Wow!!!! What a crazy few days it has been. I have been on a train for many hours in the last few days. I left early Wednesday morning and went to Rouen. It was four hours on the train to Paris, and then I had to take the metro to another train station. Then I took the train an hour longer to Rouen.
The town was nice. It has about 100,000 people. It is also where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the 1400’s, so everything has her name on it. They have a museum there about the life of Joan of Arc, but it was closed so I was not able to go in. I did get to see the huge cathedral. It is called Notre Dame de Rouen. It is really famous because Claude Monet painted it in every season, but they all look the same gray color. It was almost completely destroyed after WWII, so they had to rebuild everything. It is a really amazing church and the inside is incredible.
I also went to the coast on Friday. That was a really fun trip. The weather was nice. It was cloudy at times, but it never rained. It probably would have been a really long day had we been wet the entire time. We took another train to Le Havre, which is about an hour away. Then we took a bus for another hour to Etretat. This beach is absolutely gorgeous. There are white cliffs all a long the coast. We walked all along them, and I took tons of pictures. It was nice too because there wasn’t too many people. I can just imagine it would be hard to walk around there in the summer. I definitely could have stayed there for days.
While I was Rouen both Tamar and I wanted to find some Mexican food. This is now the longest I have ever gone without Mexican food. It has been a true test of character for me to go this long without Mexican food! We found these two restaurants that said they served “Mexican” food. One had enchiladas and burritos with tomato sauce, and the other had their meals served with coleslaw instead of beans and rice! Both of those things just seemed wrong to us, so we decided instead to try to make tacos at Tamar’s apartment, which is an adventure because her kitchen I actually located in a closet. It is tiny. They were edible, but the guacamole we bought in the three foot Mexicqn section at the store was terrible. I think it is a lost cause if I think I am going to find some good or even decent Mexican food in France. I guess it is a good thing I will be coming home for Christmas maybe we could make tacos for Christmas Eve dinner the first night I am home!
Tamar and I came back to Belfort on Saturday, so it was another long day of traveling on the train. It was even longer because from Rouen to Paris the train was so crowded that we had to stand the entire time in the area connecting the cars. I really felt like the true American backpacking through Europe.
Tomorrow Sarah, Tamar and I are going to Strasbourg with one of the English teachers we have met. She went to college there, so she offered to drive us and show us around the city a little. It takes about an hour and half to drive there, so we are leaving early in the morning. I am really looking forward to seeing this region of France. I have heard it is really beautiful.
The people from France Telecom came on Wednesday and successfully installed the telephone and Internet, so I think it will be up and running by the end of the week. I am really hoping it will all be done. I can’t wait to put up al the pictures I have taken in the last six weeks. I guess I should go get those organized.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have very BIG news…I finally moved into my own room! They finished the floor yesterday evening, so I was able to put all my stuff in last night. I was really amazed by how much stuff I have collected because I know I didn’t come with all the stuff I put away. Sarah said she wasn’t going to be able to sleep because we have shared a room every night for almost 4 weeks. Now maybe we can actually get some sleep instead of talking into the wee morning hours!
My break for Toussaint, or all Saints, has officially started. I am leaving tomorrow to go to Normandy for the next three days to visit my friend Tamar. She is going to take me around Rouen, and we might go to the coast for a day, which will be really cool.
I think Tamar and I are coming back to Belfort on Saturday. Then we can go to some of the other cities in the area. Then we are going with my roommate Sarah to visit Strasbourg. Then at the end of next week we will probably be going to Paris. It is actually Versailles, which is right outside. Sarah has a friend who is an assistant there. My other roommate, Mandy, is going back to Leeds in the UK for her 21st birthday.
