The end of the placement time has finished, the report has been handed in and I am exhausted.
I am ecstatic about going back to uni, mainly because I can torture more Freshers but similarly 'cause its time to see my buddies again and reel my socks off every week...
I am unable to contain my excitement and adrenaline rush for this year.
But first I must bike 45 miles for charity - for the Lower Wharfe Ecumenical Youth Project in fact.
The following post will explain LWEYP...
Yours,
X
Friday, 26 September 2014
Thursday, 25 September 2014
You Speak Good English For A French Girl...
The first few days were filled with tackling bus services, my birthday and eating a lot more baguette than I think my body liked.
That and a lot of chocolate and coffee drinking.
Each shift had the same amount of French speaking, English translation and general confusion as the first day but with more finding out that I spoke both English and French - I was suddenly a BNOC (Big Name On Campus). I explained where the loos were and why there wasn't the possibility to stay in your seats in the gap between the morning and afternoon shows about 100 times one day.
Popularity in that form is the best...
During this time of huge popularity, I discovered that there were a lot of Swedish volunteers and one whom had worked with William Fox Pitt and was Tamarillo's groom. She was my best friend, or I liked to think of my interviewing as 'friends'.
The shifts followed the same suit, confusion about what to do and when to eat, then eating soggy french food and then enjoying some humour with the crowds who were all have THE best time... plus maybe seeing some super stars in the ring, like Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester; life was good.
My birthday was spent wandering around a parade, where representatives from lots of the countries participating in the Games, walked around behind a band and everyone cheered. It was particularly fun to see all the outfits that they wore and also the English looked fantastic with their noble black steeds... mmm
For my birthday supper... I had burnt steak... it was definitely up there with one of my better days in life... at least I wasn't eating McDonalds and I had a raw carrot which resulted in my stomach LOVING me.
All in all, the days were very french and excellently fun.
The title to the post was the compliment I remember the best, from a rather enthusiastic British man coming into the stadium who overheard me speaking to a French person and then an English and decided it would be right to let me know that I speak good English. I told him I was English and he said... 'well I'm glad one of us is nailing at life'.
He was ace.
Although my complimentary describing words are few and far between.. the WEG were rather eye opening and fun...
The rest of the shifts contained the same amount of excitement.
The atmosphere was brilliant, the organisation was terrible and the need for a bath and a baileys was becoming more persistent.
My feet hurt by the end and I was pining after my horse. Also, who likes cooking for themselves...
Home couldn't have been more enticing and the idea of a soft, comfy bed and an aga in the kitchen made me go all gooey inside... like if someone would tell you that you're the most beautiful girl in the world - I imagine...
My genuine smile was still there, the novelty of speaking French was still there and my passion for people was most definitely still there but without having Mr William Fox Pitt on campus or even in the same country as me any more... something was missing!!!
I was gifted with a mug and a certificate and off I galloped to England.
Yours well bathed now..
X
That and a lot of chocolate and coffee drinking.
Each shift had the same amount of French speaking, English translation and general confusion as the first day but with more finding out that I spoke both English and French - I was suddenly a BNOC (Big Name On Campus). I explained where the loos were and why there wasn't the possibility to stay in your seats in the gap between the morning and afternoon shows about 100 times one day.
Popularity in that form is the best...
During this time of huge popularity, I discovered that there were a lot of Swedish volunteers and one whom had worked with William Fox Pitt and was Tamarillo's groom. She was my best friend, or I liked to think of my interviewing as 'friends'.
The shifts followed the same suit, confusion about what to do and when to eat, then eating soggy french food and then enjoying some humour with the crowds who were all have THE best time... plus maybe seeing some super stars in the ring, like Charlotte Dujardin and Carl Hester; life was good.
My birthday was spent wandering around a parade, where representatives from lots of the countries participating in the Games, walked around behind a band and everyone cheered. It was particularly fun to see all the outfits that they wore and also the English looked fantastic with their noble black steeds... mmm
For my birthday supper... I had burnt steak... it was definitely up there with one of my better days in life... at least I wasn't eating McDonalds and I had a raw carrot which resulted in my stomach LOVING me.
All in all, the days were very french and excellently fun.
The title to the post was the compliment I remember the best, from a rather enthusiastic British man coming into the stadium who overheard me speaking to a French person and then an English and decided it would be right to let me know that I speak good English. I told him I was English and he said... 'well I'm glad one of us is nailing at life'.
