i guess this wouldn't be france without a frustrating strike

Just got some sad trip news- our train to Amboise (in the Loire Valley) has been canceled and there are no trains for the rest of the day there or to Tours, which is a city near it. We could take a train to Paris and then take a train to Tours... but it will cost us a pretty penny to do so. SNCF, the French train provider, has joined the strike full force now (whereas before 2/3 trains were running, they're only running at 50% now... guess our train was in the glass half empty part). They have on their website that they will be striking until the night of the 23rd.... so I'm just praying that they'll stop by the morning of the 24th, making my train trip to Paris on the 25th on-time and on-schedule!

Anyway, I'm still getting up early to at least refund my tickets, if not try to find a cheap alternate route.... but at this point I'm getting a little worried I'll get stuck in Tours/Amboise if I do get there and then I'd be a nervous wreck about getting to Paris on the 25th. So- we shall see.

My day at school was good- lots of Funnybones reading and Halloween vocabulary going on. I have an adorable little boy, straight from Jerry Maguire, in my CP class. His name is Owen and he's always getting into trouble. But I want to tell the teacher, he's so little and so cute with his disheveled hair and glasses! Don't be mean at him!

When I got home I made number people to use when I teach numbers via the song: 1 little, 2 little, 3 little monkeys... etc. Mrs. Harris and Mrs. Brown would be proud of my number people.

Anyway... I need to go attempt to lay out clothes for my bag, just in case something opens up and we do end up going. Send happy thoughts my way please!

Reste cool...

my attempt at explaining the strike craziness

My plans were drastically changed today (from going to meet the girls in Vieux Lyon, to sitting at home) because.... yep, you guessed it- the strikes, the protesters, and the violent rioting. So, because I haven't done much today but enjoy a really fun care package from Victor's sister Valerie, go for a run to the castle, pick up toilet paper, and eat goldfish and ravioli, I'm going to attempt to break down the strike that has turned ugly.

1. Proposed Reform by (right of center) President Sarkozy: Raise the retirement age from 60 to 62, provided one has worked for 41.5 years, and raise the age one can receive the pension from 65 to 67.

2. Why Unions are Striking: Unions (teachers, oil workers, transit workers, trash collectors, postal workers, etc.) are striking and protesting the reforms because it is hard for many people to reach this 41.5 year mark, especially if they have been laid off, taken time off to care for children, or if they work part-time. They are also striking because there are certain industries that can retire earlier, and other industries that may be more physically taxing that must work 41.5 years before retirement. They are striking because they believe the government can raise taxes on the most wealthy to help aid in the pension deficit instead of overworking the "already overworked." And ultimately, many are afraid that this reform will lead to other reforms to their hard-fought for social liberties.

3. How Can the Oil Refineries Strike?: The oil refineries are part of the public sector, and are therefore directly effected by the reforms. They have been blocking deliveries of oil to the refineries, creating blockades in front of the entrances to prevent people from going to work, and they have rebuilt these blockades after the police have forcefully taken them down.

4. What Impact is This Having on Transportation?: So far, 4,000 of the 13,000 gas stations have had to close. People are lining up to fill their tanks, worried that gas will run out. French officials have said, however, that this is almost impossible, that there is a law against hoarding gas, and that there is plenty to go around. As far as air traffic is concerned, many flights were canceled yesterday due to airport strikes. But only some of the long-haul flights have been canceled coming into Paris due to the lack of fuel. The government has said that this will no longer be a problem because of the reserves and because 3 of the oil refinery blockades have been broken by use of swat team-like force. The government has stated that they respect their right to strike, but not when it interferes with those people who want to go to work. *Just out of curiosity, I checked the Dulles airport and Charles de Gaulle airport website to check if any flights into Paris have been canceled, and the 3 that I found were scheduled to leave on time (and one was an Air France carrier).