I had a pretty good weekend. I went to Bâle, Switzerland, but for only a few hours because the trains do not run very often on the weekends. It was the first time I have been anywhere in Europe other than France, which is a little exciting. The weather was wonderful. It was sunny and probably in the mid 70s. It couldn’t have been better. The town was really pretty, and we took a little boat across the Rhine River. All the trees were changing there as well, so everything looked even better. I definitely want to go back sometime this winter when they have snow. I sure the town would be just gorgeous.
I saw my first French film in a theater on Saturday night. I saw ‘Les Rebelles de la fôret” which is “Open Season.” It was animated, so the dubbing didn't look too bad. We went to the 10 pm show, and I was really tried, so I actually fell asleep a few times. I don' think I have ever fallen asleep at a theater before. It was OK because I still know what happened. I'll have to go to an earlier show next time.
The past two days went pretty well with my classes. I talk about Halloween in America. The kids also got vocabulary words. They found pumpkin and ghost really hard. There were a lot of kids who couldn’t say ghost. It kept coming out goat, so I had to explain that that was an entirely different word. It did sound funny though.
Well, I am off to pack my stuff. I leave tomorrow at 7 am, so I have lots of stuff to get done.
My break for Toussaint, or all Saints, has officially started. I am leaving tomorrow to go to Normandy for the next three days to visit my friend Tamar. She is going to take me around Rouen, and we might go to the coast for a day, which will be really cool.
I think Tamar and I are coming back to Belfort on Saturday. Then we can go to some of the other cities in the area. Then we are going with my roommate Sarah to visit Strasbourg. Then at the end of next week we will probably be going to Paris. It is actually Versailles, which is right outside. Sarah has a friend who is an assistant there. My other roommate, Mandy, is going back to Leeds in the UK for her 21st birthday.
I had a pretty good weekend. I went to Bâle, Switzerland, but for only a few hours because the trains do not run very often on the weekends. It was the first time I have been anywhere in Europe other than France, which is a little exciting. The weather was wonderful. It was sunny and probably in the mid 70s. It couldn’t have been better. The town was really pretty, and we took a little boat across the Rhine River. All the trees were changing there as well, so everything looked even better. I definitely want to go back sometime this winter when they have snow. I sure the town would be just gorgeous.
I saw my first French film in a theater on Saturday night. I saw ‘Les Rebelles de la fôret” which is “Open Season.” It was animated, so the dubbing didn't look too bad. We went to the 10 pm show, and I was really tried, so I actually fell asleep a few times. I don' think I have ever fallen asleep at a theater before. It was OK because I still know what happened. I'll have to go to an earlier show next time.
The past two days went pretty well with my classes. I talk about Halloween in America. The kids also got vocabulary words. They found pumpkin and ghost really hard. There were a lot of kids who couldn’t say ghost. It kept coming out goat, so I had to explain that that was an entirely different word. It did sound funny though.
Well, I am off to pack my stuff. I leave tomorrow at 7 am, so I have lots of stuff to get done.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Good Times With the Roomies
I had a very interesting conversation with my roommates the other day. I said something about the Revolutionary War, and they asked if that was another name for the Civil War. I then went into the story about the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere and all that. They had never heard about any of that, which I guess proves the point that war is told by those who win. Sarah said that she did American history in high school, but the course started at the Civil War.
It has been really interesting to see how different we are even though we speak the same language. Our vocabularies are completely different, and there have been many times that I had to ask what they were saying they use so many different words. I have also learned that in England they don’t know the game Red Light, Green Light, and their French toast is just small pieces of toast. I am going to have to make them some real “American” French toast.
I have found out that in England a flannel is not something you wear, but what they call a washcloth. We have also had quite a few misunderstandings when I talk about chips and they talk about chips. Also in England anytime you have to ride in a car for more than two hours is a really “long” ride. Yet there are many different dialects from places that are just a few hours apart. Which I found really interesting because in the US you can’t tell too much of a difference between the people from all the Western states.
Sarah is from Croyden, south London, and she goes to Oxford. Mandy is from Leeds which is further to the north and also goes to school there. Their accents are completely different, and at first I found it a lot harder to understand Mandy. Now I really don’t notice their accents, and it has only been a few weeks!
