Differences

So, that math test I studdied for...I got a 2.5 out of 10! I was actually pretty happy with myself:) And today, I finished all the math homework without help from anyone, though only because I am familiar with what we are doing right now. In Chemistry today, I also got one problem right that my table partner didnt!!! It was very exciting, but once again, only because I learned it last year. Other than that, this school week was pretty normal. The bus drivers are still on strike, so I get rides to school with Chloé, her little sister, Ingrid and Laura, with either Ingrids mom, or Chloés dad. Then, because we arent on a time crunch, we take the bus home, or walk. Today after school, I took the bus with Ingrid and Chloé and then we walked into a little Papeterie to buy a cahier (small notebook) for me for tomorrows prep. bac class. Tonight, Claire has a reunion of some sort with kids who used to go to her college (middle school). Michel has a impromptu basketball game with some friends, so Laura and I are on our own for dinner:), I got home early because the professeur d'histoire et geographie was absent again. That is one difference from school in the US, here, they dont get substitues unless you go to a private school, you just end up not having class, which is more than desirable:) So, that was just one of the differences I have noticed here, and I have been keeping a list, so I will write them down so you can see too.
Keep in mind that these differences may be local, or even family customs, and may not represent all French lifestyles.
-My house has a very small room with a toilet, and a completely separate room with a sink and
bathtub
-My family eats bread at all meals, with everything, they mop up leftover food on their plate with it
-Crazy driving, 150 KM on the highway, no blinkers, swerve in and out of lanes, and sometimes drive half in one lane half in another
-Mostly stick shift cars, and not a bunch of smart cars like I though, mostly just compact cars, no trucks!
-No carpet in the house at all, very few rugs
-Everyone carries kleenex everywhere, because some bathrooms dont supply toilet paper
-They eat FAST, not slow as they are known to
-Most kids smoke before, after, and during breaks in school, and they dont just smoke regular cigarettes either..
-No clocks in the classrooms
-Dont dry clothes in a dryer, they hang them up
-Guests dont take off their shoes when they come into the house
-Most meals have courses, but for convienence, but I think I mentioned that in a previous post
-NO ONE brings their lunch to school. Everyone eats in the Cantine (calfateria), or goes home for lunch when time permits
-They have sheets on the beds, but they are wrapped around a larger comforter so it seems as though its one blanket
-The emergency trucks' sirens sound like the beginning of the happy birthday song..I know its weird
-Barely cook their meat, still oozes blood when cut
-No one does homework at school or at lunch
-Lots of kids have t-shirts with english words on them, barely anyone has them with french words
-Most school age kids use the bus for transport, lots of middle aged people use scooters:)
-Classroom doors are ALWAYS locked until the teacher gets there, and always locked when the teacher leaves
-Teachers encourage students to use Wikipedia
-They say 'donc' alot, which is the equivilent of 'so', they use it even when speaking in english:)
Okay, there is a lottttt more, but that is what I have noticed the most, sorry it is not in any kind of order, I just wrote it down in the order it was thought of.
One last thing; this weekend will mark my first month in France, and it also means the first AFS orientation. Laura and I are to meet up with another girl who also lives in Lyon , on Saturday, and take the train to where we first met our host parents, which is in a tiny village in I have no clue what area, but I will tell you when I find out. We are going to spend the night with 35 other AFS kids who are also in the Lyon, Rhone-Alps region. So that is all for now:)