Part 13: Some Of The Perks

With just under 3 weeks until I am back at home, I think I should actually try and fill you in on what is good and enjoyable over here, because the most of these blogs have been upsetting home-sick un-ben-like things to say. And I guess it's time to revert back to those sarcastically try-hard funny comments that I attempt to make and intern, make these blogs enjoyable to read. And of course, I need to add in some photos. So here we go.
Firstly, I really quite enjoy school. For a kind of awkward reason I have started doing school work, because the driving boredom of sitting there and playing Doodle Jump can prove to be, boring. Quite boring. So yes I have learned many things in Philosophy, Geography, even Latin. Geography is more like a general knowledge class; the other day we learned that Russia was the biggest country in the world. Oh?
Though I guess the French do like to make sure that everyone has their general knowledge up to scratch. For example, a couple of weeks ago I was in the car with Jules' dad and he stopped the car and pointed and said "Look, a Tree!!"
To my amazement he was right, it was a tree! Unfortunately I didn't have my camera on me though and missed out on that once in a lifetime event.
So anyway, basically what happens in a class here is that the teacher will talk for the whole lesson, and all the students have to dictate the abundance of general knowledge being flown in their direction. It has it's ups and downs, and for me, there is one exception to this system, which comes from English class. The teacher loves to make the students write down sentences and phrases in English, most of the time confirming it with me. "Well actually, I wouldn't actually say that's correct Engl -" "Yes but I think it's difficult for you Ben to think about how to properly say things in your own language."
Oh? Difficult for me to think in English? Ok, you must be right, carry on. What's the sentence we need to write again? Ah, 'they may blame themselves for they what have done'
..yeah good one
Then there's the whole diet and weight situation. As of now, I have supposedly lost 9kg and it's still going down. Duck liver? has become one of my favorite foods. Although search what happens when you have too much fibre (bread) in your diet. Not very pretty.
There are some things/people here that drive me to such a state of annoyance that I can't even move because I am so shocked at the level of annoyance I have from that thing/person. For the sake of someone reading this and saying to me 'why did you write all that stuff about me, bitch', I will not go into specific details on 'who' but I can say a couple of things about 'what'.
For instance, the fact that the French like to cook their meat so it is cooked on the outside and raw on the inside. FFS, I just want to dig in to some bloody meat and not have blood pouring out of it. 
Another thing, people who believe they can talk English who talk English to me - shut up. You are wrong. Don't think that just because I can't understand everything you say in French that you need to repeat it to me in English, incorrectly. But it does give me some internal fun as once they say it (incorrectly) in English I can be like ohh now I understand, or even compliment them on how they are very good in English.
Yeah that's right, I'm still an asshole, but only in doses these days. 


And as for photos:

Notre Dame

As I have conveniently labelled, above is the Notre Dame; a photo of which I took after school on a Wednesday night. After school, I have also visited such things as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the City Centre - very easy to get to from my house.
I am trying to inflict jealousy here. But yeah, it's summer in Australia so it goes both ways.

80,000 people supporting a rugby team that wears pink jerseys - intimidating...

Paris by night

So yeah, I am quite enjoying my time here and am quite enjoying the fact I am within touching distance of returning home. I have nothing to complain about at the moment, looking forward to what I'm thinking of as the final phase of my trip; should be a good one.