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THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1996 PAGE 21.
Exchange students didn't see the forest
or the bears
Exchange of laughter
Students at F. E. Madill Secondary School, Wingham, had a few final jokes with their
exchange partners, Oct. 29, just days before the visiting students were set to return home.
In back, from left: David-Yann Gillard of France, Crystal Semple, Rachel McQuail and
Morgane Gueguen of France. In front, from left: Katie Harrison, Mathilde Domecq of France,
Kelly Alexander and Primavera Rubalcava of Mexico.
By Janice Becker school exchange students expected
Big forests, bears and cold. to see these three things upon their
Whether they came from the arrival in Canada.
southern extreme of North America Everyone seated around the table
or southern region of France, high laughed as the four exchange stu-
dents, one from Mexico and three
from France, who have attended
F.E. Madill Secondary School in
Wingham for the last three months,
described their perception of this
country, before their arrival.
However, they all agreed what
they expected was not what they
found.
The students, along with their
Madill partners, are participants in
the Ontario Student Exchange
Foundation program, a non-profit
corporation which organizes and
administers the international ex-
changes.
For the four Madill students tak-
ing part, March, their time to travel
abroad, cannot come soon enough.
Crystal Semple of RR1, Ethel, will
go to David-Yann Gillard's near
Paris; Rachel McQuail of West
Wawanosh will visit the south west
of France with Morgane Gueguen;
Katie Harrison of Brussels will stay
at Mathilde Domecq's in France
and Kelly Alexander of Wingham
will venture south to Mexico with
Primavera Rubalcava.
Madill had a particularly high
level of participation this year, said
school liaison Heather Henke. Usu-
ally there is only one or two who
get involved.
For the visitors to this country,
the reasons for participation were
very similar; to improve their
English (which was found to be
quite good by the end of their
three-month stay), experience a dif-
ferent culture and for some, to
leave their family for a while
(maybe the dream of many teens).
For Gillard of Limours, a small
town 30 kilometres from Paris, his
previous exposure to North Ameri-
can culture was similar to the oth-
ers, television. And just what
television show did they identify
with for their analysis of Canada?
The Simpsons.
"The police cars are just the same
as in the show," smiles Gillard.
Besides television, food may be
one of the other favourite subjects
for teens. Apparently, the food in
Canada was not quite what they
expected, not just in taste, but in
the look.
"There is a lot of plastic food,
said Domecq, of Aix en Provence
on the French Riviera. Everyone
giggles as she explains she means
the wrapping, not the taste.
Gueguen of Toulose, in south-
western France agrees. "Everything
is wrapped in so much plastic. We
don't have that at home."
For Rubalcava, who lives in a
community a few kilometres north
of Acapulco, Mexico, the menu
adjustment was much greater. "In
Mexico, all the food has a lot of
pepper or hot peppers. Here it does
not."
But their thoughts on the food
were not all negative. The most
popular menu choice was donuts,
which are apparently, not available
in their home countries. Other
favourites were Cheez Whiz,
cheesecake and potato chips.
Domecq and Gueguen insisted on
clearing up a misconception they
believed is often held by North
Americans. Though France does
not have a minimum age for drink-
ing, kids of their age, 14-16, rarely
drank. "It's something the adults
mostly do," said Gueguen.
There is also no age limit for
smoking.
When talk turned to schooling,
Madill students gasped at the hours
required in France. "It is much
harder at home," said Domecq.
"They tell you to work harder or
there is no future." (Madill student
Alexander smiles as the message
seems familiar.)
"School starts at 8 a.m. and goes
to 5 p.m.," adds Gueguen.
The, school experience is quite
different for Rubalcava because
there are only six students in the
school. The facility is to be closed
and they would not accept any
more students, she said. "When we
are finished, it will close."
Her school hours are much more
flexible, beginning at 7 a.m., but
ending any time between 11 a.m.
and 3 p.m.
As the students prepare to say
Continued on page 23
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