Lycée Ozenne

I started French high school on September 2nd. It is located in the center of the city, next to the cathedral Saint Sernin. I am in Premiere L, which is like being a junior with a literature based course. They put all exchange students into this because it enforces French and language skills. My school is completely different then back at D.C. Everest. You stay with the same class the whole day, except for the language classes. They also do not have lockers at all. You carry all your things with you around, and girls do not use backpacks just very oversized purses. Also my school is very outdoors, with the only common type area being the courtyard in the middle. The lunch system is completely different then in the States. They get a huge meal and it actually tastes good, with things you wouldn't find in other schools like duck, salmon,  and very yummy homemade French desserts. Another thing different with the French school system is the relationship between teachers and students. The teachers are there to teach and don't talk or joke with the students at all unlike in the US; its very odd to me. And this is even if the teachers even show up. Here if a teacher is gone, that means you don't have class. It is really awesome and I love it, as any high school student would. Also we have  completely open campus, you can leave whenever you want. This helps because the first week of school already the teachers were on strike which meant for me that I had one class a day for three days in a row. It was great, except I had to find ways to waste time, but it's not that hard when you in the city center. Again this week the teachers and all governments workers are on strike. The French love to strike! It is annoying though because I wasn't even sure if the metro and buses were going to work. Without public transportation it puts me stranded and dependent on a ride which then deals with a ton of traffic. There thankfully were transportation today, except it was very reduced meaning less trains and buses which just crowded everything. I have learned how to get around on my own and I definitely know how to work the metro. There is a push and shove policy. When you hear the buzzer push and shove to get inside or you might lose a limb or any object in the way. It is actually really scary sometimes; the metro stops for no one! Its horrible though when your squished in like sardines, and when its hot (which is usually everyday) it is worse! Its my way to get to school though. If I have class at 9, we have to leave by 8:10 to beat the traffic to the metro station, then on the metro, then walking to school all equals to around 45 minutes to an hour of commute. It make the day really long and is worse when its busy. I do a lot of walking in France, and I mean a lot! I don't mind it though, just like how I don't even mind school here. I am completely lost in almost every class for now. It is so hard to follow and understand when the teacher talks so fast. It is worse in my Spanish class, since I barely know French let alone Spanish. I usually end up drawing or day dreaming once I got so lost I can't follow anymore lol. 

The classmates are really nice. They were shy at first, but that's the French. I'm talking with them more and more everyday. It's hard though because many of these kids have been with the same people since primary school. I do have two other exchange students in my class. Lucero is from Mexico and is with Rotary. Charlotte is from Germany, and has amazing French which helps. We stick together most the time because we are lost together in the French world. They are great, and we have a ton of fun. I've already had three test so far though. One in English, Spanish, and French literature. They weren't too hard because the teachers don't expect much right now since they know my language skills are horrible. However in French literature I did have to read the text and analyze it (in French) but I got to use my dictionary so I think I did fine. My classes are just as boring as they are in the States. It's school, just like it is anywhere.

I Have Arrived :)

Well I know I am kind of late with this post since I have been gone for almost a month, but it feels like yesterday that I was bored waiting and exhausted in the Paris Charles de Gaule airport.  Traveling was long, and a lot, a lot of sitting and waiting. I was lucky though that none of my flights got cancelled on me, thank goodness. My flight to Toulouse was slightly delayed but only about 20-30 minutes. I was also very lucky to meet up other exchange students already in Chicago so I was never alone. I even sat next to a girl from France (just by luck) who had just spent time in the US on exchange. We had the long flight from Philadelphia to Paris together which we spent talking about France and the US, and watching some pretty awesome movies. I couldn't sleep, for I was far too excited. Once in Paris Rotarians met us and showed us our way to our terminals, and so on. Once to my gate, I sat for around 5 or 6 hours, and oh it was so much fun. I just people watched and I caught in a much needed nap before hopping on my plane to Toulouse. I was so excited when I walked off the plane because I knew I had finally gotten here, the place I had waited for a year for! I arrived!!! Rotarians and my host mom were waiting for me. There were two other American girls with me also. We took pictures and greeted each other (the French way, two kisses), then searched for my luggage. At first I was worried because we waited for almost 45 minutes for my luggage! I thought it was gone! But thankfully it showed and we headed on the road to my new home. It was so hot the day I arrived, 97 degrees!!! It was beautiful though. On the way home I got to know my new mom a bit and experience real French driving( I thought I was going to die, literally)! The whole thing felt like dream! Everything was so different and beautiful in my eyes! My street is so different and French. When we pulled into the driveway and I was in awe at how beautiful it was. They have a private driveway that is lined with 12 foot shrubs with vines that hang over the edge and a huge gate. It was nothing like I am used to seeing.

When I saw their house I was in love. It is so pretty. It is more an Italian/ Spanish looking home, not the usual French that people think of. It is like that because I am in the South, and there is a lot of Spanish and Italian influence in the area. I got a grand tour and settled into my new room which I love because it's a lot bigger than my one in the States! They have a pretty big house, especially for Europe, and even a big yard with fruit and nut trees and a large in ground pool, though its freezing cold. They keep it cool because of how hot it is and also because it tends to get chilly at night. I unpacked and right away joined the family in their life, well life of dance that is. My host parent's own  dance studio and train world class dancers. The weekend I arrived was the same weekend they were hosting a large dance workshop and festival at their studio. I jumped right on into the action. I got the chance to take swing, salsa, lindy hop, and rock during the weekend. It is very different and difficult dancing then I have ever done, but fun. I got to meet a lot of nice people and we even took a trip into the city where I saw the city center where all the magic happens. It was a very tiring weekend though and I was looking forward to real life and calmness.