I am so glad it is Friday!! This week had been really long, and I have not been feeling well either. Plus the kids have been so loud and misbehaved. I also gave them all a test this week, which probably made it even worse.
I think it all started with the time change Saturday night. Now it doesn’t get dark until almost 8:30! It has really thrown me off this week. I think that is the latest it has ever stayed light anywhere I have lived and that it in the middle of summer. It is going to be really weird this summer when it is light until 10 pm.
On Monday I had a very embarrassing moment in one of my classes. We were reviewing the parts of the body, and I wanted to kids to show me the words I was saying. I attempted to say “Montrez-moi,” which is show me, but instead it came out “Montez-moi.” Only one letter different, but inside of asking them to show me I told them to climb me. I then had 15 kids staring at me. I think they were trying to decide if I really meant to say that. The little troublemaker kid just sat there smirking at me, and he asked, “what” so I then said it again. Then there was a kid in the back who said “monTREZ-moi.” Then everyone laughed at me. I am sure it is a story they will remember for a long time. They will say, "Remember the crazy American girl told us to climb on her!"
Then on Wednesday I had to do laundry, but it seems that three homeless guys have taken up living in the Laundromat. Last week they were in there when Sarah was doing her laundry with a big 5-liter barrel of wine at about 11 am. They proceeded to tell her their life stories. I guess they are from Poland, and it is two brothers and a friend. They told her they were trying to find work, but apparently they are not trying very hard. This time when I went in they were sleeping in the only chairs available, so I have to stand while I did my laundry listening to them snore for an hour and a half. By the end I was a little nauseous from the horrible smell coming from them. I hope by the next time I have to do laundry they have moved on because I don’t know if I can take the smell again!!
Tomorrow I have a meeting with all the other English teachers. Matt, the other American assistant, and I are giving a presentation on a lesson plan for teaching sports we have come up with. We thought we would give a little explanation of football as a cultural aspect. I am not sure how that will go over in a room of European women, but we will give it a try!!
Friday, March 30, 2007
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Finalizing My Plans
Well, it only took over two weeks, but I have finally finished putting up all my pictures from my trip on my Web site. So check them out…
I now have less than three weeks before my next big trip, and I think I have it almost all figured out now. I bought a Eurail Pass, which offers me 7 days of travel anywhere in Spain, France or Italy. When I bought it I thought it would take care of all my travel expenses, but I was wrong. For all the trains we want to take we had to make a reservation, which of course costs more money.
So Sarah and I went to the train station today, and we were at the window for about a half an hour. Needless to say the people behind us in line were not too happy. The first train we wanted was fully booked, so we had to take the train the next day. That in turn changed all of our hostel bookings, so in the end we had to pay about 85 more euros for our travels (on top of the 220 euros we already paid for the pass) and deal with changing or hostels. We are still waiting to hear back from the hostels about changing our dates. Hopefully it won’t be too big of a deal because we gave them about three weeks notice.
I am just glad that we almost have everything finished now. I know it will all be worth it in the end, and we will have a great time. I am just going to have to eat bread and cheese until we leave, so I can afford this trip!
I now have less than three weeks before my next big trip, and I think I have it almost all figured out now. I bought a Eurail Pass, which offers me 7 days of travel anywhere in Spain, France or Italy. When I bought it I thought it would take care of all my travel expenses, but I was wrong. For all the trains we want to take we had to make a reservation, which of course costs more money.
So Sarah and I went to the train station today, and we were at the window for about a half an hour. Needless to say the people behind us in line were not too happy. The first train we wanted was fully booked, so we had to take the train the next day. That in turn changed all of our hostel bookings, so in the end we had to pay about 85 more euros for our travels (on top of the 220 euros we already paid for the pass) and deal with changing or hostels. We are still waiting to hear back from the hostels about changing our dates. Hopefully it won’t be too big of a deal because we gave them about three weeks notice.
I am just glad that we almost have everything finished now. I know it will all be worth it in the end, and we will have a great time. I am just going to have to eat bread and cheese until we leave, so I can afford this trip!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Random Happenings
There has been some crazy weather here in France the past couple of days. Last week it was beautiful, sunny with the highs in the 60’s, and this week it has been snowing off and on since Sunday!!!! At least nothing is sticking, so the snow isn’t too bad. Right now it looks like a blizzard outside.
I read in the paper that this year has actually been the mildest winter in recorded history for this area. It seems all the bad weather has stayed in the US.
Today I have been working on planning my next big trip. I am going to Barcelona, Rome, and Venice in April. It will be another trip with lots of traveling, but it will be nice to go to some different countries. This afternoon Sarah and I went to FNAC, THE bookstore in France, and bought guidebooks for Rome and Venice (she already had one for Barcelona). I am getting very excited.
We haven’t planned any other trips before then because we are trying to save our money for this trip. It has been kind of nice just to have some down time. We only have about three weeks before we go…YEA.
Teaching has been going all right. We have been doing the parts of the body for the past week and a half. There have been some problems grasping the concept that you don’t pronounce the “k” in knee and it is mouth and not mouse. The “th” sound is really hard for the French to pronounce, so I have them really stick their tongues out and between their teeth, so I end up getting covered in spit. I have to make sure I stand far away.
Now it has stopped snowing and the sun is shining. It reminds me a lot of good, old Colorado weather!
I read in the paper that this year has actually been the mildest winter in recorded history for this area. It seems all the bad weather has stayed in the US.
Today I have been working on planning my next big trip. I am going to Barcelona, Rome, and Venice in April. It will be another trip with lots of traveling, but it will be nice to go to some different countries. This afternoon Sarah and I went to FNAC, THE bookstore in France, and bought guidebooks for Rome and Venice (she already had one for Barcelona). I am getting very excited.
We haven’t planned any other trips before then because we are trying to save our money for this trip. It has been kind of nice just to have some down time. We only have about three weeks before we go…YEA.
