LITTLE RIVER: REFLECTIONS FROM YOUNGER RESIDENTS.
WORDS BY ISLA FOX
My year in France started in a grimy, 300-year-old neighbourhood called Saint Seurin. The buildings were built tall and tightly together. They made me feel small, like a mushroom in the forest. It didn’t look beautiful like our ocean and mountains here in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada, but it smelled beautiful—of jasmine flowers growing over all the buildings. My first day of French school made me feel like the only person in the whole school who couldn’t write in cursive. Luckily, I made friends who helped me a lot, and I quickly learned cursive writing at home with my mom. There were funny moments while learning French. Once, I accidentally swore in French instead of saying poutine when I was presenting about Canada to my class.
Our legs were our car while we lived in Bordeaux. This was fine because we lived close to downtown and everything we needed was only a walk away. You can walk, bike, or take the tram to interesting attractions such as the Miroir d’Eau (I loved dancing in the waters of the world’s largest reflecting pool) and Cité du Vin (I loved learning about wine through games and interactive centres in the world’s largest wine decanter-shaped building). I missed my besties every day, but I also made lots of friends who made me feel welcome and supported in France. We laughed a lot in French and had so much fun together. I’m happy to be home, but I miss my daily croissants.
WORDS BY NIKO FOX
Off I was going to France, halfway across the world. As I stepped onto the plane in Vancouver, I was full of excitement and nervous about the unknown. Would it be good … bad? I didn’t know, but I was going for a year, leaving what I knew behind.
My year abroad changed my perspective on how people live.
Walking down streets in Bordeaux, France, surrounded by golden limestone and buildings hundreds of years old, there were sounds and scents we just don’t get at home in British Columbia. Here, we smell the ocean and the fresh breeze from the forest. There, it was foxglove growing out of window sills and the smell of fresh baguettes that you could practically taste in the air. I liked going to get baguettes at our local boulangerie around the corner from our house and saying “Bonjour” to the shopkeepers at our favourite spots.
The energy in France is really different from home. At home, it feels like you wake up and life is the same day after day, but in a city, there are always new sights and challenges, like figuring out how to get to a new area and making sure you catch your bus or train. The streets were always full of people living and enjoying themselves. On Sundays, stores were closed, and people spent time with their families and friends. You had to plan ahead because you wouldn’t find anything open on Sundays.
The thing I appreciated most about Bordeaux was its public transport. I loved being able to bike or take trams and buses. I had so much freedom. I would meet friends, go for French tacos (kebabs), go swimming at the lake, explore new areas of the city, go to a rugby match, or just hang out down by the river and the Miroir D’Eau. Even if I missed a bus or tram, I could walk practically anywhere. I liked not having to rely on my parents to drive me places and depend on cars all the time.
Living in a European city for a year was great; my French got a lot better, and it did offer things I couldn’t do in Campbell River, but I really prefer a slower life in a small town near nature. Trying new things is always good, but I loved coming home to Vancouver Island and seeing friends and family. I discovered that the stereotype of French pride is very true, but merited, given their long history and rich culture. In contrast, I found the stereotype of the French people being rude wasn’t as true as some say it is. I found some of them to be pretty interesting and nice once you got to know them.