Anyway there is a little background on my roommates, and some of the differences I have found so far. We are really having a good time living together. It has made the adjustment to France a lot easier for me because there are people going through the same things as me.
So both of my goals for yesterday were not accomplished, which was a little sad. It looks like the floor in my room is done (it looks really nice now), but it is still a mess. I am waiting on the landlady again. Then the guys came to put in the Internet, and they said that they couldn’t do it because the wires are on the front of the building and they don’t know how they are going to get it around to our apartment. They said France Telecom would have to come out and look at it. They are suppose to call us later, but I have no idea when. I hope it doesn't take too much longer!
I had four classes today, and they all went really well. I played BINGO with my third year students. They really loved that, and it was good for them to review their numbers. Then with that little kids I went over what countries spoke English. They had to put the names of the countries on a map. I started by asking if they knew any countries where people speak English. One kid said England, the next said Canada, and then this other little boy yells "RUSSIA". I had to try so hard not to laugh too hard because he was so proud of himself. It was really cute.
I have two classes tomorrow afternoon, so I can sleep in the morning. Then on Sunday I am going to with Sarah and Mandy to Bale (or Basel), Switzerland to meet Sarah's parents at the airport. They are coming to visit for the next week. The three of us are going to go in a little early on the train and explore the city a little. I hope the weather is nice! I have been to Switzerland, so it should be fun. Even if it is only about 35 miles form here!
It has been really interesting to see how different we are even though we speak the same language. Our vocabularies are completely different, and there have been many times that I had to ask what they were saying they use so many different words. I have also learned that in England they don’t know the game Red Light, Green Light, and their French toast is just small pieces of toast. I am going to have to make them some real “American” French toast.
I have found out that in England a flannel is not something you wear, but what they call a washcloth. We have also had quite a few misunderstandings when I talk about chips and they talk about chips. Also in England anytime you have to ride in a car for more than two hours is a really “long” ride. Yet there are many different dialects from places that are just a few hours apart. Which I found really interesting because in the US you can’t tell too much of a difference between the people from all the Western states.
Sarah is from Croyden, south London, and she goes to Oxford. Mandy is from Leeds which is further to the north and also goes to school there. Their accents are completely different, and at first I found it a lot harder to understand Mandy. Now I really don’t notice their accents, and it has only been a few weeks!
Anyway there is a little background on my roommates, and some of the differences I have found so far. We are really having a good time living together. It has made the adjustment to France a lot easier for me because there are people going through the same things as me.
So both of my goals for yesterday were not accomplished, which was a little sad. It looks like the floor in my room is done (it looks really nice now), but it is still a mess. I am waiting on the landlady again. Then the guys came to put in the Internet, and they said that they couldn’t do it because the wires are on the front of the building and they don’t know how they are going to get it around to our apartment. They said France Telecom would have to come out and look at it. They are suppose to call us later, but I have no idea when. I hope it doesn't take too much longer!
I had four classes today, and they all went really well. I played BINGO with my third year students. They really loved that, and it was good for them to review their numbers. Then with that little kids I went over what countries spoke English. They had to put the names of the countries on a map. I started by asking if they knew any countries where people speak English. One kid said England, the next said Canada, and then this other little boy yells "RUSSIA". I had to try so hard not to laugh too hard because he was so proud of himself. It was really cute.
I have two classes tomorrow afternoon, so I can sleep in the morning. Then on Sunday I am going to with Sarah and Mandy to Bale (or Basel), Switzerland to meet Sarah's parents at the airport. They are coming to visit for the next week. The three of us are going to go in a little early on the train and explore the city a little. I hope the weather is nice! I have been to Switzerland, so it should be fun. Even if it is only about 35 miles form here!
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Two Down...