Teaching has been going all right. We have been doing the parts of the body for the past week and a half. There have been some problems grasping the concept that you don’t pronounce the “k” in knee and it is mouth and not mouse. The “th” sound is really hard for the French to pronounce, so I have them really stick their tongues out and between their teeth, so I end up getting covered in spit. I have to make sure I stand far away.
Now it has stopped snowing and the sun is shining. It reminds me a lot of good, old Colorado weather!
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Snails!!!!!
I am one step closer to experiencing all that France has to offer.
Yesterday was Sarah’s birthday, so we went out for dinner. She ordered escargot, and I gave them a try. I was not impressed at all! They have a very weird rubbery texture, and I think they tasted like dirt. I thought of flower gardens and soil the whole time I was chewing.
Here is some photographic evidence…
Here goes nothing…
Don’t think I will be eating more snails any time soon!
Look below for more evidence of me slowing becoming more French than American!!!
Yesterday was Sarah’s birthday, so we went out for dinner. She ordered escargot, and I gave them a try. I was not impressed at all! They have a very weird rubbery texture, and I think they tasted like dirt. I thought of flower gardens and soil the whole time I was chewing.
Here is some photographic evidence…
Here goes nothing…
Don’t think I will be eating more snails any time soon!
Look below for more evidence of me slowing becoming more French than American!!!
A little recap
I realized that I never wrote about the rugby game I went to a couple of weeks ago…so here it goes.
We had a great time. The game didn’t start until 9 p.m., so before we went to an English pub near the Champs Elysées to watch some of the other games that were going on the day. When we were leaving we went by a hotel, and the entire Welsh rugby team was leaving to go to the game. It was really exciting, but I just wished I actually knew who the players were!!
When we arrived at the stadium we decided we had to buy a beret. It seemed that is what all the French fans wear. It was funny because the mascot of the French national team is a rooster, so the beret has a little rooster on it. We had a lot of fun taking pictures of ourselves in the crazy hats.
I enjoyed the game, and by the end understood everything that was going on. In the end France beat Wales 32-21.
Below are some pictures from the game. Also I have been working on all the pictures from my trip today. I have updated my Web page with all the pictures from my Paris weekend, Nice, Monaco and San Remo. I will continue working on the others. Hopefully I will have them all up soon!
The Welsh team, and a very excited fan, leaving their hotel before the game.
Singing of the national anthems
The rugby action
I guess I wasn’t quite sure about the beret yet.
It didn't take long for me to realize how cool wearing a beret really is! We look so French!
All smiles at the end of the game…sadly, the beret was a little tight on my head, so I had to trade it for another hat by the end of the night.
We had a great time. The game didn’t start until 9 p.m., so before we went to an English pub near the Champs Elysées to watch some of the other games that were going on the day. When we were leaving we went by a hotel, and the entire Welsh rugby team was leaving to go to the game. It was really exciting, but I just wished I actually knew who the players were!!
When we arrived at the stadium we decided we had to buy a beret. It seemed that is what all the French fans wear. It was funny because the mascot of the French national team is a rooster, so the beret has a little rooster on it. We had a lot of fun taking pictures of ourselves in the crazy hats.
I enjoyed the game, and by the end understood everything that was going on. In the end France beat Wales 32-21.
Below are some pictures from the game. Also I have been working on all the pictures from my trip today. I have updated my Web page with all the pictures from my Paris weekend, Nice, Monaco and San Remo. I will continue working on the others. Hopefully I will have them all up soon!
The Welsh team, and a very excited fan, leaving their hotel before the game.
Singing of the national anthems
The rugby action
I guess I wasn’t quite sure about the beret yet.
It didn't take long for me to realize how cool wearing a beret really is! We look so French!
All smiles at the end of the game…sadly, the beret was a little tight on my head, so I had to trade it for another hat by the end of the night.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
I'm back...
Well…I finally made it home just after 2 a.m. last night, after a very long day of traveling.
It was a great trip. We covered a lot of ground, but also saw a whole lot. The weather was incredible except for one morning of rain while we were on Corsica. The only bad thing was having to carry our stuff everywhere. Most train and bus stations have taken out all of their lockers for security reasons, so we didn’t have anywhere to leave it.
Last Sunday we left Nice and headed down to Aix-En-Provence, to stay with Mandy’s friend from school. I really like it there. It was different than the rest of France. It definitely had a "South of France" feel with more stone and adobe type houses.
On Monday we went to Marseille. I was not thoroughly impressed with it. It is the second largest city and France, so it was really busy and dirty. We did take the little tourist train up to a church on a hill overlooking the city. That was a lot of fun, and the view from the top was excellent. You could see all of Marseille, all the way from the mountains to the sea.
That night we took the ferry over to Ajaccio on Corsica. It was a long night because it was hard to sleep on the ferry. We were going to take a train to the top of the island where we were staying. They are working on the tracks, so they have taken all train routes and changed them to buses. It was probably better that we were on the bus because we were able to see a whole lot more. I was amazed at the scenery of Corsica. I didn’t know it, but they have mountains that are over 6,000 feet tall. We left Ajaccio and within about 25 or 30 minutes we were already in the mountains, which still had some snow.
The bus ride was almost 3 hours, but well worth it because I got to see a great deal of the island. While on Corsica we stayed in Ile Rousse. From there we visited Calvi and Bastia. All these places were little city with great beaches and a little port. Everything was really quiet because it was still the off-season. It was both good and bad. It was nice that it was relaxing, but there were also a lot of places that hadn’t even opened yet.
On Thursday night we took the ferry back from Bastia to Toulon, and from there we went back to Nice to fly into Bale. We actually landed just after 9 pm, but we had to wait for the next train back to Belfort, which wasn’t until 1 am.
Although I am still sore and tired I had a good time!!!! I really enjoyed seeing another region of France. I took so many pictures I don’t even know where to start with them. I will put them up as soon as I am finished. I know what I will be doing all week!!!!
