Settled at last!

So, sorry I haven't been keeping up to date as much as I would like. But if been really busy!! Everything here is going great. France is amazing, the people are great, all is swell. Of course I miss home like crazy, but each day I'm starting to think less and less about home, and more about french culture, language, and live.

School here is different, as I stated before. I don't have ANY classes on wednesdays :D and the rest are not bad! Yes, of course, taking tests and trying to explain the effect of technology on modern day society is extremely hard...and of course, Im pretty sure I failed that test, but I always get 20/20 on my math exams!!

This weekend, it was my host brothers birthday. So, last night we had a Fête four him with his friends. It was so much fun, and so different than back at home. I've realized, especially with the teenagers here, my favorite words are "oui" et "d'accord"....even if I don't understand :p

Now, today is Sunday the 19th of September, and I had my first experience of French VTT. I've always learned about it in french class...but it is nothing that you can imagine. You literally are biking through puddles of modd (3 feet deep), flying through cow crap, dodging trees....etc. It is amazing, dangerous, but FUN. Also, I started playing handball with my host brother in his club. Again, we play european handball in gym class, but it is nothing here. It is like basketball, with soccer nets, yet you play like football...since you can push and shove and all that fun stuff. AND also, tomorrow I start my swimming team. I wanted to swim so I went to the pool, and then I asked if they had some teams. Next thing you know, Im swimming with the Dole Dauphins ;]

I miss everyone at home but Ill try to update as much as possible! I have to go shower now, since i have cow crap on me from vtt. yumm.

Avec l'amore

Ryan :]

Bonjour!!!

I am very sorry for not updating a lot. But, i just got to le Deschaux on Sunday!! But. France is amazing. Everything is SOOO old where I live, 700 and something years!!! Paris was gorgeous. the tour eiffel was bigger and more amazing then one could possibly think. I stayed in a hostel with afs people and it was a once i a life time experience! The food was different and the culture took some getting use to...since almost every one smoke in france. On sunday, I took the train from Paris to Dijion. I was extremely nervous to meet my family, but they are super nice! I couldn't ask for a better placement! We had lunch with the other afsers, and then we left for le Deschaux. When I arrived, I unpacked all of my clothes...which took a while...and then I went with Antoine to a "fête de moto"...like a bike show but for mopeds. There, I met all of his friends from deschaux and they were very welcoming. However, none of them go to the same high school as me since you can choose were you go to school in France. After that I learned how to play a french game with big metal balls and a little ball, its kind of like batchi ball in amercia. The next day I had to go to school. So....high school in france is NOTHING like high school in america. I go to a lycée in dole, which is a wicked old town (im going to take a video tour of my route from the bus stop to the school...you will see what I mean ;] also Ill take pictures of the school and the village) on Mondays I go to school until 4 o'clock...but I have 2 hours for lunch! the same with Tuesdays except, I finish at 3 one weeks and 2 the following week! However, today, which is Tuesday I had class for only one hour beacuse two of my teachers were on strike. so those classes were cancelled. However, when I went to get on the bus at 12..it never came. So i waited until 2...then was told the bus driver was on strike. So I went shopping, and waited for Antoine to finish his classes at 3 so he could help me!!! It is literally the same thing as college.... I have to walk out side in the poring rain to all of my classes, because there are like 5 buildings. Also, there is a since of freedom and trust that we don't have in the US. You do what you want, you go where you want, and you can leave when you want. For lunch, if I was to leave and go to a café or go shopping, then I can. It is way easier then going to a high school in the united states.

I have never kissed so many people in my life. It goes as follows, "salut! Ça va (kiss on right cheeck, kiss on left cheeck) oui, bien et toi" to all of your friends, people you are meeting for the first time, and your family. It is way more welcoming then "hi (do nothing....walk away). When I told my friends that we don't do the kisses in America they said "COMMENT?!?!!? Qu'est-ce que nous faisons" or what do you do?! and I just said, we say hi, and if it is someone that you know well then you may hug, and they thought that was the most bizzare thing in the world. c'est ça...simplement diffèrent

Bread. It is one word. But it means soooo much in France. I literally have not gone one meal yet without eating bread. This morning I woke up and I ate bread for breakfast. Not toast, but bread with nutella and jam. With breakfast I drank coffee...but its out of a bowl here :D For lunch, I had errr oh yea bread. And it was with pork and rice. The cafeteria is like a restaurant in the USA. IT has GOOD food. It is extremely strange to me. But i like it :] For dinner I ate bread. bread. bread. The main course was cucumbers in a balsamic-creame mixture hahah it was interesting but very good!!! After every dinner, we eat cheese :] with bread. and then we have yogurt and fruit, with bread. and then finally we eat some sort of chocolate :D but there is not bread with that :[

France is amazing, beautiful, and amazing. The people are all of the preceding as well. I love everyone at home, but for now I am at home!!! I promise I will come home eventually and I wont forgot you guys :]

Avec beaucoup d'amour et bisou

Ryan

p.s. Sorry if my english is really bad and its not flowy or smooth...I havent used it that much here :] and it is bad to begin with!!!!!!

ALSO- pics to come! check my fb, merci!