5. Why Students are Striking: High School students are striking, protesting, and barricading their schools because they are concerned that if older people work longer, they will have less job opportunities (which are already slim). Many students, after graduating from high school or university, cannot find a stable job until their late 20's and must rely on internships and continuing education before finding a job. If they can't begin working until their late 20's, working for 41.5 years will have them working until a much older age.

6. Why are the Student Demonstrations Turning Violent: France has a history of striking for "their rights." Students know that in 1968, young people took to the streets to fight for social change. (This is the revolution that brought about the 35 hour work-week, the 2 month paid vacation, better school facilities, paid maternity leave, etc.) Students chant slogans straight from 1968. But the difference now is that this mindset, mixed with the growing unrest from the banlieue (or suburbs, which in France's case is where the more immigrant, lower-middle class population resides) is creating out-of-hand and violent rioting. Students are egging on police, throwing rocks, over-turning cars, lighting things on fire, looting stores, etc.

7. How is France Reacting to the Violent Rioting: The government is trying to blame the unions for starting this, even encouraging the unrest. The unions are trying keep the 2 cases separate. The socialist party (in favor of the striking) is asking that if students demonstrate, that they walk peacefully. The French Prime Minister has called the acts of violence unacceptable and have asked parents to step in and keep their children home for their own safety. French police have had to arrest hundreds of rioters, throw tear-gas to disperse crowds, and stand guard while firefighters put out fires around the city (this city, btw, is Lyon... Paris is also having similar riots, and other cities around France are dealing with smaller scale versions of the same thing).

8. What's Next?: The bill is supposed to be voted on for the last time on Thursday. High schoolers have already planned demonstrations to be held in front of the Senate building and oil-workers have said that they will continue to strike even if it is passed. The government has made some minor amendments to their bill, but have also said they are not going to back down or slow down the discussion over the reform. Energy companies have also started striking, causing the government to import energy. On the greater whole, most strikers are unhappy, but will return to work after it is passed.

9. How is this effecting Moi (hehe, obviously this is most important): I am supposed to be going to Amboise on Friday morning at 6:30am, for my trip to the Loire Valley. As long as the bus is running by my apartment (which it did all day today even with the other transportation issues) and my train isn't canceled, we'll make it there ok. Even if we have to wait for a later train, we'll most likely make it there. Once we are there, we shouldn't have any trouble with our tour (hopefully the tour bus has gotten gas from one of the open gas stations), and I will hopefully be able to get back to Lyon on Sunday... as long as the train station is open and the metro is working on the way home.

Then, hopefully, Maggie, Thomas, and Heather will have no flight cancellations or delays, and I will leave for Paris on the train without anything being canceled. Even if my train is canceled, they have been running 2/3 trains, so I will get one up there eventually. And finally, hopefully, I will find Maggie+, we will rent our car, and have no problem finding gas stations to get ourselves around France.

I'm kind of asking for a lot.... and hoping that a lot of little details will work out... but I am hoping that because the Toussaint vacation is coming up that at least the rioting teenagers will go off for vacation with their families...

Here's to hoping! Now- I need to get ready for my last school visit with Berliet until after the break (I won't see them again until Nov. 4!).

Reste Cool!

ps- Even though I was stuck at home today, at least it was a pretty evening to watch the sunset. This is the view from my apartment!

La Maternelle... and more striking.... (UGH)

This morning I got ready to go the Simon Signoret school. This is the one that was so unorganized the first time I was there. Thankfully, this morning I a) got to school no problem with the strikes, and b) was handed a schedule upon arrival. The woman who gave me the schedule actually showed me hers and said, "Oh, do you not have a copy?" I was like.... when would I have gotten a copy? I haven't been here in 2 weeks... But, she explained that I'd be meeting with the maternelle first (the preschool), then with her class (CP), the second CP class, the technology class, and 2 CE1 classes. Welp- so much for only having 4 or 5 classes at this school. (My total number of classes is now up to 15). In all honesty though, it's not so bad to have this many classes with only 20-30 minute lessons to plan... and if a class is crazy, I'm only with them for so long. On the downside- for the classes I really enjoy, I only get to see them for the same amount of time and I'll never remember anyones name. (To make it even worse, their names are like Guyard and Aurelien and Aloex.... half the time when I ask for their name, I have no clue what they're saying in response).

