Thursday, the 26 of August, 2004
Mood:  lazy
Topic: First days here
I must write fast because here it is 1:40 in the morning!!
Today I had to go to a Rotary meeting with Stephan, my host "Dad." They were going to expect me to have a presentation, but they are giving me a month to learn the language first, then they are going to throw it on me.
Yesterday I went shopping after I got my revised Visa. It is "tres cher" here. (it is very expensive) and the American dollar is worth less than the Euro anways so I'm screwed in this deal no matter how you look at it, but oh well the clothes are nice! After we went shopping, we went to Corenton's "football" game which is actually soccer but in French they call soccer football, which makes sense, right!? Unfortunately, they lost but they worked their butts off and for 10 year olds, they are really good. Better than me, honestly, but no surprise there! They must be almost as good as Cliff anyways and there so young!! In school they don't have a lot of sports, just vollyball, basketball and soccer so everyone goes all out on soccer! They start playing soccer as sooon as they start to walk! Parents probably buy soccer cleats for their babies before they get them booties!! (I'm just making an educated guess on that one though.) It rained really really hard durring the soccer game but they played anyways because they are that dedicated to the sport. When I was filling out the paper about myself to send to my host family, I made the mistake of mentioning playing soccer...I mean I could have been more relistic and said truthfully that I was a benchwarmer and supporter of soccer, but no, I said I played soccer... So when I arrived they expected that I would be good... haha! Here they don't have a seperate girls and boys team, they just have whoever is good enough gets the jersey, and rarely girls play soccer, just because it is so brutal here!! Violet could do it... I can't. Nope!
Tuesday was a lazy day. I woke up at noon and did some chatting online. Corinne, my host "mom" had to work that day, but her Mom and Dad came, my host grandparents. They do the cooking when Corinne isn't around. The Grandfather is called to "godfather" either in the place of grandfather, or also... I don't know.
Monday, the 23rd, I went with Noemi, (the 15 year old) Corinne, and Stephan, to visit my principle and check out my school. Not right now, but soon I will have a link to my school's webpabe so you will be able to see how HUGE and scary looking it is!! When I first go to school, I will start out in the 9th grade and stay there for two weeks or so, then graduate into 10th for another few weeks and then once my French is proficient, I will be upgraded into 11th grade! Only here the grades are known differently...let me explain:For the first six years you are in school you go through grades 1-6 then you move on to Junior High which is 7th and 8th, then its on to highschool for the last 9-12 grades. Here they start over at 1 when you enter 7th grade and go up from there until you graduate at 6th grade. So actually here I will be in 3rd, then 4th, and finally 5th grade!! lol! At the end of the meeting, the Principle said to me,(and Stephan translated) that if I have any problems to come see her and talk only in French and she will help me... Thanks a lot lady! Oh well... Later that day I went swimming in their pool with Corenton. I will post a picture of my back yard in here somewheres. It was really nice!