St. Nicolas

I have discovered on many occasions now that explanations can't prepare you for everything.
I was told to have change in my pocket for protection from people who potentially will be throwing flour, eggs, and other such cooking supplies.
OK???
So how this was explained to me was that the students who graduated the previous year were going to be wondering around the village were I go to school with empty beer mugs in hand and if I didn't want them to throw flour at me I would have to put a coin in their mug. This was explained to me a week prior to St. Nicolas.
Come Monday morning I had completely forgotten about it... until I was trying to get off the bus and THREE!!! people in whit lab coats were blocking the door from the side walk. I PANICKED! I jumped and ran around the corner hoping the through the flood of people that they did not get me. I was safe! (by some miracle) I then pulled out my wallet and took out all of my small coins and kept it in my hand( because I was soo scared...)
Then I thought about Yurina (a Rotary student from Japan), what if SHE DOESN'T KNOW or worse...SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND (it's worse because then the people who explained it believes that she knows to do, but really she just lived by the exchange basic language training: Smile and Wave) So I ran to her once she got off the bus and gave her a hand full of coins and said, "pay the people in the white coats, trust me."
After dodging attacks all day I am happy to report that I came home all clean. :D

Happy St. Nicolas Day!!!

School life

I am going to outline my daily school routine, as uninteresting as it may be, I think that it's important to note.

• I take the bus at 7:35
• Arrive in Visé at 8, then meet with a friend and wait for two more of my friends to arrive
• School starts at 8:20
• I go to line up with my class to wait for our teacher t come and collect us
• We stay as a class just like in primary school for all of our courses
• At the beginning of each class all the students has to stand and wait for the teacher to give them permission to sit down, as a sign of respect
• We have a twenty minute break at 10:00 and lunch at 12:00
• We have the same schedule every week for the year.
• Everyday I finish at different times.
•  I take the bus home everyday at varying times

 My full schedule is posted in a prior blog
 .... Not very interesting, I know...

School Schedule

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Formation Social	Gym	Computer	Psychology	Psychology	8:20- 9:10
English	Gym	Computer	Math	E.C.R	9:10-10:00
Break					10:00 – 10:20
French	Religion	Formation Social	French	French	10:20 – 11:10
Social Studies	Health/ Biology	Math	Science and Technology	A.I.P	11:10 – 12:00
Lunch					12:00 – 12:50
Technique Educatif	Health/ Biology		Religion	English	12:50 – 1:40
Technique Educatif	Psychology		Science and Technology	French	1:40 – 2:30
	E.C.R		Social Studies		2:30 – 3:20

School = #1

My home life is difficult, my village seems impossible, but school is amazing!!!

I had a rough start at school but now I could not be happier. I am friends with all the girls in my class and I have a group of close friends. I understand a handful of my classes...but not enough to pass 95% of my classes ;P My friends help me with class material and stick up for me when people give me trouble for being... not up to par for class work... for lack of a better way to put it. I just want to scream so the whole Vallée Du Geer can hear, "I HAVE FRIENDS!!!"

Rotary Play Fundraiser

Rotary is constantly doing fundraisers. I don't no what we were fundraising for but it was pretty amusing.

On a lovely, overcast, cold Sunday afternoon, Rotary was hosting the opening performance of a community theater play with a oyster and champagne reception afterwards.

The play was amusing in a very complicated soap-opera  kind of way. It was a story of four couple in one family; the great grandparents, grandparents, parents, and grand kids. Oh boy, let's just say it goes from one couple seriously thinking about divorce, then by intermission 3/4 are in danger of getting a divorce. In the second act all the couples are "getting a divorce" but by the end no one was...

I had THE BIGGEST HEADACHE by the end of the show!!
"I'm mad at you, she's mad at him, he hates her" ... blah blah blah ...
In hindsight i think that that should have been a moment to say that I don't understand and give up... Why was I so stupid?!?!?! There are no words to describe how I felt sitting in my seat staining to understand...

Day 1: Bird's Eye View

As soon as Ronna and I stepped out of the train station we could see the London Eye. I could barley MOVE! I only dreamed of visiting London, and now I found myself standing at the bottom of the LONDON EYE about to get my first real look at London. The view was amazing!!

Next stop was Big Ben and the Parliament Buildings...

 

Then I saw Westminster Abby...

 When we were there soldiers were preparing for Remembrance Day. They were laying out crosses with the names of all the fallen soldiers on them. it was so beautiful.

 We then went to Buckingham Palace and saw the changing of the guard!

 

After, we returned to Sunningdale and went to school to pick up the kids from school.

It was such an amazing day, I could exact the realization that I was actually in LONDON ENGLAND!! I kept having to pinch myself to see if i was dreaming or not...

I just want to public say that I am so grateful for this opportunity. A huge thanks to my loving parents, I love and miss you, and a huge thanks to my cousin Ronna and her family for allowing me to stay with them and for opening your heart and your family to me.