Countdown

Thanksgiving doesn't exist in France.

Ok, I know you already knew that - it's an American holiday, I totally get that. It's also one of those things that you don't know you miss until it's gone. Who knew that you could miss Paper Turkey Cut-Outs?

Fortunately, I'm actually going to have 3 Thanksgiving meals.

1) We are celebrating the holiday together as a school. On Thursday afternoon, we will all sit down with turkey, potatoes, stuffing, the works, and give thanks for what we have. 

2) My friend Wes and his host family (who I love dearly) invited me to a Thanksgiving dinner at their house on Saturday night after our trip to Mont St. Michel. Wes, however, thinks that he is incapable of making a Thanksgiving dinner and he figures that his host parent's haven't a clue so Friday night will consist of Thanksgiving preparations with him!

3) Of course, I can't forget my own host family. My mum brought over pumpkin pie filling when I met her in Ireland, so I'm fully prepared to whip up a meal for my host parents and four host sisters. Now to prepare a menu...

We truly have so much to be thankful for. There are only 60 kids in America who got this opportunity - to dive into the French culture and to fully immerse themselves with the goal to learn a different language. It takes a lot of courage to take yourself out of a comfortable environment and wind up in the middle of a completely different one. But I'll tell you more about what I have to give thanks for after the festivities.

And thus begins the countdown to T-Day. Wish me luck - I'm an amateur cook at best so this should be interesting...

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L

Travelling

Today I woke up at 6:45. So much for Holiday Sleep-Ins, am I right? I showered, dressed, made sure all my bags were in order and jumped in the car with my host mum, Maryvonne. We drove to the Gare (train station) and after bisous, she left me on Platform 4.

I climbed on board and made my way to my seat. I had tons of space, because the person who was supposed to be in the seat next to me decided not to show up. Hey, works for me. I read "En Attendant Godot" (my French Literature book) and slept for the 3 hour trip to Charles De Gaulle - time well spent.

I then navigated through the airport, found my gate and boarded the plane to Ireland. Another hour and a half flight. I was through immigration in about 5 minutes (ah, the perks of being an Irish Citizen) and out the door to meet my uncle.

My first experience in independent travel: Success.

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L

Results

Last night, I set my alarm for 6:45am.

This morning, I woke up and JUMPED out of bed - I opened my computer and opened up to my homepage, the New York Times... and there it was. The news that Barack Obama will be the president of the United States of America for the next four years. It was so cool to be discovering such big news halfway across the world.

I hopped on the 7:12 bus with my friend Alejandra and we made our way to the Franco-American Institute of Rennes. It's in the center of the city and is actually the only Franco-American Institute in France. There we met the Consulate of the United States for the West of France and heard speeches from people giving their opinions on the outcome of the election. We also watched Obama's speech streaming live from the United States. There was a small breakfast for all in attendance and we all took an American President Trivia Quiz... most of which I knew... I promise..

The rest of the day was spent running errands, and getting ready for my trip tomorrow. Off to Paris and then Ireland to meet the family. But more on that later..

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L

The Loire Valley

On Monday, we hopped in the buses and embarked on our second overnight voyage. It was truly amazing. From châteaux to gardens to cathedrals, we truly got to experience the Chateaux of the Loire to their full extent.

Rather than a photo, I prepared a video to capture the experience. Enjoy as I attempt to dabble in videography.

for better quality: Click Here

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L

Elections

It's been weird to experience the American elections abroad. Now and then I'll hear the occasional political garble about Obama vs. Romney, but all in all it has been quite downplayed. According to my host family, the election was a much bigger deal in 2008, when there was the possibility of the first black president and, even bigger, the replacement of George W. Bush.

To discuss the elections, Groups 1A and 1B, which I am a part of, walked from school to one of the local high schools, Emile Zola, to talk with  group of students our age about their opinions. Although we strayed from the topic many, MANY times, as teenagers so often do, it was a really different experience to see the American Election through the eyes of those who are not citizens of the United States.

