Halloween/ Election

Today has been my all time favorite day at school. Since I am american and since we celebrate Halloween my english teacher gave me the whole class period to talk about halloween and bring a few things for the students. I made two chocolate cakes (from scratch and they were delicous) I decorated one cake like a jack 'o' lantern and the other one like a spider web. The web came out really cool looking. I even made the frosting from scratch. I brought tons of candy and a few toys for today and had an absolute blast passing them out. I made my classmates say trick or treat if they wanted candy so they said it quite often.
There are other reasons for my day being so great.. Since we had to eat last today my friends and I went to a supermarket and bought sausage, pain, water, and pringles. It was so much fun. I really really love my french friends. After lunch we had english class so we got to eat cake and I got to talk about halloween traditions.. I even taught my class the rude song we sing when we are little for halloween.{Trick or Treat, Smell my feet, Give me something good to eat, If you don't, I don't care, I'll pull down your underwear} It was so funny to hear them sing. I wish I had had my camera today.
The final reason today was my best today of school is because I was supposed to have the last two hours of the day filled with math and the prof didn't show. In France they don't have subs, so I didnt have class.

Tuesday for my class of Economics my prof had me explain the differences between Obama and McCain. I worked for a good portion of the day Saturday and Monday night I translated everything into french with the help of my host family and my dictionary. I am really glad I got informed about this year's election.
I made one mistake with my exposee, I pronounced the word abaisser improperly and I actually used a really bad word that is similar to the F word. It was really funny. I looked down at the paper and saw the word and in my head i thought Oh No! I know I am going to say this wrong, so I wrote the word on the board and asked them how to say it and I STILL pronounced it wrong, however, now I can say the word perfectly..
A lot of my classmates have told me that I am speaking better now. I think they are proud of me. I feel like the baby of the classroom and they are all helping me grow up a bit. I feel love for my classmates, it's really nice.. That is all for now.. I am going to the mountains for a week so I will write sometime after that.. Au Revoir

Coupi car/ Chez Charlotte/ Annacy/Plans for this weekend

Ok So it has been quite a while since I have posted a blog and I intend on finishing and posting one today... Two weekends ago on the outskirts of my village was a huge parachuting competition. I went with my friends Charlotte, Lucille, Celine, and Lorie. I had tons of fun. We all brought food and had a huge pique-nique with lots of sweets. I tried churros for the first time, which are delicious, and had cotton candy.

After the coupi-car and the LONG bike ride home I took a shower then walked with Lucille and Celine to Charlotte's... When we got there everyone had on a weird hat and was walking around in clothes that were quite unique.. One boy had on a pink cowgirl shirt.. I had no idea why everyone was dressed odd but I went with Lucille up to Charlotte's room and put on random clothes as well.

Dinner with friends in France is quite different. We actually eat things that are relatively healthy and have set times where we eat certain things. The kids are really culturally developed here. I love being the foreigner because EVERYONE wants me to try their deserts or their speciality cooking.. I love they food here by the way.. I have gained 6 pounds so far.

So between Chez Charlotte and Annacy I had school.. which is still difficult but I do notice that I am comprehending more..

Last weekend was the slightly major Rotary Event in Annacy. All of the rotary students had to get up on stage and introduce themselves.. After we talked quite a bit with the other students and I practiced my spanish :) so many kids are from either mexico or south america it is almost unbelievable..

We had to perform a talent for the Rotarians. The kids from Canada did a hilarious skit about hockey. It was so stereotypically Canada I was busting up laughing. My friend Paige was pretending to be a radio DJ from Quebec and told the other Canadians to sing the OTHER national anthem, which was about hockey.. My friend Ayan did a traditional India dance, Rodrigo sang Besame Mucho, which was absolutely incredibly, and Carla sang a song about diahrea but since she sang in Finnish the Rotary did not know.. I recited a poem in french about an ant that does not exist..

We were told to be in bed by midnight, however I was rooming with Ayan and Paige (who is like our little sister) wanted to talk until 2.. We all woke up on time the next morning and had a somewhat enjoyable but very long day touring the city of Annacy.