Now it is time for me to go back to school. I have another 5 weeks before I have another two-week break. It really isn't TOO long. (Although it seems like it rigth now.)
It was a great trip. We covered a lot of ground, but also saw a whole lot. The weather was incredible except for one morning of rain while we were on Corsica. The only bad thing was having to carry our stuff everywhere. Most train and bus stations have taken out all of their lockers for security reasons, so we didn’t have anywhere to leave it.
Last Sunday we left Nice and headed down to Aix-En-Provence, to stay with Mandy’s friend from school. I really like it there. It was different than the rest of France. It definitely had a "South of France" feel with more stone and adobe type houses.
On Monday we went to Marseille. I was not thoroughly impressed with it. It is the second largest city and France, so it was really busy and dirty. We did take the little tourist train up to a church on a hill overlooking the city. That was a lot of fun, and the view from the top was excellent. You could see all of Marseille, all the way from the mountains to the sea.
That night we took the ferry over to Ajaccio on Corsica. It was a long night because it was hard to sleep on the ferry. We were going to take a train to the top of the island where we were staying. They are working on the tracks, so they have taken all train routes and changed them to buses. It was probably better that we were on the bus because we were able to see a whole lot more. I was amazed at the scenery of Corsica. I didn’t know it, but they have mountains that are over 6,000 feet tall. We left Ajaccio and within about 25 or 30 minutes we were already in the mountains, which still had some snow.
The bus ride was almost 3 hours, but well worth it because I got to see a great deal of the island. While on Corsica we stayed in Ile Rousse. From there we visited Calvi and Bastia. All these places were little city with great beaches and a little port. Everything was really quiet because it was still the off-season. It was both good and bad. It was nice that it was relaxing, but there were also a lot of places that hadn’t even opened yet.
On Thursday night we took the ferry back from Bastia to Toulon, and from there we went back to Nice to fly into Bale. We actually landed just after 9 pm, but we had to wait for the next train back to Belfort, which wasn’t until 1 am.
Although I am still sore and tired I had a good time!!!! I really enjoyed seeing another region of France. I took so many pictures I don’t even know where to start with them. I will put them up as soon as I am finished. I know what I will be doing all week!!!!
Now it is time for me to go back to school. I have another 5 weeks before I have another two-week break. It really isn't TOO long. (Although it seems like it rigth now.)
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Livin' It Up Down South...
I have been in the South of France for two full days now, and I am having a great time! Nice is in fact really "nice"! Tonight we are going to the last parade for Carnival. There should be lots going on.
Yesterday we went to Monaco. It was amazing because you can see pretty much the entire country from the top of a little hill. It was also really interesting to see all the really expensive cars. I have never seen so many Ferraris, Mercedes, and Porches in one place! The weather was so nice we even went to the beach and put our feet in the very cold water.
Today we went up the coast into Italy. It was the first time I have ever been to Italy, and I wasn't disappointed. The weather was once again fantastic, so we walked all around the old town and up to a church on a hill for some more fantastic views!
Tomorrow we are headed down the coast to St. Tropez and Marseilles. Then on to Corsica at the beginning of the week.
It is hard to believe I still have another week of vacation!
Yesterday we went to Monaco. It was amazing because you can see pretty much the entire country from the top of a little hill. It was also really interesting to see all the really expensive cars. I have never seen so many Ferraris, Mercedes, and Porches in one place! The weather was so nice we even went to the beach and put our feet in the very cold water.
Today we went up the coast into Italy. It was the first time I have ever been to Italy, and I wasn't disappointed. The weather was once again fantastic, so we walked all around the old town and up to a church on a hill for some more fantastic views!
Tomorrow we are headed down the coast to St. Tropez and Marseilles. Then on to Corsica at the beginning of the week.
It is hard to believe I still have another week of vacation!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Halfway there
I don’t have to go to my classes tomorrow because they are watching a movie or something before the break, so I am finished teaching until March 12…SCORE!!
I also realized I am now just over halfway finished teaching in France. It has gone by quickly, but I think my French has really improved. My vocabulary has grown, and my listening comprehension is a lot better. I can now catch a part of someone’s conversation and understand it. When I first got here it was hard to understand when people were speaking directly at me, but now I can understand even if they are just passing by. Although there have been some improvements there are still times when I have to rack my brain to try to conjugate an irregular verb in the right tense, but I am starting to do that much quicker now. I hope I keep improving in the second half of my stay in France.
I leave for Paris on Saturday morning. I am really excited about the rugby game. I am excited to see what a real European sports fan is like. I like sports probably more than the next person, but I have a feeling I am not going to compare to the people over here!!
The weather has been so nice the past few days. Nothing but sunshine with the temps in the mid 50’s, but it is supposed to rain this weekend at the game. I hope it doesn’t rain too hard because the game doesn’t start until 9 pm, so it will be cold. But I guess that is just all part of the experience...so bring it on!
I also realized I am now just over halfway finished teaching in France. It has gone by quickly, but I think my French has really improved. My vocabulary has grown, and my listening comprehension is a lot better. I can now catch a part of someone’s conversation and understand it. When I first got here it was hard to understand when people were speaking directly at me, but now I can understand even if they are just passing by. Although there have been some improvements there are still times when I have to rack my brain to try to conjugate an irregular verb in the right tense, but I am starting to do that much quicker now. I hope I keep improving in the second half of my stay in France.
I leave for Paris on Saturday morning. I am really excited about the rugby game. I am excited to see what a real European sports fan is like. I like sports probably more than the next person, but I have a feeling I am not going to compare to the people over here!!
The weather has been so nice the past few days. Nothing but sunshine with the temps in the mid 50’s, but it is supposed to rain this weekend at the game. I hope it doesn’t rain too hard because the game doesn’t start until 9 pm, so it will be cold. But I guess that is just all part of the experience...so bring it on!
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Just a few more days...
