Bonjour!
Hello everybody! My name's Matt but all of my friends and my father call me Matty or Le Matt.
I consider myself gay but I also have some small feelings for girls too, and I've had a few experiences with them. I might talk about that, might not? I've been following Oasis for about a year and am impressed with the writing talent and diversity on here, especially Anarchist and Sam2000. Adding a French perspective could be interesting?
I'll be fourteen in March and live in the Rhone-Alpes region of France, in a suburb of a city close to the Swiss and Italian borders. The school I go to is the equivalent of a junior high in the United States and I'm in grade Sixieme (6e) although I really should be in Quatrieme (4e) with the other kids my age. There's reason for this that I'll explain as I go along I guess?
I don't think I'll post a picture of me on here just yet but I'm 174 cm tall and weight 49 kg, and I have green eyes and streaked brown hair that I keep cut really short. I'm very active, play football (soccer) and love heavy metal, especially Iron Maiden. I play guitar (not so well) and have lots of friends.
Going to school in France is completely different from the United States, and I think it's better. School starts at 8:30 A.M., I have a few hour long classes then we have a TWO HOUR LUNCH! It's my favorite time of the day, and you have to spend at least a half hour eating the four course meal my school provides, except that I bring in my own lunch because of my eating restrictions. Here you have to have a note from your doctor to be able to bring your own lunch to school. I usually have a big salad with Italian salami and different cheeses, and we drink water from wine glasses. Soda machines are illegal in schools here. You also have to eat for at least a half hour.
Unlike the U.S. we don't go to school on Wednesdays and have a half day on Saturdays, with Sundays off too. This is a Roman Catholic country and everyone goes to church on Sunday.
After lunch we have a few more classes then go home at 4:30 P.M. Except for football, there really isn't any kind of organized after school activities here, unlike the U.S. You just do your own thing.
Next time around I think I'll write about the sad way I ended up moving to France with my father.
Thank you for reading!
Matty
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Comments
matty! Welcome to Oasis!
I have to admit, I love maiden somewhat less since their original singer Paul Di'anno had some visa issues and had to cancel his tour w/ my friend's band here in the states! But nontheless, welcome to oasis! Hope ya like it here. I thik I know the region of france you are in. My sister aupaired for a family out there and still gets to use their cabin in the alps.
Hopefully I will make it to France and the Italian dolomites this year on the MTB, but if not, soon for sure.
anyway, welcome to Oasis from a fellow metalhead/grunger from the Seattle area and hope you find what you are lookin' for here.
hell
Mental wounds not healing, driving me insane, i'm goin' off the rails on a crazy train- the ozzman
I love the early Iron Maiden
I love the early Iron Maiden through Powerslave, I think that was their best release. My father and I are planning to see them this summer in Paris!
Mountain biking is popular here, but so is road biking, and the Tour De France is as big as the Superbowl is in your country. I have a nice road bike and the hills here are very challenging! Biking is my next favorite sport to football, and the two sports keep me fit.
Matty
France is my home but America is in my heart.
Do you like any heavier metal?
If so, you should check out Cattle Decapitation. They're awesome.
Haha, yeah...
The tour is huge over there-I got the chance to see it live a few years back from my friends @ trek bicycles. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience, but we'll see how popular the field is in the post-lance wake this year. I have a feelign all the non cheaters will make it much more interesting. haha.
I need to spend more time on the road bike this year, and less time bitching about how out of shape I am. More century rides, less whining.
Mental wounds not healing, driving me insane, i'm goin' off the rails on a crazy train- the ozzman
Oh, BTW....
You aren't the first frenchmen on this site! My good friend david, aka hyacinthus, formerly known as geniusfrenchie from seattle used to be the resident french kid on the site. lol.
Mental wounds not healing, driving me insane, i'm goin' off the rails on a crazy train- the ozzman
You're dangerously underweight.
If you're 174cm and you weigh 49kg, your BMI is 16.4. You should probably eat more.
Apropos to the topic of food, I'm envious of your lunch. Two hours of break between classes; that would be great, provided there are entertaining people to keep one occupied with interesting conversations. Lunch here is 45 minutes and we are served the same food as prisoners, which is why I also bring lunch.
