Back to School

I am so glad I have a fabulous roommate who remembers things in the morning. I am not much of a morning person, I love the morning, but I normally sleep through as much of it as I can. This makes me sad, I would love to be a morning person because I tend to enjoy it when I am awake, it's just that attaining that awake stage is very difficult for me before 9.

All the same, I woke up this morning very confused with Lisa knocking on my door. I couldn't figure out why she was knocking on my door and telling me it was 6:30 until my brain started comprehending English again and heard her say, "don't you need to leave at 7?"  Then the fact that I was going to school with Lyse (I've been spelling her name wrong--Liz is now Lyse).

So the day started off with a dash and is just now slowing down at 5 (no worries, it's not over yet still :-p)

I made it down to the cabinet dentaire (dentist office) at the hospital where I was meeting Lyse. I was there by 7:04. Not bad really since I managed a shower and breakfast and to collect a trillion things to drag with me, just in case. 

About the time I was wondering if I missed her, Lyse showed up. We headed off to School as Lyse was explaining that when she was coming everyone was asking where she was going and she just told them, "to get my sister" And when everyone would ask "who? who?" she would just repeat, "to get my sister." It was quite clear that she was happy as pie that I was coming with her! She also told me that everyone was fighting over where I should sit once I did get there, but she said I wanted to sit with her (quite true, Lyse speaks quite a bit of English and she's good at speaking her French super slowly and clearly so I can figure out what's going on). 

Lyse and Davis's sister (sadly, I can't quite remember her name), Davis, and Lyse outside the school

At school we went to her classroom. Each class has it's own room and the teachers go to the class. While we were waiting for school to start Alexia and Sterly came by to say "hi" (or bonjour, really) from their class (quatreième but that's French system, so it's like U.S. 8th grade, Lyse is in Seconde which is U.S. 10th grade, and Davis is in Terminale which is U.S. 12th grade). And Lyse introduced me to all her friends in the room. It was name after name that was just foreign enough that I really had no idea what their names were. But I tried my usual headnod and smile and "oui" and it seemed to work. (Later they wrote them down for me and then they made more sense. 

First up was English class. I'm not really sure what hapened, but I think it wasn't English. The professor introduced himself in English, but what with all the other students chattering in French and the professor not speaking very loudly and Lyse and my seat being in the very back, I only caught that they were not having class today and that I was welcome to come back another time. Which actually kinda makes sense now, but at the time I took "class" to mean "school" and I thought he was maybe telling me to leave, except that he kept saying I was welcome. So it came across something like, "You're welcome here, but we're not having class today, so come back another time (not today?) and welcome, but not today." I was thoroughly confused and looked to Lyse for help, except he'd spoken in English and I don't think she followed either.

He asked if I spoke French, I believe he asked this in English. I responded in French, and he looked confused, so I repeated "Un peau" in French. The kids started laughing and doing that "oooh" like "oooh some one's in trouble!" noise. Then I realised. This is the ENGLISH teacher speaking to me in ENGLISH and I am for some reason responding in French. I was throughly confused about what language I was speaking in all morning really. But I'm just hoping he wasn't offended that I didn't think he'd understand English or something and takes it as the poor confused white kid. 

Anyway, then he started calling out names and numbers and then names and then students were calling out numbers while everyone was talking. This went on for about an hour. After a while I determined based on a few clues (like one equation on Lyse's notebook) that he must've given each student an equation and then recalled them and they were giving the answer. But a couple of students would say answers frequently and they were all different...so I don't really know what was happening and either I didn't understand what Lyse was telling me or she didn't understand my question about what was going on. Or more likely it was both.

After English/turned math/socilization time it was recreation time. This is a little break where you can get up and walk around and go buy a sandwhich or say hi to friends.  We met up with Davis (Lyse's brother) and went and got a sandwhich. They asked what kind I wanted but I couldn't tell what kind they were so I told them to choose and I ended up with viande which is meat. It was really fantastic. I didn't get to most of it until 3pm, and I question my sanity since I let it sit in my purse till then...but oh well. If I start puking my guts up soon I'll have learned my lesson. 

Lyse and Davis introduced me to a biology teacher and a math teacher and the director of the school before it was time to return to class.

Davis, me, Director of the school. They are both nice and friendly....even though they look kinda angry in this picture. People here don't always smile for photos. But I did, which makes this photo sorta funny looking.

Lyse had Biology next and she was part of a group giving an expose (presentation). As best I can understand this expose was on growing plants and the variable factors to growing a plant (manioc seemed to be the example) outside versus in a greenhouse where you can control the temp and water and add extra CO2, etc. 

