Marie-Claire Dussourd

2009-10 Inbound from France

Hometown: Orbeil, France

Sponsor: Issoire Rotary Club, District 1740, France

Host: Miramar-Pines Rotary Club, District 6990, Florida, USA

School: Everglades High School, Miramar, Florida

Bio

Marie-Claire's Bio

Hello everybody. My name is Marie-Claire Dussourd but everybody called me Marie here because Claire is to hard to pronounciate^^. I'm 16 and turn 17 on November, 24th. I come from France. In the middle of France to be more precise, near Clermont-Ferrand. My region is very famous for cheese, meal, tourism and volcano. My town is small (12,000 persons) but it's so pretty.

In France I have one brother called Alexandre who is 20, my mother called Sandrine, and my father called Yves. I like to go to the cinema with my friends, read, paint, listen to music, shopping and sports. I practice a lot of sport in France like tennis and dance (every style) in clubs, and with my school I practice badminton, gymnastic, handball, basketball and cross country.

Now my life in Florida. I live in Miramar; it's around 20 minutes from Miami. I have one older sister called Christine who is 18 and two younger brother Lance who is 14 and Hunter who is 5. My family is so lovely. I move all the time. We go to the zoo, at the beach, and we visit a lot of places. My school here is very different compared to my school in France. it's bigger here, around 3,000 students. I have a lot of friends now at school so it's very cool. In addition, my bother Lance and my sister comes with me at school so we take the bus together and we eat together every lunch. Really I like Florida, the sun, people and landscape it's fabulous!!!

I hope that everybody have a great time.

Marie Claire Dussourd

September 14 Journal

I'm here since one month but I've got a feeling that I'm here since 2 months or more. I move a lot with my family. Last weekend I was in Miami Beach. it was so fun!!! In one side we can see the beach and the ocean and in the other side you can see the buildings, it's so different as in France. I was in the Zoo too, my family is really super. I'm feeling like a family member. I'm never bored. I have one older sister and 2 younger brother so I'm never alone in my bedroom in front of my computer because I'm bored.

My school is really different too, but it's very cool. I'm in different clubs with my host sister so I can meet a lot of people. I have many friends in my different classes too. People are very nice with the exchange student. And In my school I met a French girl who lives here now - it was strange to speak French with her. Other students who come from Haiti speak French but I only met one of them.

I go with my family to every football game with my school; it's so cool because with my host sister we are in a club who support the team so we dance during the games, we sing and we help to maintain the morale of the other people when we lost.

Hum what else? I'm invited tonight. I have a party with scouts because one of my host brother is a scout so it's like a ceremony, but it's very important. And tomorrow like every Sunday we go to church and every member of my family have a children group to occupy during the adult church. so I'm with Christine (my host sister) and we play and speak with children in Kindergarten. I like do this with Christine it's very enriching for me.

Oh and next weekend I go with a member of my Rotary to visit the Everglades. It will be very cool. I think it's all, because yes I do a lot of things but I can say anything (one page is too small ^^). But I want to say thank you to all people who can make real my dream to come in Florida and it's a very good experience for me. I learn every day.

P.S.: I try peanut butter and it's very good!!! ^^

October 15 Journal

I'm here since two months now and it's always really fun. Now I'm totally integrated in my school, to my friends and my family. I've feeling that I'm here since like one year. I know a lot of things about my family. Oh I learn today that my birthday is on Thanksgiving this year - it must be really cool. A big dinner for me!!

At school it's fun too. I understand all and I have now my band of friends. Last week it was spirit week. It was really fun to wear a different costume each day with a lot of make up and sure a lot of spirit. At school it was during this week totally crazy. It was so funny to see all the people wear costumes at school because in France we really don't have the mentally to do that, and it was a lot of animation too. I have a lot of pictures about this week.

And at the end of this super week it was the Homecoming dance!!! In the Sheraton Hotel imagine, you wear a beautiful dress, you prepare your hair for 2 hours and you wear for the first time that you are in Florida your beautiful black shoes for the occasion. Your heart goes very fast, you are excited and stressed too. But you are with your (host) sister and you know people. During the night you dance with different people, include the king, you eat a delicious dinner and take a lot of pretty pictures to remember this perfect night. It's how I feel this night. It was exceptional.