I have less than a week of teaching left before I have a two-week break. I am so excited!
I have just about every day of the two weeks planned out. Next Saturday I am going to Paris with Sarah, and we are going to watch a Six Nations Rugby game. It is between France and Wales at the Stade de France in Paris. I can’t say I know a whole lot about rugby, but I have been watching some on the TV. I am slowly catching on to the game.
We are then spending Sunday looking around Paris. Then Sarah leaves to go back to England on Monday. I will probably head back to Belfort until Thursday when I leave for the South of France.
I fly from Bale to Nice on Thursday to meet up with my other roommate, Mandy. We are staying in Nice for three nights and taking some day trips from there. On Friday we are going to Monte Carlo, and on Saturday we are headed to San Remo, Italy. On Sunday we head down the coast to Saint Tropez and Aix-en-Provence. Monday we are looking through Marseilles, and then we are then taking a night ferry to the island of Corsica. We will spend three days looking at some of the places on the island. Then we take another night ferry on the 8th back to Nice, and Friday night we fly back to Bale.
We are trying to fit in a lot of stuff on this trip! It will probably be scary the amount of photos I will take. I have 3 gigs of space on my memory cards. I hope that is enough! :)
Now I just have to make it through the next 5 days. I think I can…I think I can…
I have just about every day of the two weeks planned out. Next Saturday I am going to Paris with Sarah, and we are going to watch a Six Nations Rugby game. It is between France and Wales at the Stade de France in Paris. I can’t say I know a whole lot about rugby, but I have been watching some on the TV. I am slowly catching on to the game.
We are then spending Sunday looking around Paris. Then Sarah leaves to go back to England on Monday. I will probably head back to Belfort until Thursday when I leave for the South of France.
I fly from Bale to Nice on Thursday to meet up with my other roommate, Mandy. We are staying in Nice for three nights and taking some day trips from there. On Friday we are going to Monte Carlo, and on Saturday we are headed to San Remo, Italy. On Sunday we head down the coast to Saint Tropez and Aix-en-Provence. Monday we are looking through Marseilles, and then we are then taking a night ferry to the island of Corsica. We will spend three days looking at some of the places on the island. Then we take another night ferry on the 8th back to Nice, and Friday night we fly back to Bale.
We are trying to fit in a lot of stuff on this trip! It will probably be scary the amount of photos I will take. I have 3 gigs of space on my memory cards. I hope that is enough! :)
Now I just have to make it through the next 5 days. I think I can…I think I can…
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
In the Dark...
So we have been living without electricity for 5 whole days.
It all started last Friday when we got home from working. It turned out that when we moved in we were supposed to change the name on the account, but we never did it. We tried quite a few times, but we were given about three different numbers and either they didn’t work or no one answered. We should have continued, but of course we didn’t. In the end we made it 4 and half months without a problem.
We called our landlady and got a different number. When I called that one I finally got through. I changed all of information, and they told us that it would be 48 hours until it was turned back on.
Everything in our apartment is electric including the water heater and our stove, so we had no way to cook food or a place to store it. We put our refrigerated stuff out on the balcony to stay cool, and took very quick freezing cold showers. We were quite proud of ourselves on Sunday night because we had made it a whole weekend without electricity.
But by Monday morning we still didn’t have any electricity, so we called again and they told us that 48 hours does not include the weekend. (I am not sure why they didn’t tell us that before. I guess in France it is assumed that people don’t work on the weekend.) They said someone would come out and fix it by Tuesday afternoon. When we got home yesterday we still didn’t have any lights, so we called again and this time they said they didn’t have an open appointment until February 21, which didn’t go down too well with us. The poor lady got an earful from Sarah. She said she would put an urgent notice on our name, so hopefully it would get done faster.
Today a man called and said someone had come by yesterday and fixed the line downstairs, so there was something wrong with our apartment. We then had to call our landlady and she came by and called the people up again because there was nothing wrong with our fuse box. They then sent a repairman out, and they found that in fact when someone came by yesterday they didn’t actually turn the current back on…so they flipped the switch and just like that we had LIGHT!
It took 120 hours, 40 euros worth of phone calls, 16 candles, and lots of spoiled food but we made it through. It was such a headache. Granted we could have figured out the whole name change thing earlier, but it was still very drawn out.
In the end I also found I can still be creative when it comes to finding stuff to do, and that it is still possible to go five days without Internet. Difficult but still possible.
Playing Yahtzee by candle light.
It all started last Friday when we got home from working. It turned out that when we moved in we were supposed to change the name on the account, but we never did it. We tried quite a few times, but we were given about three different numbers and either they didn’t work or no one answered. We should have continued, but of course we didn’t. In the end we made it 4 and half months without a problem.
We called our landlady and got a different number. When I called that one I finally got through. I changed all of information, and they told us that it would be 48 hours until it was turned back on.
Everything in our apartment is electric including the water heater and our stove, so we had no way to cook food or a place to store it. We put our refrigerated stuff out on the balcony to stay cool, and took very quick freezing cold showers. We were quite proud of ourselves on Sunday night because we had made it a whole weekend without electricity.
But by Monday morning we still didn’t have any electricity, so we called again and they told us that 48 hours does not include the weekend. (I am not sure why they didn’t tell us that before. I guess in France it is assumed that people don’t work on the weekend.) They said someone would come out and fix it by Tuesday afternoon. When we got home yesterday we still didn’t have any lights, so we called again and this time they said they didn’t have an open appointment until February 21, which didn’t go down too well with us. The poor lady got an earful from Sarah. She said she would put an urgent notice on our name, so hopefully it would get done faster.
Today a man called and said someone had come by yesterday and fixed the line downstairs, so there was something wrong with our apartment. We then had to call our landlady and she came by and called the people up again because there was nothing wrong with our fuse box. They then sent a repairman out, and they found that in fact when someone came by yesterday they didn’t actually turn the current back on…so they flipped the switch and just like that we had LIGHT!
