And I have a job! Just wanted to post, for those of you who still may be following, that I have a job as a 6th grade teacher with the Fairfax County Public Schools! I'll be teaching all subjects (math, science, history, LA... and a little French here and there for fun) at the Elementary level. I'm very excited... and relieved to have a job!
I may not post on this blog very often, but I have created another blog for my French friends. It is in French, but I will post pictures and add in a little English from time to time so you can get the gist:) http://mavieamericaine.blogspot.com/
Hope you're doing well!
Reste cool:)
Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
almost a month later...
Hello old blog followers! You still out there?
I can't believe that it was almost a month ago that I was packing my bags and getting ready for my last night in France! My- how time does fly! I'm sorry for such a long hiatus- but I've been a little all over the place trying to catch up with friends and family, working 5 days a week (with a 30 minute lunch break- oy vey!), preparing for my first ever big girl job interview, and preliminary wedding planning. It's been quite a month and I am about to have my first 3 day weekend. And I say merci! I need a break!
In general, home is starting to feel like home again... and I'm still so glad to be back. I do miss my French friends (I've heard from a few since being back), but I have enjoyed jumping back into ma vie américaine. There are times that I really miss speaking French, or that a French phrase just falls off the tongue more quickly than the English one. I love using French at school... and I think, although I'll be glad when June 21 rolls around, that this aspect of my current position will be something I greatly miss next year at the Elementary level. I definitely miss working with the younger age group (although I'm sure stepping into a middle school during standardized testing month and so near to the end of the year has something to do with their raucous behavior!); hopefully even with teaching the little ones I'll be able to work my French skills into my life somehow!
Speaking of which- I think I've decided to start a blog for my French friends. French speakers- you are welcome to follow me once I get that blog up and running:) It will be a way for me to continue using French and to keep in touch with mes amies!
Anywho- like I said, I had my first interview at a school very near to where I went to high school. It's actually the Elementary school that Victor went to as a child. It would be awesome to work there, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I'd be so lucky to land a job so early in my search... but I probably won't hear back for a while. Most other job postings won't be up until mid to late June, so I'm sort of in limbo until then.
In the meantime- we focused our energy on nailing our wedding date down and the reception site. We went to look at 2, knowing that we were pulling for the second- and bada bing, bada boom! We said we'll take it! We're going to have our wedding reception at the Masonic Memorial in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia on October 6th 2012! Hurray!
In terms of other plans, we've bounced a few ideas around here and there, but we have over a year to wedding plan... and I'll drive myself and my family crazy if I put too much energy into it now!
I'm going to the lake this weekend with my family- including my sister, who just got home from school. The family is all back together again- and will be all living in the same house this summer! Hurray/yikes;) jk jk. I'm so happy to have people to eat dinner with and talk to in person again:)
That's all for now! Time to go walk the doggies with my mamma! Hope you're doing well!
Reste cool!
I can't believe that it was almost a month ago that I was packing my bags and getting ready for my last night in France! My- how time does fly! I'm sorry for such a long hiatus- but I've been a little all over the place trying to catch up with friends and family, working 5 days a week (with a 30 minute lunch break- oy vey!), preparing for my first ever big girl job interview, and preliminary wedding planning. It's been quite a month and I am about to have my first 3 day weekend. And I say merci! I need a break!
In general, home is starting to feel like home again... and I'm still so glad to be back. I do miss my French friends (I've heard from a few since being back), but I have enjoyed jumping back into ma vie américaine. There are times that I really miss speaking French, or that a French phrase just falls off the tongue more quickly than the English one. I love using French at school... and I think, although I'll be glad when June 21 rolls around, that this aspect of my current position will be something I greatly miss next year at the Elementary level. I definitely miss working with the younger age group (although I'm sure stepping into a middle school during standardized testing month and so near to the end of the year has something to do with their raucous behavior!); hopefully even with teaching the little ones I'll be able to work my French skills into my life somehow!
Speaking of which- I think I've decided to start a blog for my French friends. French speakers- you are welcome to follow me once I get that blog up and running:) It will be a way for me to continue using French and to keep in touch with mes amies!
Anywho- like I said, I had my first interview at a school very near to where I went to high school. It's actually the Elementary school that Victor went to as a child. It would be awesome to work there, but I don't want to get my hopes up. I'd be so lucky to land a job so early in my search... but I probably won't hear back for a while. Most other job postings won't be up until mid to late June, so I'm sort of in limbo until then.
In the meantime- we focused our energy on nailing our wedding date down and the reception site. We went to look at 2, knowing that we were pulling for the second- and bada bing, bada boom! We said we'll take it! We're going to have our wedding reception at the Masonic Memorial in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia on October 6th 2012! Hurray!
In terms of other plans, we've bounced a few ideas around here and there, but we have over a year to wedding plan... and I'll drive myself and my family crazy if I put too much energy into it now!
I'm going to the lake this weekend with my family- including my sister, who just got home from school. The family is all back together again- and will be all living in the same house this summer! Hurray/yikes;) jk jk. I'm so happy to have people to eat dinner with and talk to in person again:)
That's all for now! Time to go walk the doggies with my mamma! Hope you're doing well!
Reste cool!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Je suis arrivee chez moi!!! I'm home!
Well... this post is about a week and 3 days late.... but in my defense from about Thursday to Thursday last week, I was a zombie trying to recover from jetlag and starting my substitute job as a French teacher at a middle school. I have loved being home- seeing family and friends, starting some weddind planning, driving my car, going to the gym, eating mexican and fried chicken! But to be honest, it has sort of felt like I've been on vacation. I haven't started missing much from France because I guess it was my home for so long... that I haven't had time to start missing it yet! (Although, I could go for a nice pain au chocolat hehe).
But all is well with me... I'll write again soon once I get a little more free time. I haven't even really had time to unpack my bags yet! American life is so much faster pace!
Happy mother's day!
But all is well with me... I'll write again soon once I get a little more free time. I haven't even really had time to unpack my bags yet! American life is so much faster pace!
Happy mother's day!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
time is a funny thing....
