An Average Tuesday

This morning I awoke to my alarm blasting white noise at 6:15. Today was one of the days where, sadly, my radio found no station. I got ready for school, thankfully not having to do my hair (now that's a chore!). After my fantastic breakfast of Greek yogurt, fruit, homemade trail-mix and granola I caught the bus at 7:25. Never has the bus arrived a minute off. School started at 8:00 and I had my projet personelle d'orientation class which, like all the classes, lasted an hour and fifteen minutes. After a fifteen minute break I had science class. We were learning about atoms and, since I have gone over the material already, my friends, Matthieu and Gabriel, helped me with my French sentence structure. Next was éduc. which you probably know as gym class. There are four different gyms that are separated by one wall and two heavy-duty curtains. I asked someone last class how we are supposed to know which gym we are in for the day and she responded that we aren't supposed to know, every gym class we have to just all hope we are congregating in the right one. Today I was on my way to the farthest gym from the one that I was supposed to be in before someone thankfully told me that I had guessed wrong. After éduc. it was lunch and I was in the palestre with the rest of the boys to workout. There is about eight of us regulars who are in the workout room every lunch, sometimes there are new faces and some days one of us could be missing, but usually all of us are there from 12:15 until 1:00. After 1:00, when the palestre closed, I ate my delicious lunch, which was the same as breakfast because it was so good in the morning I had to have it again. My last class was math where we had an exam If I had been listening better in the previous classes I probably would have been expecting the exam. It's not that I didn't know it was coming, I just didn't know that it was today... I think I answered all of the questions correctly, except for one (how can a quadratic function only have one set of coordinates that are positive!?), but I probably lost points for the lack of work I showed. I really don't see how each question could have been worth four points. After the bell rang at 2:45, signalling the end of school, I headed to the gym for basketball practice. After basketball I had volleyball until 6:00 and learned that we are having a mini tournament on Thursday! I am excited, but I don't yet know who is on my team. When I arrived home it was supper time and I sat down to a wonderful meal of Greek salad and chicken. Dessert was ice cream along with the same delicious fruit salad I had for breakfast and lunch. At 7:00 I received a phone call from the Cadet corps here informing me that I had to pick up some papers so that I can join them this coming up weekend for Jeux des cadets (Cadet Games). I walked to our parade building before coming back home with the intention of doing my (which I should really get to, but it isn't due until Thursday so I have time). I have decided that I am going to play the piano tonight, instead. I will be able to play the instrument by the time I get back! Bonne nuit!

A Walk Home From School

Last week Charlotte and I walked home from school. She had told me that it usually only takes about fifteen minutes, but because I had stopped every few steps to either take a picture or get her to take a picture it took double that. Here are some of the better pictures, I am not much of a photographer, but I just wanted to share how nice it is here in the mountains.

The view from behind my school.

The mountains that are across the frozen Plage Haldimand (Haldimand Beach).

Directly behind me is the LM Wind Power building, there they manufacture wind turbine blades. Behind the factory is part of Gaspé, where I live.

After heading into the forest for a shortcut I looked at the beautiful mountains behind me as I prepared to climb higher. The arch is the entrance to a hiking trail.

Part way in the forest that is partially in Gaspé.

Back on the road and a block from home.

And finally we arrived at the Labbé-Gingras (and now Coffey) residence.

I am Going to be Wearing Snow Boots Tomorrow

I found someone who loves planes! Talking about aviation is a wonderful thing and those who know me know that I can talk about planes for hours. Apparently Jérôme can, too! After gym class we had an excellent conversation that involved gliders and our future careers in aviation. It was great to have someone who is interested in aeronautics to talk to. I think our talk went well, but sometimes it is difficult to know when someone is pretending to understand what you are saying or if they actually do understand. I remember, on the first day of school, Charlotte was showing me around the school and she said something. I thought that she asked me if I had spoken English with the students I had just been with, so I responded accordingly. Then it hit me what she had actually asked and if I hadn't turned beet red and said, "That was not your question..." we would have gone on believing that we had both understood the other.

I have been watching The Walking Dead and reading Harry Potter in French. I think Harry Potter is less intense in another language, but I am glad I get the chance to read it here. My goal is to be able to completely understand the screaming matches in The Walking Dead by the time I leave. Yes, I get the gist of them, but it is difficult to always understand everything they say. I am going to watch three episodes tonight so that I can catch up with the rest of the family and since my comprehension level has been steadily increasing maybe it will be soon that I know everything that is going on!

Tomorrow we are expecting a snowstorm. They say fifty centimeters of snow is going to fall, I am really excited! The wind is supposed to be blowing between 40 and 100km/hour, but if it is nice I am going to make a snow fort. The weather here is usually beautiful and the forecast says it will be minus six so I am really getting my hopes up. I am going to sit in my fort, read and eat some delicious Valentine's Day candy that I received in the mail today from my wonderful siblings. I can't wait for all the snow!

After a Week in Gaspé

A bonus to waking up a bit early here is being able to catch the sunrise over the mountains. Unlike the eight o'clock sunrise at home, it is in the sky by six forty. Yesterday I had poutine! My list is slowly being completed, my first breakfast while in Québec was crêpes and maple syrup and I am eating mille-feuille today! I went to Army Cadets last night (wearing a sea cadet shirt, they didn't notice). On paper they are a corps of only twelve cadets! Going from at least fifty of us in a gym to seven of us using a small hallway as a parade square was even more odd than doing drill in French.

A lot of the students here have been complimenting my French. I am so thankful for my awesome French teachers over the years for helping me get to where I am. Sometimes I hear someone use a word a certain way or conjugate a verb and I recall lessons I've had where I was taught how to say the same thing, but I never used it thinking that it didn't really matter. Evidently it does matter...

It feels like I've been here for way more than a week, every day has been incredible and I am ready for another one!

First Day of School

My first day of school in Gaspé, Québec, was confusing, yet fantastic. I can't remember the teaches' name, never mind where any of the classes are, but everyone here is extremely pleasant. The school seems huge, but with my wonderful exchange student I found my way around easily enough. There are three storeys to the building! I am pretty sure  a day of going to school here counts as a workout in itself.
It's spectacular how beautiful the town is, from the window at which I sit I can see Gaspé below and above me. The town lights are like little fireflies brightening the night. Amazing!