This WEEKEND! I am planning to have my friends from school spend the night. Zoe, Jade, and Celia are my best friends at school and I think I will take the opportunity this weekend to show them how much we eat at american sleep overs.. Ha it should be fun

Until next time, Au revoir

Folk Dancing and my week at school

So.... Today is friday and I was finished with school at 11:05. Wednesday my history/geography teacher finally realized that I am not french. He was talking about the Grandes Plaines and I excitedly told my friend Zoe that's where I'm from and he heard and was wondering why I was speaking then my french friends told him I am americaine. I thought it was hilarious I had been in his class for three weeks and he finally found out I am not french.. All of my other teachers found that out on the first day of class. I also helped to cut open a mouse wednesday which wouldnt have been so bad if I knew I was going to be cutting open a mouse that day. I got to class and lifted the towel that was over the mouse in the pan and kinda froze a bit. It was fun though. Thursday our class went to the city of Pontchara to visit the library and local sport association. We also visited a planned parenthood kind of place, of course once again I did not know what was going on and was a little bit shocked when I looked around the room and saw posters about spermatozoide.. The people at the planned parenthood wanted to know what we were taught about protection in the US and I told them abstinance and they laughed and in very bad broken english said "oh but kids will have sex" and I agreed and looked down at the floor..
Last night I tried folk dancing. It was actually pretty fun. I danced with the instructor and he spun me around quite a bit. I think folk dancing is the french equivalent to square dancing so I was a little hesitant to try it but I am really glad I did..
Oh and I am not sure if I have mentioned but I really like the other exchange students.. each has something different about them that I like.
Next weekend is a big rotary event where they will have a talent show.. My father suggested that I do comedy.. Well if you know me that is not a good idea.. I constantly laugh at my own jokes and digress quite often.. I think I might recite a poem, but I joked with my family about doing arm farts or spitting chewing tabacco into a spitoon from a ways back. If you have any suggestions let me know.. oh and i can not sing or dance nor do i want to..
~Relaxing this weekend~ Olivia

Lugaro, School Friends, Random stuff

So, it has been quite a while since I have last updated my blog. Last weekend I was up until five with Olivier and his friends. Olivier is my host brother and he left for Scotland this Saturday so he had a going away party. The french play tons of drinking games. It was so funny to watch them. I was allowed to play but when I lost Olivier had to drink. It was so funny. Olivier is a very well-mannered nice person and all his friends were trying to get him drunk. Olivier is a great big brother. I really mean that. He constantly was telling his friends that I was not allowed to drink.
We played some game called lugaro which is similar to the game mafia. Its a card game and each person is allowed to do different things. Lugaro means wearwolf in english andI was the wearwolf for the first few games and I kept winning so by the time the night had wore on a bit all the boys were saying I was tricky and they wouldnt trust me. It was so much fun I would always accuse fredderick of being the wearwolf and for a while they agreed with me. The kids were so nice. They included me really well and a few spoke very good english so they would translate things for me.
School is really long and boring but my friends amuse me beyond belief. They try to trip eachother and we set trashcans in front of eachother's bathroom stalls. They also randomly start singing and dancing. They are so much fun. When they see me in the morning they yell E-livia and then we go to the front of the school so they can smoke.
So many kids at school smoke. They smoke before and after we have gym. I even saw one boy smoking while he was riding his bike.
The school schedule is so stupid. We are there until 5:15 each day and have huge breaks in between classes. If they reformed their schedule we would only have to go until about two or three each day. Lunch is from 12 until 1:20
Oh and the other exchange students are really fun too. They are more enthusiastic about american pop culture than I am. They sing that I have never even heard before and are shocked when I dont know it.
Yesterday we took Olivier to the airport in Geneva Switzerland. I do not think Switzerland is as beautiful as france. Geneva did have some good pizza though.. The french don't hug when someone is leaving for a long time.. We all kissed olivier and that was it. I was really surprised. When I left to get on my plane my family hugged me for quite a while.
After being home for a while I went to a party with Gilles and Anne for their friend who is retiring. My friend Gwenille was there and I think I have convinced her to do foreign exchange to America. She loved the idea of prom and all of the things we do with in our schools.
Today I went with Olivier (My neighbor) for a walk throught the village and to visit the castle in Touvet. We ran into some of his friends and played soccer. Oh and I finished all of my homework for once.. I hadn't been doing anything besides english and math for a while so I am quite pleased with myself.

Until next time !Bizzoux!

