NationStates Jolt Archive

It seems that my parents have decided to send me up for Foreign Exchange and i have two options of France and Germany. I want to go to Germany based on my past experiances in Muinch but chances are i'll end up somewhere else and my parents are agaist it . In France (which is where they want me to go and take in high school) I don't really want go there having only in Paris for two weeks and i'm not quite sure where to go. So does anyone have thoughts or recommendations where to go based on experiance?

Do you speak either French or German?

france, its france.

It's easy to drink underage in France, but there's better soccer in Germany.

Do you speak either French or German?
Thats up in the air because im taking one or the other in highh school

Thats up in the air because im taking one or the other in highh school

Well I am going to recommend Germany over France. Nice places though, both of them.

Go to Turkey.

Ouch, you're screwed either way :S
Personally never been to Germany, but the language gives me a headache (my old French teacher was from Strasbourg and spoke German). Not on my list of places to visit either.
France is.... France. The people there are not very nice if you speak to them in English, and downright bitchy I'd assume if you spoke to them in Hebrew :p
I never got to the levels of craziness to try that though. Frankly, I'd go home and stay in bed!

Go to France. More useful language, and its the largest tourist country in the world... Obviously many things will be catered to foreigners.

Being from northern hickville new york, I always went to Montreal for underage bar hopping adventures. I always had a blast, I figure France is a lot like Motreal. go there, french chicks are hot, German chicks not so much.

youll have an amazing experience no matter which you choose. if you value one language over the other, go with that country.

but

if you want to go to germany and your parents balk at it, look them straight in the eye and tell them that its YOU who will be going and not THEM. it really should be your choice.

Just a word of warning, for either place really, if your american, don't advertise the fact.

This myth about the French being rude is utter nonsense -- if you want to know what real snobbery is like and have a desire to exchange with people on very high horses, go to London.

I've never been to Germany, but that's where Hitler set up his government. Go to France.

The most beautiful women in the world (outside of Australia, obviously) are probably to be found in France. If you like history, go to France. Gaze upon L'Arc de Triomph and meditate upon the majesty of Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France. See the Tuilleries, capital of the French Revolution. See the Louvre, with all its marvelous works of art.

Ain't no place like France! (Barring Australia, of course.)

For either place.....become a part of the culture. Don't just hang out with people from your own country. Go native, as they say.

I did and I don't regret it a bit.

Or try and go to Holland

Go to either. Just travel. And, as someone stated, go native. Get a few folks together, hang out somewhere, talk to the natives. Only the snobby types are rude in france, and they are everywhere in the world(not just the french but in all countries.) Also, Europe has a great train network. Hop on a train , grab the old passport and visit another country. Take a weekend and pick a place. If you're American, don't worry about advertising it or not. If anyone dislikes you based on nationality alone, they're not worth hanging out with IMO. Find those that like you on your merits alone. Have fun.

It seems that my parents have decided to send me up for Foreign Exchange and i have two options of France and Germany. I want to go to Germany based on my past experiances in Muinch but chances are i'll end up somewhere else and my parents are agaist it . In France (which is where they want me to go and take in high school) I don't really want go there having only in Paris for two weeks and i'm not quite sure where to go. So does anyone have thoughts or recommendations where to go based on experiance?

Firstly, why are your parents against you going to Germany?

But go to Strasbourg - best of both worlds :D ;)

But seriously, it honestly won't matter too much as to where you go. Do you have a list of choices for partners and where they are located? If you can try and go to a large city I would suggest that, rather than being stuck in a small village.

Basically as some of the others have said, wherever you go, get involved and make the most of it. I've been on 3 exchanges (all to Kassel in Hessen in Germany) and only one worked out really well in terms of getting the right exchange partner, but they were all good fun.



if you want to go to germany and your parents balk at it, look them straight in the eye and tell them that its YOU who will be going and not THEM. it really should be your choice.

Damn straight. Wherever you go it will be beneficial for you so don't let some less than valid reason persuade you out of where you want to go.


If you like history, go to France.

If you like history go to either, you will find more than enough to occupy you in both. Sure Paris has got a lot of history as has the rest of France, but so has Germany. A few places to visit in Germany would be Trier for its Roman buildings (it was once for a few years the capital of the Roman Empire), Neuschwanstein (the castle Disney based his on) and, of course, the Berlin Wall. But there is so much more than those obviously.


Of course I am biased in Germany's favour having lived here for at least 3 years of my life (all the times i have been combined), but France was equally fascinating when I visited the Normandy beaches, Parc Asterix and travelled around northen france in the car.

Honestly, go where you want and make the most of it. Get involved, show interest and people will reciprocate and will make you feel welcome. Of course there are always some who aren't too keen on foreingers, but you get them in every country. Ignore them and give time to the ones you are living with.

Personally I would recomend Germany over France. As having been to both countries many times Germany is by far better than France anyday. Though this may be due to the fact I can speak german and that my french is awful (im failing my mock speaking in it tommorrow).

Also thev german people really appreciate when you speak to them in their language and are generally quite friendly people.

Hope you enjoy where ever you decide to go.

Mennon

Or try and go to Holland
Yes. do this

Or try and go to Holland
That's a good country to visit but you shouldn't stay there for too long.
One friend of mine spent a week there and in the end he was so high he had to throw 3 grams of the stuff (I think it was marihuana) in the dumpster. He just couldn't smoke any more of it. Damn expensive!

Avoid France

France is.... France. The people there are not very nice if you speak to them in English,

I've found quite the opposite. The French people I know are great. Must be just the British thing.