It took 120 hours, 40 euros worth of phone calls, 16 candles, and lots of spoiled food but we made it through. It was such a headache. Granted we could have figured out the whole name change thing earlier, but it was still very drawn out.
In the end I also found I can still be creative when it comes to finding stuff to do, and that it is still possible to go five days without Internet. Difficult but still possible.
Playing Yahtzee by candle light.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
"Cuz We're on Strike"
Tomorrow there is a teachers’ strike in France. I guess a couple of teachers wanted some more money and decided to strike. Then teachers all over the country decided to join in, so now it is pretty much in every school in France. Three out of the four classes I teach tomorrow will not be there because their teachers are participating. Then I talked to the other teacher who will still be there, and she said not to worry about coming in. Now I have another day off this week, but I still get paid. Not too bad…
I am sure the kids don’t mind too much either.
From what I heard the French like to go on strike a lot. In the four and a half months I have been here I have seen two train strikes and one in the schools. I think they like to go on strike because they are so effective. I read in a book that if one group goes on strike lots of other people will join in even if they are not directly affected by the strike. So sometimes if teachers go on strike then transportation workers will also strike.
I guess I will have to be careful and not plan on going anywhere tomorrow, or I might now end up getting back!
P.S. I have put up my pictures of Versailles on my Web site if you want to check them out.
I am sure the kids don’t mind too much either.
From what I heard the French like to go on strike a lot. In the four and a half months I have been here I have seen two train strikes and one in the schools. I think they like to go on strike because they are so effective. I read in a book that if one group goes on strike lots of other people will join in even if they are not directly affected by the strike. So sometimes if teachers go on strike then transportation workers will also strike.
I guess I will have to be careful and not plan on going anywhere tomorrow, or I might now end up getting back!
P.S. I have put up my pictures of Versailles on my Web site if you want to check them out.
Monday, February 05, 2007
Weekend in Paris
I had another busy weekend! We left at 6 pm from Belfort Friday night, and we got in to Paris at about 10 pm. Then we met up with a few of Sarah’s friends who are assistants there. We stayed in a hostel, which was not very nice…it was actually pretty disgusting! There were only three showers available to about 100 people, so they were just as dirty as you would think. It also looked like they didn’t clean them during the day, so the next night they were even worse. I decided I would rather have greasy hair than to shower in that thing.
Saturday we went to Disneyland Paris. It was interesting to see how much they blended French and English. There were a lot of things that were in both languages. For example on the Star Tours ride the little robot guy spoke French, but in the movie part on the screen they spoke English. I guess they couldn’t change everything because it would cost too much. All the cast members spoke both languages as well. I was disappointed to find that their Indiana Jones ride was only a little roller coaster. It was nothing like the ride at Disneyland where you go on the jeep tour. It had been almost 5 years since I went to Disneyland, so it was fun. I also screamed so much on the rides that I lost my voice!
Yesterday we went to Versailles. It is free on the first Sunday of every month, so there were quite a few people there. We had to wait in a really long line to get into the chateau, but it was worth it.
The line from HECK!!! This is only about ¾ of it too!
Inside everything was so elaborate. In the castle there is a two-story chapel, a theater and so many other rooms. It would have been really neat to be able to walk through on your own.
The grounds were the best part of the trip, even in winter. They didn’t have the fountains on though, so again a little disappointing. I guess that is what happens when you go to places in the middle of winter. The grounds are so large. It can take up to an hour to walk from one end to the other. There is also a huge canal where they have boats in the summer. It was so nice to walk around, and the weather was perfect. It was a little cool, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky the entire weekend.
We caught the 6 pm train back to Belfort, so we got home at about 10:15 pm. I was in bed by 11, completely exhausted.
I didn’t get to watch the Super Bowl because they are showing it tonight here, but it still doesn’t start until a quarter to midnight. After my classes this afternoon I think I will take a nap. I still want to watch even though I already know who won. It will be another long night!
Saturday we went to Disneyland Paris. It was interesting to see how much they blended French and English. There were a lot of things that were in both languages. For example on the Star Tours ride the little robot guy spoke French, but in the movie part on the screen they spoke English. I guess they couldn’t change everything because it would cost too much. All the cast members spoke both languages as well. I was disappointed to find that their Indiana Jones ride was only a little roller coaster. It was nothing like the ride at Disneyland where you go on the jeep tour. It had been almost 5 years since I went to Disneyland, so it was fun. I also screamed so much on the rides that I lost my voice!
Yesterday we went to Versailles. It is free on the first Sunday of every month, so there were quite a few people there. We had to wait in a really long line to get into the chateau, but it was worth it.
The line from HECK!!! This is only about ¾ of it too!
Inside everything was so elaborate. In the castle there is a two-story chapel, a theater and so many other rooms. It would have been really neat to be able to walk through on your own.
The grounds were the best part of the trip, even in winter. They didn’t have the fountains on though, so again a little disappointing. I guess that is what happens when you go to places in the middle of winter. The grounds are so large. It can take up to an hour to walk from one end to the other. There is also a huge canal where they have boats in the summer. It was so nice to walk around, and the weather was perfect. It was a little cool, but there wasn’t a cloud in the sky the entire weekend.
We caught the 6 pm train back to Belfort, so we got home at about 10:15 pm. I was in bed by 11, completely exhausted.
I didn’t get to watch the Super Bowl because they are showing it tonight here, but it still doesn’t start until a quarter to midnight. After my classes this afternoon I think I will take a nap. I still want to watch even though I already know who won. It will be another long night!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
The French Smoking Ban
Yesterday I was reading about the new smoking ban that goes into effect tomorrow in France. Smoking will no longer be allowed in places of business (like shops), schools, and hospitals. Then in January next year it will not be allowed in any public places including restaurants and bars. (They wanted to give people a year longer to adjust to the idea.)
