HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!

Sorry I haven't updated in a while things are going pretty smoothly here, all settled in and everything :)

So yeah, a MASSIVE, MASSIVE happy birthday (Bon Anniversaire) to my Dad back in New Zealand, I miss you like crazy but  I will see you in not too long now, the hardest bit is over

 :) hope you had a fun day :) love you lots

Also, happy birthday for two days ago to my cousin Michaela :)

Not a whole lot to tell you all about, been getting back into the rhythm of school (the terms here are only seven weeks thank goodness, I'm only four weeks away form the Christmas holidays). I got an 11.5 out if 20 in a test! I know what you're all thinking, English class. In fact: FRENCH. It was a test on a French Poem and I was marked (and Mr Rochelois was insistent on this) JUST LIKE THE OTHER STUDENTS.

Speaking of the language, I think I have the hang of it now. I don't sound at all fluent when I speak but I can pretty much say anything I want to say and with most people I speak solely in French :) It certainly makes class more bearable being able to understand what the teachers are saying. That obviously doesn't include Chinese, I have abandoned all hope of picking up anything other than hello.

Upcoming events are pretty few and far between but I'll let y'all know anyway :) I have another camp in Bordaux in three weeks, and the weekend after that I start the holidays :) I'll be spending the few days before and during Christmas in Poitier with the extended host family, and spending Boxing Day not far from Pau with the other side of the extended host family. Alexia has invited me to hang out with her those holidays too, and hopefully I can spend some time with Taryn as well :)

Also note worthy, I have officially passed the half way mark, I think I have around ten weeks left here! (I'm trying not to count the days). Leaving is going to be really hard I've become quite close with a few people here, but I'll be thrilled to see my family and friends back home too :) I think that exchanges really teach you to appreciate what you have, I certainly feel like I do now :)

That's it for now,
Happy Birthday again Dad! I hope you get to see this on your birthday Skype isn't sending my messages but I'll send you an email anyway and hope that you check it :)

Stay Super,
Holly :)

Carousel!!

Yeah, I went on a carousel. Whatever.

So it's officially the end of the holidays, but these two weeks have been chocked and absolutely fantastic. I'm going to give you a fairly brief account of events:

Stayed the night at Alexias! Her Dad made genuine French cuisine for us it was so so so unbelievably amazing we had foie gras, duck and wow all the French cheese. It was really incredible and the night was so much fun, I feel so lucky to have the friends that I have here.

Did a double sleepover at Taryns! First night at hers, second at mine :) it was really fun I LOVE taking the train by myself I feel so independent :) We did some shopping, rode on a carousel in Tarbes (oh wow it was fun) and just talked about everything. Im so happy that she lives just down the way from me, I didn't really get to know her that much at the departure camp (which sucks because she's amazing) but now I'd easily call her my best friend from AFS.

Met my extended host family on My host mothers side. It was certainly an interesting day, we had lunch and dinner at her mothers house (I have a host grandmother! And a grandfather they're adorable). I really liked Isabelle too, the sister-in-law of my host mother, she was really nice :) Things got loud when an uncle called Riche McCaw a b@$#% though (I defended him sincerely). Next weekend is a big match between the All Blacks and France! NZ is totally going to own ;)

Got invited to lunch with some friends of our neighbours (I didn't understand how we knew anyone there but we all made friends) which was really really nice too. They live in a Spanish style MANSION in the hills, looking out over the Pyrenees and all. I ate so much but it was all so good (I'm going to try to stop describing food on this blog I do it too much).

So that's basically a catch up. I also did an anthology of poetry in French (I'm supposed to be finishing it now but blog takes priority). I've been doing some hardcore Skyping too, thanks to everyone I Skyped, you're all thoroughly interesting to talk to I promise.


Pretty big post for so little news but hey, people are still reading :) Im going to do something emotional and feelsy for the next one, I've been getting all thinky and stuff :)

Stay super,
Ciaaaoooo :$

City of Lights and Love

My goodness I have a lot to tell you all about.

So I have been back in Pau for a few hours, I got back at midnight last night (the train was delayed four hours!). Paris was unbelievable. Normally I try not to get my hopes up about things like that, I tried to expect Paris to be a little disappointing and not really all that I had hoped for, but it really was. It was everything I ever hoped it would be, we're talking since I was ten or eleven years old, and I am ETERNALLY grateful that I had the opportunity to go back there.

I can't give you all the details, but I'll give you the highlights for me:

1. The first night the family that we were staying with (thank you Facomprez family!) took us to dinner in this gorgeous little genuine Italian restaurant in some little side street of Paris and afterwards we went for a walk and saw the city lit up at night, from the top of the hill of Sacre-Cœur. It was really amazing. We also saw the square with all of the impressionist artists at night it was really really cool.

2. Went into the Louvre, saw in person the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, it was really surreal for me to be standing IN FRONT of these artworks whose names are known all over the world. I really loved the Venus de Milo, and the other art works in the Louvre was beautiful too.

