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 Chauncy
Clements
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2009-10 Outbound to France
Hometown:
Gainesville, Florida
School:
Buchholz HS
Sponsor:
Greater Gainesville Rotary Club, District 6970, Florida
Host:
Nantes Rotary Club, District 1510, France
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Bio
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August 20 Pre-departure Journal - "It
still hasn’t hit me yet that I’ll be gone for a year without my family,
neighbors or friends. It will truly be test of adaption to survive in
another country." |
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October 1 Journal - "I truly believe
that school has been the biggest culture shock in my life here in France
so far. Where do I even begin …the French aren’t welcoming when they
meet you." |
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February 3 Journal - "Right now it
doesn't feel as if I’m an exchange student anymore. I feel as if this
has always been my life, it’s like when someone moves from other city
when they are young." |
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Chauncy's Bio
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 Bonjour tous les monde! Hello or as I should say “Bonjour,” my
name is Chauncy Clements, and next year I get to go to La France! Vive La
France!!! I am 17 and I live with my mother and father in sunny Gainesville,
Florida home to the Florida Gators. I attend Buchholz High School, the best
school not only in my city but in Alachua County.
In my spare time I like to hangout with my friends; we
often go to the mall, or downtown, or to the movies, we always have a blast!
We also love to go to Orlando, the theme park capital of the world!! I’ve
been to Disney World and Universal so many times that I can’t even count. In
my household we have two dogs: Diamond, a Bull Massive, and Denzi, a toy
Chihuahua.
My family and I and family friends have started a new
tradition that we go on cruise every year, because we love to travel and
experience culture. So far I’ve been to Mexico, Honduras, Belize, Dominican
Republic, The Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the USVI. It was a great way to see
how other people live in different parts of the world. And in some of the
places we went I saw many people in poverty, and it really helped me
appreciate living in the United States. Just seeing that not everyone is as
fortunate as us makes you think a lot, and want to do better for the world.
~Now we Go back in time~
Ever since I was in the third grade I wanted to learn
French. I used to read Madeline books, and also watch the TV show. I still
don’t know why I want to learn the French Language, it’s just something
that’s imbedded inside of me. So when I was in the fourth grade I asked my
parents if I could take up French classes, and the response was NO!
Not discouraged, I went to the local library and checked
out everything that they had on the French language (books, audiotapes, and
videos). So as soon as I got home from the library I started watching the
videos over and over, since most of the videos were for babies I was singing
with the videos. And after a month I learn…no I taught myself how to count
to twenty, and learned my ABC’s en Français!
So finally after all this hard work my parents could see
that this wasn’t one of my “let me do this, then next week I quit” things -
they saw a boy that enjoyed and had a passion for learning. So that was when
I was enrolled in the Alliance Française De Gainesville. While I was at the
Alliance Française I was able to pick up on the French Accent, and learned
so much! I also loved eating the many treats that we were able to make, for
example “Pain au chocolat” is to die for!!! Yum!
When I entered High School I started taking French classes
again. While I was in French 1. I joined the French club, and I participated
in an event called Le Congrès De La Culture Française en Floride or better
known as simply Congrès. At Congrès I had to recite a poem, La Cigale Et La
Fourmi. And the other French 1 students and I had prepared for a scènette
(play) which was a modern Cinderella (it was very funny). And I took home a
superior ribbon in both! Yah! That was the first time that I was active in a
school related function and I had a wonderful time.
In my sophomore year, that’s when I was introduced to the
Rotary Club. I was in French 2, we went to our auditorium and there was this
man ( I forgot who it was) talking about foreign students, living abroad and
it caught my attention. I had planned to go to the meeting but I wasn’t able
to go. So I forgot about it, even though there were many foreign students in
my school that year. Some were from Europe, but mostly from Asia and Latin
America. I also went to Congrès that year were I did another poem, Le
Dormeur Du Val, and I got another superior ribbon. And I took the Nation
French Exam which I did pretty well in.
In my junior year my school didn’t go to Congrès, I was a
little sad. But I was the French secretary for my French club and I was very
busy. And I was honored within the French honor society later that year.
~Now this year~
This year was a new year, my last year of high school! I
was going to attend the Rotary club meeting regarding the Rotary exchange
program. So I went with my mother. We got tons of info and after that I
started on my application. After I sent it in I felt a huge load of
pressure. After I received the letter for the interviews, that’s when I was
kind of freaking out. So I arrived bright and early to be interviewed and
looking so confident also. I’m not even going to lie - I was freaking out.
After the interviews I was physically and mentally tired and worried that I
wouldn’t make it. In early December I got a letter saying:
Dear Chauncy, Congratulations on being accepted into
District 6970's Rotary foreign exchange program for 2009-10 school year.
I was ACCEPTED!!!! I was beyond happy - there was no word
that I could think of to describe how I felt. Then about two weeks later I
got the best present that anyone could get - I got my first picked country!!
France! I was sooo…. Happy to read it! I was jumping up and down! I felt
like I could fly, that was just amazing reading that letter. That was one
moment that I would never forget.
