hey all!

this is everything thats happened to me in the last few days. instead of writing heaps of individual emails, i thought i'd just write everything onceand kill may birds with one stone (bird slaughter)!

i was travelling with about 15 people all going on exchange, but some were going to germany or italy. they got on different planes in dubai. we got on the plane at 9.45, but the plane took off around 9.15. we were seated in pairs, scattered around the plane. i was witha girl called michelle, she was really nice. we chatted a bit for a while. the flight was sooo long and boring. i couldnt sleep at all so i watched some movies, played games and listened to music to keep myself occupied. when we got to dubai, it was still night, even though we'd been on the plane for 14 hours! it really confused everyone in the group.we went through the metal detector thingy and wandered around in dubai for a while, buying postcards and looking at the bongs for sale, buying deoderant, stuff like that. after a while we found our gate (23) and sat there for about 30 mins, near all the random people trying to sleep on the floor, under (presumably stolen) emirates blankets from the plane

we finally got on the plane and i found out that i had a spare seat next to me, so i could lie down (which i did). it was finally daytime, so i could also watch a cool camera that was on the bottom of the plane. you could see all the countryside going past, it was awesome!

as we approached the Charles De Gaulle Airport, at around 12.30, i started to get a bit scared. before this point, i'd only think about the actual exchange about every 20 mins, when i'd think "s***" and then get back to the movie.my host dad, jean luc, and sister, marine, picked me up at the airport, and we drove to Darvault with another exchange girl, nicky, and her host mum and sister. its really weird driving on the opposite side of the road. the round abouts are the worst!

we didnt drive through paris, sadly, but i think we're going there this weekend. on the way we listened to the radio, and about every second song is in english. i heard a bit of JT, rihanna, kylie, etc. it was really funny, but really comforting at the same time, because i could understand it! After about an hour, we reached my family's house, which is realy cute and little! my host mum, christine, was waiting outside for us, with a random lady. Marine turned to me and said (in english) " she is just a lady from town. she's a little bit crazy." haha! marines room, where i sleep is completely covered with posters of a singer called Jenifer. and byt covered i mean every flat surface has a picture of Jenifer on it, even most of the ceiling!

After nicky left to go meet her family, we had lunch (a late lunch) which was like chicken schnitzel, but with egg in it. for the entree they eat grated carrot with vinegar on it (eww). after that we went upstairs. i had a shower and changed into pyjamas because the times were confusing and i was soo tired that i thought it was later than it actually was. i watched a little TV, ghost whisperer, which was really funny because the voices are dubbed so they sound different even though i didnt understand it, and then the next thing i knew, it was 4 in the morning!! i dont even remeber how i got my head on the pillow, because the tv is at the end of my bed, i had turned around to watch it. i looked at the time, then went straight back to sleep and slept until 11.30. i slept for 18 hours!!

on sunday we went to fontainebleau in the afternoon and met up with nicky and her family.we walked around the streets for a while and we saw some people walking ferrets on leashes!! we saw the chateaux, where napolean lived, as well as louis XIV and Francois I. fontainebleau was really pretty because there are lots of old buildings and there were lights in the streets fro christmas.

on monday, it was school, and i got up at 8 to be there at 9. i went to classes with marine, who is in year 12 so it was really hard! first was economics, with a teacher who looks like einstein, with the big hair and everything. they were discussing universitys, because they have their BAC soon, which is like the HSC, but harder. after that we had spanish (ireally couldnt understand a word), history, and economics again. all in all, it was a really long day, the fact that they dont eat morning tea, andthey eat lunch at 1 made it longer! i can hardly last from breakfast to morning tea at home, let alone breakfast to 1!! lunch was some disgusting meat stuff, which i tried but didnt like it so i just ate bread (thank god for the bread!).i went to bed really early with a couple of panadol to knock me out.

today was a lot easier. i went to classes with Emilie today, my other host sister who is in year 11, and it was easier all round, and i have Nicky in my class.i really like having nicky in my class, because even though i can speak english with her, i don do it all the time, and its comforting knowing that someone else has no idea what they are talking about! we played uno in a free, and i made friends with a girl called Maria. she talks english to me, and i speak french to her, so we can both get better!

im glad i got all that out, though i probs forgot heaps. i'll write more later!! heaps of love to you all!! xxxooo