7

Feb 7

13:15

Just sitting right now at Lycée Pablo Neruda waiting until our next classes start. They start at 14h, lunch was from 12:09-12:30. Woke up this morning, had cereal with little bits of dehydrated fruit, got my stuff together, walked out the door.

We set out again for school, taking the bus down the mountain it was a little early, so we had to run a bit. 

First class was math, so I went to the equivalent of study hall to read "to kill a mockingbird". I'm not giving any spoilers on here, but I will say right now it's a book which I think I will have to read at least twice to get everything out of. There are so many references early on to things that happen later. Also it's a really good book and I couldn't put it down for the entire two hours. It's good that in not going to math because:

a) it's a terrible class

b) I can use the math blocks as spares to finish all of my work from Canada (of which there is a sizable amount). 

Then we went to French and they started writing a critique of a movie they'd seen which sounded really good and worth watching (even if a little sad), so I'll try to find it at the library and watch it, and then I can write a critique too. It's my intention to keep up with homework as much as I can here (why not?). 

23:30

So remember what I said about not staying up late? Yeah, that's not happening. But I didn't get a chance before this, and I will explain. 

The rest. Of school was pretty average: English then Spanish. I n English I can participate as a full member of the class (but it's embarrassing speaking English in front of them all, because I don't want to speak too fast but at the same time I want to sound like English is my strong point and I'm not hesitating). In Spanish, it's a little harder because they've done twice as much Spanish as me, and it's no one's native language. 

On Fridays we get home from school at 6:30pm which kind of sucks. And then we have half an hour at home until we have to leave again for karate. We watched a bit of the opening of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi on TV before we left. 

Karate is so much fun. It really is. At first I had no idea what I was doing, but after figuring some things out (like how to put on the white robe kimono thing and such) I dove right in. The teacher taught me 3 ways go block someone who wants to stab me with a knife. This instruction included descriptions of what would become of me if I failed in blocking said knife, which included sound effects. In the end, he's a really good teacher. 

I really quite enjoy karate. I will definitely keep doing it here, and maybe even when I get back. I was practicing the three defense moves when I got back home, and they're so much fun :)

It's a lot of work though, but I don't mind. You forget how much you're working when you're busy (It's the same with dancing). Mathilde is really good at karate! It's actually a little scary how good she is. Did I mention she's going to nationals? She said I did really well for my first day, that I was faster than most first-timers. I don't know, I certainly didn't feel fast. I was working today with a girl called Marie. So much fun. Afterwards we walked home, basically a fifteen minute hike up the mountain. Mathilde's friend Élisée met us after karate to walk home with us. She hadn't been at school cause she was sick. 

When we got home we had dinner (leftover soup) and later this evening I taught Nadia how to make a relatively difficult origami bracelet. We did a practice one together, and I taught her how to read the diagrams, and then she made the real thing by herself. I never touched the paper, and it looks super good. Nadia is very patient, et en plus elle était une très bonne élève. She learns quickly. 

Ok time for bed. Tomorrow is my first ski day! Olivier is going to teach me the basics.