Yes, while I'm here I try a lot of new things. This trip here permitted me to discover the real American life, to live the American way and to have my own opinion about the life here. It's exceptional to be here. Thank you so much to the Rotary.

November 14 Journal

Hello,

Yes, that’s right; I’m here since 3 months now, 3 long and wonderful months in our Florida. My trip was and stays extraordinary. Now I can speak like in France, quickly ^^. I dream in English, I think in English and speak English all the time, even when I talk with my friends in France.

Here everything is wonderful. The weather, the people and the landscape. Now it’s normal for me to see palm trees everywhere but I’m sure that when I go back in France I'm going to be sad with my trees. Here people wait the winter to open their windows, in France we wait the summer to open our windows ^^. These little differences presents everyday are funny to see.

My family here is very generous. They consider me like their child. This year my birthday is on Thanksgiving so my mother is so excited (maybe more than me ^^). We are going to have a wonderful day. I have to open my present and after all the family (cousin, grandparents) come at home to eat the Thanksgiving meal. I’m so impatient. And the Saturday we have to go somewhere for my birthday but I don’t know where, it’s a surprise.

At school I have a lot of friends. Everybody is so nice with me. I go play tennis with my friends, to the mall, to the movie theatre, and for the day before my birthday I go with my friends to the Chinese restaurant because the day after my birthday is the birthday of one of my friends too ^^. It’s funny.

Last weekend we had the conference with the other exchange students from my district. It was awesome. The meeting was in Fort Lauderdale in the Hard Rock Casino Hotel. We had to do a show where everybody has to represent his own country. I dance the French Cancan, the other sang, did Kung Fu, played soccer, talked…. We were very creative. It was really cool. And after the conference we had a lot of time free together. We are like a family. Don’t forget the district 6990 is the best ^^. We are so excited to go to the Disney World Trip.

Oh this year I went trick or treat with my sister, my brother and our friends in Halloween. It was really cool because in France you stop to do that at 11. So we had a lot of fun and a lot of candies too.

I really want to say that this trip is a great occasion for me to open my mind. I can have my own opinion about this country and the people who live here. I also can discover new culture and change my mind about certain things. It’s really important for me. I really enjoy this adventure and want to say a big thank you to the Rotary for this formidable opportunity.

See you next month.

December 3 Journal

Hi,

Oh what to say… too much stuff done ^^. Yes Florida is really cool. But I guess like everybody it’s hard to realize that we are in December and in 23 days it’s Christmas. In France at this time it’s cold, sometimes it snows and I wear approximately 2 or 3 sweaters. Here it’s warm, snow (hahaha we are in Florida) and clothes hum I like my thin blue top (sweater required in school because of the AC). So to summarize here it’s warm and the only three who wear the Christmas lights are palm trees (and this is actually really funny).

I guess everybody had a good and American Thanksgiving^^. Personally yes, I watched the parade on the TV with my family; we played games and after, the family came for the lunch-dinner. It was really good. Turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, beans, pie and cake. And the night we saw a firework it was really fun. And in addition this day was my birthday so, so much fun.

On Friday I did the Black Friday with my father and my sister. I was actually not that crazy because the store was open before so we wake up at 3 and arrive at the store at 4. It was really good prices. After we went to Key West (Kwan ;-) ) to see the sunset. We run to be at time and… unfortunately a tourist boat came in front of the sun EXACTLY at this time. But anyway we had a good time in family, we visited the city, and it’s funny to watch and listen to the professionals in the street do their shows.

On Saturday we went at night to Fort Lauderdale for a Christmas show for my birthday, Christmas Pageant, It was AWESOME. Like in Broadway. They sing, they dance, all age mix together. It was really fun. I loved it. And on Friday we went to Coral Spring for a family Christmas dinner. It was pretty good. Miam carrot cake. ^^

Oh and the Interact Club conference with Marco and Aneta was pretty fun too. We met a lot of really nice people and we took a lot of idea. And the dance was fun too ;-).

I’m really excited to go to Disney World with all the other exchange student. It’s going to be really fun.