Pierre (the director) helped me find the maternelle class (all maternelles are in a different building than the elementary classes). Each maternelle class has about 25 or more kids (there are a lot of little bodies) and they start as young as 3 years old. Most French children start school at age 3, if not age 4... which is why they learn extensive French grammar rules in the CP/CE1 classes... and know how to write in pretty cursive by age 6! Each class has a teacher and a teacher's aid, and these teachers are often seen wearing little aprons, which I think is cute... and very practical when working with germy, glue-y, preschoolers.

The teacher was all in a dither when I got there because the children were arriving at different times. The before-school care workers were on strike, so all the parents were bringing their kids in as opposed to some dropping them off earlier and some at this time. The cantine was also on strike today, so all the parents were asking questions about picking their kids up for lunch. In between talking to parents though, Corinne (the teacher) talked with me about teaching the kids "Hello, My name is..." and maybe a good morning song. So I wrote down the lyrics to the "Good Morning" song I sang with my Kindergarteners.... and tried it out with them (the lyrics were for the teacher, not the kids). Unfortunately, although this song is fairly easy to pick up by 5 year olds who already know English, for 3 and 4 year olds who do not.... it was none-to-easy. They got the first 2 lines, but after that, they were pretty much just mumbling and trying very hard to follow along. So I made a mental note to bring in lots of pictures and easy songs the next time.

In the 2 CP classes, I read Funnybones again, doing the English/French back and forth on my own as both of these teachers know very little English. Actually, the second teacher knows no English, so she had no idea how to help me translate. At the break, the first CP teacher talked about how much her kids enjoyed the book and how neat it was for them to hear English and to have to figure out the story line. The second teacher, however, did not agree. She said it was too hard for even her to understand and her kids told her they had no clue what I had talked about.... lol. Oh well, I tried. Guess I need to bring in big easy pictures for that class too.

I was supposed to have the technology class next, but it was canceled due to someone striking... I'm not sure who... maybe the computer room monitor? So I had a little coffee break teaching Pierre English, and then it was off to work with the CE1's. The first CE1 teacher, Eve, is my favorite at this school. She's the one with the best behavior management ideas, and she has a class pet rabbit. (Funny side note: At lunch, someone was talking about how much they like to eat rabbit and she said she can't bear the thought of eating it anymore now that she has one for a class pet). I talked about Halloween and read Funnybones to her kids. She was very helpful in making sure the kids followed me and watched for context clues. She also had a real Jack-o-Lantern in her class, so they had clearly already worked with some Halloween traditions. After I read the book, she had her kids do the coloring page I made to help learn Halloween vocabulary and colors. It was a great little 30 minutes!

And last, but not least, I went to the 2nd CE1 class. This is the teacher who has to bounce around to 4 different classes to fill in for her colleagues. The class is by far the rowdiest bunch (even more than Carole's class at Les Marendiers), but she is a cute little teacher that has lots of ideas and ways to keep her kids entertained. I'm sure she just has a rough time with them because she only sees them once a week... and it's hard to maintain a routine. Anyway, there are some interesting little kids in this class. There's one little boy that has red hair and a pony tail. He was wearing skull suspenders and walked around like a mummy after I read my story. There's another kid who immediately told me I should say the word "putain" when the teacher had her back turned. I was like, "Ah! I know what that word means. That's not nice." I was shocked! The kid was trying to get me in trouble!