After the group gave the presentation there were remarks. I don't know what they were, but the students were sure getting into it. Pretty much all I caught was "I have a simple remark" and then whatever he said next wasn't very simple sounding to me. The kids were jumping up and very exuberant.

And then came question time. Oh vey. I have never seen highschoolers fighting to get a chance to ask questions! They were all angry when they thought they were being ignored too long and everyone had questions and then the presenters had to answer them. If the presenter answered in a way the class liked then they'd break out into applause. It was hysterical. All these teenagers so excited about fields versus green houses. At the end they were all yelling at eachother. I think some were angry at Lyse, but it's hard to tell since yelling at someone and looking angry seems to also just be how they discuss anything here. I have no idea what it was all about, but just that difference of students fighting to participate in school versus wishing they had nothing to do with it was facinating. 

It's a very relaxed atmosphere during class. The kids all talk (while still listening and debating somehow) and at one point Davis showed up with her camera and was walking around the classroom taking pictures. I found this terribly awkward. But no one else seemed to care. 

After Biology was another break. During this break some of the girls around us asked me tons of questions. Pulcherie asked the most. She wanted to know everything about school in the US. These was difficult for me since I was homeschooled. To be honest, normal highschool is really a mystery for me. I work off of movies and I have no idea how accurate those are. My friends tended to just say the had classes and lunch and that is about as detailed a description I've ever managed to hear. So I explained that I did school at home and was taught by my mom with my siblings. This amazed them. So they asked what I subjects I learned. Then they were amazed that I'm 23 and have finished university (college). They said that you are normally 30 when you've finished here.  They also asked if young people are Christians in the US, so I explained that some are and some aren't but that schools tend to be pretty anti-christianity so that makes it difficult for students to know what is true.  It was pretty interesting conversation. I had a hard time understanding Pulcherie because she talked very quickly and not very loudly . There were lots of other students around talking loudly so I could rarely make out everything she said. So she'd ask something quickly and then look expectant. I would try and make since of it and then say something like, "encore? Doussament!" And then Plucherie would smack Lyse and ask her translate. Lyse would then slowly repeat whatever Plucherie had said a few times while I pieced it together. It was slow but it worked!

In back there is Pulcherie and me. She was super excited and came jumping out of her bench and running around to sit by me for the photo. It was funny. That's Jeanne right in front of us.

I've been told that this is because of lots of strikes and canceled school days etc. These mean that kids often end up having to repeat a year because they didn't have enough days in the year to count as a school year and of course people fail too. Davis is repeating his last year again because he didn't pass English, but I've heard that's pretty common too. 

I was introduced as an English Professor (or teacher really) all day, which I felt a little bad about, because I haven't actually ever taught yet. But I guess it's close enough. 

After a little while we went off to find Davis. He and Lyse took me on a tour of the school. There was this bizzare painting of a distraught looking man with a giant ant eating him. The ant had entirely swallowed his foot and didn't look nearly satiated. I pointed it out  and said something about the ant eating the man, and Davis and Lyse seemed to think it perfectly normal and explained something but I didn't really understand. I'll have to bring this up Sunday when Lisa is around to help explain! It was really a little creepy.

We came across more of my friends, Alogia and another girl I think maybe Gina or Pricillia and then another girl I know named Mimita.  And there was lots more picture taking. I asked Davis to bring his camera next sunday so I can get the pictures from him. All their friends wanted to be in a picture with me. It was pretty funny.

Then it was time to head back to class. We went back after promising Davis to drop by his class. After waiting around a while Everyone got up and started leaving saying "we're finished." I thought maybe they didn't take Spainish (although that didn't explain why they came back to sit around. And then Lyse explained the Spanish professor wasn't there today so we could leave. So we went down to meet Davis's class.

This was awkward. Davis introduced me, then he wanted me to say something. I asked if he meant in English, and he said "no, in french" so I gave it a go. I really didn't have much to add to what Davis had already said and I got the impression they just wanted me to speak. But my French was pretty awful which amused them and then all the students told me to speak in English. So I apologized for my French and proceeded to say the same things again but in English. Then Davis wanted me to see his desk. And then he wanted a picture of me in with the class, so people made room for me and then I think people were starting to get a little uppity with their comments so Lyse decided it was time to go, which was fine because the whole thing was a little awkward really. 

You would think that would be a good end right there, but no!

However, it's time for me to go, so the rest will have to wait for another installment tomorrow!