~Now~
Right now I am just getting ready for the January
orientation which is the 9-11th. I can’t wait. I’m prepared and ready to
start this year off right! And my birthday is next month and I will be
turning 18, Feb.14th and I can’t wait! I just can’t wait to start this new
experience that will unfold during these next months and just to see how
much I will be changing.
Merci Beaucoup Rotary! Vous sont vraiment chouette! Bisous!
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August 20 Pre-departure Journal
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“The
only place where dreams are impossible is in your own mind.” By Emalie
Wow, where has all the time gone??? It seems like
yesterday that I was filling out the Rotary Youth Exchange 2009-2010
application. Picking my five countries that I wanted to go to (France,
Belgium, Spain, Germany, Japan). Going to orientations while making friends,
and also making buildings out of marshmallows and spaghetti which was a
disaster. Listing to lectures and the helpful advice of the Rotex crew that
I look up to for help.
And now I am less than 6 days from the biggest adventure
of my life which is…GOING TO FRANCE!!!!!! It still hasn’t hit me yet that
I’ll be gone for a year without my family, neighbors or friends. It will
truly be test of adaption to survive in another country. I really haven’t
even thought about it until lately this month, I’ve just been so wrapped up
in actually living “La vie Française” .
Another thing that I have just realized is that on my
exchange is that not only will I become fluent in French but I will see snow
for the first time (and no I will not eat the yellow snow)! Consider I have
NO winter clothes that would save my life under 45 degree weather. And also
be on an airplane which I am nervous but excited nonetheless.
And speaking of clothes, never in my life would I imagine
packing 100lbs of my life for a year. For me it was sad packing away all of
my clothes out of my room. But it’s never goodbye just a very long (11
months to be exact) see you soon.
I will be on the Atlantic Cost in a city called Nantes
(the former capital of Brittany/ Bretange), and my first host family will be
the Cavés and they seem like a really nice family can I can’t wait to meet
them. I have done so….much research on my city and its absolutely beautiful
I can’t wait until I’m there!
And I'm also looking forward to eating bucket loads of
Nuttela with freshly baked Baguettes. I’m still wondering what will be my
first French meal.
Rotary has given me so much that I am thankful for. And
with my exchange starting within a few days I will be sure to make them
proud. I will serve as the best American ambassador that I can be. It may
sound corny but I'm just so excited, nothing can bring me down.
Thank you for reading my 1st journal!! And there will be
many more to come!
Merci Beaucop Rotary!! et A bientot!!! |
October 1 Journal
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Welcome back to the adventures of an American in France!
Starring…..ME! Chauncy!
Wow I’ve been in France for a month and a week or two, but
it feels like a day. It’s so true that the time goes by so fast. I love it
here, the people are very nice and my host family is wonderful “la vie
est belle”. Well I’m guessing you want to know what I have been up to so
here is the spill.
August 25 2009
So on the day of my departure, I woke up at 5:00 am, well
I never really slept which was a big mistake. After I woke up I was making
sure that my bags had everything I needed in them. I thought that I was
handling everything well. I was very happy but also anxious, it really felt
as if my dream was actually coming true. And as I was leaving the house with
my bags I said goodbye to my mom, and that was really hard for me, but I
didn’t cry. After getting in the car with my brother and my dad, I just was
checking for my passport which I didn’t have. So I ran back into the house
almost flipping over my desk and got my passport.
At the Airport I checked my bags to see how much they
weighed, and it turned out that my bags that weren’t supposed to exceed over
100lbs were 28lbs under. But I was happy considering some people actually
went over 100lbs. Needless to say they were girls lol. So after meeting up
with other exchangers in the airport we went through security. Since it was
my first time going on airplane I found it strange having to take off my
shoes. But after that was over, me and the other exchangers had to wait for
like 2 hours. We were just happy and talking about how cool our exchangers
are going to be and how we couldn’t wait to get in our new home countries.
In the crappy airplane which was taking us from
Jacksonville to Washington I was lucky to be able to sit next to the other
exchangers. One thing that I have to say is that the term “Ears popping” is
just a small part that happens when you’re in a plane. Well for me at least,
it felt as if someone was shooting my head through one ear and the other ear
was being stabbed with a knife while I had a huge headache. So that was the
longest hour and a half in my life.
At the Washington airport I was able to exchange my Rotary
pins with people from different states and one from Canada. I ate my last
American lunch at Wendy’s and had my last Starbucks which I miss so much
since people here just drink coffee plain here. So waiting for the plane
some exchanger and I walked around the airport until it was time to board
the plane. On the plane I listened to my iPod, watched TV, and followed the
map showing where we were. It was interesting - we flew out of Washington,
went up the coast of Canada, past Greenland, south of England, and then
arrive at l’Aéroport Charles de Gaulle. That was one memory that I will
never forget - flying into Paris. And if you're wondering my flight was 7
hours.