At lunch, I sat and awkwardly ate by myself until the rest of teachers dropped all their kids off. I didn't realize they had to wait for all the parents to come pick them up before they could come eat, so I was practically finished by the time most people started eating! One teacher had no idea who I was and said... "Sorry, but who are you?" It was an interesting morning. And I don't go back until Nov. 9, so I don't have a whole lot of opportunity to get to know these teachers or kids like I do with the Berliet school.

I usually take the tram on my way home, but when I got to the stop it said I still had 17 minutes to wait for the next tram. Stupid strike. So I walked. It was too cold to sit and wait... and it probably took me less time to walk anyway.

I got home and immediately started reading articles about the strike. I'm getting even more anxious about all my upcoming travel plans and visitors. The oil strikers are the most likely to continue striking.... which is bad for people trying to fly here from the United States. They're canceling flights that can't bring enough fuel to get a plane back to where it came from... and of course flights over 6 hours can't store that much extra fuel. Go figure. The high schoolers who are striking are also making a bigger mess because they are getting violent... which is what you see on the news. I haven't seen any violent rioting, but then again, I'm not out there rioting or protesting. But, I think for the most part, there are just a lot of mad people. And for us, it's really hard to understand why they're striking... but because the government runs almost everything, creating a law to say you have to work until you're 62, provided you have worked for 40.5 years affects a lot of people. And the most frustrating part for the French is that there are little loop holes and rules stating that only certain fields have to abide by this... military or police can retire at age 45... teachers who have 3 kids can retire early... etc. So people like the oil workers who have to work 40 years before they can retire are mad that other fields can retire after only 25-30 years. So clearly it's a complicated issue... but still the whole thing is becoming really annoying and frustrating for me. Don't they know I'm here??? Don't they know they're stressing me out?

Hope you're all doing well. Reste cool:)

Zee Grand Adventure to Chambery

Despite our 8:41am train being canceled to Chambéry, we made it there!!! However at first, I was a little nervous that we might not make it. I got to the train station at about 8:30, got in line at the welcome station (accueil) and the woman told me the next train wouldn’t be leaving until after noon (which would have made our trip to Chambéry really short). Lindsey texted me shortly after I talked to this woman, saying that she was getting in line at the ticket booth. I found her, and then Helen and Caroline found us. We waited in line, hoping they’d allow us to take the 9:40am coach bus instead of waiting until after noon to take the train. We got up to the lady (a different one than I talked to), and she said, “But of course you can take the bus!” Yipee! So we hopped on the bus and headed out of Lyon for the first time since we've arrived.

Once we got to Chambéry, we found the office of tourism, got a map and a time for a guided tour. From there, we walked through a very colorful open-air market. They had beautiful displays of vegetables and fruits, stands with watches and scarves, sweaters for 10 euros, purses, toys, cheeses, and more! Thankfully, I wasn’t leading the way at this point or I would have stopped to examine the purses and try the colorful fruit. I did manage to take a few pictures of these vibrant displays, and a market man posed for me, while he sang about his veggies.

From here, we continued straight on to the Hotel de Ville. The building itself is very pretty, but has an adorable carousel in front, with huge bunny rabbits and horses going round and round. Already we could tell we were going to like Chambéry. It was so cute! And it only kept getting better. We took several pictures in front of the Hotel de Ville and kept walking our way towards the center of the old town.

We took a little pedestrian-only alleyway towards the town center and found ourselves on a gorgeous street lined with colorful buildings, with overflowing flower boxes in the windows and quaint shutters. There were several fountains and a beautiful clock tower. I felt like my finger never left the button on the camera. Every time I turned around it got prettier and prettier! (And they've already put up their Christmas decorations!)

We knew we’d have plenty of time to tour more, so we all agreed it was time to find something to eat. A specialty of this area is the fondue savoyarde, a type of cheese fondue (Chambéry used to be the capital of the Savoie Dukedom). We looked around at several restaurants until we decided on one that had fondue on the menu that came with a little salad and charcuterie (cold cut meats) included in the price. It was an excellent choice, our waiter man was very attentive and brought out more bread for our delicious fondue. I know adding big clumps of gooey, creamy cheese to bread and ham isn’t the healthiest way to eat, but boy is it good. And, I’ve decided, fondue is just really fun to eat. Who wouldn’t want to spear their food and stick it into a pot of boiling cheese?

