Céline HENRY
Blandine ROYET
Juliette DIJOUX

Our experience in the Shaw family

After a 17 hour-trip by bus and boat and the visit of Chester, we met “our” family. First, we met the oldest daughter, Danielle and the man we supposed that it was the father brought us silently to their house. There we met all the numerous family. The mother, Katy, told her sons to bring our suitcases in our bedroom (the poor!). One of them answered that they were not slaves.

Then, she showed us the house and the shower’s working: we had to switch on/off the water outside of the bathroom. There were no locks so she explained us that when the button was in such a way, nobody could come because they were accustomed.

After that, she asked us to go down within 5 minutes to take the evening meal and we had our first meal. While we were eating, one son and one girl were on their computers. Each one was doing something different, individually, so we couldn’t talk with them. Later, we said that we were tired so that we were going to sleep. She thanked us a lot for the presents that we gave to her and she asked us how long the ride was. She was really surprised when we answered 17 hours. Just before sleeping she asked us if we wanted her to switch off the light because few days ago her daughter, Sarah, fell in the stairs and because of this she missed her driving license.

The next day, after the meal, we asked her if she could help us to answer the questionnaire that we had to fill in for the school and she accepted. This has allowed us to finally be able to really discuss with our host! Through this, she explained that she had 5 children from 11 to 23 years old: Christina, Stephen, Sarah, Alex and Danielle, all living in the house. Dave, Steven’s friend also lived there because his parent’s didn’t want him anymore at home. Then, she said that she spent all her life in Colwyn Bay except 2 years in the Yorkshire. Katy also told us that just across their street, few years earlier, the police had discovered a “drug center”. She was very shocked when she heard about that and it was even when she told us this story.

After this, we asked her if she had already seen the proposal for a common flag for English and welsh people. She was surprised and she answered us that nowhere she had seen this strange flag. After studyingmore closelythe flag, she said that she found it strange, ugly and not representative at all of their culture.

Afterwards, Céline asked her if she knew where she could find some typical English products for her sister because it was her mission. She responded that she could buy it for her. Celine gave her a list of products and among them, the Reeses (chocolate cookies with peanut butter). The mother had never seen this product before it! Celinehasthanked herin advance!

Before going to bed, Katy asked her son Steven to show us his videos in which he practices some acrobatic courses. It was amazing!

Last evening, after our dayin Snowdonia, we had very spicy chips for dinner. It was really too spicy, our mouths were on fire. When she came back, she saw that we didn’t eat a lot, and we explained to her the problem. She tasted them and she said that she didn’t know it and that it was the son who had bought the wrong package. So she proposed us a hot chocolate and cooked us other chips that she carried in our bedroom after our shower. She gaveus many apologies. We then explained her that was nothing and we thanked her for these efforts. We were tired so we told her that we were going to sleep and as every night she told us that she would wake up the next day.

The last morning, we didn’t see all the family but we said goodbye to Katy and Christina, the youngest child, just before taking the taxi that brought us back to the bus.