Thank you for these opportunities and to take care of us. Marie-Claire Dussourd

March 2 Journal

Hi everybody,

Oh, the time pass so fast. 8 Months… I don’t want to go back. ^^. I like my palm trees, my sun (even if this time, it’s not very warm), my friends, my family …

This weekend I went camping with my family and some friends of us. We had so much fun. I don’t know where to start; the weather, the raccoons, the smores? Yes, you can see it was a crazy weekend. During our first night some raccoons came and “hopefully” they came in my tent. I woke up and saw this raccoon on my foot. “Good morning” ^^. The morning when everybody woke up, we discovered that they took our Twizzlers, sausages, hamburgers and cookies… But everything is all right, they leave the nuts ^^. This same day it was warm but it started raining and my tent had some problem. It was raining outside and… inside of the tent?! So my sister’s sleeping bag and clothes were pretty wet. But we went to the dryer and everything was ok. Oh and we choose the coldest weekend of February to do our trip^^. But really we had fun together. We did a fire camp and we ate smores - graham crackers, chocolate, and a warm marshmallow. After this you like the life and forget everything. In addition with my (host) sister we love going around and discovered new places. We went in the forest a lot of little trails. We arrived at a river, a wonderful place to picnic and other fabulous places. It’s what I like in camping. Even if you plan everything it’s always different. The adventure, this is it; this is what you like when you decide to became an exchange student.

At school I really have fun. Now I know a lot of people and a lot of people know me ^^. Everybody heard about “the French Exchange Student” and her “cute accent” ^^. Plus I am in the play at school so we repeat every two day almost. It’s really cool. And I am in the acting class too and for sure this is my best class. We dance, sing, act, make some scenario. This is something that we don’t have in France and that I enjoy more than anything else.

This weekend is going to be busy for me (as every weekend ^^). I go ice skating on Friday (yes I learn how to ice skate in Florida ^^), and on Sunday I go to the movie theatre see ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with Johnny Depp. And I think on Thursday I have a half-day so I’m going to go to my Rotary Club.

As you can see I don’t lose my time here. Always going everywhere, meeting people, culture, and landscape. Thank you for this amazing opportunity that you gave to each one of us.

March 28 Journal

The time goes…fast…really fast….too fast. It’s what every single exchange student is feeling right now. Yes, 8 months that I am here and I can clearly remember the day I looked at the exchange program and read some speeches thinking that I was going to have a good time. And it’s definitely what is happening. How to leave this? It’s like another world, another life, another family, with other friends. It’s like your own little world. I did and discovered so many things. I can’t tell that I lose my time; this is for sure. Bike, hike, Movie Theater, school, mall, friends … This month I went to see “Alice in Wonderland” at the movie theatre. It was a good movie; A little weird but good^^. I’m so exciting to go see “The last song”. I read the book here and it was awesome. Just one week to read it. If you were telling me 8 months ago that I was going to read a book in English in one week I will probably laugh at you.

Last week I went with the other exchange students of my District (6990: the BEST) in an Elvis Presley show. It was pretty fun. It was actually in Davie, not very far from where I live. It was really cool to see all my friends again and I met this girl who is going in France next year and had apparently a lot of questions. We talked, we danced and I had the privilege to have a flower necklace from “Elvis” and a picture with him. ^^ The next Sunday I went (but with my Rotary club this time) in a theatre production. The actors were handicap people. They couldn’t really talk, or move or remember the lines, it was they were help by young students and the play came out pretty good. You take some motivated people, you add a little bit of popular song and everybody is happy!!! In addition the play was Cinderella, a classic that everybody enjoyed.

Talking about theatre remind me that my play is coming soon. Yes I’m in the school play; from Shakespeare; Much Ado about Nothing. It’s going to be fabulous. I don’t need the first role to be exciting. We gonna perform 4 nights and the best part is that my parents are coming from France exactly at the time. So they gonna see me perform. This is absolutely awesome. I can’t wait. My acting class is so far my best class. We are acting, dancing, singing … in summarize moving and using our imagination, everything that I love. In plus, I don’t have the opportunity in France to play because my high school doesn’t have this class it’s why I took it here. I think when you come you need to take classes that you know you never can take in your own country.

Oh and this week I had the privilege to be the speaker in my Rotary Club meeting. I did a presentation about France. I made a board with prospectus and a slide show and everybody enjoyed it. It was really fun. Being an Exchange Student is amazing. Time goes so fast, you don’t want to lose any minutes of your time, and trust me; you don’t.