Bonjour tout le monde! My name is Rebecca Farquhar and I am a year 13 student at Wellington Girls’ College. More so, I have the great pleasure and honour of saying that I am an ambassador for the Following Family Footsteps trip to France in July 2018!

First of all, a little bit about me: I was born and bred in Budapest, Hungary and lived there until the ripe old age of 6. Shortly after turning 6 years old, my family and I moved to New Zealand (where my Father originates from). Most of my family still lives in Hungary, which means I get to go to Europe every-so-often, so I at least have some idea of cultural differences and identity between various European countries (which I’m hoping will help me reduce embarrassing experiences in France).

Speaking of Europe, and more specifically, France, I could not be more excited to be embarking on this singular journey. Really. You should have seen me when I got my acceptance email. I was buzzing, to say the least! For me, being an ambassador allows me to realise an aspiration of mine: to celebrate the relationship between France and New Zealand that we have now, the relationship we have had, and the history and context of relations between these two vastly different and yet significantly connected nations. To be a touch more specific, over the next few months I will be reading up and watching documentaries on New Zealand’s role in World War One (something I already have a bit of an idea of thanks to school), and more so, the events that took place in specifically the North of France (in cities such as Amiens and Paris) so that I can develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of not only how France and the French people were affected by the war at the time, but how the consequences of the war have left a mark on France. By learning more about both New Zealand and France in World War One, I hope to be able to make inferences about the former and current relationship between the two countries, and the relationship’s development myself, before actually learning about these things on the trip. Hopefully, this newfound knowledge will also form a basis for me to ask questions when I am in France itself.

The bond between France and New Zealand is something I value, and I think is something to be honoured if future generations are to benefit from it. On this trip, I really hope that I will be able to use my role to show both New Zealanders and French people that there is a greater connection between our two nations than first meets the eye. Other than that, on a more personal level, I hope that I will have the opportunity to learn more not only about World War One and how New Zealand and France worked together during the War, and the times since, but about the people of France, their language, their culture, and their lives.

So, as we say in French, à bientôt!