La meilleure semaine de ma vie

Paris - Barcelona 
 Today I returned home from my first Rotary Bus Trip, I left on Monday the 20th of February at 6:40 am for Paris. I learnt so much this week, especially about the world around me and how lucky I am to be Australian. I got to see a lot of France, which was really cool, the South in completely different to the North (where I am from). Spain was completely different again, and the weather was really good there (25 degrees the first day). We stayed in Paris for 3 days, and did all of the touristy things, such as visit the eiffel tower, go to the louvre (mona lisa), did a tour of Paris, visited the Notre Damn and much more... Paris was really nice, it is a huge city and it was always really busy, for lunch on the second day I ate snails and they were actually really really nice. We then left for Barcelona and stopped off in the South of France for a night because it was a long bus trip. The bus trip was actually really fun. I got to meet so many people, there were 46 people from 19 different countries so there were many different languages being spoken at once. I made so many friends, and it feels as if I have know them my whole life. There was a boy from South Korea there who was always laughing and was always so happy, and him and a Swedish guy ended up being my roommates for the South of France and in Barcelona. Seok-Jae (the South Korean) was telling me about his life in South Korea, and it was the saddest thing ever. Last year he had to start school at 7:30 AM and would finish at 1 AM the following night, so that is 19 and a half hours of school every day. Next year he finishes at 10 PM instead but that is still 16 and a half hours of school in one day, which is ridiculous. He said that school is so hard and they put so much pressure on you, and school is not an option, you must go. They don't have trades or anything like that, you must finish school and go to University to get a job. After that he told me that every boy in South Korea MUST go to the army for a minimum of two years! He said he is dreading it so much and doesn't want to go at all. It made me realise how lucky I am to be Australian, I don't understand how a government could put people through that. Anyway, back to the trip... We then left for Barcelona, Spain, we stayed in a town outside of Barcelona called Lloret de Mar which was really nice. Out Hotel was amazing, 4 stars and had the best food ever. I really liked Spain, everything was really cheap, the people were really nice, the shopping was really good and it was just such a different city. There were mountains everywhere and really weird architecture. Spain also made me realise how much better I have actually improved my French, because nobody in Spain really spoke English, and I have forgotten a lot of my Spanish since I have come to Spain. I usually spoke to people in broken Spanish, French and one time I had a conversation with a guy in Spanish, French and English. It was so hard leaving everybody behind on the trip, it was like leaving Australia again because I had become so close to them but we all live at the other sides of the country. I will meet up with everyone again in about a month in Annecy, which is near the Alps, all the Rotary Exchange Students from France will be there (hundreds and hundreds of people). I am now on school holidays, this week I am just going to take it easy and catch up on some sleep, and see some friends. Then on Sunday I am off skiing to The Alps with my Host family for a week!

Routine

 Last weekend was a really good one! I went stayed at a friends house on Friday night then spent the day in Lille on Saturday. On Sunday I went to Disneyland, it was really good, but so so so cold. I almost died waiting in lines for rides in -4 degrees, without any heaters. But other then the cold it was a really good day. My favourite thing about Disneyland was the atmosphere, there are just people everywhere and there is so much to see and do. It was really good because everything was in French and English, so I understood everything that was going on for once. I officially have a routine, waking up at 6:20 am week day but Friday because I don't start school 'til 11am. I go downstairs, eat bread with either Nutella or Jam, drink coffee and sometimes have a yoghurt. I need to have coffee in the mornings because if I don't, I fall asleep in the car on the way to school (because it is so warm in there and I am always still half asleep). I leave home at 7 and get to school at 7:40 because the traffic is really bad in the mornings. I start school at 7:55 and eat lunch at either 12h or 13h. I always eat at the school canteen which can sometimes have the best food, but on other days it can be quite average. The desert is always really good, first off you scan your card and take a tray, then you take your knife, fork, spoon and serviettes, then you choose your entree which is usually tuna, salad, tomatoes, grapefruit or sometimes it is a cooked entree but it changes every day. Then you choose your desert, they are always amazing. There is heaps of cakes, pastry things, yoghurt, éclairs, ice cream and other stuff. Then you take bread and get a glass to drink from. After that there is about 3 different menus to choose from, usually beef, chicken and fish. But it is cooked differently and with something different everyday. I then have more classes after lunch, on Monday, Thursday and Friday I finish at 6 pm, but on Tuesday I finish at 3 and Friday I finish at 12. I take the metro and the train home from school every day, which I actually really like, I usually just listen to music and look out the window. Usually after school I just go home and chill, eat dinner at about 8 or 8 30 then shower and talk to friends and family on the internet for a bit. But if I finish school early, I go into Lille with friends which is a 3 minute or so ride on the metro, we go to cafes or just walk around. My French is getting a bit better, but I am still finding it really hard, but I will get there sooner or later. This weekend I have my first Rotary weekend with my district and all the exchange students in it, we are going bowling and doing something else but I'm not sure what it is.. I sleep there overnight. Then on Monday I will be waking up at 6 am to go to Paris! From Paris I go to Barcelona with Rotary students, I'm so excited.

La neige!

Since I have posted last, it has been very cold, and there has been snow! It was cool because there was no snow predicted, and out of nowhere it just started snowing when I was at school. About 10 people said to me "regardez Jarryd, il neige!" (look Jarryd it is snowing). When we finished class everyone went out side and started playing in the snow, we had 10cm in just 30 minutes. It hasn't snowed since, but there is still a bit of snow left because it has been so cold. 

Lost My Tooth

So today was a pretty eventful day.. I finished school at 12h so I went to meet friends in the city, but got lost in old Lille. I was lost for about and hour, and my phone wasn't working so I couldn't call anyone and ask them for help.  I went to the phone shop so they could fix my phone but I didn't know how to say what was wrong in French, and the lady didn't speak a word of English either. So I found a McDonalds and messaged a friends using the free wifi, then I found out they were at the train station. We went to a cake shop and I was eating the best cake, until my tooth broke off into the cake. I don't know how it happened because the cake was real soft.. It was a fake tooth so it was probably just weak. I then came home (fell down the stairs) and tried to organise a dentist appointment with my family. I will hopefully be getting it fixed on Saturday morning.
Anyway, everything else is going really well. I have made heaps of friends and have been very busy, I start school at 7 55 every morning but Friday, then I go swimming one or two times a week after school. At lunch/after school I go into Lille with friends to walk around, shop or drink coffee.
My host family is really good! I am lucky to have them, the mum is the best cook ever (in France lunch is a cooked meal). Everyone is really nice and they keep me busy. They are taking me to Paris Disneyland in 2 weeks, then in 3 weeks I go to Barcelona, Spain with Rotary for another week, then when I come home my host family is taking me snowboarding in the Alps for a week! I have also planned to go to London in April for 4 nights which will be good!
I am still finding the language pretty hard, I am learning a bit but am struggling with pronunciation and trying to understand what people are saying. Usually I just nod or say oui (yes), but the other day I did that and someone said "that was a question". Anyway I better go, I have to get up early for school tomorrow, but I will post about my upcoming trips soon!