Tag: Encinal High School Alumni

“We travel because we need to, because distance and difference are the secret tonic of creativity. When we get home, home is still the same. But something in our mind has been changed, and that changes everything.” -Jonah Lehrer

Traveling abroad with Greenheart Travel was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The two weeks abroad in France were both incredible and I had a blast completely immersing myself in a different language and culture. I feel like I changed so much mentally and physically (definitely more buff from all the walking) from my time in France. It’s such a rewarding feeling taking the skills we learn in textbooks and utilizing them in the real world. It feels surreal. From purchasing a train ticket à la gare de La Hume to asking about the oldest church in La Teste, my French skills came to life and gave all those verb conjugations and French vocabulary cards meaning.

My prediction on my previous blog came true. I do miss my host mom, Valérie, more than anyone else because she’s the one I felt most comfortable around. I miss her light beige house with the beautiful garden and the clothesline in the backyard. I miss hearing the song “Manic” by Caravan Palace every night when she prepared dinner. I miss the salami and arugula and cheese sandwiches. I miss the pink-orange sunsets with the most wondrous clouds she took Hannes and I to see over oysters. I miss the bay she took me to where the water was way too cold to get into and swim in. That’s the funny thing about traveling. When you leave the country and are back to the reality at home, you notice more and more differences and start to miss the little things.

Surprisingly, adapting back to life at home was a lot harder for me than getting used to everyday life in France. My culture shock was much more intense returning home by a landslide. When I arrived in France, it was a Sunday and the very next day I went to school and was completely used to the 9 hour time difference. However, upon returning back to the US, it took me well over a week to adjust to Pacific Standard time. I would be exhausted throughout the day and wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning. Maybe I subconsciously knew in the heart of hearts that I really belonged in France.

As for schooling back in the States goes, I feel a lot more comfortable speaking French in my AP French class, and I am sure that my comprehension has definitely improved. Some days in France, my friends and I would only speak French with each other, where I could use the informal “tu” form, which was helpful because I would exclusively use the formal “vous” form at school and at home. At school in America, my exposure to the French language has been whittled down from 24/7 in France to 1 hour a day Monday through Friday. No doubt in my mind that the highlight of my day is going to that class because I love the language so much and my professor is extremely hard-working and enthusiastic. I really hope that in my lifetime, I will be able to visit France again, and maybe even live there. In these 2 weeks I have learned more about myself, and had the chance to experience the unpredictable every single day, which delineates a good adventure.

Autumn Lee is 16 years old and lives in Alameda, California. Her goal during her language program in France is to “improve my French vocabulary and understand in more depth the French culture and people.” Follow Autumn’s adventures in France on her weekly blog post updates.

This was the first time I celebrated my birthday in France, but definitely not the last! Valérie, my host mom, spent her Friday afternoon making this cheesecake for me and it was the best one I’ve ever had in my 17 years (exactly, as of today) of life. One of my friends from school came over for dinner and we had jambon de Bayonne, which was a first for me, and a version of caprese salad before the cheesecake.

My host mom is one of the most kind people I’ve ever met. My best memories in France were all with her and I’m probably going to miss her more than anyone else. She made the most delicious dinners and wasn’t even mad when I told her that I lost one of her spoons in the park. In the morning she would always ask if I slept well, wanted to know about my day when we came back from school, and drove Hannes and I to get ice cream and to watch the sun set (which was my favorite memory from this trip). Like I mentioned in my previous blog, she also asked what I wanted for lunch everyday. 

For two weeks straight, I wanted the same lunch: a salami, cheese, and arugula sandwich. Valérie said that she gets her salami from a local butchery and they make all their products there, which is probably why it is SO GOOD. Their cheese is also to die for, and arugula just happens to be my second favorite leafy green. 

Le bassin des ostréiculteurs, Oyster Farm

My host family is friends with an oyster farmer who owns a small restaurant right on the bay. We went there on Thursday night and I finally got to try French oysters! 

Valérie taught Hannes and I how to properly eat oysters, which I thought was fascinating. First, you pick up the oyster with one hand and get a knife in the other to separate the body from the shell. Then you squeeze a lemon into it and drink the oyster’s bodily liquids mixed with the lemon juice. Lastly, you take a fork, stab the thing, and eat it. Easy, right? Not for me. I think I butchered the French oyster consuming routine because I nearly scrambled the poor animal in its own shell and most of the liquid spilled out in the process. They were not my favorite, but I had two anyway. It was a beautiful night and it was a great way to spend one of my last nights in France. 

Bordeaux, France

The one day it rained was the day we went to Bordeaux. One of the great things about the program is that we get to experience French school, Arcachonian activities, touristy shenanigans, and also spend time with a French family every day. It’s a really nicely balanced schedule in my opinion. Sometimes the activities in the afternoon are playing volleyball at the beach or badminton in the park, and sometimes they’re more fun and exciting like going to Aqualand (a dihydrogen monoxide park) or Bordeaux, or canoeing 10 kilometers up and downstream. 

