BOXING!!

Salut everybody,

I'm not saluting you, that's how we say hey here in France :)

So, you're probably interested in the title, but I won't explain until after some other stuff because you all enjoy suspense.

I had my first sport lesson today! We are doing a cycle of handball at the moment, which is some weird netball basketball soccer hybrid with little soccer ball things oh gosh I can't even explain it. Suffice to say that I am about as good at sport here in pau as I was in papakura. Those who were in my p.e. classes will know how sad that is.

However, I also went on a bike ride with my sister Marion, to take a break a break from our homework, in a forest very near the house. It was awesome, and my legs are feeling it, but I got to see the horse track, and the stables, and some of a nice big forest where lots of people run and walk. I will have to do more of that that to counteract these croissants.

Gosh, speaking of croissants. In history we are studying economic "croissance" which is growth. I went an entire lesson believing that we were studying the effect of pastries on the economy, I genuinely expected a field trip to a patisserie.

On the subject of food, because that will never not be a point of focus for me here in France, lunch at school was awesome today. I had this tomato chicken n rice with semolina for entree and an apple and some bread. Dinner tonight was a pumpkin soup entree with pasta and some chocolates I bought from New Zealand for dessert :)

Onto the boxing. My friend at school, Alexia, invited me to try boxing with her after school on Wednesday. I met her at the club in a town called Idron not far from Pau, and I watched the kids class and then participated in the adult class. It was two hours long and SO HARD but apparently I did okay.

The trainer is just awesome beans, too. Alexia told me that he used to work for a corporate boxing club but that they fired him when he wanted to train women, so he left and started his own club that trains whoever wants to train, and he doesn't charge! He was really nice to me as well, explaining things and all.

I do miss a few things from home, but I find that keeping busy helps take my mind off it all :) Thanks to all that are checking in on my blog, it really means a lot. Special thanks to Jacquie, who was the first commenter on this blog!! Kudos for you Jacquie!

That is all for tonight people, good luck with exams friends in New Zealand!

Stay super (and study hard),
Holly