3. Went into the Notre-Dame cathedral, again incredible. There was a service happening while I was in there which was neat to see, the cathedral is HUGE HUGE HUGE and really intricately designed and the stained glass windows were mindblowing detailed.

4. Went up the Eiffel Tower. This was really the best part of Paris for me, ever since I was a little girl, Paris was the city that I most wanted to visit and the symbol of Paris for me was the Eiffel Tower. It was amazing to be able to TOUCH it, and see the entire city from it. I had an INCREDIBLE hot chocolate up there too with like a cup of whipped cream on top. I can best describe the moment as euphoria.

Me and Marion up the Eiffel Tower

Obviously we did other things, there is such a variety of different scenes in Paris, it's not all gothic architecture and monuments. Took the métro and the buses, did some shopping (H&M Paris!) and generally just wandered around. There is a gorgeous little network of alleyways with weird international restaurants and lights everywhere in the Latin Quarter that I particularly loved. One day I'll revisit the city and go back there.

So it's not really a huge post for such a big event but, as ever, if you want any more details hit me up. I do have other news outside of Paris too. MASSIVE shout out to Uncle Steve, Aunty Claire, Liam, Michaela and Thomas for the postcard from Samoa! I hope you guys had an amazing time, keep an eye on your letterbox :)

Also just a general thank you to everyone who is keeping in contact. There are those of you that I didn't really expect to keep chatting to me while I was overseas and I am flattered that you like me enough to keep it going :) Merci beaucoup.

Im on holidays for two weeks now! Don't have many plans, want to spend a night with Taryn next week but apart from that I'm free as a bird. I might go shopping with Marion, maybe hit up the French cinema one day? It's good to be free :)

Stay Super,
Holly :)

Camp in Bordeaux

So I totally mislead you with the title. You're thinking inner city, gorgeous architecture, cute cafes. Not really. we're talking mini outer suburb AUSTENSE, a massive two storied house in the middle of the forest, next to a gorgeous lake. The house was old and cream coloured with blue shutters very French. The downside was that there were cockroaches and spiders everywhere and we had to cut firewood every half an hour to keep everyone warm haha.

Seriously though I enjoyed this weekend an indecent amount. Perhaps one of the most enjoyable nights of my life, I am so crazy glad I am involved with AFS. I hung out with Czech David, Hungarian Richard and French Foucauld. And met up with some of the girls I roomed with in Paris - Brazilian Maria, Norwegian Vilde, Japanese Eri. I'll post a photo of the camp in this space once it goes up online - we're going to be in the Sud-Ouest Newspaper!

The accuiellis, gosh I think that's how you spell it (kids from overseas) did games and activities together, getting to know each other and talking about what we like/don't like about France, one on one interviews about how things are going, crazy French dancing games outside in the rain etc. We wrote letters to ourselves to read at the end of our exchanges. The partants (french kids going overseas) did other stuff, including my host sister Marion - who passed the English test to go into America! It doesn't mean she will but she is allowed to.

Im going to volunteer for AFS as SOON as I get back into New Zealand, the volunteers at this camp were absolutely amazing, treating us like equals and sharing stories and being so understanding I can actually not wait for the next camp in December.

Other camp activities included a talent show (I did a magic trick with cards and a boy called Alexi), silent breakfast with no conventional cutlery (Johan was using a mug to scoop his cereal out of the silicon cake mould he was using as a bowl into his mouth I couldn't breathe I was laughing so hard). And helping to prepare dinner too! I like cooking so it totally wasn't a chore for me, I was involved in the fruit salad, the capsicum and tomato sauce and something with garlic I never really saw.

So yeah, it would take the longest post ever ever to explain in full all of the things I did this weekend, you should see how many pages I filled in my diary, but that's the gist. There are so many more notes I want to make but I am practising restraint. As ever, if anyone is curious, hit me up for details.

Next post will be sometime next week because in exactly six days Marion and I depart for Paris. Casually. More details on that as I receive them, just know that I am crazy excited to see Paris again, and hang out one on one with Marion (hearing some of the horror stories from the other accuiellis I feel so sorry for them, but crazy happy for me because she is such an awesome host sister).

Stay Super,
Holly :)

Un Mois

Salut,

Un Mois means one month in French, and to celebrate my one month anniversary here in France, Taryn and I went ALL out shopping in Pau and she stayed the night at mine afterwards :)

I bought clothes from Jennyfer, Bershka and H&M and some shoes from a shoe place I don't remember but they're cute trust me :) It was beautiful weather, apart form two mini torrents that sent us running like absolute butters from bar shelter to bar shelter until we found a cafe and sat down to eat. And on Sunday Taryn and I made an Oreo cheesecake because master chefs.

It was awesome to see someone familiar after so long without it, and incredibly to talk (and we talked for HOURS) about everything we'd been up to. Taryn is now officially the person who knows the most about my exchange so far, and her stories were so, so, so interesting too.

