Florian Alise

2008-09 Inbound from France

Hometown: Pluvigner, France

Sponsor: Auray Pays d'Auray Rotary Club, District 1650, France

Host: Stuart Rotary Club, District 6930, Florida, USA

School: Jensen Beach High School, Jensen Beach, FL

Bio

Florian's Bio

Hi everybody! My name is Florian Alise, I'm 17 years old and I come from France. I live in a little village called Pluvigner (7,000 inhabitants) in Brittany, in the north-west of France. I live with my father, Gildas, my Mother, Patricia, and my sister Charlene who is 14 years old. The Brittany is a Celtic Country like Ireland, Scotland or Wales and we are very proud of these origins!

Since I was 13 years old, I wanted to become an exchange student but one year with a commercial program was too expensive for my parents, but last year a YEO came in my school to speak about the Rotary Youth Exchange Program and to select a pupil to become an exchange student. I have take part in the contest and I have won the right to become an exchange student. I was so happy because I was the only exchange student in my school (1,000 students).

I love playing and trying new sports, in France I play rugby in a club and I play tennis often or soccer with my friends. During my free time I enjoy being with my family or my friends, listen music, go to the cinema or play bowling.

My different objectives for this year are to be fluent in English but especially to discover new people and share our various cultures, learn about my new country, and also be a good Rotary Exchange Student.

I think that this year will be the best of my life, the most exciting and interesting. I'm so glad to spend my year in Florida, everything is super! I'm very impatient to see the other students in Disney and 'Thank You' RYE Florida to make this real!

October 11 Journal

Hey! My new life in Florida is absolutely wonderful, everyday I meet new people and make new friends, everybody is so nice. I'm so glad to be in Florida.

Every time I say that I'm French at school the kids start to talk me about the Eiffel Tower and then, almost every time, they talk me about the "nude beaches" in France, I think that it's really amazing for the American Kids.

Two weeks ago I went to The NASA Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, with seven other Rotary exchange students, it was a very interesting day. For the first time I saw a real rocket, 110m of length with a weight of hundreds and hundreds of tons, really amazing. And two rockets that I saw will blast off very soon. Recently I and my date went to the Homecoming Dance at school and I spent a really good evening. One of my friends was trying to teach me how to dance Hip-Hop, it was so funny and I wasn't too bad. Then I went to an "After Party " at the house of one of my friends, we were about ten and I tried a cake called Peach Cobbler, it was so good. Also I went with my host father to the rifle range where he taught how to shoot with a rifle. He told me that I was good for a beginning but I need to practice.

I'm in Florida for two months and I improve my English everyday. Now I understand almost everything and I can have some real conversations but I need to widen my vocabulary. Before I came here my biggest fear was the foreign language, but today I really enjoy speaking English and I start to forget my French.

At school I have lots of friends, maybe more than in France, all the kids are so nice and friendly in Florida. Truly I like my school and I love go to school. It's so different from France and I think it's better because in France there is no club or team at school, it's only work and no fun, so you can understand why I love the school in America.

I realize that the time goes too fast in Florida, already two months - but I enjoy every second of my exchange because it's a unique opportunity in my life and I can already tell you that the return in France won't be easy...

Finally I would say thank you to my Rotary host club, my Rotary sponsor club, my host family and all the people involved in the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. A la Prochaine!

January 1 Journal

Hi and Happy New Year to everybody.

I'm still enjoy my time in Florida even after five months already gone. Those last five months were the best in my entire life, I spent such a good time here and especially with the other exchange students. I will never forget those moments spent together, like in Disney last month. This weekend was just amazing, I had so much fun with those exceptional people. But I feel sad when I think that the Seacamp will be the last opportunity to be all together, it's the only thing who make me feel bad...

I remember during the orientation last August the Rotary members told us about homesickness but I didn't experience this feeling yet, I feel pretty settled in Florida and I definitely don't miss my family. I can appear nasty but it's my reality, but on the other hand I think my real challenge will be to come back in France. We will see.

Since my last report a lots of things happened. First Halloween, in my home country this holiday is not really popular but here I tried the real American Halloween. I went to two party and I had such a good time and I went also "trick-or-treating" with some friends for the first time and I get 3 pounds of candies. Then I celebrated (also for the first time) Thanksgiving, this is an awesome holiday, at least for the food. I have never seen so much food at the same time on a table and the food was gorgeous, my host mother is such a good cook. And Christmas came so quickly after that, we have almost the same Christmas traditions back home so it was not very different. The only thing really weird was the weather, I couldn't feel the Christmas enthusiasm without snow or at least without cold and with palm trees for Christmas trees. But I had a good time anyway because Santa fill in my stocking with many presents! Finally I did nothing special for New Year's Eve because none of my friends organized any parties.

Since recently I'm playing golf and my host father is coaching me, I like this sport because I think it's the only sport we can practice in Florida without sweat! Also I'm playing soccer in a team twice a week.

Finally I'm doing well in the Sunshine State, I improve my English and discover more about the American culture everyday and if it was possible I would like to sign for another year (Mr. Kalter?)! Thanks to everybody for everything.