It was 7 months ago that I set out looking for the castle of Saint-Priest on my own, clinging to my new cell phone in case I got lost and needed to call for help, nervously looking over my shoulder in fear of being the victim of pick-pocketing or worse. Everything was so different and scary, I knew no one, I had no idea how to get anywhere, my French was raw and I felt like passersby could smell the lingering stench of America. (I say stench because I was under the impression the French didn't necessarily like Americans, nor would they be too happy to have me wandering around their town... who knew how wrong this stereotype was!)
I went on a similar walk this morning, however this time I didn't get lost, didn't need to ask someone for directions (looking back, how on Earth did I miss the château the first go-around???), didn't worry a bit about being hassled... and the only anxiety I felt was due to the fact that I leave to come home in less than 24 hours! I passed now familiar buildings, the boulodrome and the soccer stadium, my doctor's office and the concert hall. I didn't worry so much about looking American or not fitting in (especially sporting French shoes and clothes hehe), and the only reason I felt slightly uncomfortable was due to my clothes fitting a little tighter than they did back in October (damn you French pastries!!!).
It's funny how much can change in only a matter of 7 months. I went into a boulangerie with ease, not worrying about what I would order or how I would say it. I may not have the most authentic of French accents, but I certainly don't stutter or fumble for my words like I used to... and I can certainly understand everything going on around me. (I still wish my French was better, but I'm sure if my old self and new self met, the new self would laugh at old self's French!)
On this first walk around Saint-Priest, I remember being nervous about work and how the classrooms, teachers, and kids would be different. I'd pass kids with their parents and think- will they be in one of my classes? How will I get there? What will I teach? Will I babysit or tutor for extra money? Will I have enough time and money to travel? Everything was so uncertain- and look at me now!
I had a mostly wonderful experience teaching in the schools and I really enjoyed getting to know my colleagues and students. When I was at the boulangerie this morning, I heard, "Maman, c'est Leensay!!!" I turned around to see a student from my Monday school who was wishing me bon voyage and bonnes vacances. I passed by a park I sat at on my second or third venture into the village of Saint-Priest and remembered thinking.... hmmm wonder if these people need/want an English speaking babysitter? And although I didn't have a lucrative tutoring and babysitting schedule these last 7 months- I miraculously found one of the nicest families I could have possibly found... and they've done more than enough to make me feel at home and welcome in this country.
I worried about whether or not my friends and family would follow-through with plans to come visit (and thank goodness they did!!!). I worried about making friends and whether or not I would travel on my own (hurray for new friends!!). I worried about maintaining a long-distance relationship (and I do mean longggg)... but everything turned out better than I could have imagined (yay sparkly ring on my finger haha!).
I won't say that I haven't had a few rough patches while living abroad- especially after my computer died, when I had the flu, feeling homesick and sad after each time a visitor from home left, and having to be a big girl all grown up and figuring things out on my own in a foreign country.... but I wouldn't have had it any other way. I'm leaving with no regrets, files of beautiful pictures, confidence in my traveling skills, new friends, a unique teaching experience, a fantastic French vocabulary;), and a blog full of memories. Who could ask for more??
The last few weeks I've had a lot of people ask me: Which country do you like better? Do you prefer living in France? Will you ever move here permanently? Of course the answer, for me, is no. My home is where my family is and although I love many things about France, there are many things I miss about home too. This won't be the last time I am in France, I will surely visit again (and again and again?)... but I don't think I would ever be able to say that I prefer it over my home. I know there will be aspects about living à la francaise that I will come to miss (probably more than I expect)... so I'll just have to come back for a little taste every once in a while:) So until we meet again mon amie, so long France!
See you on the flip side! Thanks for reading!
Reste cool:)
Monday, April 25, 2011
Joyeuses Paques!
Happy Easter Monday to you (a celebrated day off for the French)! Time to take a packing and cleaning break to recount my Easter Sunday!!!
Yesterday, I went into Lyon bright and early to check out the Creation Market one last time. Unfortunately for me, the market was a little slow getting set up (online it said it opened as early as 6am... and I was there at 8:30 with many booths not yet set up!)... and the man that sold my friend Amy prints of Lyon was no where to be found! Fair enough, it was Easter Sunday, so perhaps he was at church... or better yet across the river having a café and croissant at the busy food market. I looked around to see if any of the other art or creations struck my fancy with my friend Caroline, who is the only one of our little group of assistants still in town. Hannah has already returned home and the others are on trips to various places around Europe before heading home later in May.
I couldn't decide on anything I liked as well, for as good of a price as the prints were, so we walked back towards the metro station, with a stop at a bakery for breakfast. Caroline and I said our goodbyes and I made it home in time to shower before Nathalie came to pick me up. (*Side note about my metro ride into Lyon- because it was both a Sunday and a holiday, the metro ran less frequently, taking me a little longer than usual to get in and out. But what really made my ride in slow involved a screeching halt between the first stop and second metro stop on my line. Once the metro had been stopped, we all stood to look at what was going on on the tracks. Immediately we could tell something was wrong because people were waving their hands for the metro cars to stop, looking down into the tracks- where there was a person. At first I thought it was someone who had fallen, but once the woman was helped back onto the side, and the metro got rolling again to let people on.... the men who had helped the woman on were shaking their heads like she had done something wrong.... So I don't know if she was sick, pushed, drunk, or trying to get run over.... but it kind of freaked me out!)
Nathalie picked me up around 11:30am, driving me from Saint-Priest to Solaize, a small village about 20 minutes south west of Saint-Priest. The village has no more than about 3,000 inhabitants (Saint-Priest has about 40,000.... so we were definitely out in the country!!!). It is surrounded by farm land and old farm houses, and has an adorable little town square, complete with boulangerie, boucherie, pharmacie, mairie, and 15th century église. It's not a tourist destination by any means, but it's a neat example of how an old French farm village has turned into a nice place for families to settle down with kids (yet it only takes 30 minutes to get into Lyon). I found it to be a charming little town:)
Before heading to Nathalie's house, we stopped to pick up bread in the square... just a minute's drive from their house (which she said was built in 2005). It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom maison, with a salt water pool in the backyard, and an electric gated entrance to the driveway (they all have gated driveways... but not all are electronically operated!). I quickly met her family- 2 little boys named Noah and Mahé, ages 7 and 2, and her husband Patrice, who goes by Pat (and he calls her Nat- Pat and Nat hehe). All further chatting could wait; we had eggs to find:) The boys had been eying the sparkly colored wrappers from the window all morning, or so it seemed.