Bordeaux was by far my favorite afternoon activity. Some of my friends were disappointed that it rained, but I happen to love the rain a good bit, as I don’t get to experience it very often (thanks a lot, California drought). Bordeaux is a beautiful city, rich with history, and the architecture is incredible. I’m glad I got to see the city aside from just the airport, but one day I would like to visit the outer parts of Bordeaux. I was told that there are old houses and other neighborhoods outside the square that are worth visiting.

La dune du Pilat, Pilat Sand Dune

La Dune du Pilat, or Pyla is supposedly the biggest sand dune in Europe! This was one of our afternoon activities and it surely was an arduous walk up to the top! Although I only counted 135 steps, they felt incessant. I was so exhausted when I finally got to the end, but the view was well worth it.  

It was hot that day, but there was a fair amount of wind at the dune. One of my friends told me it was 32 degrees which I was really confused about until I realized that the rest of the world uses the metric system. This past week, I was the only American at school and it was very interesting. We had another debate in class, this one on “le peine du mort”, the death penalty, and a lot of students were surprised that the United States still practices it. I’ve had friends ask me about Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and some that have asked me to help them speak English with an American accent. Fatima, one of the students in the avancé class with me studies in Paris at an American school. I originally thought she was from the U.S. because she speaks with a Californian accent and even said “hella” a few times.

Les amies, Friends

During my first week, I met so many amazing people and felt blue the minute they left. Luckily, everyone at the school is friendly, and it wasn’t hard to make new friends. Pictured below from left to right is: Mar from Spain, Swantje from Germany, me, Alaitz from Basque Country, and Paula from Spain. I miss them already. It’s crazy how close you can get to some you’ve only known for a week or two.

Mar and Alaitz made a song about the most common phrases they heard in France at school from the teachers and monitors, and they taught me the dance that goes along with it. The lyrics are, “Allez, allez, on y va, dépêchez-vous, nous sommes en retard”, which essentially means come on, let’s go, hurry up, we’re late! I found it really funny and laughed for probably 3 days because of it.

I do wish I had purchased a French SIM card or paid for international service with my carrier prior to coming to France. Don’t get me wrong, I had a wonderful time without it, and I survived two weeks without service (crazy, right?!), but convenience wise, I think it’s a good idea to have it. 

I tried to buy a SIM card during my first week in France, but you legally have to be 18 to get it yourself! Luckily, my host brother had service, but we didn’t spend every waking moment together and sometimes it was hard to coordinate plans that worked for both of our schedules. 

Despite the minor inconvenience of not having a working phone, my couple of weeks in France were probably the most memorable and best 14 days I’ve experienced. Things started to become easier for me the second week and everything felt more comfortable. The language became more and more familiar and I fell in love with the culture. 

Autumn Lee is 16 years old and lives in Alameda, California. Her goal during her language program in France is to “improve my French vocabulary and understand in more depth the French culture and people.” Follow Autumn’s adventures in France on her weekly blog post updates.

Le quartier d’Arcachon, Arcachon Neighborhood 

Wow there are a lot of roundabouts in France! On the car ride home from the airport, my curiosity was a solid 10/10 and I had my nose pressed up against the glass the whole time, looking out the window to the city. Bordeaux and Arcachon are both very different from each other, as Arcachon is right on the water and has a pleasant breeze, while in Bordeaux, it’s crazy hot because the square doesn’t get much wind. Bordeaux is also much busier and touristy. Arcachon is probably the size of the town I live in in California and it’s so small, that it’s pretty difficult to get lost in. The French language school is only 5 or 10 minutes away from the train station and there is always a monitor waiting for us there to walk all the students to school.

I tested into the most advanced class at school and I was surrounded by kids who were nearly fluent from Northern France, Belgium and Germany. Our teacher, Jerôme speaks only French and incredibly fast; I only fully understand him maybe 50% of the time. In class we learned about tenses I had never heard about like the “plus que parfait” and the “futur antérieur”. There’s a lot of speaking in class and on Friday I had my first debate in French. Every day is challenging at school and sometimes I feel like it’s too difficult, but I know that I’m learning so much and absorbing the language like a sponge.

It took me too long to realize this, but it’s okay and actually beneficial to make mistakes, especially while speaking. How do you learn from yourself if you don’t make mistakes? 

La maison et Hannes, the House and Hannes

My host family is extremely nice and considerate. The mother, Valérie, asks me what I want for lunch every day and always wants to know how my day was and what I did. She is fluent in English, but we only speak French to each other. Hannes, another student staying with the same host family is from Germany and he loves playing with the family cat, Simba, who is just 6 months old. He has big green eyes and is a brat most of the time, but makes up for his attitude with his looks (the cat, not the boy btw). I really love the house I’m in because I get my own room with a see through door that overlooks the beautiful garden and opens up to the deck. The sink and shower are separate from the toilets, and this took some time getting used to. 

