Hello everyone, this is Laurie’s interview. She is a 16 year-old pupil in Lycée Prieur, in the literary class in her 6th year. She has shared with us her incredible AFS experience while she lived in Canada with her correspondent, Magenta.
What motivated you to go to Canada?
=> Well… Canada is a country I have always wanted to visit, so when I heard about this AFS experience, and all the positive testimonies from people who did this before me, that inspired me a lot. They all looked so happy! I thought it could be a great opportunity and I wondered : « Why not me? »
What were your concerns before leaving?
=> I was afraid not to be understood and not to get along with my host family. Otherwise I wasn’t that worried, to be honest!
How long did you stay in Canada?
=> I stayed there for two months.
What was your first impression about Canada?
=> My first impression was that everything was bigger there : the roads, the houses, the cars… Even the elevators !
What is your most beautiful memory in Canada?
=> Actually… I can’t have just one best memory, because everything was so amazing there. I remember the beauty of the landscapes, with all these lakes and trees, the amazing places I visited, the people I met who were so nice…
What did you find weird in Canada?
=> There is something different that I noticed, Canadians eat dinner around 5pm. I was used to eating at about 8pm so it was kind of strange to eat that early at first. I was also surprised to discover that they listened to the national anthem every morning at school before starting class.
Did you have any trouble to integrate?
=> I’m usually a shy person so it wasn’t easy to integrate but as the weeks went by I got more and more confident and everything was fine. The people around me were always so kind and understanding with me that I felt at ease very quickly.
Do you prefer the Canadian or the French school system?
=> Haha, I prefer the Canadian system firstly because school days are shorter than ours and I like the relationships between the teachers and the students. They are not as formal as we are in France, and I liked that.
Did you get along with your host family and with your correspondent?
=> I can definitely say yes! My host family was so great. They were so kind, so funny… I loved every single moment I spent with them. They did everything they could to please me and I am so grateful to them.
Was your return to French high school difficult? If yes, why?
=> Yes, my return was quite difficult. I was physically in France but my mind was still in Canada. I had another life there and it was hard to leave it… And all the school work I had to catch up was not easy for me neither.
Do you recommend this experience?
=> YES!! I completely recommend this experience, this is something you may be able to do once in a lifetime, so you should definitely go while you’re still young!
Which advice would you give to those wanting to experience that?
=> If you’re interested in doing this experience, go ahead. It’s really worth it. Do not worry if you’re too shy, don’t worry about what your friends or family say, you do it for yourself. Remember this is an opportunity you could never have anymore!
Thanks to Laurie Marceau to have so kindly made this interview with us !
Written by Lina and Sara, 2nde.