I also read that in France about 1 in 3 people smoke. It is a large number, but I believe it after being here for 4 months. People smoke everywhere including the teachers at school. When I first started working here I was startled to see the teachers light up in the teacher’s lounge. I though it was strange to see them smoking at a school where children might see, so imagine my surprise the next day when I saw a teacher smoking on the playground while the kids were at recess! I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing!
There is one teacher in particular who is always smoking on the playground, so it will be amusing to see what happens tomorrow. He will probably have to leave campus 10 times a day to get his nicotine fix.
It is a little sad that the smoking ban for bars and restaurants doesn’t go into effect until next year. The smoke is one of the hardest things I have had to deal with here. Even if I sit in the nonsmoking area, I still go home stinking like smoke. Most times I have to go wash my hair because the smell is so strong it makes me sick.
It will be interesting to see how French culture is changed because of the smoking ban. It seems that smoking a cigarette is as French as wearing a beret.
I also read that in France about 1 in 3 people smoke. It is a large number, but I believe it after being here for 4 months. People smoke everywhere including the teachers at school. When I first started working here I was startled to see the teachers light up in the teacher’s lounge. I though it was strange to see them smoking at a school where children might see, so imagine my surprise the next day when I saw a teacher smoking on the playground while the kids were at recess! I just couldn’t believe what I was seeing!
There is one teacher in particular who is always smoking on the playground, so it will be amusing to see what happens tomorrow. He will probably have to leave campus 10 times a day to get his nicotine fix.
It is a little sad that the smoking ban for bars and restaurants doesn’t go into effect until next year. The smoke is one of the hardest things I have had to deal with here. Even if I sit in the nonsmoking area, I still go home stinking like smoke. Most times I have to go wash my hair because the smell is so strong it makes me sick.
It will be interesting to see how French culture is changed because of the smoking ban. It seems that smoking a cigarette is as French as wearing a beret.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Winter Wonderland
We ended up getting about 4 inches of snow. It made everything look so pretty. It has also been REALLY cold, so not much has melted in the last two days. The highs have only been in the 20’s. Also in Belfort they don’t shovel the sidewalks, so they have become ice rinks. I almost fell about five times going to my classes this morning. It really makes me miss Boulder, where you had to have the sidewalks shoveled by 12 pm the next day!!
We are supposed to have another chance of snow tomorrow night. I guess it is a good thing that we aren’t going anywhere this weekend. It might be a little too cold for sightseeing.
The first weekend of February we are going to Paris. We are going to Disneyland on Saturday, and then go to Versailles on Sunday because in winter the first Sunday of every month admission is free. We would be saving like 18 or 20 euros, so that sounds good to me.
Here are a couple of pictures of the snow from my bedroom window.
Just a couple of hours after it started…
This is a view of the castle in the morning.
We are supposed to have another chance of snow tomorrow night. I guess it is a good thing that we aren’t going anywhere this weekend. It might be a little too cold for sightseeing.
The first weekend of February we are going to Paris. We are going to Disneyland on Saturday, and then go to Versailles on Sunday because in winter the first Sunday of every month admission is free. We would be saving like 18 or 20 euros, so that sounds good to me.
Here are a couple of pictures of the snow from my bedroom window.
Just a couple of hours after it started…
This is a view of the castle in the morning.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Let it snow...
Well, it has just started to snow in Belfort for the first time this winter. It looks really pretty falling down in the lights.
I knew it was going to snow today because the kids were so crazy today. It was tough to get through all the lessons, but I made it. I don't have to work tomorrow, so if we get enough snow maybe I can go take some pictures. I hope it isn’t all melted by then.
Also, I have just updated my Web site with my pictures from Neuchâtel, so check them out.
web.mac.com/downinga
I knew it was going to snow today because the kids were so crazy today. It was tough to get through all the lessons, but I made it. I don't have to work tomorrow, so if we get enough snow maybe I can go take some pictures. I hope it isn’t all melted by then.
Also, I have just updated my Web site with my pictures from Neuchâtel, so check them out.
web.mac.com/downinga
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Neuchâtel, Switzerland
We had a good time in Neuchâtel. It is an absolutely gorgeous town. It sits right on Lake Neuchâtel, which is the biggest lake entirely in Switzerland. It also has spectacular views of the Alps. They are just on the other side of the lake. They were all covered in snow. I even saw Mt. Blanc for the first time!
On Saturday we decided to go on a hike to see this gorge thing called Creux-du-Van. It is located in the Jura Mountains to the west of Neuchâtel. We asked at the information place, and they said it was a little hilly and it would take about an hour and a half to get to it.
That was not the case at all. It was the HARDEST climb I have even done in my life. It had about 2100 feet of elevation gain. In the end it took up 2 hours and 45 minutes. Then we got to the top, and this is all we could see…
Here is what it is supposed to look like. Just a little different…
We worked so hard, and all we saw was fog. It was such a bummer!! At least we all made it. That night we came back completely exhausted and sore, but we went out to dinner and had fondue. It was fun to have real Swiss fondue in Switzerland, and I didn’t lose a single piece of bread in the pot!
Today we saw some more of the town. There is a really beautiful castle, but we could only see it from the outside because it is closed in the winter. (It is hard to travel in January, I guess) I still got some neat pictures of the outside though. We also walked down to the lake on a little promenade. It was a nice weather the entire time, cool but sunny.
I really liked Switzerland. Before this trip I had only passed through it a few times in Bâle. This was the first time I had spent any real time there. The Swiss people are all really nice and friendly, and they keep everything so clean. Plus they actually stop to let you cross the road, which is nice.
Even though we didn’t get to see the gorge it was still a fun trip. Now I have to go back in to work mode. This week I will be teaching all the kiddies about animals. Good times!
I will put up pictures on my Web site soon.
On Saturday we decided to go on a hike to see this gorge thing called Creux-du-Van. It is located in the Jura Mountains to the west of Neuchâtel. We asked at the information place, and they said it was a little hilly and it would take about an hour and a half to get to it.