The general opinion was Pro-Obama, but there were many views to be heard and stories to be told. After the discussion ended, we ate lunch at the high school with the French kids and played soccer in the school yard - fully immersed into real French culture.

Here's to seeing how the results play out - And I'll only find out when I get up at 6am to catch the bus to the Institut Franco-Américain for a Result Breakfast on the 7th. Unless I stay up until 4am... Not likely..

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L

Been A While - Mont St. Michel

I apologize profusely for my lack of posts.

Things have been very busy here - school work's picking up and we get more and more tests added to the calendar each day. It's stressful but SO worth it. It's amazing to live abroad. There's so much freedom while at the same time you are living in a controlled environment. I feel so ready and able, exploring the city whenever I want to with my bus card.

Recently I've discovered the malls and shops that exist in and around Rennes. This is terrible for a girl on a budget but even the window shopping is fun. Little trinkets catch my eye and I can't help but admire them, even from afar. From a tea shop, to little boutiques to quaint cafés, one can find absolutely anything as one wanders through the streets. And hey, a girl can dream...

The other weekend we traversed the Bay of Mont St Michel. 60 teenagers and their teenage host siblings walking 8 kilometers knee deep in freezing cold, muddy water and quicksand. A recipe for disaster. But it was amazingly enjoyable. I met so many new French teenagers my age, talked with them and became more confident in my ability to carry a conversation. We got back around 8pm after a VERY long day and I hung out with some of the host siblings, who were more than eager to tell us about what life is really like for French kids - we soon came to see that their everyday lives didn't really differ from ours - maybe I'm transforming into a French teenager after all?

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L

Catch Up

Apologies for not updating in so long - life's been pretty hectic across the pond, but I'll do my best to catch up.

Wednesday, September 19

School Begins. Classes are classy. Teachers are teachy...

Ok, but honestly everything was so amazing. My first class was in a garden about a quarter of a mile from school. It was English, and we were reading a poem about digging and gardening ... So, of course, my teacher thought it appropriate for us to really experience the nature first hand. And despite almost freezing my fingers off as I attempted to write an English paper on a bench in les Jardins du Thabor, it was quite the enriching experience.

The rest of the school day consisted of the typical "getting-to-know-you" first day of school routines. Teachers stumbled over names, syllabi were given out and school supplies were demanded.

After the day finished at around 2ish (we get out early on Wednesdays, as many French schools do) I made my way into Centre Ville with a few of my friends to explore and buy school supplies. Our city is brilliant.

Hôtel Dieu, Rennes

Friday, September 21

Today - another day of school. It was pouring when classes finally wrapped up and we ran to my friend Wes's house to drop off our bags. We looked like drowned rats. As a group, Maren, Wes, Willa, Hannah, Grant and I decided to go find a nice restaurant to celebrate our full week together. We took the bus into Centre Ville and did our best to find a restaurant in the pouring rain at 6pm in Rennes, France. This, dear reader, is no easy feat. The French don't like to stay open in the rain and they never really open until 8pm on a Friday night Anyway.

After traversing the entire city to find a good restaurant we finally settled in la Fabrique, a crêpe restaurant on a cute little street called Rue St. George, just near the Parliament. I had moules (mussels) in a cream sauce which were DELICIOUS, while my friends indulged in crêpes complets (cheese, ham and egg). To finish off for dessert we all shared a nutella crêpe and a caramel crêpe.... Pas mal.

Champ Jacquet

Saturday, September 22

Today, Maren, Wes and I met at Champ Jacquet, near the centre of town, for crêpes (yes, more crêpes) and coffee. We sat and pondered the world while watching the French crowds mosey by. We wandered through the city, met up with our friend Will and made our way to another café (it's the thing to do). Afterwards we found ourselves in a square in the centre of town in the middle of an impromptu jazz concert given by a professional band. Ah, la belle vie.

