Me and the other exchange student here, heard that song and were like "ahhhh we're in Southern France right now and we SHOULD buy our parents homes here!" Its a really good song so I'll post it here. And finally some pics from he last few weeks...

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