After lunch, we made our way through the town again, looking for the Fontaine des Elephants (Elephant Fountain). The fountain is at the base of the street Rue de Boigne and at the other end is the Chateau des Ducs. Although the main part of the village dates back to the 15^th and 16^th Century (or earlier), this particular fountain was put here in 1838. The fountain has 4 elephants (it has something to do with celebrating Boigne’s exploits in India) spouting water from their tusks. It is quite the cool fountain… definitely in my top 10!

We took several pictures and did an about-face to walk to the chateau (now the prefecture). A small group of high school students were on the stairs leading to the castle with a megaphone. How cute we thought, they’re “protesting.” The castle is cool looking; it has a beautiful chapel and tours dating back to the 14^th century. We were excited to go in and see it on our tour (sadly, the protest got a little bigger and we couldn’t go in).

After this, we went to the big cathedral because my guide book mentioned it having beautiful paintings. The outside isn’t very outlandish like some of the other cathedrals I’ve seen, but when you go inside, it’s amazing. There is such detail in the walls and ceiling! And, after a few minutes you realize that it isn’t detailing carved into the stone, but actually painted on there! (On our tour, the woman told us it is called a trompe l’oeil (or trick of the eye). We didn’t know this then, but on our tour, she told us the cathedral had 2 different artists, giving it 2 different feels. At the front, the paintings seem to open the church… because in the arches and windows painted in you see what appears to be columns and more arches in a hallway (which isn’t actually there). In the rest of the church, she said the paintings almost make you feel more closed in.

It’s a pretty dark church as far as cathedrals go… the stained glass isn’t anything too exciting and they’re fairly small. In the back of the church, there is an amazing organ that’s been restored and has something like a thousand different notes (I think that’s what she said). The organist was actually practicing when we came in the first time.

After our visit at the cathedral, we met the tour group (2 hour tour, in French, for 3,50 euros- not bad!). Our guide was very enthusiastic about the history of Chambéry, telling us all about how the city used to be made up with canals and it was encircled by a wall, and it had a mote. It is also very smartly located in the Alps, which doesn’t serve as a barrier, but as a gateway to Switzerland, France, and Italy. The city still has many traces of this medieval era, but it is quite the mix of 14^th-19^th century architecture and influences. Most of the town was also built with wood, so not only was water a main element of this city, but also fire because several parts burned down several times (all restored to original or bigger and better than original in a different era, which gives the mix of eras).

She took us the Cathedrale St. Francois (the one with the paintings). She also took us through many of the city’s covered passageways (similar to the traboules in Lyon). These passages were created so that people could come out of their houses and within minutes reach a street parallel to theirs (these were a nice get-away from the rain). She showed us many different houses, complete with their own individual history. She showed us spiral staircases and little emblems carved into the stone dating back to the 14^th or 15^th century. She showed us the oldest street in Chambéry, a street that used to have a church right in the middle of it (there’s a fountain there now instead), and beautiful courtyards. Then, right near the end of our tour, where we were supposed to be going into the chateau, the protests had grown to hundreds of people. They were beating drums, shooting off flares, holding huge signs, chanting, singing, etc. It was quite the exciting way to end a tour (even if we didn’t get to the inside of the castle and hear the 70 bell chimes of Sainte-Chapelle).

By this point, the rain was coming down a little harder than the light sprinkle from earlier and the temperature had dropped somewhere around hour 1 of our tour. We were frozen! So before we got on to our train, we stopped at a very cute little salon de thé for a hot chocolate. It was delightful.

