1st Rotary exchange student weekend!! ...October 27th & 28th

Bonjour a toutes et a tous,


I hope that this blog finds you all in good shape!!


So the first weekend of the school vacations, the 27 & 28 of October, seemed to arrive very slowly because ALL of us wanted this weekend to happen fast!!... But when it rolled around we were all soo excited! So we went with Bertrand, the YEO for the other exchange students in Chelles, he is very nice; he is the one who found me my new host family! So we left Saturday morning and it was only about an hour and a half drive to Beauvais, where the weekend was taking place. When we got there the majority of the other exchange students were already there. We were figuring that it would be obligatory to speak French the entire time, which we were all really excited about because it was a great chance to improve some more, however we were VERY mistaken. All of the exchange students are either Canadian or American, except for 2 Mexicans, 1 Argentian girl, 1 Columbian boy, 1 Taiwanese girl and 1 Indian girl... all of who spoke fairly good english anyway. So that was a bit of a downer at first... however we had such a blast. We had a bunch of kinda boring presentations from the Rotary people to start off with, telling us all the rules, they would even translate it into english for us - that got frusterating because we totally understand french. Anyway after that we had a talent show... that was really cool. Of course I don't have a talent, but thank god I wasn't the only one - Hannah suggested striping however when they began to give us the lecture of the "Rotary Rules" - we decided to scratch that...lol (just a joke momma!! he he he) Man though they are seriously strict here, I was hoping that they would losen up with some time, but I am not so sure. We have agreed that they are basicly just paranoid!! Anyway after the talent show, we just kinda sat around and talked and by this time we were starving, here we eat supper at about 7 or 7:30, so for all us, not just the north americans, we were down right hungry. This weekend was a bad weekend for the "weight factor" as we call it, because we were all together and there was good food, so we just pigged out!! It was bad. Then of course after that was 2 weeks of vacations, so needless to say, we all gained a bunch of weight! ahhh!







Anyway back to the weekend, It was alot of fun, just talking to everyone about their experiences and seeing that it wasn't just us four in Chelles who were experiencing some crappy times, that it was district wide if not world wide. It was really really great to compare stories and meet some more really amazing and great people! I am really glad that even though it took FOREVER to happen, that retreat finally occured. So on satuday night there was a dance, which got a little wild - which was great!! then after that we all basicly talked until 4am in the morning... then you will NOT believe. It was daylight saviings time, and they had told us that we HAD to be at breakfast at 9 so we got up at 8am or what we thought was 8 but apparently it was 7am and they had neglected to tell us this very major fact. Needless to say, we were seriuosly lacking sleep! So after breakfast we had to go play badminton for 2 hours, and had a big tournament. Which was fun, except that there was like 5 of us who actually knew the rules.. It was pretty amusing! After this was over, we had our group picture, ate lunch and then had more "meeting" stuff... where they explained the Rotary trips that we can take. We also had to make a postive statement for the Long term Rotary exchange program, for publicity for the program.


So all in all it was a really great weekend where I met alot of great new people. When I returned that night to my house at about 6pm, My family and I were to leave for our vacations to Bordeaux an hour later. Needless to say I was freakin tired!! But very worth it.

YEAH Pictures!!

Julia, dancing Highland for the talent show.... very well done Jules!

Maria (the mexican) and I

(not a great pic but the others were worse - if you can imagine!??eek!)

At the end of the Talent Show, we just started making stuff up..they came up with the Macarina.




This is Katie (from New York, U.S), Me (Manitoba, Canada!!) and Katie; yes another one (from Minnesota, U.S)



Me and Bethany (from Ontario, Canada!)

Villars.... October 20th & 21st

Bonjour...

