I Need Your Input!

Read on for more info.

Today started out with Histoire. I've started getting really sick of copying notes I don't really understand. While I understand the subject and the main points, the detalistic things are still incomprehensible. I haven't really minded copying notes until lately. It's gotten really tiring, especially because I can't keep up because the kid next to me writes with his hand covering half of the paper! It drives me nuts! I usually don't finish all of them, but whatevs, it really doesn't matter.

After class, my teacher came and talked to me. She asked me how my French was. The kid next to me replied for me and said that I spoke really well. I really don't think it's that good, but I said that it was better than when I arrived. She asked me if I would mind talking in front of the Terminale class about the American view on the rest of the world. I didn't understand at first, so she explained to me that the rest of the world sees America as the greatest and most powerful and she wanted to know if we felt that way about ourselves as well. Personally, I think China and Japan are more powerful than us, and I don't think of myself as "better" or "more powerful" than any other nation in the world. Sooo this is where I need your help. My opinion is simply mine. I don't really know how you view the world or your place in it. I'm asking you, my fellow Americans, what you think. PLEASE leave me a comment or email me- missmirandamari3@hotmail.com with your input. I don't know exactly when I'll be doing this, but I'd like to hear your opinion now so that I am prepared! I told her that I didn't feel comfortable talking in front of the entire Terminale (Senior) class, yet, but when I got a little better with my French I'd give it a shot.

French was next! Unfortunately, I do not remember that class much. I was really tired this morning and everything just kind of went by in a blurr. All I remember is that we talked about a text. I don't know exactly what it was, though. Sorry.

Following that was math. That class is seriously the biggest joke. No one, and I literally mean NO ONE pays attention. Sabrina was doing her French homework, Jeremy and Jeremy were playing hangman again, Joy and some other people were throwing things across the room at each other, Alicia was eating an orange, Camille was taking pictures on her phone, and the rest of the class was talking. Hahahah! The funniest part is that the teacher has no idea. He thinks everyone is listening. He's got his back turned most of the time writing on the chalkboard, and as soon as he turns around, everyone appears to be listening (for the most part). It's great. I just kind of sat back and took it all in for a while. xD

Since it's an A week, my last class of the day was Anglais Complementaire. My class talked for theeee longest time in French and everyone was laughing and I wanted to understand, but I couldn't! It was quite frustrating! I heard my name a few times, too. Sabrina tried to explain, but it wasn't working out. Hah, oh well I guess. After class, I waited for Sabrina while she talked to the teacher. She was going to be doing a presentation or something and comparing Martin Luther King and Obama. The teacher told her that I would help (witch I will gladly do), but he explained the entire thing to me in FRENCH! He's an Englishhh teacher, c'mon! haha! I understood majority of what he said, but still, it would have been a lot faster and easier to just do it in English.

Sabrina and I then went to the cantine to eat with Marion, Laureen, and Virginie. Today I had rice with fish in a sauce, crab & pasta salad, and a chocolate eclair. I finished in about 20 minutes. It took everyone else a good hour, though. I seriously do not know how one can eat that slowly. There are 3 things to eat: the dessert (or 2), the main dish, and if you didn't take a second dessert you can take a salad instead. It's not an hour's worth of food. Lol.

After lunch, instead of going home, I hung out with the others in the library for a while. I met some other people (although I don't know their names) who made me talk in English so they could hear it with the accent. I didn't really know what to say, so I just introduced myself. They had a kick out of how "fast" I spoke. Then I had to translate the chorus of Eminem's "When I'm Gone" song. That actually was not as hard as I'd expected. Then they left and I read a little of the French dictionary. That sounds really lame, but I actually picked up a few things. Haha. Then Laureen and Marion left and it was down to Sabrina, Virginie, and I. We talked in the library until about 5 o'clock. Then we went out in front of the school. I had another super duper good day as far as my talking goes. I really am starting to be myself again. Like, I know enough French now to joke around with people, tell stories, and recall events. It's great. Today I was able to lead the conversation for a while and do majority of the talking. I came up with an ad for this "efacer" pen. Oh my God it is the most magical thing everrrr. I love it! I will buy a million of them and stuff my suitcase full when I come back! It's a marker-like pen that removes ink like an eraser erases pencil! It seriously disappears right before your eyes-- like magic! It only works with ink cartrage pens, though, so I'm going to have to take that with me, too. I don't remember seeing those much in the States.

The three of us walked down to the post office and I bought some more stamps. This time the guy asked where I was sending the postcards, and told me it costed more for overseas. I hope the ones I already sent make it, because those were just standard stamps. You will have to let me know if you receive them (which should be soon).

When we returned to the school, Wendie, Alice, Joy, Bryan, and Amèlie were there. We all talked for a while. Then Virginie left; followed by Sabrina and then Wendie, Alice, and Joy. Bryan and Amèlie hung out for a little longer, but then they left, too. I listened to a couple songs on my ipod until my host mom arrived. She had been at the Mairie with some people making the arrangements for a funeral tomorrow. The wife of our repairman died yesterday of lung cancer. The crazy thing about that is she didn't ever smoke. The funeral is tomorrow, so I think I'm going to try and take the bus home. I'm not sure exactly how that will all work, but I will find out tonight.

I came home from school and had a couple crêpes for my snack. I spread Nutella on both and added bananas to one and coconut to the other. Both were super delicious! I have eaten so many crêpes so many different ways! hahahah! That actually reminds me of something that happened at lunch today. I didn't really understand the conversation, but I thought I heard them talking about crêpes, so I join in, "Ohhh I loooove crêpes!" Sabrina laughed and laughed, then told the others what I said and they laughed, too. She told me that she had said "crete" or something like that, which is the pokey thing on top of a rooster's head. hahahahhaaaa! Ooops!

Something I've noticed that surprises me a lot is that teachers tell students their grades in front of the entire class. They read off final grades at the end of the trimester and when they hand tests back they say your grade as they hand it to you. FERPA definitely isn't in effect here! No one really has a problem with it, but I find it really strange. I don't want people knowing my grade (when I get one)! I know no one expects me to really do that well, but still! It's just so weird having the teacher read down the list with everyone's grades.

I also need to add that I made some false assumptions earlier. I told you that one could eat and drink and chew gum and text in class. Nope! You cannot have any of those things. The truth is, most teachers simply do not care. It's not enforced like it is at South. The only teachers that will take those from you are my physical science teacher and my math teacher (when he notices), or so I've heard. Those rules, however; do not apply when you are in the hallways or outside in the yard. You can do all that stuff there. The only thing you cannot do anywhere except in front of the school itself, is smoke. That is not allowed within the school and that is enforced. Personally, that does not affect me, though, so whatevs. I don't have a problem with that. I just thought I would clear all that up for you, because I remember writing at some point that one was allowed to do all that stuff, which (technically) is not the case.

I'm getting off for the night, though. Remember to leave your opinion for my history thing, please!!!! If everyone who reads this did that, I would be really happy!
THANKS!
à demain!
<3miranda