The French Easter egg hunting tradition involves finding chocolate eggs outside that the Easter bunny laid overnight. You're probably thinking- won't they melt?? But no! The eggs are strategically placed under bushes, trees, or other objects so that they don't melt in the sun... :) Noah quickly ran around finding eggs while Mahé was guided by his parents to look under certain trees or potted plants. It was very funny and cute, had I known them a little better I would have taken pictures!
Once all the eggs were found, they were allowed to eat one egg before l'apéro. Pat and I drank kirs while Nathalie and the boys had sirop. We snacked on little dorito type chips and guacamole before having salad, rice, and chili for lunch (with bread and cheese of course lol). Nathalie said sorry that it wasn't more French, but they're big fans of chili... I thought- I really am being assimilated back into American culture these last few days;)
Pat works for EDF, the mostly state-owned electricity and gas monopoly in France, as an engineer. He's a really nice guy, very hospitable and a helpful host to Nathalie. Noah is in a CP class at the school in Solaize and Mahé goes to the daycare center right next door. Noah was so interested in hearing about America... and would mention little things he knew about us too (for example, he said, I know something American- Shrek!). They asked me all about where I'd traveled this year, the things I'd miss about France, the biggest differences, what I'd be doing when I return home, where I'd live, etc. etc. This was all while Mahé banged around and started getting cranky:) Nathalie said, what time is it Mahé? And he'd say, time for dodo (which means bed time!).
So while we waited for Mahé to wake up from his nap (which ended up being 3 hours long), Nathalie, Noah, and I ate dessert (a cake made out of cookies similar to tiramisu but without the mascarpone and with crème anglaise). It was yummy, especially with a cup of espresso! When we were done, and while Pat took a nap on the couch lol, Nathalie and I chatted, she showed me her wedding pictures (from 2005, after Noah was born), we friended each other on facebook, cleaned up from lunch... and finally went to get Mahé up from his nap (after surveying the new deck Pat was building around their pool with Noah).
We got all ready to go out for a walk, Noah riding his scooter and Mahé in a little pushable bike. They walked me all around Solaize, showing me where people they knew lived, the school, the square, and pretty farm houses. Pat's parents live in Solaize as well, and Nathalie's parents are just over in the next village called Corbas. They've both lived in the Lyon area since they were little, only ever leaving for a few years while Pat was working for EDF in a different town in France (either Nantes or Nancy... I forget!). It was a nice long walk... and although I was probably ready/over due for a nap, we went back to their house so they could start dinner.
I read books with the boys until it was bath time (for them, not me hehe). One of the books happened to be about animals wearing diapers, what their particular poop looked like in the diaper, and one special animal, the souris (mouse), who instead of going in his diaper, went potty in the pot. Charmant, non?
We ate dinner around 7:30/8 (zucchini casserole with ham), the boys were allowed to watch one tv show, and then it was back to dodo! From about 9:30-10:30, Pat, Nat, and I watched some tv, talking a little bit about how they want to visit the US (cool!)... and eventually, Nathalie got me back home by about 11pm. Another long French day with a cute little French family (and on Easter Sunday at that!) :) Not my normal Easter day festivities, but it was nice to be with a family, if I couldn't be with my own!
Now... you're probably wondering- how many more blogs am I going to post? I only have... 2 more full days in France! Eek! Will I keep writing when I'm home??? What would I write about? Well- I think your answer is in the title of my blog- I started blogging as a way to let my friends and family know what I was up to while I was abroad for 7 months as an assistant. On the other hand, I've really enjoyed sharing my experiences with new friends and followers... and just because I won't be in France for a long period of time again, I will, inevitably, travel somewhere cool again someday, if only for a week or less. But- I think I'll probably write a few more posts to say farewell for now... and maybe even one or two more follow-up posts when I get home. You have to know how this part of the story ends, now don't you?! I could have some major French experience while at the airport on Thursday! You never know.... :)
And if I ever decide to take up blogging again, I'm not sure if I'd continue on this same page or what else it would be on besides traveling... or who the target audience would be. Maybe I'll do a blog for my new friends in France... and the blog will be a way for me to continue working on my French? Or maybe I'll write a blog about trying to raise my own children speaking French? Or maybe I'll blog about cooking à la francaise (oh wait, I think that has been done already... ) Hmmm blogging ideas to be continued....
In the meantime- reste cool and send me good packing vibrations! I hope it will all fit!!!
Yesterday, I went into Lyon bright and early to check out the Creation Market one last time. Unfortunately for me, the market was a little slow getting set up (online it said it opened as early as 6am... and I was there at 8:30 with many booths not yet set up!)... and the man that sold my friend Amy prints of Lyon was no where to be found! Fair enough, it was Easter Sunday, so perhaps he was at church... or better yet across the river having a café and croissant at the busy food market. I looked around to see if any of the other art or creations struck my fancy with my friend Caroline, who is the only one of our little group of assistants still in town. Hannah has already returned home and the others are on trips to various places around Europe before heading home later in May.
I couldn't decide on anything I liked as well, for as good of a price as the prints were, so we walked back towards the metro station, with a stop at a bakery for breakfast. Caroline and I said our goodbyes and I made it home in time to shower before Nathalie came to pick me up. (*Side note about my metro ride into Lyon- because it was both a Sunday and a holiday, the metro ran less frequently, taking me a little longer than usual to get in and out. But what really made my ride in slow involved a screeching halt between the first stop and second metro stop on my line. Once the metro had been stopped, we all stood to look at what was going on on the tracks. Immediately we could tell something was wrong because people were waving their hands for the metro cars to stop, looking down into the tracks- where there was a person. At first I thought it was someone who had fallen, but once the woman was helped back onto the side, and the metro got rolling again to let people on.... the men who had helped the woman on were shaking their heads like she had done something wrong.... So I don't know if she was sick, pushed, drunk, or trying to get run over.... but it kind of freaked me out!)