Well, I have completed my first two days of teaching, and I am exhausted! In the past two days I have taught 10 classes of three different levels: first year, second year, and third year of English at three different schools. Every single class is at a different level, even is they are at the same school. It was a little difficult for me to know where to start. I had one third year class that blew me away with how much they knew. Then there was another that was fine with reviewing how to intoduce yourself.
Most of the kids are great! The little ones who are 8 and 9 (so not that little) are so cute. There is one little boy who is missing both of his front teeth. He is having trouble pronouncing anything in English, but when he smiles he is just the cutest! They are so eager to learn, and they were the ones who asked me the most questions when I did a little introduction about the US. Although there was one little girl who asked if I was English at the end. I then had to repeat that I was in fact American, so I am not sure how much they understood.
Of course there has to be one class that is difficult. For me it is one class of second years, and all they do is talk all the time. It is so hard, but when I observed that class they did the same thing with their teacher. I hope they will get better in the upcoming weeks.
I think my bedroom is almost ready...finally! They have fixed the wall and put up new wall paper. It is bright orange, so it will clash quite nicely with all the colors on my bed. Now they are putting in a new wood floor. I was happy about that because the carpet was absolutely disgusting after they fixed the wall. The guy came this afternoon, so I hope I will be able to finally move into it tomorrow on my day off. There is no elementary school on Wednesdays here. Instead they go to school on Saturday morning, but I don't have to work on Saturday or Wednesday.
So on my day off I can move all my stuff while I wait for the cable guy to come install the internet and everything. Then is only 10 days until I can use the internet!
Today marks exactly 4 weeks that I have been in France. It is crazy how fast time went by! It will be time to go back home for Christmas in no time!
I would like to end with a word of advice to anyone who ever makes a call to the US from France. Never use your credit card on the payphone. I had to do it when I arrived because my phone cards didn't work, so my five minute call home to my parents cost me 35 bucks! I can't believe how much money the phone company made at 7 dollars a minutes. Just remember to always have a phone card that works!
Most of the kids are great! The little ones who are 8 and 9 (so not that little) are so cute. There is one little boy who is missing both of his front teeth. He is having trouble pronouncing anything in English, but when he smiles he is just the cutest! They are so eager to learn, and they were the ones who asked me the most questions when I did a little introduction about the US. Although there was one little girl who asked if I was English at the end. I then had to repeat that I was in fact American, so I am not sure how much they understood.
Of course there has to be one class that is difficult. For me it is one class of second years, and all they do is talk all the time. It is so hard, but when I observed that class they did the same thing with their teacher. I hope they will get better in the upcoming weeks.
I think my bedroom is almost ready...finally! They have fixed the wall and put up new wall paper. It is bright orange, so it will clash quite nicely with all the colors on my bed. Now they are putting in a new wood floor. I was happy about that because the carpet was absolutely disgusting after they fixed the wall. The guy came this afternoon, so I hope I will be able to finally move into it tomorrow on my day off. There is no elementary school on Wednesdays here. Instead they go to school on Saturday morning, but I don't have to work on Saturday or Wednesday.
So on my day off I can move all my stuff while I wait for the cable guy to come install the internet and everything. Then is only 10 days until I can use the internet!
Today marks exactly 4 weeks that I have been in France. It is crazy how fast time went by! It will be time to go back home for Christmas in no time!
I would like to end with a word of advice to anyone who ever makes a call to the US from France. Never use your credit card on the payphone. I had to do it when I arrived because my phone cards didn't work, so my five minute call home to my parents cost me 35 bucks! I can't believe how much money the phone company made at 7 dollars a minutes. Just remember to always have a phone card that works!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Saturday Blues...
Every Saturday I have to admit I get a little sad because I know that in America everyone is watching football. It has been so hard for me not to watch football every weekend. It is one of the reasons why fall is my favorite time of year. At least my Dad has been sending me updates, and I will be home for Bowl Week! Actually I haven't been watching any sports at all because we don't have TV. This is probably the longest I have ever gone without some kind of sport!
