From the Students' Prepective

May 31, 2018

Today we asked the students to participate in the blog so that you hear their perspectives. Here's what some had to say.

Thomas Hamblet:
On Tuesday, my host family took me up in a four-seater plane to get a different type of view of Lyon. We went to the smaller airfield in Lyon, mainly used for people whose hobby is flying and met a pilot who took us up. We then flew around Lyon at a slight distance, enough to keep us out of Lyon airspace. The view from above was amazing, as we could see for miles. From the plane, we could spot Le Crayon and La Gomme, the two skyscrapers in Lyon, as well as the Basilique de Fourvière and the house that we were staying in. It was an amazing experience that I will most likely never again be able to repeat.

Jordan Zografos:
My trip has been great so far. I feel like my ability to speak French has significantly improved since I am surrounded by French speaking people and forced to use French in many situations throughout the day. My host family is great and I enjoy spending time with them. We are always doing something and I never feel bored or just sit at home for hours. The only part I don’t like in France is probably the classes because I don’t really understand what is going on and I’d rather be outside exploring Lyon and being fully engaged in French culture!

Hao Ly:
The trip so far has been amazing. From the activities that we did with the group, such as touring Vieux Lyon and going to Le Musée de Confluence, to the amazing food at the Brasserie George’s, everything has been great and fun. My host family is very kind and welcoming, and they have been taking good care of me. The food in Lyon is great and everything is so much fresher. My favorite so far was the salmon I had at The Salmon Shop with my host family. I find it funny that the French eat baguettes with everything. I hope that the trip will continue to be great, and I cannot wait for what we’ll do in the upcoming days.

Nick Hajjar:

Living with Benjamin has truly been the coolest experience of my time at BCH. His family lives right on the Rhône River, on the Presque île of Lyon. Such an ideal location has allowed me to better immerse myself into everyday French life because of my proximity to the center of the city. Further adding to my French experience is Ben’s commute to school, which consists of a short walk and subway ride to school. Being able to talk with locals and spend time with Ben's family has greatly enhanced my French skills, and I am very thankful to Ben’s family for being so hospitable.

View from Ben's apartment.

James Raftery: I've had a great time on my trip so far. It has been really hard considering how tired we all have been and how different France is to make the most of the things we have done so far, but I have enjoyed most of the tours and all of the things that we have gotten to see. My host family is really nice and the food that they eat is really good. They eat a lot of seafood.

Jack Raftery: So far, the trip had been great. I have really enjoyed exploring the city and its history. On Saturday, we went to a restaurant with the French kids and got tacos, which were very different than tacos from America. A lot of things are different here. For example, whenever you greet a girl, you kiss both her cheeks, which is hard to get used to. And with guys, you high-five them twice. Constantly speaking on another language is difficult too. I’m looking forward to the remainder of the trip.

Nick Morrison: One of my favorite parts of Lyon is the ancient quarter of the city. Vieux Lyon is a picturesque European neighborhood with narrow cobblestone streets, open air restaurants, and musicians playing their instruments. I have had two occasions to walk through this quaint district and buy some food such as crepes, pain au chocolat, and gelato. There are also beautiful churches and secret tunnels between the buildings that trace back to the silk production days. It is really one of the most beautiful places I have been.

Today we went to the MUSCO by Sève which is the chocolate museum to learn how chocolate is made from bean to bar, and then of course we tasted a variety of chocolate treats! Then we went on a boat tour on the Saône which gave us time to rest our tired feet, but still view the city. A school group was on the boat, so we got to practice our French and have some fun joking with the ten year olds. Lastly, we went to the Musee Miniature and Cinema. It had artifacts from movies made in Europe and in America. It focused on special effects and miniature sets.