So the first weekend I spent at my new host family's place, we went to their family's place out in the country.. it was about a 4 hour drive and surprisingly to me, we ended up like right in the middle of France. So I guess France isn't really that big. Anyway it was a pretty good drive, watching the countryside change from heavy suburb to semi country, definately not the countryside I know, but it was awesome all the same. For my family; it looked alot like Belgium... well you'll see in the pics. So we left Saturday morning and arrived late afternoon, they like to stop alot. I met the majority of the family, we were actually there for the 50th anniversary of Jean-Pierre's (my host dad) older sister.... there is 19 years between them! So MAB and I walked around the farm basicly all day, I wanted to see everything!! and I took pictures of EVERYTHING! ha ha he kept saying again?? How can you take 3 pictures of the same thing? Easy... cuz I can with my camera and I want too!! lol Nah it was a really good time, I just wanted to spend the entire time outside, I didn't realise how much I really missed space I guess. It was soo amazing, to just take a deep breath of fresh air! I just felt renewed after this weekend - I know that sounds lame, but I guess I really needed my dose of the farm. It's funny how you really don't know what is important to you until you leave.


- The farm, I wish you could all see this farm, it was basicly a petting farm but in mass production.. I absolutely loved it!! It was like I went back in time. Everything on the farm had a purpose, and they intended to eat all of the animals or the products they made. They have everything from rabbits, chickens, ducks and a damn annoying rooster (who decided that everyone needed to get up at 4 - man I wanted to kill it!! ha ha) Then they have goats and a cow that they milk, beef cattle, and sheep. It was soo sweet. Haydn is destined to come here, i just know it!!


Now for the Pics!!




So this is the guest house that we stayed in, pretty nice eh!?.... So I told you how there is about 19 years between my host father and his sister. So My host father is more like the same age as his cousins, so anyway his parents built this house when he was still fairly young because his older sister was living in the original house and starting a family. So I guess that is why they have 2 houses, however now this house is just used for guests.










Here is one of the barns. I love the old bricks and the history here, it just seems to have SOO much more history to it, I love the "back in the day" feel.








Here is a side profile of basically the whole farm.









I took alot of pictures of the countryside, like this one. This is taken just from the backside of the farm. I think it's very pretty; france has alot of rolling hills like this.








The Beautiful Charolais!! and some countryside again...









Taken by MAB, my personal photographer, ha ha ha..., he took this right before I hopped the fence and said "lets go exploring" I got the feeling that he was a little ataken back by this but he came along anyway!!









Yet another picture of the countryside.









Good old tractor!...well it's not really old. lol... put that picture in for the famers sake!











Another random pic of me, nice charolais in the background.









Save the best for last, I really hope you all see this one. This is Nicole, the lady who had the 50th anniversary, she is like 70+ years old and still gets up every morning (real early) to do all the chores and that. I was really rather impressed by this!... EVERYTHING they eat on this farm is like completely natural, and they basically make it all too.









Well hope you enjoyed! A bientot!

New Host family + Versailles

Hello again,

So yes I did move host families on October 13th - wow that is 1 month today!! It has honestly flown by!! I am very fortunate, as I absoluetly adore my new host family!! - They are very kind and encourage me to play the sports and participate in the activities I would like to! They said I am just their adopted daughter - which was really cool. I arrived here the saturday morning and met my host Father and host brother!! yeah I have a sibling, he helped me carry my luggage upstairs to my room - I was a little afraid for him, thought he might break his back doing so! - I never in a million years thought that I could accumulate that much stuff! Then my host mother came home and I met her - she is very small, but very sweet. She even sowed my jacket the other day because Hannah ( the american exchange student ) had torn it, crazy girl!! lol anyway So after I said goodbye to Veronique, we ate lunch right away and during lunch they told me that they were going to take me to Versailles!! OMG!! How amazing was that - I hadn't even been here an hour and I was off to see something really unbelievable!!

- A little about my family: My host dad's name is Jean-Pierre and my host mom's name is Brigette. They have two sons; Jonathon is 23 and lives close by, here in Chelles, then there is Marc Antoine who is 17, he goes to the same highschool as I do here in Chelles as well. He is also in Terminale ( like grade 12). We live in a 3 story house, it is quite cute! I even have a back yard here! yippee!...I live in Chelles, Ile de France. - it is basicly a suburb of Paris, I am also really close to down town Chelles, so that is very convient for the bank and the post and such. As well to travel into Paris is just a 5 minute walk and then a 20 minute train ride. So all in all I am very content here!!