Nathalie picked me up around 11:30am, driving me from Saint-Priest to Solaize, a small village about 20 minutes south west of Saint-Priest. The village has no more than about 3,000 inhabitants (Saint-Priest has about 40,000.... so we were definitely out in the country!!!). It is surrounded by farm land and old farm houses, and has an adorable little town square, complete with boulangerie, boucherie, pharmacie, mairie, and 15th century église. It's not a tourist destination by any means, but it's a neat example of how an old French farm village has turned into a nice place for families to settle down with kids (yet it only takes 30 minutes to get into Lyon). I found it to be a charming little town:)
Before heading to Nathalie's house, we stopped to pick up bread in the square... just a minute's drive from their house (which she said was built in 2005). It's a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom maison, with a salt water pool in the backyard, and an electric gated entrance to the driveway (they all have gated driveways... but not all are electronically operated!). I quickly met her family- 2 little boys named Noah and Mahé, ages 7 and 2, and her husband Patrice, who goes by Pat (and he calls her Nat- Pat and Nat hehe). All further chatting could wait; we had eggs to find:) The boys had been eying the sparkly colored wrappers from the window all morning, or so it seemed.
The French Easter egg hunting tradition involves finding chocolate eggs outside that the Easter bunny laid overnight. You're probably thinking- won't they melt?? But no! The eggs are strategically placed under bushes, trees, or other objects so that they don't melt in the sun... :) Noah quickly ran around finding eggs while Mahé was guided by his parents to look under certain trees or potted plants. It was very funny and cute, had I known them a little better I would have taken pictures!
Once all the eggs were found, they were allowed to eat one egg before l'apéro. Pat and I drank kirs while Nathalie and the boys had sirop. We snacked on little dorito type chips and guacamole before having salad, rice, and chili for lunch (with bread and cheese of course lol). Nathalie said sorry that it wasn't more French, but they're big fans of chili... I thought- I really am being assimilated back into American culture these last few days;)
Pat works for EDF, the mostly state-owned electricity and gas monopoly in France, as an engineer. He's a really nice guy, very hospitable and a helpful host to Nathalie. Noah is in a CP class at the school in Solaize and Mahé goes to the daycare center right next door. Noah was so interested in hearing about America... and would mention little things he knew about us too (for example, he said, I know something American- Shrek!). They asked me all about where I'd traveled this year, the things I'd miss about France, the biggest differences, what I'd be doing when I return home, where I'd live, etc. etc. This was all while Mahé banged around and started getting cranky:) Nathalie said, what time is it Mahé? And he'd say, time for dodo (which means bed time!).
So while we waited for Mahé to wake up from his nap (which ended up being 3 hours long), Nathalie, Noah, and I ate dessert (a cake made out of cookies similar to tiramisu but without the mascarpone and with crème anglaise). It was yummy, especially with a cup of espresso! When we were done, and while Pat took a nap on the couch lol, Nathalie and I chatted, she showed me her wedding pictures (from 2005, after Noah was born), we friended each other on facebook, cleaned up from lunch... and finally went to get Mahé up from his nap (after surveying the new deck Pat was building around their pool with Noah).
We got all ready to go out for a walk, Noah riding his scooter and Mahé in a little pushable bike. They walked me all around Solaize, showing me where people they knew lived, the school, the square, and pretty farm houses. Pat's parents live in Solaize as well, and Nathalie's parents are just over in the next village called Corbas. They've both lived in the Lyon area since they were little, only ever leaving for a few years while Pat was working for EDF in a different town in France (either Nantes or Nancy... I forget!). It was a nice long walk... and although I was probably ready/over due for a nap, we went back to their house so they could start dinner.
I read books with the boys until it was bath time (for them, not me hehe). One of the books happened to be about animals wearing diapers, what their particular poop looked like in the diaper, and one special animal, the souris (mouse), who instead of going in his diaper, went potty in the pot. Charmant, non?
We ate dinner around 7:30/8 (zucchini casserole with ham), the boys were allowed to watch one tv show, and then it was back to dodo! From about 9:30-10:30, Pat, Nat, and I watched some tv, talking a little bit about how they want to visit the US (cool!)... and eventually, Nathalie got me back home by about 11pm. Another long French day with a cute little French family (and on Easter Sunday at that!) :) Not my normal Easter day festivities, but it was nice to be with a family, if I couldn't be with my own!
Now... you're probably wondering- how many more blogs am I going to post? I only have... 2 more full days in France! Eek! Will I keep writing when I'm home??? What would I write about? Well- I think your answer is in the title of my blog- I started blogging as a way to let my friends and family know what I was up to while I was abroad for 7 months as an assistant. On the other hand, I've really enjoyed sharing my experiences with new friends and followers... and just because I won't be in France for a long period of time again, I will, inevitably, travel somewhere cool again someday, if only for a week or less. But- I think I'll probably write a few more posts to say farewell for now... and maybe even one or two more follow-up posts when I get home. You have to know how this part of the story ends, now don't you?! I could have some major French experience while at the airport on Thursday! You never know.... :)
And if I ever decide to take up blogging again, I'm not sure if I'd continue on this same page or what else it would be on besides traveling... or who the target audience would be. Maybe I'll do a blog for my new friends in France... and the blog will be a way for me to continue working on my French? Or maybe I'll write a blog about trying to raise my own children speaking French? Or maybe I'll blog about cooking à la francaise (oh wait, I think that has been done already... ) Hmmm blogging ideas to be continued....
In the meantime- reste cool and send me good packing vibrations! I hope it will all fit!!!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
children's books, bowling surprise, and circus tent dancing
Phew! I'm exhausted from my long day yesterday.... but it's just too good of a story not to blog about it! I don't want to forget all the deets!
So- to start off my day, I went and did the final two loads of laundry that I will ever do in my little Saint-Priest neighborhood laverie! Woohoo! I didn't have any coins, so I decided to be brave and go into the bar next door, which the laundromat lady's husband owns/runs. It was surprisingly full of little old men and women for being 10am... most of them had little cafés... but others seemed to be regular drunks. The bartender/laundromat lady's hubby, was very nice and gave me my coins, asking if I knew how to use the machines or needed help with anything. I said, nope I'm a regular laundromat goer... but even still, as I walked out the door, I had silly looking drunk men yelling advice on how to use the machines.
