Because these subjects are probably the two where I can do the least in, I had a lot of time to write a blog post, which I've realised is actually a very useful way of using my time (lack of distractions) Obviously this method is working, and I feel I must warn you, the following passage is quite a hefty one...
Without further adieu, something I'm sure you'll all love to hear about, the familiar and engaging topic of:
School
I'm a bit tempted to leave it at that to be completely honest, but that wouldn't be much fun for you, would it? Of course, school has never been my favourite thing on Earth, an opinion I feel I share with most teenagers in the world, but aside from the uniform (good riddance), early starts (even earlier now, I regret to inform you) and heavy load of school work (non-existent for me at the moment) , I'll admit I didn't really mind school in New Zealand. In all honesty, Monday-Friday last year was mostly taken up with hilarious moments with one/a mixture/all of the 10 members of my amazing group of friends, during subjects that I specifically chose to suit my interests, and there's not really much to complain about there.
It couldn't be any more different in France. One thing I've learned to appreciate now that I've left my home is how well the New Zealand school system tailors to everyone's specific interests and skills and how much more it encourages creativeness in general, compared to France. If you don't like/aren't especially talented at maths here (and when I say this, what I really mean is that if it completely and utterly sizzles your brain spores), well then pretty much "tough titties to you, my friend", because you really have no choice but to sit through several hours of the most complicated algebra you have ever encountered in your life, each and every week. I'll be the first to admit that I found level 1 maths with Mrs Cameron (gotta love her and her velvet pants and amazing hearing abilities) slightly more than a little bit challenging, and then I came here and it suddenly became very clear to me that maths in New Zealand was, in comparison, as delightful as having a chocolate craving and then finding a peanut slab lying in wait for you in the pan on top of the microwave (I guess you all know where my Mum hides the chocolate now...) Les mathematiques (I'm hoping I don't have translate this one for you) en France is like getting the same craving, finding the package is empty, walking to the nearest shop only to have the person in front of you buy the last one, then discovering that the Whittaker's factory has closed down and shortly after, finding out that the world has run out of cocoa beans... and cream... AND sugar, meaning that you'll never have the sweet comfort of chocolate on your lips ever again. Pretty much, that's maths in France, an unfulfilled chocolate craving... aka horrible, unbearable, torture. I mean, forget about death by chocolate at once, this my friends, is death by maths. I seriously don't know how people here cope with it. To be fair, I guess they've learned much more advanced maths much earlier in life than myself, but this does not stop me from being baffled with a capital b. I kid you not, they're seriously the sort of equations that, if given one and asked to find f(x + 2y - 4) I would instantly collapse to the floor, curl up into foetal position and hum "I Will Survive" to myself (Mrs Gaynor, I like to imagine you'd give me strength here) and stay that way until relieved of the brutal task. Don't believe me?
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you this, the worksheet I was given today. I will not be held accountable for any cardiac arrests...
Now tell me I'm exaggerating, I dare you.
Something else that's completely different to school in New Zealand is my timetable. All my life I've grown up with a definite and familiar schedule for school. Firstly it was 9-3, then 8:50-2:50 and then the trusty old 8:45-3:30, but now I have something different everyday. Fortunately, Monday - Tuesday I get to start at 10am, but finish at 5-4pm, then not so luckily for the rest of the week from Wednesday - Saturday (yes, Saturday) I start at 8am and finish at various times anywhere from 10am-5pm. Pretty much my week goes like this:
 |
| my classes are Maths, French, English, Economics, Science, History+Geography and good old P.E. |
Where there are sections crossed out, this is where I have lots of breaks throughout my week, either for extended lunches or while the rest of my class learns Espagnol, where I have the choice to go to the library or the study, games or tv room (all located at school), or my personal favourite, just leave. Luckily for me, Lycée Berthollet (this is my school, if you hadn't figured) is a mere 3 minute walk from town, so often, more often that not actually, between classes I lead myself in this direction for un petit browse in the shops. I'll admit that the novelty has started to wear off a bit now, and I'm being a bit more reasonable and buying less now that 'les soldes' (sale period in France from mid January-mid February) have finished, however, it's always nice to know that if I'm ever in need of a small pick me up, perhaps after a maths lesson, the option of retail therapy is available!