Now for the Marvelous and unbelievable pictures of Versailles... I am absolutely enchanted by that place!! When we got their we met up with our guide, who of course spoke french, but it wasn't too bad I understood some of it. She was very enthusiastic, kinda entertaining for me. ha ha ha Oh yeah... so as we are standing there waiting for the rest of our group with the guide, we stood outside the gates of the Palace of Versailles and anyway while we are waiting there are these men trying to sell fake doves, which you just wind up and then they fly - they look kinda cool actually, but anyway they are demonstrating them all over the place and they are completely uncontrollable and one of these damn little plastic doves comes right at me and smokes me in the side of the head... like of all things to happen the first day I meet my host family!! Jeezz!! It was really rather funny I guess, but I felt like a moron even though it wasn't my fault lol..

- So the tour we took of Versailles was completely organised with Brigettes work, I found this with basicly any adult I have spoken to about this too - it is really quite remarkable... Each company actually hires 1 person who all they do is organise trips and outings in and around Paris or to other countries, such as ski trips and that... that is his job!! And then the company will subsidize it so that you only pay a small percentage of the actual cost!! - jeez we need to get something like that in Canada I tell ya! It is pretty unreal.

Me at the gates entering Versailles, just after I have been dinged with the plastic flying dove.

The outside of the Palace of Versailles, just the left wing. This place was monsterous! And the arcticheture and detail was incredible.

Another extension of the palace, it has an identical one like it on the left too. Just like the two wings of the palace are indentical on the outside.

The beginning of the gardens of Versailles.

Again the gardens, here is the lake too. The forest all around is to create the illusion that the gardens go on like that for a long time (like forever), as they did back when Versailles was up and running, However today beyond the trees is just suburban area.

This is one of the many fountains you'll find in the gardens, they are very detailed and beautiful.

Huge skeleton man... I think that this is supposed to be King Louis XVIII, expecially cuz this skeleton has a massive nose.

This is the King's throne, it has a room all of it's own. I guess this is where people would come to see him or give him presents... I think. Sorry like I said I didn't catch everything the tour guide said, as well I forgot some of it.

This is in a room just before you enter the great hall of mirrors. It is very extravagant, the gold figures around this carving are actually real gold as is the majority of the gold trimming in the Palace... pretty expensive place! In the carving is King Louis XVIII, he was real short ha ha ha, so he rode ponies so that he would look bigger... I thought that was pretty funny.




This is the hall of mirrors, apparently it is very famous! Also very impressive!!!




This is me in the the King's bedroom, it was very nice, very beautiful... although I am not entirely sure why the king had his own bedroom, because if you've seen Marie Antoinette, he slept with her... so maybe he got up real early and went back to his own bed... I don't know, I am confused. Anyway it was a nice room!




This is the Queen's bedroom. Also really nice and impressive... has a secret door in it in which the queen escaped from the castle through, when the people of france were charging the Palace. Very pretty room, as were all of the rooms though... not a single one that I didn't like..lol



This is one of the first rooms you see actually when you enter the palace. And like all the other rooms in the palace, it has magnificant paintings on the ceiling. All of the ceiling paintings and the carving on the walls and ceiling all have specific meanings, I definately don't know them, there are a ridiculous amount of them and I can't imagine that anyone knows ALL of them. But anyway most of them have saints or gods, lots of symbols. - very beautiful.



Another one of the first rooms you'll see. This place was very amazing, here again on these doors, the gold is real, therefore the doors actually have glass pains over them, so that people don't touch the gold, I guess...



--- Sorry that the pictures are soo dark and really can not see much, it was a really hard place to take pictures and the paintings on the ceilings were basicly impossible...... there was very very little lighting in all the rooms, mostly just daylight through the windows. Anyway hope you enjoyed them, sorry there was soo many!! Sometimes I get a little carried away...lol

Thanksgiving!!