After getting my laundry all put up to dry on the rack (and eating a delicious croque monsieur from a bakery on the way home), I gathered up my materials I had borrowed from the head office in Saint-Priest (where Laurence's office used to be... and where Céline, her replacement, currently works) and set off to return them quickly before stopping by Corinne's house. Of course it wasn't very quick because Christine, the woman who lead our in-services, was there to help organize the Saint-Priest language festival that will take place in June. So I met Céline for the first time, talked to them both about how it was ashame I'd be missing the festival, how this year went, how they were thankful for having me work with them, etc. It was very nice, until I made the mistake of saying I left all the materials I had made in the apartment for the people next year (as the previous assistants left binders of stuff for me). Céline said, oh well... we don't know who will be living in that apartment next year, so you should bring us all that stuff.... in the next few hours because we will be closed over break and before you leave. I wasn't going to be available to do such, so I worked out the plan that I'd box up the stuff and have Corinne bring it over for them after break (poor Corinne).
And so I walked to Corinne's house with a big cardboard box :/ I guess it does make sense for it to all be at the main office, but.... it was very convenient for me to just look in my closet and find materials when I needed them... but I guess it's not really my decision. On the other hand, I'm leaving a bunch of other crap here (some sheets and towels I bought here as well as office supplies type materials.... which I hope is OK because it's not all going to fit in that box and it's not coming home with me!).
Corinne was out gardening when I walked up and she said, well what'd you bring me?? I recounted my little afternoon adventure to her and she willingly offered to be the one to take the materials to the main office without me asking her, so that was nice:) It was warm out, so she asked if I wanted a drink (sirop!!!) and we sat to chat. She helped me figure out the SFR letter I had just received, containing another sticker to stick on a box meant to contain my neufbox (which I just sent away using a different sticker they sent me). Oy vay I thought- did I send the box with the wrong sticker? But it turned out to just be another option for sending the package (through a different mail carrier system). Then, we got down to real business.
I logged into my email and she read through the most recent conversations between me and the bank lady. She said it didn't make much sense to her either (making me feel less useless) and decided she'd just go ahead and call her. She talked with her a long time, checking on my online American bank statements for the information she needed and eventually hung up saying, "Elle était charmante, cette dame..." (she was a lovely woman). Turns out I need an IBAN number to make an international transfer and we can't find that number on any online banking statements... and if I can't find it, we can't make the transfer. Instead, she will have to send me a check in euros, which I will then have to deposit to the bank... which will take several weeks and a processing fee. Bah! But at least there is a solution!
Then Corinne announced that since she had worked for me, I was going to work for her and help her take down her laundry that was out to dry on the porch:) As a side observation- I notice way more outdoor clothes lines here and when we were in Italy than I've ever seen in the US. I asked Corinne if they even had a dryer, and she said yeah, why do you need one? I lol-ed, so nice these people! And explained no, I was just curious because the laundry was hanging out to dry. She said she just preferred having the laundry dry outside in the spring and summer, but during the winter their dryer runs all the time. She said it's way more popular to leave laundry drying outside in the south of France than it is here in Lyon or in the North of France... so she is in the habit of doing so being from Marseille... but also because of how much energy it saves when the dryer isn't constantly in use. I thought man- we use our dryer all the time at home! We only hang something to dry if the tag says to do so... and even then not all the time! But now that I've been living in France with neither a washer/dryer, nor the time/extra coins to sit and wait on my laundry to dry at the laundromat, I dry everything on the rack... and despite my towels being crispy instead of soft, I don't really mind and I could certainly continue to do it for the sake of using less energy in my own house someday....
Anywho, once we got in all the laundry, she went to wake up Lucie, who was home sick, so that we could go pick up Emilie. I stayed in the car while Corinne went out to find Emilie in the crowd of kids just let out from school, and Lucie and I talked about the big Easter chocolate eating weekend that awaited her:) Then we all went to my Tuesday school (and therefore Corinne's school), so that I could meet up with Elise, Eve, and Nathalie, and so that Corinne could pick up flowers she ordered from a school fundraiser.
Once Eve, Nathalie, and Elise were all cleaned up and ready to go, we drove over to Mireille's house (another teacher I gave extra classes to) for a gouté. She lives in a small apartment overlooking a nice wooded area, but with 5 women trying to chat and Mireille's two children under the age of 3 running around, it was a little cramped. But on the whole, I enjoyed playing with her kids and eating our little nutella and bread snack. Once her husband came home, the other teachers changed into something that they hadn't been wearing all day at school and we said à toute à l'heure to Mireille (see you in a bit, because she'd be meeting us later!).
We all got into Nathalie's car and we drove to Carré de la Soie, a nice outdoor shopping mall. I had heard all about it from Luc and Corinne, so I was happy to get the chance to experience it! Strangely enough- the mall closes at 7pm on Friday nights. So by the time we parked and went into one store, we were being asked to leave... which seems so strange to me, even after being here for 7 months! Wouldn't you think a mall would stay open a little longer? I did have long enough to buy a few children's books (I know I know- where will I put them... but I just couldn't leave France without buying at least a few books to read to my kids!). I actually got the same book that both Nathalie and Eve bought for their kids because we had seen it at Mireille's house. It's a book that gives directions and when you turn the page these little dots change shape or color because of what the child did on the previous page... thought it would be cute... and fun to read to any age group (perhaps with some translation involved).
