Monday 21st August

Bonjour tout le monde!
Well, what an exciting day - and a very long one!  We ate at 6pm last night so the kids were all told bedtime was 8.30 because of the 4.45am wakeup call they were going to get this morning. They duly all got up at the appointed time and we vacated the Heartland hotel in the shuttle buses on time.  Arrival in the semi-dark at the airport was a very new feeling for quite a few of them - especially those who had never flown before. Some couldn't believe that there were so many people at the airport when the day hadn't really started. (Lesson 1 began with looking at the flight schedule showing departure and arrival times and then looking at the currency conversion outside the currency exchange bureau.)

                                                  About to go through to security.

                                                       Passing time waiting to board.

The flight was OK but quite a bit of mild turbulence for the second half of it. Everyone's stomach held together for the flight but the 45min bus ride in from where the airport is at Tontouta to Noumea was a bit challenging for some! It was 25 degrees and a lovely day when we landed so the formal jackets were soon dispersed with!
The french kids were all waiting for us with placards and signs of all our kids names and TIS got a fabulous welcome.

                          Meeting host brothers and sisters.  Our kids were great - very authentic!

After the kids had met each other, we went up to a sheltered area in the school where there were snacks and drinks provided for everyone as a welcome. Veronique ( the french teacher) had organised a couple of activities for all of the kids in each group to get to pronounce each other's names and then their billets took them around the school to familiarise them with Jean Mariotti College. It was a really good afternoon.

The Principal of Jean Mariotti spoke first telling the kids they were very lucky to be part of an exchange like this and urged them all to make the most of it.  He said communication was the key in all cultures and communication and understanding between cultures was so very valuable in today's world.  Bill then spoke in Maori with his usual greeting which is always well-appreciated, acknowledging their school, their land and all the people of New Caledonia.  He told the french kids of the Powhiri they would receive in return when they are welcomed onto our school grounds later in the year.

Bill and I were both very proud of them all today.  We met a french teacher returning from holiday at the airport in Auckland and she couldn't get over what a polite, well-behaved group of kids we have.  Another couple at the Heartlands hotel came up to Bill and said the same thing.They thought we were a private school dressed up in our formal uniform at breakfast this morning and also commented on the well-behaved lovely group of kids we had!  Take a bow everyone! You are doing well!

We are an hour behind NZ so it is only 6.15pm but I feel as though it's 10.15! Bill is already asleep on the couch so we won't be long out of bed. I'm quite sure that the kids will all be in bed early also.

Until tomorrow evening,
Au revoir!
Colleen