Life has been busy busy lately (When is it not?). School started three weeks ago which has been taking up most of my time. We go from 8am-4pm, except Wednesdays at noon. It is different, more strict than even my elementary school. There are six years of secondary school here (seventh through twelfth grade in America). It is strange going to school with kids my brother's age! There are three of us and we were put in the "French-Science" section, so we have tons of french and science classes each week, plus the rest of the "core" classes like history, geography, etc.
They are so disorganized here, our schedules are different every day and we never have class in the same classroom. If I didn't have someone to follow, I would probably miss all my classes. They are letting us drop the more difficult classes in a couple weeks, which will be nice. I did not come half way across the world to spend all my time learning physics in another language! If I wanted to take those classes, I could have taken them at South. It is getting better though, the other students are warming up to us. I am having a good time at lunch and study periods! I've started playing poker with a lot of the kids at lunch, even though I have absolutely no idea how to play and am probably making a fool of myself every time.
I am also starting to understand a lot more. I've found that in class when I want to pay attention, I understand what is going on for the most part. It is more the material that I don't understand, rather than the language.
Other than that, I adore my host family. I went kayaking with 150 other exchange students and some rotex. It was so amazing. I have a birthday party to attend to right now, but more to come soon.
Until then,
Clarissa
1 comment:
Delightful blog. It reminds me however of a wonderful treat Mother,that would be your greatgrandmother Edna Merrill, the artist whose paintings grace your walls in Eugene, gave me in the fall of 1942 just months before I went into the Navy. She took me to New York city to introduce me to that City she had come so much to love in the years just after WWI. We went to the museums, plays, opera's and the Bronx Zoo. We rode on the subways, buses, taxicabs and had wonderful horse drawn carriage rides down 5th Avenue and in Central Park.
Most memorable however after all these years, was that we had four meals every day for the two weeks we were there. Each meal was at a different, usually ethnic restaurant and the simple rule was to order the first thing on the menu with which we were unfaniliar. How wonderful! She, of course, always got much further down the menu than I did but those 75 or so meals were so glorious that in all the years since, in all the places around the world we've been, that same drill obtains. I can think of only two or three times in the some 65 years and the thousands of meals since, that I've been disappointed. I have come to understand that cooks and chefs everywhere in the world pride themselves on their wares and most especially for guests,love to put their very best foot forward with the very best of available ingredients.
Don't, please sweetheart ever let your preconceptions of what you think of what has been put in front of you, spoil the incredible adventure awaiting you at every table you sit down to eat at. Most certainly, and of course, there will be favorite and not as favorite dishes. For instance, eel has a most distinctive flavor unique only to itself. I rarely reach for it on a menu unless it is used just as a condiment accentuating the flavor of a main dish, perhaps like anchovies also do. Not for the main dish certainly but as a fresh unique salty flavor.
Thy this sort of adventurous dining. It will guarantee you a life of adventurous pleasure.
Love, Grandfather.
PS. My blog name has been chosen but it is not up and running yet. I'll let you know when it is.
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