The trip was a success, we got our train home, and went our separate ways to head home. The girls were such fun to tour with… and I know we will have many more adventures to come!

(More pictures in next blog!)

Strike Culture Shock, Quenelles, and some WWII history

The French are known for their cuisine, the arts, their extensive history book, and a fierce pride in their culture. To faire la grève, means to go on strike… which is something else the French know how to do well. I know I’ve already written a little bit about the current strikes and protests (manifestations) going on Nation-wide in France… but, because I was out-and-about today, I saw more of a commotion than I have in the past few weeks.

Today’s plan was to go out to lunch (Lindsey and I are trying out a few new restaurants so that when we have company, we know where to take them!) and to see a movie. I left the apartment a little early, in hopes of getting to the post-office to send a postcard, but alas- my bus was already there, so I ran to catch it. Well- that wasn’t necessary. I sat on this bus for 15 minutes before we started moving. Because of the strike, there were fewer buses in the rotation, and this one sat here gathering people so they didn’t have to wait so long for the next bus to come (I assume). While I was on the bus, I saw the tram take off 3 times… but I figured it would be just my luck if I got off, the bus would leave 30 seconds later.

After the bus ride from hell, (it was SO hot on the bus and the driver kept stopping suddenly, making everyone lurch forward….), I got on the metro towards Vieux Lyon. On the loud-speaker, they told passengers that we would not be stopping at one of the stops (Bellecour- a major metro stop) due to the manifestations. This thankfully didn’t affect me, but when we got to where we should have stopped at Bellecour, we instead slowed down, and sped back up. People who needed to get off were none-too-pleased to have to get off at the next stop and walk. Even with the delays, I got to Vieux Lyon early enough to find myself a post office (Leslie- look for your postcard in the mail!).

After walking through one of the very old covered passageways to cut through to another street (called a traboule) Lindsey and I found ourselves at another bouchon, with a three course menu plan for less than 15 euros. I ordered soupe à l’oignon (or, known to us Americans, French onion soup), some sort of fish in a tomato based sauce, and a tarte au pralines with ice cream for dessert (I know, I’m obsessed with the pralines, but they're just so GOOD!). The soup hit the spot (it was in the low 50’s today), the fish was ok, and the tarte was delectable. Lindsey ordered the Lyon specialty quenelles (which Laurence made me the first day I got here ). She wasn’t too impressed, so I helped her finish itJ I’ve decided that I will stick to ordering quenelles from now on, as well as anything with pralines, when I’m feeling in the mood for a Lyon specialty. (I did a little research because we’re still unsure of what a quenelle is exactly… but Wikipedia says that they are either a mixture of fish, chicken, or meat with breadcrumbs and a light egg binding, or in their most natural form made of semoule (or semolina) which is the coarse, purified wheat middlings of durum wheat used in making pasta. To me, they taste like big fluffy, pieces of pasta. Lindsey said it was a little too mushy for her. They also make a chocolate quenelle… that just looks like the traditional oblong shape… so not to worry, it isn’t made with eggs or wheat middlings! Now the mystery is solved!)

After lunch, which took almost 2 hours (eating takes time, and the French take their time doing so), we speed-walked to catch our movie. On the way there, we passed Bellecour and saw a small demonstration going on. We thought we must have missed the big protest if this was all there was. The movie we went to see was called Elle s’appelait Sarah (which is the translation of the book title Sarah’s Key). I still haven’t read the book, even though it’s on the “to-read” list. The movie theater (not nearly as big as our theaters, but still cool looking) was packed, which surprised us since it was in the middle of the day on a Friday. (I guess all the protestors went to the movies?)