Les crevettes géantes, Giant prawns

“Les crevettes géantes du Piment Noir” (black pepper prawns) was the first meal I ordered by myself in French and has definitely been one of my favorites since. Arcachon Bay is famous for their seafood and I can understand why! Their “moules frites” (muscles and fries) are spot on as well and very inexpensive. I’m a huge fan of seafood and tomorrow I’m trying oysters! For the first couple of days, I would get really nervous before ordering and ask the waiter/ waitress questions in English or have a friend order for me, but I was determined to get those prawns even if it meant stepping out of my comfort zone and utilizing basic first year French skills: ordering food in a restaurant. But the reward is worth it. I mean how could you wrong with giant pepper prawns covered in butter and lemons?

Les amies, Friends 

One of the best aspects of this travel program is having the opportunity to meet people my age with similar interests and with the shared affinity of the French language and culture. Pictured from left to right is Vera from Switzerland, me, Sara from Italy, Selina from China, and Lale from Germany. I didn’t expect to become such close companions with kids halfway across the globe from the United States, but I am so grateful and happy to have met them. We became inseparable; we share food with each other, lend each other bathroom money practically daily, and compare our cultural differences. I was able to use the “tu” (informal) form with them and practice lots of French, as well as learn words and phrases in Swiss-German, German, Italian, and Chinese. I taught them the word “hella” which they found hilarious, but is actually a very commonly used, colloquial word in California.

Un bateau à Arcachon, a Boat in Arcachon

If I could give advice to someone considering participating in a summer immersion program, it would be to keep your mind open to new and exciting experiences and to remember to always live in the moment. The music they play on the boats are different from what you listen to at home, the public restrooms cost €.50 to use, they’re not free, and the language they speak is not what you’re used to, it’s foreign!  

Culture shock is real. Trust me and listen to Megan Arzbaecher when she says it’s unavoidable. Being in a different country by yourself is intense and scary, but that’s what makes it such a great adventure. There’s a lot of delicious food and a lot of food that you will find absolutely disgusting, but it’s a great idea to give everything at least a try, because who knows if you’ll ever have the opportunity to try it again. 

I feel like there comes a point in time in your foreign language studies where you no longer feel the need to translate everything you hear into English first in order to understand it, but rather understand the language without filtering it through your mother tongue first. It’s a rewarding feeling and I think that I’m starting to get to this point. 

Autumn Lee is 16 years old and lives in Alameda, California. Her goal during her language program in France is to “improve my French vocabulary and understand in more depth the French culture and people.” Follow Autumn’s adventures in France on her weekly blog post updates.

Greenheart Travel is excited to send a group of amazing high school students to language camps overseas as part of our 2016 Travel Correspondent Scholarship awards. To help introduce our inspiring writers, we are doing a series of spotlight interviews to help you get to know a little more about who they are, where they will be headed and what inspired them to learn a new language abroad.

Read on to meet 16-year-old, Autumn Lee, our Greenheart Travel Correspondent from Alameda, California, who’ll be traveling to Arcachon for her summer language camp in France!

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I love learning to play new instruments. So far, I play the piano, flute, piccolo, and clarinet, and I will be playing the saxophone in marching band next year.

Have you traveled abroad before?

I really enjoy exploring new places and I have traveled abroad to the Caribbean, China, Mexico, Canada, Italy, and France. Every summer, I go to Hawaii for a week or two and snorkel and kayak in the Pacific ocean, which is one of my favorite things to do.

What got you interested in learning French and traveling abroad?

A few years ago when my older sister graduated from high school, her big present was a trip to Europe. For 2 weeks, my family stayed in France and during that time, and I developed an affinity for the French language and culture. After that summer, I signed up for French as an elective freshmen year. It has been 3 years and I am still completely fascinated with it.

What are you most excited to experience during your language camp?

This summer, I am going to Arcachon, France and I am so excited to improve my French vocabulary and accent! I’m also looking forward to the beautiful scenery, and of course the French cuisine.

Why do you feel it’s important to travel to a new place and learn a new language?

I think it’s extremely important to travel and learn new languages because it opens the door to opportunity. With an understanding of culture and language, communication is plausible and can lead to connections in the private and domestic sphere.

What are you nervous about as you prepare for your language camp?

I am very thrilled and ecstatic to travel this summer, but I am also very nervous to be away from my family and travel on my own. Despite that impediment, I think that I will be just peachy in France.

How well do you speak a second language at this point?

At this point, I have a pretty solid understanding of many French verbs and have the ability to hold a conversation and ask questions formally and informally.

How do you think you will change the most during your time abroad?

During my time abroad, I hope to advance my French skills, meet some amazing people, and learn to love the oysters. I think that I will return to the States with a deeper understanding of the French culture and hope to be very prepared for AP French 5 in the fall!

 

Autumn Lee is 16 years old and lives in Alameda, California. Her goal during her language program in France is to “improve my French vocabulary and understand in more depth the French culture and people.” Follow Autumn’s adventures in France on her weekly blog post updates.