Mermaids/Dinners/Mountains

Dinner with the elderly is not always fun unless there is a mermaid involved or the old people are incredibly interesting. Well my first dinner with the rotary was slightly intriguing.. Everyone there, excluding me, was about 50+. I expected all guests at the party to be dressed conservitavely until i saw a women who looked like a mermaid.. She had on a green knee length dress with hot pink straps. She was about 60 and have teal eyelashes and a shell necklace.. When I saw her I could not help but to do a double-take. I hope when I am that old I have her guts.. Oh and I saw my first man in a beret. He was really very funny. When he found out I was american he asked if I like hamburgers and coke. Then when he found I was from Kansas he assumed I lived with indians.. He cracked me up. I found out later he had helped to discover the North pole or South pole.
France is funny in a way because of the rotary I can not drink, but the french rotary was offended that I didn't taste wine. I would have for sure, but my rotary counselor sat next to me and told them all NO wine for the petite american.
Saturday I went with Anne and Gilles to climb a mountain. That was one of the most fun things I have ever done in my life. The descent down is my absolute favorite. The proper way to descend a mountain is to zig-zag back and forth down the trail. I kept imaging juking people in basketball. I really want to take my brother down a mountain because I think he would enjoy it.
That night we had a dinner with our neighbors. They could not believe how easy it was to get guns and how young children learned to shoot. I found out that you can not kill a robber in France unless they are endangering your life. That was so shocking to me. I told them that down south people can get shot at for trespassing. If you kill or injure an intruder they can actually sue YOU. I find that incredibly odd. Oh and the french play a game called grimace where you make strange faces at eachother. This little boy Gregorie who is 4 kept making faces at me. He was so cute. He has blonde hair blue-green eyes and HUGE glasses. His family would like for me to baby-sit for them because he has taken a liking to me.
My host family is very nice. Gilles my host dad is HUGe compared to everyone here. He is maybe 6 3 or a little bit taller. It is so sweet to see him interact with the children. When he greets them he picks them up to kiss them. The kids love that. Anne is very nice too. She is a school teacher for pre schoolers and kids really like her too. My home is very happy here and easy going. Gilles is very smart so I like to talk to him, oh and he is fluent in english..
My french is coming along ok. I am surprised by what I remember from day to day.. To sum things up I am having a great time and experiencing lots of things.
Also I really miss my brother and find it very hard to tell people about him because it makes me feel like crying.. So if you see Danny tell him I love him.

Arrival/Journey

28 hours of flight time seems a little excessive but all and all it went well. On my first plane ride from MCI to D.C. I sat next to a Canadian boy who I think was a total liar. Not only did this kid play a step below the minor leagues for baseball, but he was a potentially star student, even though he was failing school, he was also some big D.J. who made 7,000 dollars at some gigs, he was a carpenter who could build his own house, and was only 17. Maybe typed out that doesn't seem so ridiculous, but listening to him it did.
The layover in D.C. was fun. Some of us girls sat together and talked about our fears as exchange students and little tid-bits we had heard about the french. My last meal in America was 7 chicken nuggets from Wendy's.
The plane ride to France was scrunched. I sat in the very middle of five people and didn't want to get up and wake them so I had to sit for hoursss, and if you know me that is difficult. I talked to a boy from Maine and appearently Maine has rednecks! I had never heard that before I thought rednecks were confined to the lower portion of the United States.
Our layover at Charles de Gaulle was torture!! We all wanted to meet up with our host parents so badly it made the wait seem like an eternity. I fell asleep before take off on our way to Lyon. I woke up and could not for the life of me decipher the time of day it was outside. When we finally reached our destination and got our luggage it was only a small matter of time before we were greeted like celebrities by our host families and clubs. I instantly found my mother and my rotary representitive. It was odd for me to kiss people on the cheek. I tried shaking people's hands a few times then apologized.
The drive to my home was absolutely breathe-taking. The houses have orange spanish tile roofs and are a somewhat orange stucco color. The mountains are so beautiful it was different to see something so high. My home is gorgeous the outside is all white and we have fig trees and a small garden. Anne showed me all of her plants that she uses with cooking. The back yard is very nice and we have a pool. The inside of the house is way different from what we have back home. The family room has two pink walls and two red sofas. It is very colorful and inviting.
Last night I helped cut home grown tomatoes for dinner. I never liked tomatoes until last night. We also had onion which I never liked back home, but do now. We made pasta and put the tomatoes and onions on top of it then covered them with canned tomatoes. It's crazy how good that was. We even had fresh melon which I never liked back home. Everything is so flavorful it makes things taste better.
Oh yeah.. when we first met French Rotarians I knew they were talking about me because they kept say petite fille.. It made me laugh. I thought in France I would be a normal size, but appearently not.

So.. This is my first blog post.. I leave for France in 5 days and will arrive to my home in 6. I have been talking to quite a few french people and trying to learn how to behave when in France. I'm ready to get out of Kansas and learn a new culture.