He was ace.
Although my complimentary describing words are few and far between.. the WEG were rather eye opening and fun...
The rest of the shifts contained the same amount of excitement.
The atmosphere was brilliant, the organisation was terrible and the need for a bath and a baileys was becoming more persistent.
My feet hurt by the end and I was pining after my horse. Also, who likes cooking for themselves...
Home couldn't have been more enticing and the idea of a soft, comfy bed and an aga in the kitchen made me go all gooey inside... like if someone would tell you that you're the most beautiful girl in the world - I imagine...
My genuine smile was still there, the novelty of speaking French was still there and my passion for people was most definitely still there but without having Mr William Fox Pitt on campus or even in the same country as me any more... something was missing!!!
I was gifted with a mug and a certificate and off I galloped to England.
Yours well bathed now..
X
Thursday, 11 September 2014
First Shift At Work Sandwich
Enthusiastically, I awoke hoping for a French man donning a beret and baguette to be by my bed... The reality was the sun streaming into my eyes and the sounds of French builders banging away. You win some, you loose some I guess.
Grabbing some excellently strong coffee, some baguette and my super sexy uniform, I went to tackle the Caen bus service.
Turns out that there are infact many benefits to dressed like a bogey... The best being free transport!
My first shift was full of trying to listen and comprehend all I thought I'd missed out on in the training days I hadn't been to... But having conversed with others, we were all in the same position, rather confused and just riding the wave of the Jeux Equestre Mondiaux, Normandie.
I was put on 'ushering' with a Swedish lady who spoke no French and conveniently for all, I had decided to watch the tv in the 'Centre Des Benevolves' rather than listen to instructions. This was a recipe for definite success...
Much to everyone's surpise we managed to get though the first 6 hours without too many blunders... Regular phrases were 'il faut que vous prennez les escaliers encore une fois... Votre billet est pour le prochain étage' and 'vous étés la, les chaises sont complètement libres. Amusez-vous bien.' (you need to go up another flight of stairs as your ticket is for the next floor' or 'you are here! the seats are completely free. have fun!'... And managed to watch some people riding horses around an arena all in the name of 'dressage'...whatever that is...
The only real culture shock for myself was the French Cuisine. Of course, I've been to restaurants and am, in fact, rather partial to a good ol' 'Croque Monsieur' but the soggy beans, rather over boiled chicken and potatoes reminded me what the food was like at school in France... Something that left anything, everything, to be desired. Although, the cheese was great as was the bread... And they didn't manage to make a mess up on the can of coke. So there's a silver lining...
Yours rather hungrily,
X
Monday, 8 September 2014
The Webcam Photo
Arriving at my destination for retrieving my uniform and other interesting things that the organising team thought would be useful, like a volunteers hand book completely in French and a bus pass - soon to become my best friend; I was directed to the table labelled 'accreditations'... it was time to smile big and get the photo that everyone for the rest of my life will judge me on...
Smiling at the lady, who seemed even more confused than me on the whole subject, she said 'photo' and shoved a webcam in my face... after what I thought was quite a nice smile, she made a grimace at the computer screen and said, 'let's try again' in her best english. Is there a worse insult? a) she replies to my french with english and then proceeds to basically indicate that I can't smile... I tried again.. this time it resulted in a rather weirder looking face I'm sure... like one they use for the 'before' rather than the 'after' of a face product; but the lady thought this was better... and it was printed out and was labelled as my ID.
Yay..
Next task was the uniform, a super super sexy neon green colour - literally my best colour. The positive side being that everyone was in it, even those who were normally goddesses or models all looked rank in this colour so I guess it was manageable. I got a cap, a jacket, two polo shirts and a bag, it was compulsory to wear all of these (managed to not have to wear the cap though... and obvs only 1 polo shirt for those pedantic ones..) when 'on duty'.
After being rather negatively effected by the colour of uniform and the webcam photo - I decided that retail therapy was the only way to get over it... so went to buy myself something yummy...
As usual, didn't buy any clothes... but I did buy a delicious cake.
