Sunday, October 2, 2011

Quand en France...do as the French do!

Allô!

I've been in France for 4 days now, spent my first day in Paris with a family who are friend's from my dad's highschool. Crazy awesome coincidence that they hooked up through Facebook several months ago and arranged for me to stay with them any time I'm in Paris!

I came to Beauvais on the 29th, and it's all been very pleasant and great! The English teacher who was my main contact from the school, Anne, was very kind and helpful, giving me a whole box full of kitchen supplies, a bit of food, a cellphone! (a really really really old one but hey, it's free!) that just needs to be activated. I also got pillows, blankets, sheets, baking supplies, plates, cups, etc. It was great! I really like my foyer, although I could complain about a couple of things, but overall it's comfy enough. It's only a 7 minute walk to Centre Ville, so everything important is in walking distance, which is usually the case in a small town, which is what Beauvais is, but because it has a giant catheral it's considered a ''city'' lol.

I've been learning new things about how things are in France pretty much every day, and people have enjoyed them when I posted them on facebook so I will share them with you. Any assistant reading this who has either already been to France or has arrived at least a couple of days ago, will have learned these things as well:


French Lesson 1: Toilets are separate from sinks and showers. REALLY awkward, because as North Americans we are very much used to washing our hands as soon as we go to the bathroom (at least I hope we are...) but here you come out of the toilet...and there's no sink. I either then go to the "wash" room and wash my hands at the sink there in my room, or go to the showers next door from the foyer bathroom.
Lesson 2: If you don't say "bonjour" to the people who live in your building/neighborhood they will look at you funny and think you are rude. So for goodness sake say "bonjour" to every stranger you walk by! Granted, this rule probably doesn't apply for Central Paris, but everywhere else, if you say hi no one will think you're weird. Also, after 12 you say "Bon soir", but you don't say "Bon nuit" in the evening or night unless you're saying good-bye.
Lesson 3: Those bowls are not for cereal, and when there is no cereal it's not for your bread either...it's for your COFFEE! They're usually white and sometimes even have the words "coffee" or "café'' on it. Although in restaurants they serve in ''normal'' cups. Espressos come in tiny shots.
This last lesson is a given, Lesson 4: French bread is THE BEST, hands down! But if you don't eat that baguette in two days...use it as croutons for your salad :P
Anyways, back to what has been happening; I`ve met many of the assistants in Beauvais, really glad there are many. Thus far I'm the only Canadian, a little sad pour moi :( . But this Thursday we'll be going to Amiens and spending the day there for Orientation. Hopefully meet some cool people there as well to maybe visit on a weekend or something.
I went to a small, small church in Beauvais today, Evangelical. It was a really great experience. I was so glad that my pastor back home did studies on Abraham's life throughout the entire summer, because today the pastor in Beauvais was talking about one event in Abraham's life that involved his nephew Lot, and I was able to understand ALOT at the beginning, then after the sort of ''re-telling'' of the story was done, I was able to understand about half of what he was saying, which is great because this means as I keep going I'm going to learn so much more!
This afternoon a large group of assistants, from our foyer, from the all-girls foyer and 3 girls who live in their lycée, went to watch «La Guerre de Buttons» which turned out to be a kids movie. It was a pretty good movie, really nice...but oh my gosh...could hardly understand even HALF of the words they were saying...that said, I'm now gonna look up a bunch of words that I heard alot during the service and the movie to see what they mean!

I start school tomorrow, lol, I mean I start working tomorrow :P At 9:30 am I have to be at the school and hopefully I get my schedule!!! And hopefully I finish early so I can open my bank account! Really need to do that.
Wish me luck as I work with JR High kids...oooh boi.
~ Keep in touch!

1 comment:

  1. great to read what is going in your life my baby !!! I miss you so much but and the same time I'm so excited for you and the way the Lord is guiding you.
    I'll let your Mom know about this site.

    In His and my love ,
    Papi.

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