So the guy came to work on the wall in my bedroom this morning at 8 am. We were all a little sad that we had to get up so early on a Saturday morning. Again I don't quite understand the French! They work early on teh weekends, but not during the week. He is coming back again on Monday, so I hope it will be finished then!
I had one of those "lost in translation" moments yesterday. I was talking to a teacher at one of the schools, and she asked me in French what kind of baggage I had. I was a little confused, and asked her if she meant the baggage I brought from the US. She said yes, so I proceeded to tell her that I had a big suitcase and a backpack. She just looked at me and laughed a little then said I didn't quite understand the question because she was talking about a diploma. I was so embarrassed! How was I suppose to know that baggage is another name for a college degree? I know that is something I will remember forever! I am sure it is not the last mistake I will make either. I guess it is all part of the experience!
Well, I think I better get back home because it looks like is is about to start pouring and I only have a sweatshirt. Good thing I don't have far to go.
So the guy came to work on the wall in my bedroom this morning at 8 am. We were all a little sad that we had to get up so early on a Saturday morning. Again I don't quite understand the French! They work early on teh weekends, but not during the week. He is coming back again on Monday, so I hope it will be finished then!
I had one of those "lost in translation" moments yesterday. I was talking to a teacher at one of the schools, and she asked me in French what kind of baggage I had. I was a little confused, and asked her if she meant the baggage I brought from the US. She said yes, so I proceeded to tell her that I had a big suitcase and a backpack. She just looked at me and laughed a little then said I didn't quite understand the question because she was talking about a diploma. I was so embarrassed! How was I suppose to know that baggage is another name for a college degree? I know that is something I will remember forever! I am sure it is not the last mistake I will make either. I guess it is all part of the experience!
Well, I think I better get back home because it looks like is is about to start pouring and I only have a sweatshirt. Good thing I don't have far to go.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Still Adjusting...
So...I just have to say that I think France is now officially the slowest country in the WORLD! We went in to get our Internet sorted out. We had to go in three different times because they kept telling us different things that we needed. Then they told us it would be a week before anyone could come to install the stuff, so I thought that we would have the Internet next Wednesday. Sadly I was wrong. Apparently it takes another 10 days before we can even use the internet, so I have to wait until October 28. Then on top of that it will be another 10 days after that before we can use the phone and TV, so sometime in the second week of November I think everything will start working.
I am not quite sure what the reasoning is behind all of this, but it seems to be the norm around these parts. I have a week and a half of vacation from October 25 to November 5, (I know I haven't even started teaching yet!) so I guess by the time I get back from my travels I will have a ton of pictures to put up for everyone to see. It will give everyone something to look forward to!
The landlady came yesterday, about 2 hours late, and she managed to fix the hotplate so At least not we can boil water. She also worked in my room for almost an hour, but it doesn't look like she even did anything! She is suppose to come back with someone else to work on the wall again tonight at 8 pm, so we should probably expect her at about 10 pm!
Anyway I am still observing my classes. Tomorrow is my last day of observation then I can finally start teaching. I am really excited. I have so much I want to do with them.
Well I going to venture back out into the beautiful fall day here in Belfort, France. The weather has been great. I don't think we have had any rain in almost a week! I better not get used to that!
I am not quite sure what the reasoning is behind all of this, but it seems to be the norm around these parts. I have a week and a half of vacation from October 25 to November 5, (I know I haven't even started teaching yet!) so I guess by the time I get back from my travels I will have a ton of pictures to put up for everyone to see. It will give everyone something to look forward to!
The landlady came yesterday, about 2 hours late, and she managed to fix the hotplate so At least not we can boil water. She also worked in my room for almost an hour, but it doesn't look like she even did anything! She is suppose to come back with someone else to work on the wall again tonight at 8 pm, so we should probably expect her at about 10 pm!