Wow I really don't even know what to say for myself!! I am very sorry, I don't want to beleive that the last time I updated this was September.... OMG but that seems to be the Truth!! Well I have been busy, and for a while there my blog wouldn't let me log on, but I supose that that is no excuse really. I actually do not even know where to start; so I guess i'll just follow my pictures....! Sorry....eek!





So this was quite a while ago, but at the time of Thanksgiving, Julia and I decided that we should make our own Thanksgiving supper for her host family. I mean why not, we could do it - I always helped mom and grandma and watched them do it too since I was a little girl. Sure No problem we could do this! well....... I supose we may have over estimated ourselves just a tad!! ha ha ha The fact that we may not even be able to attain the right ingredients just never crossed my mind I guess, so when I saw the "turkey" that we were to use, needless to say I was a bit shocked!! The "turkey" was actually just two huge leg bones - not sure how they thought we were going to stuff a turkey that didn't have a damn hole to stuff!! ha ha then there was the actual stuffing itself, the meat we used would be comparable to hambuger I supose - that is the closest thing I can think of, cuz I really don't know what it was.. they called it sausage - tasted good all the same! We didn't have a recipe for the stuffing so we just took some bagette, this meat stuff and celery and manufactured something that didn't even look in the slighest bit edible but seriuosly it was!! Naturally Julia and I snacked the entire time we made supper so by the time it came to eat we really were not that hunger but we of course had to take something of everything - which I honestly was a bit frightened of, but I found myself quite impressed with our cooking - or at least the taste was fairly good, to me and Julia anyway (then again maybe we were biast!?) So I did the mash potatoes and the cooked carots, we had turnip from a box - not too shabby I guess.. Had alot of cranberry sauce with our stuffing - it was a tad dry.. he he But no one got sick so that was all we were aiming for in the end!! That no one had to visit the hospital! lol no it went alright...well other than you can see for yourself with my pictures too. However at the same time, truthfully I am a little embarrassed and scared to show these pictures as I know my mother and grandmother will see them - and I am damn sure I have put them to shame!! .... if they were there they prolly would have split a gut watching our meagle attempts at cooking ha ha ha they also probably would have a mild heart attack when we just about lit the kitchen on fire...!! All the stoves and heating here is gas, and Julia couldn't get the stove turned on, she tried for like 5 minutes, so then I was ha ha ha I can do this, no problem - oh dear god, why I felt the need to do that ( you all know my past with BBQ's and a gas stove is not alot different!) But honestly - not entirely my fault! really..., Julia had left the gas on the entire time, so when I finally decided to use a match it kinda went boom and we caught a dish towel on fire, - man I didn't know what the hell to do!! At first we just screamed and stood there, until Julia yelled - DO SOMETHING!! so I grabbed it (probably not the smartest thing I could have done, but it was right beside our stuffing and I didn't want that to get ruined) and ran to the sink, dowsed it in water and then we tried to cover it up until later when Pascal (Julia's host mom) had had a bunch more wine... he he he, actually she took it better than expected - however there was a group of people nearby so maybe that was why... but hey thank god for them then - she scares me a little. well here are our pictures of our sad sad little thanksgiving.


Here is Mr. "Turkey"... yes that is apparently how they come here...tasted different too, but good all the same!




Here are my lovely Potatoes, Carrots and 'the stuffing' (it is famous with Julia and I now)... Sorry I actually do not have any after pictures, but I just let you know that although I though I could make Mom's awesome mashed potata's - it just didn't quite seem to work out that way.
- oh well she better teach me next year!





Me with the food!





Pascal!! - Julia's Host Mom with the turkey! (before the "accident" lol - nah she wasn't too mad)



Random pic of me and jules... we put big t-shirts on as we were afraid of spilling on ourselves and aprons don't exist here. - yes, we are more fashionable than that now... ha ha ha