Dnevnik bivanja v francoskem Laoinu v okviru projekta Erasmus+
CONSOMMER MIEUX CONSOMMER DIFFEREMMENT
28.11. – 2.12. 2022
DAY 1 – 28th November 2022
My day started at 2.50 in the morning when my alarm rang for me to wake up. I woke up my dad and we got ready to drive to Celje. Our bus to Zagreb was at 3.55 so by the time we arrived most of my friends were already there. The bus driver packed our suitcases in the trunk, and we were ready to start our journey. We arrived at Zagreb airport around 6. We went inside and got our ID’s ready for the check in where they weighed our luggage. After we got our departure tickets we went through security and waited for our flight. We got on the plane at 8 and took off at around 8.40 because it got delayed due to technical reasons. We landed in Paris at 11. A bus took us to Laon which is an hour and a half away from Paris. The teacher ordered us lunch at the local bakery and after that we headed to Lycee Pierre Mechain where they were already expecting us. We spent three hours in the school with the students before each of us went home to our exchange families. We had dinner together. It was very tasty and much different from what I am used to. They were so welcoming and nice even though their English wasn’t that good. I went to sleep shortly after dinner because I was very tired and had a long day.
DAY 2 – 29th November 2022
Justine and I woke up at 6.30 and went downstairs to have breakfast with her parents. We ate some chocolate crepes that are a very popular breakfast food. I dressed and waited for Justine to pack her bag. After we were both ready her mom drove us to school where I soon saw my friends. We were all happy to see each other. When we all gathered, we started walking up the hill to the old city centre. It was very steep and hard to walk. We visited the primary school where we made waste-free Christmas ornaments and did some cooking with younger students. When we were done with the activities, we had some time left for exploring the city and visiting souvenir shops nearby. At around 17.45 we were reunited with our hosts and went home with their families. When we arrived home Justine’s parents decided to take me to Reims. We walked the city and went to see the Notre-Dame cathedral. It was absolutely beautiful, and I couldn’t comprehend its size and amazing details. After I was done admiring the cathedral, we went to the nearby restaurant to have dinner. It was Christmas decorated from the inside as well as outside. We watched World Cup on the TV while waiting for our food to be ready. It was very delicious. When we arrived home, we were both really exhausted so we took a shower and went straight to bed.
DAY 3 – 30th November 2022
We woke up at 6.20 and had breakfast with the family. Justine’s parents drove us to school where she introduced me to her friends. In the morning hours we had science and French with the rest of the students. It was very interesting and much different from what we were used to. Instead of separate subjects like biology, chemistry and physics they had one subject called science. In Slovenia one school hour usually lasts 45 minutes but in France it lasts 60 minutes. After we were done with all the schoolwork, we had lunch in the school canteen. It wasn’t that bad even though we were served cheese for dessert but at this point I got used to it. I learned that French people love cheese to the point they eat it with every meal. After lunch we had some free time to take pictures of the school so we could show it to our classmates in Slovenia. When our hosts finished their classes, we walked up the hill to the old city centre where we visited the underground exhibition. Each of us got a pair of headphones so we could listen to the explanation in English. It was very interesting, and we all loved it. It was about the history of Laon, its underground findings and way more. When we were done, we had an hour left to walk around the city and to admire the cathedral. We walked back to the school where the students and their teacher surprised us with bowling in the evening. We took a bus to the bowling alley and ordered our bowling shoes in French. We all had so much fun, and it was the best night of my life. At the end of the day, we returned to the families and had dinner. It was an amazing day.
DAY 4 – 1st December 2022
When we arrived at the school we started preparing for the debate. The first motion was about how living in the city is great and the second one was about how everyone should be a vegetarian. In the first debate I was in the proposition team, so we had to argue in favour of the motion. We unfortunately lost but we won the second motion. After the debates we had an English class with fellow students. We presented Slovenia, the school system and our school. They were all impressed by our level of English, even the teacher. We talked about the differences and similarities between Slovenia and France and answered some questions from the students. Later on, we had lunch in the school canteen. After lunch we started making a trilingual book of recipes and instructions for the Christmas decorations that we had made previously. The French students helped us with translations, and we had a lot of fun along the way. By the time we were done it was already dark outside and it was time for us to start getting ready for the reception at the mayor’s office. We went to the city a little early, so we had time to get some boba and waffles. We had so much fun, and we laughed a lot. At 19.00 we were already sitting in the town hall. We listened to the mayor’s speech and watched a video that we have previously made about our week in Laon. When the reception was over, we stayed there for a few minutes to drink some tea and eat some cookies. My French family came to pick me up and they took me to Burger King where we had our last dinner together. When we arrived home, it was time for me to start packing my bags because I was leaving tomorrow.
DAY 5 – 2nd December 2022
I woke up and had my last breakfast with the family before I went back to Slovenia. I left a note on Justine’s bed because I never got the chance to say a proper thank you. At 7.25 we took a bus to the airport. We all kissed each other goodbye and began our journey back home.
Zoja Smole
