It’s been one week since I arrived in France, one week and yet it already feels like I’ve been here for months. Everyone is so kind and welcoming and inclusive.

To be honest, I didn’t know how to start this blog, I have countlessly written and deleted posts. The thing is, despite how awesome a time I am having, I can’t seem to make it sound as cool as it is. From day 1 in France, the way I have thought has changed. I think in really simple sentences such as “it was good” and and “today was great”, because that way it is easier for me to translate into French or for them to understand if I speak English.

Since arriving in France my world has been a blur of excitement and confusion.My week has been awesome, it consisted of lots of walking in the forest near the house, eating tarts, attempting to pronounce french ‘r’s and failing miserably which caused a lot of laughter, and having my glorious 5 seconds of fame as ‘that new NZ exchange kid who can’t speak french’. I have loved every second! I now have a habit of carrying around a notebook to note all the differences before I find them normal and forget. Here are the top 10 I have noticed so far:

1. They drive on the right hand side of the road – I didn’t even consider this, so I got quite the shock when I saw the steering wheel was on the wrong side! When I get back to NZ, passing my restricted license will be even harder than it should be because I will be really confused!
2. Instead of putting clothing in draws, everyone’s clothes are put in 1 room lined with shelves,this is very normal apparently and forces me to keep my clothes folded and tidy 🙂 Don’t get any idea’s mum!
3. All the houses look really  antique and impressive, they all have shutters on the windows. The first morning I arrived I thought it was midnight at 10 am because they make  the room pitch black, and so even in the middle of the day there is no light. Zoe would love this!
4. The food is amazing, I swear every family I have met so far has had a minimum five different types of cheese in their fridge at all times. Hot drinks are served in bowls, it is also not disrespectful to drink left over milk out of a bowl after having cereal – it is actually a complement. At school, instead of packing lunch we eat in the canteen. Picture this at school: cheese, bread, fruit, pastries, chicken and tarts! J’adore!
5. School is different as well. We take way more subjects, including 2 languages. In Spanish class I honestly could barely tell when it was Spanish or french being spoken! Not only is the language a struggle but also the writing. Everyone writes so beautifully, all linked and cursive, so naturally I can’t read it! The number 1 is written as an upside down V and 9 is like a g. One thing that really tripped me up in maths was that instead of having decimal points, they use commas. Also, school starts at 8:00 and finishes at 5:00. Fortunately Wednesdays are half days. We leave home in the dark and arrive back in the dark.
6. They speak french. Well NUH Sophia! It just didn’t hit me until I arrived.
7. Just like in the movies, everyone greets each other with a kiss on the cheek.It takes 10 minutes to greet everyone when I arrive at school what with all the kisses! It’s also totally normal to kiss the guys too.
8. It’s freezing!! Going from the sunny NZ to temperatures of -8 degrees was a real shock to the system. Yesterday we grabbed a huge piece of ice from a barrel and put it on the lawn and this after noon it hadn’t melted at all. We are expecting snow this weekend!
9. One of the most unsettling differences for me was when I arrived in the airport to see police armed with guns from head to toe. Apparently they are everywhere because of all the terrorist attacks. When going into school everyone is monitored just in case.
10. In France EVERYONE smokes, during school there are always at least 30 students outside the gate smoking. It’s very cultural here and a way of socialising – like how we drink coffee. Even at my host sister’s (Louise) middle school you often see 12 year old’s smoking. I don’t know how I feel about this, I definitely won’t join in, but it’s really freaky seeing so many young kids smoke.

Pointless differences only I care about:

1. My host families rabbit is not wild, nor does it have 3 legs (sorry Wendy, it was not meant to be)!
2. Ca Va basically means sweet as and it is used 24/7.
3. I haven’t found any words that end in d.

So their you have it! My top 10 differences of France from NZ. I am sure there will be many more, but those were the most obvious to me. Each time I blog I will dedicate a short segment to the differences. I haven’t figured out how to upload photos, but when I do I will add them in;) Overall, this week looks like a very promising start to my exchange, I can’t wait for more!