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!

Mon premier jour d'école

Today was my first day of school, which I was not really looking forward to because my French still isn't the best, the school days go from 8hr 'til 18hr, and apparently nobody talks to you. (everyone here uses 24 hour time). But it was the best day I have had in France yet, it was so cool. Everyday I will be catching the train to school, it takes about 20 minutes (2 trains). My school is right in the middle of the city of Lille, which is awesome, I have never been to school in a city. It is massssive, there are over 1,500 people there and that's just for years 10, 11 and 12. I have a card that I scan to enter school, and the gate opens for me.. I also use the card to order my lunch, which changes everyday. We eat in a Cafeteria, there is heaps of different food to choose from. Everyday my timetable changes, I didn't get to choose my subjects, so I am doing Spanish, Maths, French (really hard), History, Geography, English, Sport, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. I go to school from 8 hr 'til 18 hr (6pm) on Monday and Thursday, on Tuesday I finish at 15 hr, on Wednesday i finish at 12hr and on Friday I don't start until 11 hr 10. Anyway, my first day today was really good. At the start some people were just starring at me, but then one person came up to me and starting talking to me, and so did everyone else. It was kinda hard trying to understand French but I got there.. Everyone was really nice and I met heaps of people. Today 3 of my teachers were absent, and in France they don't have emergency teachers, there is just not class. So I caught the train into the city square with some friends (we can leave school between breaks), and we went to a cafe. Some friends then showed me around Lille and I did a bit of shopping... I am really loving it here, everyone is really nice and I am picking up the language pretty fast. I can already tell that my English is getting really bad, and it hasn't even been a week.. I am going to my little sisters English class next week to talk to them. Anyway, I have to go and have dinner now, but I have attached photos of my school and of Lille.

Je suis arrivé en France

I am here! I arrived in Paris yesterday at about 11:30 AM after the longest flight of my life (Melbourne - Singapore - London - Paris). When I arrived in Paris I collected my bags and then went and met my family, they are really nice! We couldn't stay in Paris because I had to go straight to a Rotary Meeting in Amiens, which is about 2 north of Paris. It was so weird driving on the other side of the road, listening (but not understanding anything they say) to french on the radio, and trying to talk to my host family in general. The speed limit on the freeways is 130 km/h which was cool. We went to McDonalds for lunch yesterday, and I spilt my large coke everyone. It was so embarrassing but funny at the same time. I was trying to apologise in but it didn't work, I just said in English ahh I am so stupid haha. Today my host mum went to the bank for a bit, so I had the house to myself. Someone knocked at the front door, so I went to open it but I didn't know how to. It was a postman with a parcel, and he was speaking french really fast and I didn't know how to say that I don't know how to open the door in French so he just walked away. Everyone says that French people are rude, but I don't think I have met a rude person yet, everyone seems really nice! But it's so cool here, everything is so European. The fooood is amazing, for breakfast, lunch and dinner they eat the best bread I have ever had with the best cheese ever. Last night I had salmon pasta for dinner and tonight I had the best crepes ever! My host mum made them with me today, and she put cheese, salmon, tomato and a cracked egg on top (raw), it was so good.  It's really cold at the moment, was about 3 degrees today. I have a lot planned for the next month, I am starting school on Thursday, going to Spain in February for a week, and then going snowboarding in The Alps with my host family for another week. Overall I am loving it here, the language is hard and can be frustrating at times but I can already tell that I am improving and understanding more and more.

The Night Before

It is the 20th of January 2012, which means it is the night before I leave to live in a strange country for a year. I don't really know how I am feeling right now, I am excited, nervous but at the same time sad to be leaving all my family and friends behind. I have been busy catching up with everyone before I leave, I had a going away party last night and it was really good to say bye to all my family and friends. I have finished packing and everything is ready to go. My flight leaves at 5:00 PM, I fly from Melbourne to Singapore, to London, to Paris! My host family is meeting me at the airport, and my host sister said I don't have to start school until I feel ready, but I think I will go as soon as I can. I am currently sleeping in my bed with my dog for the last time in 2012. I will keep posted when I arrive in Lille!

Orientation Camp

Last night I got back from my last Rotary Orientation before I leave for France. We stayed at a pretty cool place and didn't have much sleep as we were up all night and had to get up real early. Every camp it is tradition to hide the Rotary bell, or just play a trick on the Rotarians. So we were up 'til 3 rearranging  furniture so that all the table and chairs were upside down. The camp was real fun 'cause, I became real close with all the outbound students and all the inbounds in 9810 at the moment, everyone is so chilled and cool. I had to do a speech in French in front of everyone and it was recorded, so that when I come back in 2013 I can see how much I have improved. I also did a speech on 'Australia as a sporting Nation' which copped a bit of criticism because it has Collingwood jokes in it and other countries wouldn't understand them. I got my Rotary Business Card and a massive package with heaps of other cool stuff in it. Everyone swapped cards and badges too, so I already have heaps of badges but can't put them on my blazer until I get to France. After dinner on the Saturday night I was on dinner duty and broke the dish washer and I pulled up the part that said 'Do Not Touch' and I pretty much flooded the kitchen. But over all it was a real good weekend and I can now say I am 100% ready and prepared to go on my Exchange.