That was not the case at all. It was the HARDEST climb I have even done in my life. It had about 2100 feet of elevation gain. In the end it took up 2 hours and 45 minutes. Then we got to the top, and this is all we could see…
Here is what it is supposed to look like. Just a little different…
We worked so hard, and all we saw was fog. It was such a bummer!! At least we all made it. That night we came back completely exhausted and sore, but we went out to dinner and had fondue. It was fun to have real Swiss fondue in Switzerland, and I didn’t lose a single piece of bread in the pot!
Today we saw some more of the town. There is a really beautiful castle, but we could only see it from the outside because it is closed in the winter. (It is hard to travel in January, I guess) I still got some neat pictures of the outside though. We also walked down to the lake on a little promenade. It was a nice weather the entire time, cool but sunny.
I really liked Switzerland. Before this trip I had only passed through it a few times in Bâle. This was the first time I had spent any real time there. The Swiss people are all really nice and friendly, and they keep everything so clean. Plus they actually stop to let you cross the road, which is nice.
Even though we didn’t get to see the gorge it was still a fun trip. Now I have to go back in to work mode. This week I will be teaching all the kiddies about animals. Good times!
I will put up pictures on my Web site soon.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Life in France
We finally got our heating back last night. I guess our landlady forgot to put something in the main boiler thing downstairs, so all four apartment in the building didn’t have any heat. Somehow that just isn’t too surprising…
Yesterday we went to an exposition on the city of Belfort. This year the town is celebrating its 700th birthday, so the exposition was about the history of the town. It is hard to believe this town is 700 years old. There is just nothing in the States that is that old!
Also Sarah writes a short article for her college newspaper about her adventures in France. This time she wanted to write about some of the differences in everyday life we have noticed. The three of us brainstormed. We came up with a lot of funny things, so here is a copy of the article. Sarah wrote it , but the ideas are all of ours. I left it just how she wrote it because the phrases in “real” England English are also amusing. Here are some translations:
1.Chave = the best translation I have come up with for this word is a person who is a “tool”
2. Zebra crossing = cross walk
3. brollies = umbrellas
Pourquoi…?
Pourquoi do the French male chavs all follow the fashion of having either a
burberry handbag (no really) or a pastel coloured bumbag (or fanny pack as my housemate calls it) with some kind of animal depicted on it.? (the baby blue kangaroo is the best we’ve seen)
Pourquoi is there poo everywhere?
Pourquoi do the French dance with their hands facing down whilst clutching said pastel elephant handbag?
Pourquoi is it necessary to say “Bon appetit” anytime you see someone (usually a stranger) eating anything, however small (on the train, sitting on a bench, walking down the street on your own…)
Pourquoi is it fashionable to have one trouser leg rolled up to your knee and the other tucked into your sock?
Pourquoi do the French always feel the need to push in the queue?
Pourquoi do the French have no concept of time e.g. discussing their husbands’ hemorrhoids with a stranger when buying tickets at the train station, despite knowing there are 27 people behind them who want to catch the train leaving in 34 seconds. E.g.2 stopping the bus when I need to get to work so that a little old lady can get off to buy the bus driver breakfast.
Pourquoi does a green man mean nothing on a zebra crossing?
Pourquoi do they not sell salt and vinegar crisps/peanut butter / baked beans/ bacon/ decent chewing gum?
Pourquoi do the French tramps prefer to hold their brollies over their dogs rather than themselves in the pouring rain?
Pourquoi does a baguette only last for one day before the only thing left to do with it is to throw it off the balcony to see how far it will go?
Pourquoi is everything shut for 2 hours every lunchtime and all day Sunday and Monday when this is the only time anyone has off work?
Pourquoi have I not seen anyone wearing a beret or with a string of garlic round their neck?
Pourquoi do the French never smile when the sky is blue most of the time? They are probably trying not to step in the poo!
Yesterday we went to an exposition on the city of Belfort. This year the town is celebrating its 700th birthday, so the exposition was about the history of the town. It is hard to believe this town is 700 years old. There is just nothing in the States that is that old!
Also Sarah writes a short article for her college newspaper about her adventures in France. This time she wanted to write about some of the differences in everyday life we have noticed. The three of us brainstormed. We came up with a lot of funny things, so here is a copy of the article. Sarah wrote it , but the ideas are all of ours. I left it just how she wrote it because the phrases in “real” England English are also amusing. Here are some translations:
1.Chave = the best translation I have come up with for this word is a person who is a “tool”
2. Zebra crossing = cross walk
3. brollies = umbrellas
Pourquoi…?
Pourquoi do the French male chavs all follow the fashion of having either a
burberry handbag (no really) or a pastel coloured bumbag (or fanny pack as my housemate calls it) with some kind of animal depicted on it.? (the baby blue kangaroo is the best we’ve seen)
Pourquoi is there poo everywhere?
Pourquoi do the French dance with their hands facing down whilst clutching said pastel elephant handbag?
Pourquoi is it necessary to say “Bon appetit” anytime you see someone (usually a stranger) eating anything, however small (on the train, sitting on a bench, walking down the street on your own…)
Pourquoi is it fashionable to have one trouser leg rolled up to your knee and the other tucked into your sock?
Pourquoi do the French always feel the need to push in the queue?
Pourquoi do the French have no concept of time e.g. discussing their husbands’ hemorrhoids with a stranger when buying tickets at the train station, despite knowing there are 27 people behind them who want to catch the train leaving in 34 seconds. E.g.2 stopping the bus when I need to get to work so that a little old lady can get off to buy the bus driver breakfast.
Pourquoi does a green man mean nothing on a zebra crossing?
Pourquoi do they not sell salt and vinegar crisps/peanut butter / baked beans/ bacon/ decent chewing gum?