When we left, Nathalie said, ok time for food! Let's go to Subway! I laughed, only because I was surprised that people living in a country so full of delicious baguette sandwiches would want to eat at an American fast food chain. She didn't think I wanted to eat there, but I said oh no, I like Subway... it's just very American. And she said- what? I could have sworn it was French! When we went in, I showed her how the walls were papered with the New York subway lines... but I guess, in all reality, a French chain very well could have been called Subway and styled after the New York metro lines lol. They laughed though, saying that they were trying to assimilate me back into my American culture by taking me to an American food chain in France. Baby steps, they said. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my white chocolate macadamia nut cookie:)
We left the mall for the bowling alley, where we were meeting Mireille and another teacher I'd never met before. It turned out that her name was also Nathalie and she had a son in one of my classes at my Monday school, so she knew who I was more than I knew who she was! We had a little drink (I tried a peach kir) and then the real fun began! If you recall from our last bowling experience, I lost with something like 40 points. This time I won with a whopping 78 points, which was higher than the 50 something Nathalie scored. (Everyone else scored below that... but the scores were equally as low on everyone else's score boards... so either bowling just hasn't been around very long in France or people choose to wait until they're adults to start playing!). But- it get's better. Not only was I able to score a few strikes and spares... I was also given a surprise going-away/happy engagement present. They had been laughing about it and peeking into their bag all night... and finally when I opened it, I could see why-dun dun DUN! It was a lacy piece of lingerie!!!! And if that wasn't embarrassing enough to open in a bowling alley- they made me put it on (on top of my clothes of course) and wear it for the rest of the night!
We then left the bowling alley for the big top circus tent dance club. It was in the middle of an open field... with bouncers that strictly asked how many of us were in the car before letting us park. We paid 10 euros for the entrance fee, which included a drink token. We sat down at a table around the middle of the tent... and out came a circus performer spinning on his head, juggling upside down (reaffirming my dislike for circus-ry tricks... I think it just freaks me out and makes me scared the person is going to hurt themselves).
When he was finished, the DJ put on music and the first couple of people went out to dance. Eve said, come on girls, and we all went onto the dance floor, dancing to who knows what haha. It was one of the most unique experiences I've ever had before- there were people ranging in ages 20-70 doing their thing, either in groups of people, with a partner, or on their own. The music ranged from 70's-80's French/American/English pop to music from Grease to salsa, reggae, and hard rock. Some songs I had never heard but were huge crowd pleaser's... others were songs I knew by heart (Grease tunes of course... and Sweet Dreams). And the dancing! It ranged from swaying and side-stepping to line-dancing to kind of jumping up and down. There wasn't a whole lot of "dirty dancing" going on... we danced as a group... boys danced together.... boys danced by themselves (I was shocked too)... women danced by themselves- people were just dancing and having a good time because they liked to dance. It was fun and refreshing- people were "gettin' down" just because they liked the song and wanted to dance.
We were there for probably 2 or 3 hours... not getting there until about 11... which meant we didn't leave until about 2am... and I didn't get home until about 2:45. It was so much fun for my last night out with the girls... but I've been so tired and sore all day! My feet hurt!
So there you have it- my crazy French night in a nutshell! I said my goodbyes to everyone except Nathalie who's coming to pick me up at 11am tomorrow. I'm having Easter lunch at her house and helping her kids find chocolate Easter eggs:) I'm also getting up early to meet Caroline at the Creation Market to do one last look around for some prints of Lyon. I think that would be a nice, light souvenir to bring back with me!
Hope you're having a nice Easter weekend! I keep meaning to blog about my Paris day trip from last weekend, but I am distracted by packing and making plans for when I get home!
Reste cool:)
So- to start off my day, I went and did the final two loads of laundry that I will ever do in my little Saint-Priest neighborhood laverie! Woohoo! I didn't have any coins, so I decided to be brave and go into the bar next door, which the laundromat lady's husband owns/runs. It was surprisingly full of little old men and women for being 10am... most of them had little cafés... but others seemed to be regular drunks. The bartender/laundromat lady's hubby, was very nice and gave me my coins, asking if I knew how to use the machines or needed help with anything. I said, nope I'm a regular laundromat goer... but even still, as I walked out the door, I had silly looking drunk men yelling advice on how to use the machines.
After getting my laundry all put up to dry on the rack (and eating a delicious croque monsieur from a bakery on the way home), I gathered up my materials I had borrowed from the head office in Saint-Priest (where Laurence's office used to be... and where Céline, her replacement, currently works) and set off to return them quickly before stopping by Corinne's house. Of course it wasn't very quick because Christine, the woman who lead our in-services, was there to help organize the Saint-Priest language festival that will take place in June. So I met Céline for the first time, talked to them both about how it was ashame I'd be missing the festival, how this year went, how they were thankful for having me work with them, etc. It was very nice, until I made the mistake of saying I left all the materials I had made in the apartment for the people next year (as the previous assistants left binders of stuff for me). Céline said, oh well... we don't know who will be living in that apartment next year, so you should bring us all that stuff.... in the next few hours because we will be closed over break and before you leave. I wasn't going to be available to do such, so I worked out the plan that I'd box up the stuff and have Corinne bring it over for them after break (poor Corinne).
And so I walked to Corinne's house with a big cardboard box :/ I guess it does make sense for it to all be at the main office, but.... it was very convenient for me to just look in my closet and find materials when I needed them... but I guess it's not really my decision. On the other hand, I'm leaving a bunch of other crap here (some sheets and towels I bought here as well as office supplies type materials.... which I hope is OK because it's not all going to fit in that box and it's not coming home with me!).
Corinne was out gardening when I walked up and she said, well what'd you bring me?? I recounted my little afternoon adventure to her and she willingly offered to be the one to take the materials to the main office without me asking her, so that was nice:) It was warm out, so she asked if I wanted a drink (sirop!!!) and we sat to chat. She helped me figure out the SFR letter I had just received, containing another sticker to stick on a box meant to contain my neufbox (which I just sent away using a different sticker they sent me). Oy vay I thought- did I send the box with the wrong sticker? But it turned out to just be another option for sending the package (through a different mail carrier system). Then, we got down to real business.
I logged into my email and she read through the most recent conversations between me and the bank lady. She said it didn't make much sense to her either (making me feel less useless) and decided she'd just go ahead and call her. She talked with her a long time, checking on my online American bank statements for the information she needed and eventually hung up saying, "Elle était charmante, cette dame..." (she was a lovely woman). Turns out I need an IBAN number to make an international transfer and we can't find that number on any online banking statements... and if I can't find it, we can't make the transfer. Instead, she will have to send me a check in euros, which I will then have to deposit to the bank... which will take several weeks and a processing fee. Bah! But at least there is a solution!
