I have survived my fourth and final boom…well, at least until next session. I found myself in the middle of a sweaty pre-pubescent dance circle earlier tonight and while I can’t say I imagined it as my ideal summer pastime, twirling around to the sound of campers clapping and cheering for my pathetic dance moves was a real mood lifter.
I will miss these kids so much. The last group was great, full of strong personalities and unforgettable characters but this session proved even better. The kids seem slightly more mature overall and although they are younger for the most part, they seem more eager to do camp activities and learn as much English as possible in the 13 days they’re given.
At one point during the boom I walked outside to get some fresh air and noticed one of my ESL students sitting on a fence post. He looked a little glum so I braved the steep hill to sit next to him. “What’s up?” I asked, trying to pull off a relaxed attitude when really I was worried.
“Nothing, I’m just sinking,” he replied. (Note: ‘sinking’ is thinking, but with his very thick accent it sounds more like sinking, and I find it adorable.)
“Thinking about what?” I asked.
“My fri-ends. My family.” He went on to explain that his mother had recently been in a car accident and was still recovering. With a bit of a struggle to find the words, he told me about his younger brother. I tried to explain to him that he is a role model, but I’m not sure if he got it. Sometimes I wish I could speak French to the children so that we could understand each other better, but it makes sense that American Village wants an immersion experience so I stick to it despite difficulties.
I found it incredibly sweet that this boy was sitting outside during a lively boom pondering the welfare of his friends and family. It just goes to show how quick I can be to judge and how little I really know about the innerworkings of all the little minds I encounter each day here.
Recently I found out that I won’t be going anywhere for the third session. I’m staying here at La Mazure, and while at first I was disappointed, the idea has grown on me. I’ll be getting a new staff, with 8 of us leaving tomorrow or the day after, and after a few days off I’ll have a fresh perspective on everything, or so I hope.
The last week has been wild, with a beach trip to Granville (under cloudy skies of course, it’s Normandie) and another trip to Mont St. Michel, as well as two nights in a row spent in the teepees with eager, sleepless campers nearby. I am ready for a break to say the least, but each day I feel more and more blessed to be here. I’ll avoid the ‘g’ word (goodbye) at every cost tomorrow, but I have a feeling it will creep in as it always does.
(G)oodbye for now, Clementine.
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