Paris Unpacked: An Exchange Student's Adventure

Carolina Berna, Grade 9

I moved to Namibia a year and half ago and it has been an exciting journey. Because of the nature of my father’s work, I am used to moving around every four years and I enjoy visiting new countries. When this extraordinary opportunity came along to go on an exchange to the International School of Paris, I had  to apply.  My  three-week stay at  Paris was an unforgettable experience - from school days enriched with new friendships, the awe-inspiring artworks at the Louvre to the serene walks along the Seine - it was amazing.

The journey to Paris was uneventful. I travelled with my mum and my classmate, Nicholis. When I arrived at the airport in Paris,  I was greeted by two smiling faces; Coco and Jules. I was going to stay with Coco. Coco and her parents were extremely welcoming and their apartment was beautiful. I did not move in with them immediately though. I spent the first few days with my mum. This was good as I could get used to the city I also took the opportunity to get to know some people. I met Coco’s friends. They were all very pleasant, but initially, I was feeling a little out of place because they talked about the events that I had no clue about.  Thankfully though, they did understand my situation and did their best to include me. Thereafter, I had a great time. The first night at my new home was calmer than expected. I unpacked my stuff and I was very comfortable in the apartment that faced the shimmering Eiffel Tower. I was so looking forward to this trip and it was finally happening. 

The first day at the school  was amazing! To get to school, Coco and I walked along the river Seine and it was great as I got to see parts of Paris. Walking to school was a different experience for me; in Windhoek we have to drive to school. I was warmly welcomed by a lot of kind people at the school. The subjects that they taught were not new to me and so I was moved up to Extended Math. Everyday, after school, we walked back and sometimes we grabbed something to eat like a Belgium waffle, a delicious pastry or a baguette. The food that I ate was the most exquisite in the world! And as an Italian, this is a hard statement.

On the Wednesday of the first week at school it was quite an experience. We were getting ready to go home, when suddenly, the school alarm rang, signalling a lockdown. We locked the doors of the classrooms and sat under our desks. I was a bit confused, but I was not scared or worried (to my surprise). After waiting for about five minutes, they told us to head upstairs to be safe because, as we later found out, apparently there was a person in the streets holding a gun. The school did this because they wanted to make sure that everyone was safe inside. It was an interesting  experience and no one was panicking - we played board games till we were let out. 

The next day during PE, my pinky finger started hurting. It started bleeding and swelling, but to this day I still do not know why that happened. I went to visit the doctor on Monday, and after getting my first X-ray scan and waiting three hours, he told me  that I might have a mini fracture. After this, I went to visit the Louvre. The Louvre was so vast and the architecture was astonishing. We only managed to see the Italian and French artworks, which was enough for me, as they captured my attention instantly. I am so inspired by how realistic the artworks were. They seemed like the people could pop out of the artwork any second. At first I did not understand why the Mona Lisa was so popular, but when I managed to get in front of the enormous crowd I saw why. The Mona Lisa’s eye follows you wherever you go and you do

not know if she has a slight smirk or frown. It was a fascinating experience to be able to stand right in front of and appreciate Leonardo Da Vinci’s spectacular artworks. 

The second weekend, I visited Versaille. It was very cold and so I could not enjoy the gardens as much. It was gigantic and splendid, yet I did not manage to see a lot because we left early to go shopping with my new friends; Ofir and Mia. The next day, I got some exercise by going swimming in this really nice spa/gym and in the afternoon they decided to go bowling. It was a very calming day and I had so much fun. 

On Friday, which was supposed to be the last day of school for me, was a school holiday, so I went to the Musee d’Orsay. I had a wonderful time as the weather was delightful and the paintings were extraordinary. I was really looking forward to seeing impressionist paintings as I studied about them at WIS and I was definitely not disappointed. The building d’Orsay was previously a train station but then turned into this fascinating piece of architecture that blew my mind. The artworks inside starting from sculptures to paintings were so beautiful, especially Vincent Van Gogh’s, Claude Monets and Pierre Bonnard. My last day, Saturday, we got to make the most of it by visiting the farmers market in the morning and then going to Giverny, where most of Claude Monet's artworks were done. Unfortunately, Monet’s garden was closed, yet we still had a good time walking around the pretty town. 

I had a lot of fun in Paris and it was an amazing experience. Paris is so beautiful and the monuments are a must see. It was a very busy three weeks where I got to do as much as possible like climb up the Eiffel tower, go to the enormous cinemas, visit the Farmers market and have a hospital experience. I really enjoyed being in a European city as I got to walk around with just friends and do so many fun activities. I look forward to visiting again as soon as possible as I continue to miss my host family and new friends so much.