Today doesn't seem to be my day. My nevv iphone is locked for unknovvn password problems, skype has crashed numerous times, meaning I cant Skype vvith my family or friends vvhen I'm supposed to, this laptop doesn't have a double u key, meaning I must type tvvo v (eg. vvithout), I am using a European computer, meaning that everything is in a different spot on the keyboard, and finally, I CANT USE MY IPHONE!!!!!
Doesn't it alavvays seem to be that something vve rely on most heavily fails us at the moment vve need it most? For instance, if I vvas in Australia, back home all of these problems could have been solved immediately. But not here. Instead I'm forced to trust random french boys vvho supposedly can solve my problem. VVhile technology is meant to be at its height, unfortunately that often means its at its lovvest too. And on another note, France is amazing. Especially the food. And the parties.
Sunday 16 December 2012
Tuesday 4 December 2012
Day 9 - The smallest changes matter the most. But the big changes are pretty important too.
There are three things I've been dismayed to learn during my first, slightly agonising, exciting week of school.
1. As unlikely as it seems, it appears that in a school, even one consisting of nearly 2000 students, the appearance of "mystical Australian girls" does not go unnoticed. We are constantly recognised. Even when not speaking English. Especially when speaking French. In the halls, it seems that an echo of "Elles ont Australienes" resonates in our wake. At random moments in class, I hear my name occasionally mentioned, or more often, my nationality, and a group of people turn to face me in synchronisation. To my horror, this has happened more than once. We are even recognised by the vast mass of old, intimidating university students thar swarm to the school cafeteria daily for lunch, who we previously thought to very old students who had had the unfortunate experience of repeating high school until they were well into their twenties. A mistake easily made. Although not everyone thought so.
2. The smoking. Although I promised my self I would never become accustomed to a smoking culture, the day has come. If I held my breath everytime I passed a smoker, I'm quite certain I would pass out from lack of oxygen after a mere 4 minutes. On a second though, probably less. Smoking has become the norm in most european countries, and a friend was urged at a perty not to start, urged by french teens in their butchered English. While they were smoking.
3. And finally, but certainly not least, the sky. Coming from Australia, this is prehaps the biggest change. It "was a long and dark December (with emphasis on the long and dark part) from the rooftops I remember, there was snow, white snow". A clear contrast from the 'four seasons a day' climate I'm used to. If it wasn't winter, I would swear the constant dreary grey was from the pollution caused by the smoking hoards that reside outside evey Lycée and Collége in France.
And on that cheery note, I bid thee farewell.
1. As unlikely as it seems, it appears that in a school, even one consisting of nearly 2000 students, the appearance of "mystical Australian girls" does not go unnoticed. We are constantly recognised. Even when not speaking English. Especially when speaking French. In the halls, it seems that an echo of "Elles ont Australienes" resonates in our wake. At random moments in class, I hear my name occasionally mentioned, or more often, my nationality, and a group of people turn to face me in synchronisation. To my horror, this has happened more than once. We are even recognised by the vast mass of old, intimidating university students thar swarm to the school cafeteria daily for lunch, who we previously thought to very old students who had had the unfortunate experience of repeating high school until they were well into their twenties. A mistake easily made. Although not everyone thought so.
2. The smoking. Although I promised my self I would never become accustomed to a smoking culture, the day has come. If I held my breath everytime I passed a smoker, I'm quite certain I would pass out from lack of oxygen after a mere 4 minutes. On a second though, probably less. Smoking has become the norm in most european countries, and a friend was urged at a perty not to start, urged by french teens in their butchered English. While they were smoking.
3. And finally, but certainly not least, the sky. Coming from Australia, this is prehaps the biggest change. It "was a long and dark December (with emphasis on the long and dark part) from the rooftops I remember, there was snow, white snow". A clear contrast from the 'four seasons a day' climate I'm used to. If it wasn't winter, I would swear the constant dreary grey was from the pollution caused by the smoking hoards that reside outside evey Lycée and Collége in France.
And on that cheery note, I bid thee farewell.
Sunday 25 November 2012
Day 1 - Somewhere in a Far-away Land
Being submerged in a story is nothing like being submerged in a new culture. There is nothing to prepare you for the shock, and the inevitable flabbergasted moments that happen more frequently than anyone would want them to. This blog depicts my journey from a wide-eyed, excited student I was, to what I will hopefully become as I hop, skip and jump through two months of French exchange. The journey begins with the 26 hour journey from Melbourne to Lyon, which is the biggest town near the village I now call home. After all of the usual struggles that come with travelling, including but not limited to massive sleep deprivation, force-feeding of bad food, and annoying plane neighbours, I was anything but ready when I stepped off the last plane, and had a sudden moment of clarity.
Yes, I was now in France. Yes, a majority of people were speaking French. And finally, YES, what do French people do in France? Well,it does so happen that a majority, if not all French citizens speak FRENCH. Unfortunately for me, that small fact had failed to be recognised earlier in the journey. And there I found my self, nearly two hours later, sitting in an impeccably decorated lounge room, drinking carbonated orange juice and listening to rapid French conversation I was struggling to understand after being kindly re-assured that I was indeed above the average for students my age learning another language, and that surely, I would improve overtime. What a way to start my first day.
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