Anyway I am still observing my classes. Tomorrow is my last day of observation then I can finally start teaching. I am really excited. I have so much I want to do with them.
Well I going to venture back out into the beautiful fall day here in Belfort, France. The weather has been great. I don't think we have had any rain in almost a week! I better not get used to that!
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Just another day...in France
Well, I am still not in my room yet because the landlady came on Saturday to fix the wall, but she said she didn't have the right stuff. It has now been three days, and we haven't heard anything from her. It is a little annoying because the other girls are all unpacked, and I have everything just falling out of my suitcase and I have my mattress on the floor in Sarah's room.
At the moment we also don't have anything to cook with. The landlady said she was going to change the stove from gas to electric. In the mean time she gave us a hot plate to use, but when we tried to use it it didn't work...surprise, surprise!
Anyway for the past few nights we have been eating salads and sandwhichs. I am sure that in a few days we will be really tired of eating only cold food. At least it is cheaper than eating in a restaurant everyday.
Other than those few things the place is nice. It is close to all of my schools, so I can walk to all of them. The other girls have to ride the bus, so at least I can save some money because I don't have to buy a bus pass.
On Sunday Mandy, Sarah and I went to this huge bookfaire that Belfort holds every year. It was so cool. We were there for almost three hours! I was in heaven because we all know how much I love to read. I found the first two Harry Potter books in French, the first Briget Jones book, and some other classics that I have wanted to read for a long time. In all I bought 8 books for 15 euros. To top it all off I opened a bank account today, and they were sponsoring the fair. So they reembursed me the 15 euros for the books. In the end I got 8 books for free. It was really cool!
Yesterday we had a training day in Vesoul, which is a little over an hour from Belfort. On the way there we drove through the country. It was the first time I had been out of Belfort since I got here. The country side was so pretty. The trees are all changing colors, and in the morning there was some fog on the hills with green pastures and a few cows. Everything was just beautiful, and it all looked quintessentially French. The drive was the only good thing about the day though because the training was useless in my oppinion. At least it was the last one!
I have the rest of the week to visit my schools and make a lesson plan for next Monday when I start teaching. I have 6 of my 8 classes on Mondays, so it will be busy but lots of fun as well.
I am off now to go deal with France Telecom to set up the Internet for the apartment. This is always a bit difficult, but it is even more when it is all in French. Wish me luck!
At the moment we also don't have anything to cook with. The landlady said she was going to change the stove from gas to electric. In the mean time she gave us a hot plate to use, but when we tried to use it it didn't work...surprise, surprise!
Anyway for the past few nights we have been eating salads and sandwhichs. I am sure that in a few days we will be really tired of eating only cold food. At least it is cheaper than eating in a restaurant everyday.
Other than those few things the place is nice. It is close to all of my schools, so I can walk to all of them. The other girls have to ride the bus, so at least I can save some money because I don't have to buy a bus pass.
On Sunday Mandy, Sarah and I went to this huge bookfaire that Belfort holds every year. It was so cool. We were there for almost three hours! I was in heaven because we all know how much I love to read. I found the first two Harry Potter books in French, the first Briget Jones book, and some other classics that I have wanted to read for a long time. In all I bought 8 books for 15 euros. To top it all off I opened a bank account today, and they were sponsoring the fair. So they reembursed me the 15 euros for the books. In the end I got 8 books for free. It was really cool!
Yesterday we had a training day in Vesoul, which is a little over an hour from Belfort. On the way there we drove through the country. It was the first time I had been out of Belfort since I got here. The country side was so pretty. The trees are all changing colors, and in the morning there was some fog on the hills with green pastures and a few cows. Everything was just beautiful, and it all looked quintessentially French. The drive was the only good thing about the day though because the training was useless in my oppinion. At least it was the last one!
I have the rest of the week to visit my schools and make a lesson plan for next Monday when I start teaching. I have 6 of my 8 classes on Mondays, so it will be busy but lots of fun as well.
