...pour une fille

This morning I had EPS (Education Physique et Sportive) aka PE. This is where I learned definitively that here sports has a very different meaning than in the United States:

They spend 2 hours a week in sports, which consists of running, PE activities, swimming, and ice skating depending on the week and time of year. Today was their "endurance" day. I was assuming we would spend the 2 hours at least at a full jog, the way they had warned me about it. But no, "endurance" means a quick warm up, leading up to the real the real challenge: a full 6 minutes, yes, i know, that was 6 minutes of running! Quel horreur! I lapped most of the girls and a lot of the boys in my 6 minutes and it was the first time I had picked up my pace past a jog since I left home. It was really funny. When the teacher announced that we were finished with our endurance activity I was shocked, but happy because we weren't moving fast enough to stay warm in the rain outdoors.

We moved inside for a game of indoor soccer. We began by spending a good 10 minutes choosing teams--a very laborious, and carefully meditated task. No decision can be made without the unanimous vote of all team members. After, the teacher announced the official rules--> 2 points for every goal scored by a boy, 3 for each scored with his head; 3 points for every goal scored by a girl, 4 for each scored with her head. I found it slightly insulting that the teacher underestimated our skill as girls, but I wasn't going to protest against extra points ;) I soon realized why he gave us some extra motivation...I was surprised to find that I was obviously one of the the only people playing who understood positioning or basic plays. Likewise, the rest of my class was shocked to find that there was a girl among them who knew how to play soccer. After the game ended, and my team one a decisive victory, people were full of questions about how long I had played soccer and comments about how good my team must be. I didn't mention the fact that my skills are very minimal and despite having played forever, back home I really am not considered any good. (Nor did I mention the fact that I have never won a varsity league game in my entire time playing high school soccer...) Instead, I wowed them by sharing the fact that at my school if you play a sport you spend 10 hours a week practicing. This fact amazed some, disgusted others, but definitely surprised all. It was infeasible to voluntarily devote that much time to a sport every day. I mean, after all, our 6 minute jog had been completely exhausting... ;)

Later, in our history class, Luchiano, a student who had been absent that morning came in and sat next to me. He immediately turned to his friends Clement and Damien in the row behind us to ask about that mornings sports. Clement recounted the game and our huge success....

[loose translation of their conversation w/ the addition of american slang for the reader's interest, and added personal enjoyment of the writer]
L: Hey bro...you told the teacher why I was late, right?
C: Nawww man, you think I would remember? *chuckle*
L: Dude, nooo wayyy...*chuckle*...thats okay, man...so I heard you played soccer, how was the game?
C: We won...7-0...killer!
L: Sick man, uneven teams?
C: Guess so...we had some good players.
L: Yeah?
C: Yeah...and Taylor, woah...I had no idea! (to me) Well played, girl.
ME: Hey! Thanks!
C: Naw, you were really good...
ME: Oh, haha, not really
D: No, you had a great game.
D: I mean you played really well...

...for a girl.

ME: ....Thanks? (insert adorable idon'tthinkijustheardyouright? innocent smile)