Then Corinne announced that since she had worked for me, I was going to work for her and help her take down her laundry that was out to dry on the porch:) As a side observation- I notice way more outdoor clothes lines here and when we were in Italy than I've ever seen in the US. I asked Corinne if they even had a dryer, and she said yeah, why do you need one? I lol-ed, so nice these people! And explained no, I was just curious because the laundry was hanging out to dry. She said she just preferred having the laundry dry outside in the spring and summer, but during the winter their dryer runs all the time. She said it's way more popular to leave laundry drying outside in the south of France than it is here in Lyon or in the North of France... so she is in the habit of doing so being from Marseille... but also because of how much energy it saves when the dryer isn't constantly in use. I thought man- we use our dryer all the time at home! We only hang something to dry if the tag says to do so... and even then not all the time! But now that I've been living in France with neither a washer/dryer, nor the time/extra coins to sit and wait on my laundry to dry at the laundromat, I dry everything on the rack... and despite my towels being crispy instead of soft, I don't really mind and I could certainly continue to do it for the sake of using less energy in my own house someday....
Anywho, once we got in all the laundry, she went to wake up Lucie, who was home sick, so that we could go pick up Emilie. I stayed in the car while Corinne went out to find Emilie in the crowd of kids just let out from school, and Lucie and I talked about the big Easter chocolate eating weekend that awaited her:) Then we all went to my Tuesday school (and therefore Corinne's school), so that I could meet up with Elise, Eve, and Nathalie, and so that Corinne could pick up flowers she ordered from a school fundraiser.
Once Eve, Nathalie, and Elise were all cleaned up and ready to go, we drove over to Mireille's house (another teacher I gave extra classes to) for a gouté. She lives in a small apartment overlooking a nice wooded area, but with 5 women trying to chat and Mireille's two children under the age of 3 running around, it was a little cramped. But on the whole, I enjoyed playing with her kids and eating our little nutella and bread snack. Once her husband came home, the other teachers changed into something that they hadn't been wearing all day at school and we said à toute à l'heure to Mireille (see you in a bit, because she'd be meeting us later!).
We all got into Nathalie's car and we drove to Carré de la Soie, a nice outdoor shopping mall. I had heard all about it from Luc and Corinne, so I was happy to get the chance to experience it! Strangely enough- the mall closes at 7pm on Friday nights. So by the time we parked and went into one store, we were being asked to leave... which seems so strange to me, even after being here for 7 months! Wouldn't you think a mall would stay open a little longer? I did have long enough to buy a few children's books (I know I know- where will I put them... but I just couldn't leave France without buying at least a few books to read to my kids!). I actually got the same book that both Nathalie and Eve bought for their kids because we had seen it at Mireille's house. It's a book that gives directions and when you turn the page these little dots change shape or color because of what the child did on the previous page... thought it would be cute... and fun to read to any age group (perhaps with some translation involved).
When we left, Nathalie said, ok time for food! Let's go to Subway! I laughed, only because I was surprised that people living in a country so full of delicious baguette sandwiches would want to eat at an American fast food chain. She didn't think I wanted to eat there, but I said oh no, I like Subway... it's just very American. And she said- what? I could have sworn it was French! When we went in, I showed her how the walls were papered with the New York subway lines... but I guess, in all reality, a French chain very well could have been called Subway and styled after the New York metro lines lol. They laughed though, saying that they were trying to assimilate me back into my American culture by taking me to an American food chain in France. Baby steps, they said. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed my white chocolate macadamia nut cookie:)
 |
| Elise, Nathalie, Eve, et Moi |
 |
| Elise, Mireille, Nathalie 1, Eve, Nathalie 2 |
We then left the bowling alley for the big top circus tent dance club. It was in the middle of an open field... with bouncers that strictly asked how many of us were in the car before letting us park. We paid 10 euros for the entrance fee, which included a drink token. We sat down at a table around the middle of the tent... and out came a circus performer spinning on his head, juggling upside down (reaffirming my dislike for circus-ry tricks... I think it just freaks me out and makes me scared the person is going to hurt themselves).
 |
| When he finished his act, this area became our dance floor! |
We were there for probably 2 or 3 hours... not getting there until about 11... which meant we didn't leave until about 2am... and I didn't get home until about 2:45. It was so much fun for my last night out with the girls... but I've been so tired and sore all day! My feet hurt!
So there you have it- my crazy French night in a nutshell! I said my goodbyes to everyone except Nathalie who's coming to pick me up at 11am tomorrow. I'm having Easter lunch at her house and helping her kids find chocolate Easter eggs:) I'm also getting up early to meet Caroline at the Creation Market to do one last look around for some prints of Lyon. I think that would be a nice, light souvenir to bring back with me!
Hope you're having a nice Easter weekend! I keep meaning to blog about my Paris day trip from last weekend, but I am distracted by packing and making plans for when I get home!
Reste cool:)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
last day with simone signoret (the school, not the actress)
Yesterday was another happy/sad day of goodbyes, cute cards and hugs from students, and a gift from my colleagues. During the school day, I sang songs and played games with the kids...semi-reviewing what we'd done all year, but also allowing them to let off some steam. They were all wound up!! I later found out the reason was probably because they had a special surprise for me from all the classes- a big card with all their signatures and classroom pictures... and they were all taking turns to sign it throughout the day. In my last class, which was super duper crazy until I started our jeopardy game, they presented it to me at the end. It was really sweet and probably something I will keep for a long time. In most classes I answered some questions about taking a plane home and what I'd be doing next year. Some kids were so sweet, saying everything to stow me in your bags to I love you with allll my heart lol. Very sweet.
During the morning break, Pierre came in to wish me a happy last day and to invite me out to lunch with the staff. Thankfully I had already been warned not to bring my lunch by Elise;) And then at midi- a few of us crammed into Pierre's "big" car and a few others into another to go into the village for pizza.