I am off now to go deal with France Telecom to set up the Internet for the apartment. This is always a bit difficult, but it is even more when it is all in French. Wish me luck!
Friday, October 06, 2006
The big move
Today was moving day and what a day it was!
We had to carry so much stuff today. First we had to carry all of our huge suitcases and bags down two flights of stairs in the hotel. Then we had to carry all of them back up three more flights of stairs when we got to the apartment. It was such hard work. Then we went to get some groceries, but the store is like a mile away. So we had to carry big bags back to the apartment, and when we got there our keys to the outside door didn't work. We had to call the landlady. Then she called someone else who lives in the apartment to come down and let us in. It was such a mess, and I am sure we are all going to be really sore tomorrow!
They are still doing some work on the apartment, so my bedroom won't be ready until early next week. I can' wait until I can finally unpack everything in my suitcase. I am sure there are things in there I don't even remember packing.
We observed another class today. It was the youngest group. They are about 8 years old and have not had any English before. They were so cute! They had to go around and introduce themselves and say how they were feeling today, and they were so into it. I can't wait until I start teaching, which will be October 16.
This weekend the main thing I have to do is laundry. Which I am not too excited about. The laundromat is a little ways a way, and it is SO expensive. It costs 5 euros to do a load of laundry and then 2 euros for only 15 minutes in the dryer. (A euro is about 1.25 in American dollars) So I think I will be doing a lot in the sink at the apartment.
Well, I am off to get a key that works for my apartment, so that I can actually get back in when I go to do laundry tomorrow.
We had to carry so much stuff today. First we had to carry all of our huge suitcases and bags down two flights of stairs in the hotel. Then we had to carry all of them back up three more flights of stairs when we got to the apartment. It was such hard work. Then we went to get some groceries, but the store is like a mile away. So we had to carry big bags back to the apartment, and when we got there our keys to the outside door didn't work. We had to call the landlady. Then she called someone else who lives in the apartment to come down and let us in. It was such a mess, and I am sure we are all going to be really sore tomorrow!
They are still doing some work on the apartment, so my bedroom won't be ready until early next week. I can' wait until I can finally unpack everything in my suitcase. I am sure there are things in there I don't even remember packing.
We observed another class today. It was the youngest group. They are about 8 years old and have not had any English before. They were so cute! They had to go around and introduce themselves and say how they were feeling today, and they were so into it. I can't wait until I start teaching, which will be October 16.
This weekend the main thing I have to do is laundry. Which I am not too excited about. The laundromat is a little ways a way, and it is SO expensive. It costs 5 euros to do a load of laundry and then 2 euros for only 15 minutes in the dryer. (A euro is about 1.25 in American dollars) So I think I will be doing a lot in the sink at the apartment.
Well, I am off to get a key that works for my apartment, so that I can actually get back in when I go to do laundry tomorrow.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Everything is gonna be alright...
Well, what a difference a day makes! Yesterday I found a place to live...YAY! It is really big. It has three bedroom, a living room, dining room, kitchen, a balcony and...furniture!
It is located right in the middle of town, and it is right next to the train station. It may be a little loud, but I can deal with that. I am just so happy that I now have a place to live! When we visited it yeterday we were really surprized to find that it had furniture (although it does look well used). Now if people want to visit they don't have to bring furniture with them!
Mandy, Sarah and I are going to move in on Friday, which was really good timing because we had to leave the hotel by Saturday morning because it is completely booked this weekend. The lady we are renting from is also a taxi driver, so she is going to help us move all of our luggage across town. We kind of lucked out with that one.
Now I can do everything else I need to do like set up a bank account, get my long stay visa and apply for housing money from the government. That will all be next week I guess.
Today we went to the French version of Wal-Mart, LeClerc, and found sheets and stuff for our beds. The French do bedding a little different than we do in the US. They don't sell sheets as a package, so you have to buy everthing individually and none of the colors match. So I have a pink fitted sheet, yellow top sheet, and a blue pillow case! I guess I am really living like a Frenchie now!