The teachers are all pretty and lenient on me at the moment but I think things will change once I actually understand the words they use during lessons (I purposely didn't say 'understand the lessons' here because most of the subjects I take I've never done/only ever done a little bit of in my life: Economics, Geography, History...) I've definitely already established favourite and least favourite teachers, which is interesting because I've obviously formed these opinions primarily on their mannerisms/teaching habits/overall presence, since I can't exactly judge them by the things they say. The teacher who falls at the bottom of my list would have to be le prof de Français, an opinion I share with most people in my class. I was talking to someone about her the other day and they mentioned how she thinks of herself as so superior and treats her students as much less important, and from what I can grasp by solely observing, I've got to give it to him, I couldn't agree more. We might as well say "Your Majesty" instead of "Madame", although I hardly doubt any of the royal family would ever even think for a second about wearing lumpy jerseys or attempt to tuck slightly baggy jeans (PRUE) into awkward length, lace up boots, let alone do both simultaneously, every day. She's also not very forgiving with my not-exactly-up-to-scratch level of French, and while I may only understand less than 5% of her lesson on any given day, I happen to have a special talent of knowing when she's talking about me (perhaps it's due to the fact that she uses my name and stares right in my direction) but apparently, according to 'la reine de Français' talking to me is like 'talking to a deaf person'. I want to take this time to thank her immensely for those incredibly encouraging words! As if I needed reminding what a challenge it is to learn another language... Maybe you should learn to tame your frizzy mop, because according to me, your majesty, looking at you is like "looking at a singed pom-pom" thankyouverymuch.
The fact that the only thing I'm capable of doing during classes here in France at the moment, is writing letters or blog posts, attempting to read novels in French (and what I mean by this is taking an hour to read a page, due to translating basically every word with my French/English pocket dictionary) or just sitting and having a little think about this thing we call 'Life', I sort of crave work of some sort. I've started to watch lots of documentaries which I think is my half subconscious way of making up for everything I'm not learning, by gaining knowledge through an endless supply of BBC docos on Youtube. It's all stuff that's really rather useless to me, of course, but I suppose it just feels useful to be learning something, no matter what it is. Who knows, maybe one day someone will ask me about liposuction, and guess what, I'll have the answers! (Louis Theroux - Plastic Surgery)
I guess what I'm saying by all of this is that at the time being, I'm finding school a bit of a challenge and as a result of this, really quite boring. I know it may be a bit unfair to say this because it seems like I actually have it really rather easy, with not having to do any proper work, but in all honesty, I think I'd actually prefer to have something to do. At the moment it feels a bit like an ever so slight waste of time, when all I go to school for is to sit for hours doing my own thing, and I don't particularly feel like I'm learning anything, which is, after all, what we all go to school for. However, what I need to remember is that my brain is like a sponge right now, constantly soaking up the beautiful French language, and listening to it 24/7 at school is the best way je pourrai apprendre.I know I shouldn't take my current situation is school for granted either, because when my French improves and I actually start to do work, I'm sure I'll miss the days of sitting in maths and just dreaming of the day I can speak French fluently.
I finish this with the feeling as if I've complained a hell of a lot, and I suppose the worst thing I can do now is completely contradict myself by saying that "school actually isn't that bad", so what am I going to do? I'm going to say it. It's ok, school, it really is. All in all, I guess I'm quite lucky that sitting for a few hours with nothing but my mind to keep me company doesn't really bother me, because it's really coming in handy right now. Sure, there's not a lot I can do, there are some disagreeable teachers and subjects, but in the end, when push comes to shove, I'm here for the experience and to learn French and this is what I'm doing everyday. It can only get better from here!
Yours truly,
me, Eloise x
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