August 26 2009
So me and the other exchangers which was half of the plane
got off, went to Customs which was sooooooooo cool because all of the signs
were in French (it may seem dorky but it's so cool seeing a sign in a
different language besides Spanish). I waited about 20 minutes for my bags
and then after that I said I met my Rotary President, and we waited about 6
HOURS for other exchange students in our district. And without even having
to say I was very tired, and plus we had a 5 hour bus ride to our city, I
didn’t get to my host family’s home until 10 pm that night.
My first couple hours with my host family were wonderful.
I gave them a map of Florida and showed them where I lived. My first meal
was Frosted Flakes and hot chocolate yum! But me being so tired I had to
sleep, so I when to bed. The first day in Nantes was great I was able to
walk around and see the city. My host family showed me some of the main
places that I should see. And that same weekend they took me to their beach
house in La Baule which is the biggest beach in Europe.
September 4 2009
My first day of school, I truly believe that school has
been the biggest culture shock in my life here in France so far. Where do I
even began …the French aren’t welcoming when they meet you. In French
schools there are three different types of studies you can pick from. S
(Hardcore Sciences and Math), L (Foreign languages and Humanities), and ES
(Economy and Languages). I’m in ES. Lunch is an hour and half, on Mondays I
don’t leave school til 6pm, but Wednesday–Friday I leave at 12:30. There
isn’t any teacher student relationship, no posters or anything on the
classroom walls. You have the same group of students with you in mostly all
your classes. And I saved the best for last the students. We have 15-20 min
breaks every two classes, and mostly all the students go out and smoke right
IN FRONT of the school with the TEACHERS. That really shocked me lol.
As of today 2009
France is amazing!!! I love it here, and starting to make
friends which is awesome. My Rotary club is the oldest in the city, and so
nice to me. My Host family is taking me to the Southwest of France in 3
weeks, and Paris around the Christmas holidays. The French speak very fast.
I feel that I'm understanding French better, just not being able to respond
as fast.
Odd things I’ve been asked:
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February 3 Journal
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Guess who is back??
Since having been titled as the laziest RYE journal
writer, I feel that's it’s time to let the people of Florida know how the
last 4 months of my life has been.
~There you go~
Where do I even begin? Right now it doesn't feel as if I’m
an exchange student anymore. I feel as if this has always been my life, it’s
like when someone moves from other city when they are young. You have to
deal with changing schools, new house, new friends, all of which I have
done, my life feels pretty normal.
I'm feel comfortable speaking French now, it’s improved
so...much its almost mind shocking. I remember one time coming home from
school - I was on the bus and I could understand most of the conversations
being spoken around me on the bus. That may not sound like a big thing (it’s
expected when you’re on an exchange to learn a language) but when you’re in
a foreign country not fully understand what people are saying around you
it’s scary. When you start going to your countries in 5 to 6 MONTHS you will
understand what I’m trying to say.
My English level is getting worst. Just to let you know it
kind of hard to write this journal right now. It may seem silly, but you
tell me if it’s funny when your new English teacher asks you to conjugate a
verb when you rarely speak English anymore. But then again from the French
point of view Americans speak American not really English.
School is going by much better now than it was at the
beginning. I’m starting to become more active in the classes. I actually
have French friends now that I thought would never happen. It takes a lot of
effort to become their friend. But it’s a wonderful thing have friends of
the native land. They take you to places you would never know about, and
also save you money showing you the American dollar friendly budget stores.
Here is a recap/highlights of Oct, Nov, Dec, and Jan;
Octobre
- Rotary multi-district meeting at Le Mont st Michel
(The second most visited monument in France)
- There I saw Bridget and Simone!! We had a great
time.
- 5 Irish and 3 Danish Students came to my school for a
week.
- The Danish speak Perfect English, and they have
an American accent.
- Paris and Les châteaux de la loire
- About 2 years ago I hosted a teen from Paris, and
during the Toussaint Holidays I was able to go visit him for 11
days. Paris is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen in my life.
Les châteaux de la loire was also very interesting.
- Master Public Transportation
- I became able to go use the buses and Trams and
not get lost.
Novembre
- Becomes friends with two amazing Australians
- Alex and Tess made school, feel like home.
- November 17
- The last time I wore shorts
Décembre
- Rotary Meeting in Nantes
- Seeing my Rotary friends.
- December 18
- y first time seeing snow.
- Christmas
- Didn't feel like Christmas.
- Christmas Break
- St. Nazaire (Where they built Queen Mary 2) and
La Baule (Biggest beach in France)
- English
- Becomes extra bad, speaks English with French
grammar.
- Money
- The American dollar gets a bit better.
Janvier
- Changed Host Families
- Instead of having to wake up at 6:30 to go to
school I can wake up at 7:30
- Weather in France
- Finally learns how to stay warm, and always have
an umbrella handy.
- Saying goodbye to the Aussies
- That I’m visiting in December, love you Tess and
Alex!
- New Australians/ New Zealanders
- Nantes, France
Coming soon!! Février
- Feb. 14th
- Feb 13-Mar 5 Winter Holidays
- Going skiing in the Alps.
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