Yesterday I also observed my first class. It was the oldest students I will be teaching. This is their third year of English. It was really helpful, and I learned a lot in just one day. The kids were really eager to learn English and really seemed to enjoy it. They thought it was great when they heard that I was from the US. One little boy asked me in French if I liked the rapper "50 Cents." I had to try so hard to keep from laughing! Then there was another little boy who was leaving and he said "Hello!" It was so cute. They definitely know quite a bit of English and they are only 10 years old.
Well I am off to try to collect all my stuff for the move. It is amazing how big of a mess I have made in a week and a half at the hotel. I have a lot of work to do!
It is located right in the middle of town, and it is right next to the train station. It may be a little loud, but I can deal with that. I am just so happy that I now have a place to live! When we visited it yeterday we were really surprized to find that it had furniture (although it does look well used). Now if people want to visit they don't have to bring furniture with them!
Mandy, Sarah and I are going to move in on Friday, which was really good timing because we had to leave the hotel by Saturday morning because it is completely booked this weekend. The lady we are renting from is also a taxi driver, so she is going to help us move all of our luggage across town. We kind of lucked out with that one.
Now I can do everything else I need to do like set up a bank account, get my long stay visa and apply for housing money from the government. That will all be next week I guess.
Today we went to the French version of Wal-Mart, LeClerc, and found sheets and stuff for our beds. The French do bedding a little different than we do in the US. They don't sell sheets as a package, so you have to buy everthing individually and none of the colors match. So I have a pink fitted sheet, yellow top sheet, and a blue pillow case! I guess I am really living like a Frenchie now!
Yesterday I also observed my first class. It was the oldest students I will be teaching. This is their third year of English. It was really helpful, and I learned a lot in just one day. The kids were really eager to learn English and really seemed to enjoy it. They thought it was great when they heard that I was from the US. One little boy asked me in French if I liked the rapper "50 Cents." I had to try so hard to keep from laughing! Then there was another little boy who was leaving and he said "Hello!" It was so cute. They definitely know quite a bit of English and they are only 10 years old.
Well I am off to try to collect all my stuff for the move. It is amazing how big of a mess I have made in a week and a half at the hotel. I have a lot of work to do!
Monday, October 02, 2006
A little stressed and only have 10 minutes.
I have exactly 10 minutes to do this. I can't wait until I can get on my own computer.
Well we are still looking for a place to live. There are three of us now: me, Sarah and Mandy, who is also from England. We are trying to find a place with three bedrooms, but it is proving to be very hard and time consuming. We have totally given up on the idea of finding a furnished place. We have decided instead that whenever someone comes to visit they must bring us a piece of furniture with them!
We have tried calling this number that has three apartments available, but no one has answered the phone or returned our phone calls. There is also a place we asked about on Friday, but apparently they are advertising the apartment but don't have the key. Therefore we have to wait until Wednesday to see it.
I am really surprised that anyone makes any money here because they are never open and they certainly aren't proficient. I guess they are probably happier than most Americans though because their jobs aren't too stressful!
Only have 3 minutes left. Gotta go...
Well we are still looking for a place to live. There are three of us now: me, Sarah and Mandy, who is also from England. We are trying to find a place with three bedrooms, but it is proving to be very hard and time consuming. We have totally given up on the idea of finding a furnished place. We have decided instead that whenever someone comes to visit they must bring us a piece of furniture with them!
We have tried calling this number that has three apartments available, but no one has answered the phone or returned our phone calls. There is also a place we asked about on Friday, but apparently they are advertising the apartment but don't have the key. Therefore we have to wait until Wednesday to see it.
I am really surprised that anyone makes any money here because they are never open and they certainly aren't proficient. I guess they are probably happier than most Americans though because their jobs aren't too stressful!
Only have 3 minutes left. Gotta go...
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