The movie was partly in French, partly in English because it switches back and forth between the WWII era story and the present day story about the American journalist uncovering the other story. The movie was immediately intense, showing Sarah’s family and other French Jews in Paris being taken to Vel d’Hiv (an indoor bicycling racetrack). Then, it switched to the journalistic side of the story, and you learn that the reason this story is so unknown and poorly documented (as the Nazi’s photographically documented everything) is because it was a raid carried out by the French police. It was the largest raid on French Jews in occupied France. These people were taken to Vel d’Hiv as a holding place until they were sent to Auschwitz. I won’t give away the rest of the "Sarah’s Key" story, which is at times very touching, but also truly horrific. After I go to so many Renaissance or Medieval era monuments, I forget how much history there is around here from not very long ago… and I think about how much this still must be a part of their European identity. There is supposed to be a great museum in Lyon on the French Resistance movement during WWII… it’s on my list.

It was a weird transition coming out of the dark theater and into the sunlight with protests going on in Bellecour. There were police with riot gear on and more crowds of people. I noticed for the most part, the crowds were of young people. When you hear about these retirement reforms, you mostly think it’s the aging population who are being affected and who are the most likely to strike. But, if these people have to work 2 years longer, that’s 2 more years that the younger population will be without jobs… so I guess they have just as much to strike about.

Lindsey and I have a big day planned for tomorrow (going to Chambery) so after a few pictures, we went our separate ways to head home. I took the metro from Bellecour that was working again, and got off to take the tram home (assuming that the bus would be a nightmare again). I got off the metro, and ran to catch a tram about to leave. Unfortunately, I just missed the tram by 5 seconds, the doors closing in my face. The tram notifier said the next one wouldn’t be arriving for another 21 minutes, so I dashed across the street to see if there was a bus I could catch. While I was across the street, another tram came through! I was so frustrated. So I went and sat my butt down to wait it out for another tram… which didn’t come for 20 minutes. Needless to say, I was feeling the strike culture shock at this point. The other people waiting were annoyed, but when you heard them talking about it, they just said, “ah, yes, this is because of the strikes…” like it’s just a normal part of life (which for them it is).

I finally got on a tram and got home! Now it’s time to relax, plan how I’m getting to the train station tomorrow if the buses are all messed up again, and praying that the strikes and weather don’t rain on my parade! (My train's already been canceled, so we're hoping to get a later trip in...)

Reste cool!

p.s. Thank you to all of my readers... for reading!

I had a request to comment on whether college is free for students in France…. And the answer is, yes! Sort of! The French pay a lot of taxes, but in the end are rewarded with universal health care, pension plans, and very low cost college tuition, among other benefits. University is done quite differently in France… students must take an exam at the end of highschool (the Bac), giving them access to university (for free). Many students go into preparatory classes first, especially for engineering or medical tracks. Only some schools, like the Sorbonne, and private or specialized business schools require a tuition, and they are nothing compared to the cost of American tuitions. On the other hand, going to college in France rarely means going off to a school to live in a dorm and having state-of-the-art facilities included in tuition (like gyms or student commons like in the US). There you have it in a nutshell!

Reflections (this is probably going to be boring, FYI)

Although today was a National strike (la grève), I left around the same time as yesterday and got to the formation 5 minutes faster than I did yesterday morning (I took the tram to the metro because I didn't know if the buses would keep their regular schedules). Not everyone strikes on these days and the transportation system isn't hit quite at hard as when there are transportation specific strikes (which unfortunately, Victor and I have experienced...it's almost impossible to get anywhere, so let's hope they keep their transportation workers happy over the next few months!).

The in-service seemed to go on forever today. I'm not sure if it was because I knew what to anticipate or if it was because I was sitting next to someone who didn't bother showering before coming in today... but it dragged. I opted not to drink the free coffee at the break time, so I'm sure I was also a little less focused. But for a while, I was trying hard to think of excuses to get me out of there (of course I would have never used one because I'm too much a rule follower to try to get out of a mandatory meeting).

