Rotary Exchange student Alix reflects on first five months in Portage – PortageOnline.com

Portage la Prairie’s Rotary Youth Exchange student, Alix, is five months into her Canadian year and says the experience in Portage la Prairie has been “friendly, welcoming, and small” in the best way.

“My name is Alix, and I’m 16.”

First impressions: meals and a smaller city with all the essentials

Asked about her first culture-shock moment, she points to mealtime.

“I remember my first shock was like the time we had supper,” she recalls, noting that in France, the common time for eating supper is generally no earlier than 7 P.M., and can sometimes be as late as 9 P.M.

Coming from Amiens in northern France, a city of roughly 136,000, Alix notes the size difference but says Portage has what she needs.

Asked to sum up life in Portage la Prairie in just three words, she offers, “I would say friendly, welcoming, and small. Here I think it’s small, but enough; we have everything [we need] here too.”

She has embraced classic Canadiana on her plate, and has a few items left on her to-try list.

“I remember I tried poutine for the first time. I would like to try curling, and maybe ice skating on the lake.”

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Classrooms with more choice and a closer feel

School has been another standout contrast between countries, especially the variety of electives and the feel in the classroom.

“I really feel like here you can have fun classes like food, or hairstyle, or pottery. We don’t have things like this in France. And I think the relationship between students and teachers is a big difference; teachers and students are really close. Teachers are really friendly and fun with us. I would love to have something like this in France.”

Holidays, stockings, and a Christmas Eve birthday

Her December birthday landed on Christmas Eve, and she says the holidays brought new traditions — and some gift cards.

“Something I’ve never had before was like the stockings. We don’t have stockings in France, and that was a good thing. In France… [Christmas is] a big thing and people really like dressing [up] for Christmas, and we are all the family together, and we can start like the appetizers at like 11:30 and finish the meal at like 6 or 7 P.M. sometimes.”

More than anything, Alix says the community has made her feel at home.

“People are really friendly with me, and everybody is really welcoming with me. I feel I’ve had a good time here. I’m happy to be here because people are really friendly and really good.”

For Alix, the next five months promise more firsts, from curling rocks to lake ice, and more Portage memories.

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