I had always wondered what this little pizzeria was like... so I'm glad I finally got to try it! Pierre walked in like he owned the place, shaking hands with the barman and the guy making the pizzas. He announced that we were here in honor of their American English teacher and pointed me out... so then I shook hands with them too lol. They sat us down at a long table outside; there were 9 of us total- Pierre, Martine (CP teacher), Nathalie, Elise, Mireille (teacher I taught extra classes for), Perrine (teacher I helped with American breakfast), moi, Corinne, and Souad (a very nice special education aid who's always grabbing my hand to look at my engagement ring lol). Of course by now, I know to expect these "individual" pizzas to be pretty hefty... so I thought about ordering something else. When I realized everyone else was ordering pizza, I thought- welp, when at a pizzeria, guess you should order pizza. I ordered the "village" pizza with jambon crue and oeuf, so a pizza with cheese, a fried egg, and slices of prosciutto like ham. It may sound weird, but boy was it delicious. I ate it all, despite being one of the last to finish. I don't know how they eat so much food so quickly!
As we were having our cafés, Elise and Nathalie pulled out a present for me to open. I had just told them I was thinking I'd need another suitcase because I had been given a cookbook from a student... when wouldn't you know it! I got another cookbook! This one, however, is amazing:) It has 900 different French recipes, beautiful pictures, calorie counts, and menus to explain what goes well together. I also got a pair of earrings that are very cute and have been wearing all day today!
It was sad to say goodbye to a few, but for the most part I will see all of these teachers again. Elise, Eve (who was sick yesterday), Nathalie, and Mireille are taking me on a whirl-wind French adventure Friday night. We're going to Mireille's house for a gouté, then to an outdoor shopping mall to walk around and eat a quick dinner, then we're going bowling, and we're finishing up with a night of dancing at a really interesting looking place in Saint-Priest. http://www.vivabodega.com/
Today, Corinne came to help me decide on a suitcase and a few other items to bring home with me. She needed to do some Easter egg shopping, so it worked out nicely to walk around leisurely shopping for stuff! Their Easter eggs by the way, are like our chocolate bunnies. They get huge eggs to eat and then they hide little chocolate eggs to find. Very few French people aren't shocked to hear we use real decorated eggs. Most people say, well that's no fun at all! Who wants a real egg when you can have chocolate eggs!?!
On our way back home from Porte des Alpes, I told Corinne that I still hadn't heard back from the lady at the mairie to know whether or not I can stay in my apartment the Tuesday night after she checks it out. They won't be back from Marseille until Wednesday, so after she helped me carry up my groceries, Corinne took down her number to get it worked out for me:) She called me back a little later saying that I could stay in my apartment Tuesday night and that Wednesday night, they'd come pick me up, I'd spend the night, they'd take me to the airport in the morning, and then they'd drop the keys off at the mairie on their way home. Hurray for things coming together!! If for some reason I still haven't heard back from my bank tomorrow afternoon, I may ask Corinne to help me with that too. Things seem to just get taken care of much more quickly/easily with a native speaker on your side!
Only one more day of school left!!!
During the morning break, Pierre came in to wish me a happy last day and to invite me out to lunch with the staff. Thankfully I had already been warned not to bring my lunch by Elise;) And then at midi- a few of us crammed into Pierre's "big" car and a few others into another to go into the village for pizza.
I had always wondered what this little pizzeria was like... so I'm glad I finally got to try it! Pierre walked in like he owned the place, shaking hands with the barman and the guy making the pizzas. He announced that we were here in honor of their American English teacher and pointed me out... so then I shook hands with them too lol. They sat us down at a long table outside; there were 9 of us total- Pierre, Martine (CP teacher), Nathalie, Elise, Mireille (teacher I taught extra classes for), Perrine (teacher I helped with American breakfast), moi, Corinne, and Souad (a very nice special education aid who's always grabbing my hand to look at my engagement ring lol). Of course by now, I know to expect these "individual" pizzas to be pretty hefty... so I thought about ordering something else. When I realized everyone else was ordering pizza, I thought- welp, when at a pizzeria, guess you should order pizza. I ordered the "village" pizza with jambon crue and oeuf, so a pizza with cheese, a fried egg, and slices of prosciutto like ham. It may sound weird, but boy was it delicious. I ate it all, despite being one of the last to finish. I don't know how they eat so much food so quickly!
As we were having our cafés, Elise and Nathalie pulled out a present for me to open. I had just told them I was thinking I'd need another suitcase because I had been given a cookbook from a student... when wouldn't you know it! I got another cookbook! This one, however, is amazing:) It has 900 different French recipes, beautiful pictures, calorie counts, and menus to explain what goes well together. I also got a pair of earrings that are very cute and have been wearing all day today!
It was sad to say goodbye to a few, but for the most part I will see all of these teachers again. Elise, Eve (who was sick yesterday), Nathalie, and Mireille are taking me on a whirl-wind French adventure Friday night. We're going to Mireille's house for a gouté, then to an outdoor shopping mall to walk around and eat a quick dinner, then we're going bowling, and we're finishing up with a night of dancing at a really interesting looking place in Saint-Priest. http://www.vivabodega.com/
Today, Corinne came to help me decide on a suitcase and a few other items to bring home with me. She needed to do some Easter egg shopping, so it worked out nicely to walk around leisurely shopping for stuff! Their Easter eggs by the way, are like our chocolate bunnies. They get huge eggs to eat and then they hide little chocolate eggs to find. Very few French people aren't shocked to hear we use real decorated eggs. Most people say, well that's no fun at all! Who wants a real egg when you can have chocolate eggs!?!
On our way back home from Porte des Alpes, I told Corinne that I still hadn't heard back from the lady at the mairie to know whether or not I can stay in my apartment the Tuesday night after she checks it out. They won't be back from Marseille until Wednesday, so after she helped me carry up my groceries, Corinne took down her number to get it worked out for me:) She called me back a little later saying that I could stay in my apartment Tuesday night and that Wednesday night, they'd come pick me up, I'd spend the night, they'd take me to the airport in the morning, and then they'd drop the keys off at the mairie on their way home. Hurray for things coming together!! If for some reason I still haven't heard back from my bank tomorrow afternoon, I may ask Corinne to help me with that too. Things seem to just get taken care of much more quickly/easily with a native speaker on your side!
Only one more day of school left!!!
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