At lunch I ate and talked with some of the same folks from yesterday... and it started me thinking about why I am here. There are a variety of people doing this program for a variety of reasons. Some, especially those from England, are here as a way to continue their studies in French. Some are fellow, already-graduated French majors with little idea of what they want to do with their French degree or are using this opportunity to get better/use their French. And then there are others that like French... and who are just using this as another year to fill time before they figure out what they want to do next with their lives. And then there is moi. I'm definitely the only one with a degree in teaching, and might be one of the very few interested in pursuing it as an actual career.

So- I started thinking... why am I here? Is this really the best program for me? I already know how to teach. No, I'm not a veteran teacher, but I've been through student teaching, I've been through courses that explain why and how to teach children certain things at certain levels, I've had real time experience with different age groups and with different needs, etc. It is true that I've never taught English to a class of non-English speakers, so that's new... and some of the activities that we went over today and yesterday aren't new to me, just new to me in this context... so it hasn't been totally wasted time.

But, all the way home, it bothered me that I couldn't remember why I was here. Yeah it's cool to say I've lived abroad, but I don't really care about that. I could have easily gotten a teaching job and had a real salary if I had stayed home. And yet... I'm here. It isn't easy, I miss my family, I miss my boyfriend, I miss my friends. I talk to them as much I can, but it's not the same as if I were really there...

Of course, to add to my frustration, as soon as I got home, I realized my phone line had been cut off. I freaked out... trying everything I could think of to get it working again, unplugging and replugging things in... I called Victor frantically... I called Laurence to ask for French phone line advice... and then we figured it out- I don't have very much money in my French bank account, and I've been using my land line to call cell phones at home (my unlimited international calling is a little more limited than I thought, it costs 0,27 euros/minute to call a US cell phone, yikes! Free for US landlines only, stupid fine print...). Turns out they must have some sort of automatic link between my phone and my bank account.... and it cuts me off so I don't go over?

So I put on my running shoes and my sweat suit and literally ran to the bank to deposit more money. As soon as I got home, everything worked again. GAH!

On this little running adventure, a woman, maybe in her 40's, asked me if running made me feel good. I was like, yeah, it helps me get rid of pent up energy when I'm frustrated... and it's healthy I guess. She said, hmm, I've never done sports before, but I think maybe I should try something because I have arthritis. I said, hmm, maybe you shouldn't run, but swimming might be good to try. And then we went on about our banking business. I thought, huh, first of all, cool, I just had a coherent conversation in French without her really knowing I'm not French... and second of all, I'm glad I could encourage someone to try something new.

On my run home, I thought, that's why I'm here! (No, not to give running pep-talks to the French.) I'm here for the cultural exchange. I'm here to learn about their culture, their food, their language, and then to share it with my friends and family. I'm also here to share my culture, my hobbies, my ideas, and my language with the French so that they can share it with their friends and family. (The link between the running story and my sort-of epiphany isn't that magical, but tant pis, that's how it happened).

Although my original reasons for coming to teach in France were to get better at my French (that I studied so hard to learn) and to learn how to teach a foreign language... I think my objectives for being here have changed a little. I know when I come home there will be limited teaching-of-a-foreign language job opportunities at the Elementary level. I also know that I won't be able to keep up with the level of French that I acquire once I return home. But, what I can bring to the table is my newfound cultural experience. I can teach my kids to raise their little fingers instead of their hands. I can insert little French phrases with them or with my own children. I can teach them songs in French. I can start an after-school French club. I can invite friends and family over for a typical French dinner party. I can "right" the "wronged" stereotypes about the French culture. I can show people pictures and write a blog about the amazing new places and interactions I have all over Europe. And hopefully, before I leave, I can impart some newfound cultural experiences to the students I work with, the teachers I collaborate with, and other intrigued bank-goers around the Lyon community, who are wondering why I'm running around Saint-Priest at dinner time to make a deposit at the bank.

Anyway- this may have been painful to read, but I feel like I needed to make it known why I'm here. I hope, for your sakes, that tomorrow, I go do something fun, so that I can blog about it:)

Miss you all. Reste Cool:)