So this month felt like it absolutely flew by. 30 days just doesn't take as long as it used to. My French has definitively improved, even if I don't form the negative how I was taught in class (omg nobody uses the "ne" it's nuts). Keeping busy has helped me a whole lot and I'm enjoying this so, so much now. I wouldn't give up my time here for anything in the world, and I just know that come January I am going to be so sad to leave this place.

I've been keeping a journal too, and today for the first time I went back and read some of what I had written from the beginning of my exchange. Things have changed so much, the initial emotional turbulence has subsided into a kind of constant happiness. I'm so AWARE of how much fun I am having, and how lucky I am to have been giving every opportunity that I have been given. I couldn't have asked for a better setting for my exchange.

Also, I hit 1000 page views just the other day, and my blog is now officially linked on the AFS website, which is awesome. Thanks everybody for checking in, I'm trying my hardest to keep you all perfectly up to date but if you ever have any questions, or comments or you just want to harass me a bit, leave a comment here, on my Facebook, or my email (missanne@hotmail.co.nz). I swear I'm actually a pretty nice person, I will reply.

Stay Super,
Holly

Pau, Bordeaux, Paris

I think I post too much. If you guys are getting sick of me, just tell me and I can lay off a little.

BUT gosh I had an amazing weekend. And my schedule is looking rather tasty for the next few weeks too :)

So, this weekend. Saturday I had class which was ugh but not so bad maybe because I don't do terribly in the sciences and the Chinese teacher has already put my in the hopless pile, where I relax most comfortably :)

Then that afternoon I came home and began to prepare the evening meal for the family (because I went all out). I had done the shopping for it Friday afternoon at a MASSIVE grocery store called Carrefour. anyway, I baked beer bread, and fried beer batter fish and oven baked some chips. Get it? Fish and chips ahahaha kiwi as bro. I also did a butterscotch self saucing pudding for dessert which was awesome. The family liked it and were very nice about it and I have to cook it again sometime apparently :) success.

And then today (Sunday) I went to my first chapter meeting. Contrary to what I previously believed, I don't actually know anybody in my chapter, but I had Marion with me and everyone else was equally unacquainted so between the group we made friends of eachother. Some interesting people of note:

Richard (Hungary): taught me how to count to ten in Hungarian! I've already forgotten but I will google it
Uhaina (French): really really nice and I taught her the cup song, she is hosting Richard
David (Czech Republic): speaks perfect English, and is equally nice

And I'll be seeing them again at the AFS camp in two weeks too!

Wich brings me to my schedule. So this weekend coming up Taryn Swete is coming over, as you all know, which I am excited about! Marion and Laure are going to come shopping with us too. The NEXT weekend the AFS camp is in Bordeaux, Marion and I are catching the train in and I get Saturday morning classes off! Then the NEXT weekend, we go to Paris and again I get classes off. Then as soon as I return, it is Alexia and Laures birthday party :)

Phewwww I'll be busy. But I am CRAZY looking forward to it all, I will probably post again after Taryn comes so until then,

Stay Super,
Holly

Happenings

So this is just a general update, let y'all know what's the hishaps around town.

First off, thanks to all my readers! This blog is getting more attention than I thought it would (and more than it deserves probably). And from people I didn't expect too (Hey Mr McConchie!!). Anyway, thanks for stopping in, I feel very loved :)

So that Mal du pays thing is more or less over - I still miss home and everything but not to the point where I would trade any moment here for it. I will come home when January comes, don't you worry, but I'm fully enjoying things here.

I joined a gym too! It's adorable, quite small and 100% females only. There is a cardio section with bikes and cross trainers and every half an hour a circuit class with weight training at one minute intervals and Zumba!! Man, Zumba is fun. The gym keeps me occupied in the afternoons and the endorphins keep me happy and all, it works all round.

Also, next weekend, fellow nz Afs student Taryn Swete is coming up from Tarbes (around 50km away) for a sleepover!! I'll meet her at the train station in Pau at around midday and we will do some much needed clothes shopping in the city centre, I am going to force feed her this caramel de buerre sallé icecream and she will come stay the night at mine. I am so e xcited about this, it'll be awesome to compare experiences so far with another exchange student!!

Speaking of other exchange students, I have my first French chapter meeting on Sunday. In New Zealand these were awkward affairs for me, because most of the time I was the only NZ student there, and all of the international students kind of grouped and spoke in their own language. Now the shoe is thoroughly on the other foot, I'll do another post afterwards to let you all know how it goes.

MUSIC: the music scene here is incredible. I have already been introduced to some French music that I ADORE and an entirely new genre that I cannot stop listening to (its called ambient downtempo but I'm pretty sure it's an acquired taste so don't go googling it and getting your hopes up). Also, (this addressed to the GROUP) my friend Laure loves Lana del Ray! These people are awesome, really.

Also, fun fact, if a teacher can't come into class, neither does the class. Myhistory teacher
feels an impending disaster next Monday which means for me two hours of potentially chilling. Bless this system.


That's all I got for now, but I have no doubt left out vital information. That'll come when I remember it :)

Stay super,
Holly