 Crêpes Citron Pressé

Impromptu Jazz Concert

Tuesday, September 25

Today was just a normal school day. We laughed, we learned. Nothing too special. Just another amazing day in SYA France.

la Vue from my Room

Thursday, September 27

On Thursdays, I go to school at 8:10 as usual. We have classes all morning and lunch begins at 11:30. After lunch, the entire school has a "Universal Free" that can be used for assemblies if necessary, but otherwise we have it free until 1:45... Afterward I have another two periods free. So, with that, I have about 3 hours without classes. We get creative in our time.. Explore the city, finish homework, eat, the usual. At this point I think I'm going to turn into a crêpe myself...

Friday, September 28

Today, we began our voyage across Bretagne, to explore its sights and monuments. We traveled for about an hour by our bus, Voyages Joly (or as we so fondly referred to it: the Jolly Voyager) before reaching our first stop: A typical Bretagne church, complete with calvary, tombstones and all. Behind the church we found a meadow perfect for photo shoots so after exploring the grounds of the church the whole group of us made our way there to pose and relax in the rare Brittany sun.

After hopping back on the Jolly Voyager and driving for a bit more we reached a château called ________. The château has been a place known for its garden of sculptures as many famous artists come here to display their work. I sauntered with my friends through the picturesque, damp gardens and we picnicked in the courtyard of the château, which doubles as a museum inside. After a relaxing walk we returned to the bus with wet shoes and enlightened minds.

We continued on our way until we reached the old Bretonne village Poul Fetan. It was as if we had stepped into another time as we explored the little town. It has been preserved since the 16th century and its employees are even dressed in traditional Breton costume. We watched a woman make butter, we played cards in the field and we played old Breton games.

After the long day, we arrived at our hotel. It was in front of the sea and the beach was unbelievable. The weather stayed dry (a miracle) and we finished off the day with seafood and stargazing in the sand

Saturday, September 29

Today, we went to a city called Quimper, which held an enormous cathedral. After touring around the inside and explained some of the religious stories depicted in the stained glass windows to my fellow classmates (good ol' CCD), we proceeded in the Musée des Beaux Arts de Quimper and marveled at the works of old French painters. We were allowed to explore the city with friends and we went to a crêperie for lunch (I know, I know - crêpes again), toured the city, bought ENORMOUS macarons, and took in the much-appreciated sunlight.

We got back in the Jolly Voyager for another few hours and after the excitement we'd had all day were instantly bored and aching to get off the bus. And we did. At one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. The sand felt like silk between my toes and the waves stretched out as far as the eye could see. There were surfers riding the foamy crests and others sunbathing, but it wasn't too crowded. We were absolutely exhilarated from the moment we stepped off the bus until we (unhappily) drudged back to it, our pants damp and our legs sandy.

Luckily, there was no reason to be upset. We had no idea what beauty awaited us. We arrived at la Pointe du Razand started the 1km walk. We talked, we joked, but when we arrived and saw the view we were all speechless. The waves crashing against the rocks were magnificent and my classmates and I sat in awe of what we were able to experience. I went off alone and climbed a few rocks to find the perfect one to contemplate the world and meditate in my thoughts. Alone with my camera and my mind, on top of a rock at the Western-most point of Continental Europe I felt free from everything.

We made it back to the hotel completely entranced and amazed. The beauty of the cliffs transcended anything many of us had ever seen and we were stunned, tired and happy... and then we went swimming in the freezing cold ocean at the hotel..

Sunday, September 30

We were packed and out of the hotel at 9:15, on the road again. We visited a fortified town, went around on a ferry and sat down for a coffee. We picnicked with baguettes and pâte and relaxed in the beautiful sunshine (it was an unexpected weekend, weather-wise).

After our adventures we visited Carnac, France's version of Stonehenge, where stones were lined up in lines centuries ago for unknown reasons... but they made for some great pictures

I returned home to my host family's house just in time for galettes (yes, more crêpes).

It was an eventful weekend. 

More updates later this week!

Yours in Dysfunctional French,

-L