I'd like to leave this country as soon as possible. Europe is nice; so many cultures in a small space, and very beautiful land. I've lived in Europe for seven years (during which I have gone to France), so I would love to return. I am indeed envious of you.
Why do you like the U.S. so much, though? Everything is commercial and public buildings are old and dirty. The people are disgustingly nationalistic, and the majority of them are horribly ignorant. The country is conservative and intolerant, and no quality goods are produced. For good food or handcrafted products, one must buy expensive imports. And the schools are just awful; I'm not even going to try listing everything wrong with them. Trust me, Germany is much better than this place. Go there instead.
BMI...
Isn't meant for teens to use, since bodies are still changing...
---
"You don't know you're beautiful." - Harry Styles
Welcome,
Mon Ami. Don't listen to Anarchist, for your age and height, your quite good. Not to mention, your current height was probably a recent occurrence(Growth Spurt).
Are you sure?
Because not even /mu/ has people that skinny.
Anyway, I mean no offense. People tend to gain weight easier when they age, anyway.
That's true,
Typically, most people's metabolism starts slowing down after 21. I wasn't inferring that you offended him, but, he probably recently attained his height, so it takes time for the body to fill out. Usually guys his age are ravenous eaters( I know I was) so time will dictate and some people retain a high metabolism most of their life.
I'm just skinny
I'm really just skinny, but I'm also fit and very active. The big difference between American and French kids is there's many more fat one in America. Here the obesity rate among boys is 9-10%, I know it's higher in your country.
I'm addition to being very active I like to drink lots of coffee and I'm sure that's helping me stay slim : ))
Matty
France is my home but America is in my heart.
I think I miscalculated.
I checked again and found out you're 5'8". I thought it was 5'10".
So yeah, that isn't quite as anorexic-tier slim as I thought. Still very skinny, though. I think I actually know a guy around the same height and weight as you.
yeah, the obesity here is ridiculous
but I wouldn't worry about being skinny. I'm almost as skinny as you can be at my age but I'm fine (the doctor checked it out :) )
The ducks will get you!
Welcome...
... to Oasis.
Hope you have a great experience here. And we're always up for a different POV.
France is Roman Catholic?! That seems off for some reason... but, if you're there, we'll defer to your experience.
---
"You don't know you're beautiful." - Harry Styles
Oh yeah.
Weren't they excommunicated or something?
France is a heavily Catholic
France is a heavily Catholic country, but other religions are not well accepted here. Jews are accepted but seen as outsiders, but one of my closest friends is Jewish. Muslims are outcasts, but it's because they don't make an effort to assimilate into our culture and they tend to keep amongst themselves anyway.
In school Muslim girls are not allowed to wear headscarves, Jewish boys forbidden from wearing yarmilkes, and even I have to have my crucifix necklace inside my shirt all the time. The United States is way ahead of things here.
Matty
France is my home but America is in my heart.
Welcome!
Welcome to Oasis! And thanks for mentioning me : )
Sam
You're welcome! I wish you
You're welcome! I wish you would write on here more often, you're very interesting!
Matty
France is my home but America is in my heart.
I'm working on that
I'm working on that actually, I just have a really busy schedule right now and lots of schoolwork.
Sam
A hearty welcome from me as well...
...although a bit belated!
You characterize yourself as Expat... Should we infer from this that your origin is elsewhere... U.S. or Canada, maybe? If so, is there a plan to return at some future time?
As for your height and weight... I disagree (mildly, only) with anarchist: your weight sounds quite healthy for your height (a bit above "normal").
Four-course meals... at school... 1/2hour... surely, you must be jesting?
I was born in Florida and
I was born in Florida and moved to France with my father when I was 6. We return to Florida twice a year to visit family, and I love being there. It's so warm and I get to see all my mother's family.
In France the school lunch is just like I wrote, here eating and cooking is an artform, One funny difference between our countries is there tons of food and snack marketed to kids in the United States but that doesn't exist in France.
Matty
France is my home but America is in my heart.