Curiosity and excitement around the 15 year-old exchange students from Nantes, France has reached the maximum these past two weeks. A group of 17 french students arrived in Seattle at the beginning of the month, and have been staying with Prep students from Madame Davis’ french classes. The jet-lagged, yet enthusiastic students, practiced their english on the very first day, and eagerly expressed their interest in exploring the city of Seattle.
For many of the students, it’s their first time traveling to the U.S., including 15 year-old Valentine. Valentine lives in Nantes, France, where the weather is usually bright and sunny, which is very different than the showers of rain here in Seattle. She landed in Seattle the weekend of the Super Bowl, and watched the Seahawks for the first time. Her favorite activities are riding horses and dancing. Her favorite foods are Chinese food and sushi, and is excited to visit Pike Place Market. When asked what she’s most looking forward to do in Seattle, she replies, “J’espère de faire du shopping, decouvrir la ville de Seattle et faire des rencontres.” Which is translated to, “I am most looking forward to shopping, exploring the city and meeting lots of new people.” Valentine passionately states her opinions of the incident of Charlie Hebdos on January 7, 2015, which was the terrorist attack on a magazine in Paris. She believes that the magazine has the freedom of press and speech, so it was appalling to violently attack them.
The exchange students have visited tourist attractions in Seattle, including Pike Place Market, EMP, Space Needle and Starbucks Headquarters. They also have attended Prep basketball games and have visited some Prep classes throughout the day. The Prep community will really miss our new friends from France when they fly back home.