FRENCH EXCHANGE REPORT

The French Exchange was an exhilarating experience both culturally and socially as I got to know France in a different light from what I had read in French lessons and was able to interact and acquaint myself with peers and like-minded individuals. Through activities such as the pastry tour and being able to visit the Louvre Museum, I was able to discover a new facet of my identity and realized my passion and interest for gastronomy and art. I was also able to learn various aspects of French culture such as how adding butter to any dish makes it French and how protesting for social issues is ingrained in French culture.

All stereotypes aside, I fell in love with Paris. Having an espresso in the morning to munching on croissants to gazing at the Eiffel Tower for hours in awe of its magnificence and grandeur.

But beyond just the clichés, it was the experience of actually staying with a French family and being part of their lives for a week that excited me the most. From playing FIFA with my host for hours to making Raclette to enjoying a soccer match at a restaurant with pumped up fans, it was an episode in my life that I’ll never forget.

I was also able to bond with my peers and learn different things about each of them that I hadn’t known before. From starting a friendly soccer rivalry with one to cracking ridiculous jokes in queues for attractions and rollercoasters, it was all an unforgettable experience.

But, the best of all was visiting Paris yet again and still being as excited to discover and explore new things as the very first time!

- Advait Deshpande

Hosting the French Exchange Students

As delightful as travelling to Paris was, hosting the French students was a far more enjoyable experience. Here, we gave them a taste of our own culture, quite literally, by exposing them to different food, clothing and most importantly weather. The French students from the Ermitage School situated in Maison-Laffite, came to live with us for a week, from the 23rd of February to the 1st of March. They spend their weekend completely with us, while on school days, school took them for tours around the city.

I had previously thought that when the French students came to live with us, it would be a learning experience only for them, not us. Over the course of their trip I realised how I was learning more about their culture, habits and etiquettes as the days went by. From their intolerance towards spice, to their excitement at buying Indian dresses; from their dislike of the perpetual heat, to their appreciation of house-help and drivers; their multitude of responses towards things that we considered for granted in our daily lives helped us understand how they lived.

We used this opportunity as well as we could, to spread our culture far and wide. Thi exchange experience was a milestone for both them and us; it increased cultural awareness, along with educating us beyond the world of school and textbooks. We learnt how to welcome people into our homes, make them part of our family. We learnt how to communicate, despite some lingual differences. We learnt how to adjust our lifestyles, to accommodate other people in, and to share whatever we had with them. We learnt empathy, compromise, and sacrifice. But most of all, we learnt friendship.

- Ishita Bagri