Yours 'sponge'ly... X
Smiling at the lady, who seemed even more confused than me on the whole subject, she said 'photo' and shoved a webcam in my face... after what I thought was quite a nice smile, she made a grimace at the computer screen and said, 'let's try again' in her best english. Is there a worse insult? a) she replies to my french with english and then proceeds to basically indicate that I can't smile... I tried again.. this time it resulted in a rather weirder looking face I'm sure... like one they use for the 'before' rather than the 'after' of a face product; but the lady thought this was better... and it was printed out and was labelled as my ID.
Yay..
Next task was the uniform, a super super sexy neon green colour - literally my best colour. The positive side being that everyone was in it, even those who were normally goddesses or models all looked rank in this colour so I guess it was manageable. I got a cap, a jacket, two polo shirts and a bag, it was compulsory to wear all of these (managed to not have to wear the cap though... and obvs only 1 polo shirt for those pedantic ones..) when 'on duty'.
After being rather negatively effected by the colour of uniform and the webcam photo - I decided that retail therapy was the only way to get over it... so went to buy myself something yummy...
As usual, didn't buy any clothes... but I did buy a delicious cake.
Yours 'sponge'ly... X
Parlez-vous Anglais?
Time to head off to the La France, with absolutely no idea where I am meant to be at what time and where I am currently living...
Heading onto the ferry, I had no idea how to get into the flat I had managed to rent - rather useful connection with a former french exchange - as I spent 6 hours watching the How I Met Your Mother box set from the beginning, I began my rather exciting and spontaneous adventure.
To set the scene, when I was in France for my 'gap year' between GCSEs and A Levels, I went to a school in Lisieux, France - about 50km from Caen, my home town for the next few weeks - and as a task at school, we spent the evening hanging out at this random football arena with the highlight being running around the pitch with a huge 'oui a Caen 2014' of which I had no clue what to do - just seemed fun to have a day out of school.
From the mere age of 15, I was involved with the convincing and the happening of the World Equestrian Games 'the world's biggest event'.
So when I was told I needed to organise a placement and had seen adverts for the World Equestrian Games, I thought why not, its in Normandy, speaking french and helps towards my degree... not realising how much fun it would be or that I had already been involved with it.
Having applied by application form online, had a phone interview and been to a test event, you would've thought that I would know what I was about to embark upon, but no; the French like to keep you on your toes just to the end of your tether.
As I desperately called the person who was meant to be giving me the keys, as I got off the ferry - I was greeted with my first hurdle... speaking French on the phone. About that, I hate speaking French on the phone, I prefer being able to see the facial expressions and how they are reacting to what I am saying... but by the end of the evening, I was in a comfy sofa bed, with directions as to where I needed to go the next day to get my uniform and where I'd need to get the bus from to get to the stadium... turns out my French wasn't as rusty as I had thought.
Yours 'frog'ly... X
Heading onto the ferry, I had no idea how to get into the flat I had managed to rent - rather useful connection with a former french exchange - as I spent 6 hours watching the How I Met Your Mother box set from the beginning, I began my rather exciting and spontaneous adventure.
To set the scene, when I was in France for my 'gap year' between GCSEs and A Levels, I went to a school in Lisieux, France - about 50km from Caen, my home town for the next few weeks - and as a task at school, we spent the evening hanging out at this random football arena with the highlight being running around the pitch with a huge 'oui a Caen 2014' of which I had no clue what to do - just seemed fun to have a day out of school.
From the mere age of 15, I was involved with the convincing and the happening of the World Equestrian Games 'the world's biggest event'.
So when I was told I needed to organise a placement and had seen adverts for the World Equestrian Games, I thought why not, its in Normandy, speaking french and helps towards my degree... not realising how much fun it would be or that I had already been involved with it.
Having applied by application form online, had a phone interview and been to a test event, you would've thought that I would know what I was about to embark upon, but no; the French like to keep you on your toes just to the end of your tether.
As I desperately called the person who was meant to be giving me the keys, as I got off the ferry - I was greeted with my first hurdle... speaking French on the phone. About that, I hate speaking French on the phone, I prefer being able to see the facial expressions and how they are reacting to what I am saying... but by the end of the evening, I was in a comfy sofa bed, with directions as to where I needed to go the next day to get my uniform and where I'd need to get the bus from to get to the stadium... turns out my French wasn't as rusty as I had thought.
Yours 'frog'ly... X
Monday, 1 September 2014
Placement Trois
And just as I start to I believe it couldn't get any more fun...
It is time for the World Equestrian Games, in Normandy, France.
It is time for the World Equestrian Games, in Normandy, France.
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