Just another day in the Emerald Isle

Have I said how green it is here? Well, it's very green, much like Ireland. It makes me think I am in a rainforest. Cool!

So, on Monday, I went to school in the afternoon with Pauline. Her first class was English which was completely in English. I'm not sure that all the French students understood but I sure did. The teacher was very creative. She first talked about the stereotypes that Americans have of the French and that the French have of the Americans. It was pretty funny. Then she asked me questions about French culture and the French students were asked about American culture. I was asked things like "Who is the new president of France?" (Hollande) and "What do the French celebrate on July 14th?" (Bastille day). I regret to inform you that I got most of the questions wrong. :(  The French kids were asked thing like "Who was the first president of the US?" First they said George W Bush, they they said Kennedy. (So, the French are like in love with JFK. I said that in present tense because they still love him.) Then finally someone said George Washington. When I was telling Pauline's dad that, he thought the first president was Lincoln.

After English class, we had chemistry, where we did a very strange form of paper chromatography, and then biology, where I think I knew and understood more than the French kids.

The high school was pretty different. There were only about 15 people in each class and it is very fast paced.The kids were nice though, and weird.

After school, which was only a half day, Pauline's family drove me to Etournoz where I am now, at JJ Muller's house. Their house reminds me of my grandparents' house. It's very cozy and holds a lot of memories.

Yesterday, I went in to town with JJ, where we visited a fort above the city and got a spectacular view. You all should check out the history of Besançon. Very interesting.

Then we had lunch with a cousin, then went to the supermarket to get some veggies. It was very interesting there, but I will write about that later. Then the rain poured on us and then we went and picked up the other three kids from school. We went back home, played some card games, like ERS, spoons and President (which is much like liar's dice), and we also went on a walk. Then everyone left and I went to bed.

Today, I went to meet Pauline and her friend in the city for lunch. I am at a cool pasta place and they ate at a French version of McDonald's, called Quick. Then we met Mo, Matt and a bunch of other friend students. We walked around the town for a few hours. We kept asking to go to the grocery story, which they probably thought was really weird. We finally went in one. We bought erasable pens and a calligraphy pen. Now these pens are cool. They aren't like American pens. The other teens couldn't believe we didn't have them back home. They are so cool.

We went back home and ate dinner and played games. It was a relaxing evening. And I am so excited about my pens! I'm also excited because next Wednesday, we are going to Europa park whiwh is one of the largest theme parks in the world. I've decided that I will indeed go on big roller coasters (but not the Silver Star, NO WAY JOSE!) and I will throw most of my fears out the window. YOLO!
Here are some pics.

Chez Maréchal

Me in front of the Maréchals' house. Everybody here has roses which are soooo pretty.

This is a castle that we pass everyday, driving to Besançon. It's like an everyday thing for them; but I am still amazed by it every time we drive by.

This is Besançon, my home away from home.

This is Besançon's citadel. It is situated at the smallest part of the river, which loops around the city. This was a strategic position because one could control all that went in and out.

Mo, Matt and Hermance.

The emeraldness of the isle.

A mural type thing outside Besançon's cathedral.

All of us teens who hung out today. On the far left is Jauris (who has BEAUTIFUL eyes); then a girl who a talked to a lot but never got her name, then some more people I didn't meet, then me, Mo and Matt. On the bottom row is some girl, the Adelaide, then another girl I talked to, then a guy who was really nice and had a strange name I can' remember, qnd then another girl I never met. They all spoke very good English. Pauline and her friend Camille were with us but they only knew Adelaide, so they took the pics. Thanks!

And before I forget . . . 

    



The Slug Club (like in Harry Potter. . . Get it?)