Newsletter for the Rotary Club of Greater Geraldton - Issue No.: 780 Issue Date: 15 Apr, 2024

Hi everyone!

The latest news from France! I got to spend my afternoon with my old host family who I only lived with for a week but I am so close with them. My frenchy best friend from Paris was at their house for a few weeks because they are family friends so I spent the afternoon with them and we did archery and they cooked me a really nice dinner and they were playing my aussie playlist that I made for them which was lovely. 

I also performed at "le fete de la musique" where everyone in France just celebrated the existence of music and there was live music on every corner I turned. I performed at my friend's host families restaurant with her, I sang and played ukulele and she played piano for about an hour and it was really nice. Then we went to a larger city near her town with her host sister to watch some bands and a lot of singing and dancing down the street was involved it really was an amazing night.

I also had a family dinner where I met some host cousins close to my age and my host mum got me to play my ukulele and we were sitting around the table singing "la vie en rose" together, it was a really beautiful moment. 

The weekend I also spent with my old host family and my french best friend because an old exchange student they hosted was leaving soon that I know so we spent all Saturday together visiting France's "modern" castle, a castle used in the early 1900's that resembles an extremley modern mansion. We also visited the biggest mine site in the North of France and went out for dinner together. 

I had a big rotary dinner because it was the annual changing of the president which was a nice night, a live choir came and sang and there was some nice presentations and I got called their "favourite australian" 

I also had a sleepover with a bunch of exchange students who have all began to leave back to their home countries which of course is really sad, it's a really deep connection not many people understand between exchange students, you can be entirely the person you want to be with no judgement with them it's amazing. I also got to watch Brazil and Mexico socccer matches with Mexicans and Brazilians which is always hilarious. 

I had a party with some frenchy's on the weekend for my close friend who is going on exchange to Brazil in 1 month which was a lot of fun. 

It has also been organised that my current host family is coming to Australia to visit me and spend time with my family for Christmas 2019 and I am so excited they are coming!!

Until the next report

Rachel