Pourquoi do the French tramps prefer to hold their brollies over their dogs rather than themselves in the pouring rain?
Pourquoi does a baguette only last for one day before the only thing left to do with it is to throw it off the balcony to see how far it will go?
Pourquoi is everything shut for 2 hours every lunchtime and all day Sunday and Monday when this is the only time anyone has off work?
Pourquoi have I not seen anyone wearing a beret or with a string of garlic round their neck?
Pourquoi do the French never smile when the sky is blue most of the time? They are probably trying not to step in the poo!
Monday, January 15, 2007
Football in France
Last night I watched my first live American football game in France. They had the live feed from FOX for the Bears and Seahawks game with French commentators. There are a lot more commercials in America, so we got to look at the crowd when FOX went to a commercial in the US.
It was interesting to hear what the commentators were saying. They didn’t do any play by play because they spent a lot of the time explaining everything for the people who don’t understand the game, which is pretty much everyone in France. Sarah joked that I was probably the only one watching the game in the entire country of France. I told her that Matt, the other American assistant in Belfort, was probably watching it too, so it wasn't a complete loss.
It was really the best of both worlds because I was able to watch football and practice my French at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that!!
I am still working on the roomies. They didn’t want to watch the game. Maybe in a couple of weeks when the Super Bowl is on they will realize how great football really is. There is still time!
In other news every radiator in our apartment has decided to stop working, so it is getting quite cold in here. We pay 150 euros a month just for heating, so it is really annoying that they are not working. Our landlady is coming by tomorrow, so hopefully we can get them working. Right now we are just bundling up as much as we can, but it is still really bad when you have to get up early and to shower!!
It was interesting to hear what the commentators were saying. They didn’t do any play by play because they spent a lot of the time explaining everything for the people who don’t understand the game, which is pretty much everyone in France. Sarah joked that I was probably the only one watching the game in the entire country of France. I told her that Matt, the other American assistant in Belfort, was probably watching it too, so it wasn't a complete loss.
It was really the best of both worlds because I was able to watch football and practice my French at the same time. It doesn’t get much better than that!!
I am still working on the roomies. They didn’t want to watch the game. Maybe in a couple of weeks when the Super Bowl is on they will realize how great football really is. There is still time!
In other news every radiator in our apartment has decided to stop working, so it is getting quite cold in here. We pay 150 euros a month just for heating, so it is really annoying that they are not working. Our landlady is coming by tomorrow, so hopefully we can get them working. Right now we are just bundling up as much as we can, but it is still really bad when you have to get up early and to shower!!
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Shopping French Style
Every January in France there are nation wide sales, les soldes. All stores have huge sales on their clothes, shoes and other accessories, and everyone goes crazy.
Sarah, Mandy and I decided today that we were going to hit up some of the sales, so we went to the town of Montbéliard, which is about 15 minutes by train. We went there for a Christmas market in December. While we were there we noticed they had a lot more shops than Belfort, so we wanted to give it a try.
There are some really good deals out there. Almost everything is at least 30 percent off and some stuff is as high as 70 percent. In the sales I bought a two purses for about 17 euros because they were 50 and 70 percent off. It is amazing how cheap things were.
I think everyone in France just waits until January to buy their clothes for the whole year. Every store is so crowded, but I guess you can’t blame them. They just want to save a little money like me!
I think I read somewhere that it is actually a government-mandated sale, and it goes on for about 6 weeks! I wish the US had something like that every year. It was so exciting to see how much money you were saving (but I guess you aren’t really saving much when you buy more stuff ☺).
It was a nice way to spend the afternoon because this morning we had another meeting with the other language teachers. They are so bad because we have to meet at 8:30 in the morning on a Saturday, and sit around and do nothing. It would be really nice if we actually learned or discussed something. O-well, at least it is only once a month.
I think next weekend we are going to go to Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Someone recommended it to me, and when I looked it up it looked really nice. It isn't far from here. Just a little south of Bale. I guess I will spend my Sunday doing some more research on the Internet. It should be fun!
Sarah, Mandy and I decided today that we were going to hit up some of the sales, so we went to the town of Montbéliard, which is about 15 minutes by train. We went there for a Christmas market in December. While we were there we noticed they had a lot more shops than Belfort, so we wanted to give it a try.
There are some really good deals out there. Almost everything is at least 30 percent off and some stuff is as high as 70 percent. In the sales I bought a two purses for about 17 euros because they were 50 and 70 percent off. It is amazing how cheap things were.
I think everyone in France just waits until January to buy their clothes for the whole year. Every store is so crowded, but I guess you can’t blame them. They just want to save a little money like me!
I think I read somewhere that it is actually a government-mandated sale, and it goes on for about 6 weeks! I wish the US had something like that every year. It was so exciting to see how much money you were saving (but I guess you aren’t really saving much when you buy more stuff ☺).
It was a nice way to spend the afternoon because this morning we had another meeting with the other language teachers. They are so bad because we have to meet at 8:30 in the morning on a Saturday, and sit around and do nothing. It would be really nice if we actually learned or discussed something. O-well, at least it is only once a month.
I think next weekend we are going to go to Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Someone recommended it to me, and when I looked it up it looked really nice. It isn't far from here. Just a little south of Bale. I guess I will spend my Sunday doing some more research on the Internet. It should be fun!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
The New Year in France
Yesterday was a really hard day because I have been suffering from some really bad jet lag. Sunday night I couldn’t fall asleep until about 5 am, and I had to get up at 7 am. Then I had to teach six classes and tutor on two hours of sleep. I was pretty tired. I wouldn’t allow myself to rest at all during the day, so last night I went to bed at 10 pm and slept until 8 am. It was so nice. I felt a lot better when I woke up. It is also good to know that the worst of it is over. It is definitely easier when you travel west because you just get up earlier. Instead of just being in bed thinking that you should be asleep.
I know it wasn’t this bad when I came out in September. My friend, Tamar, said it was because we were both in survival mode when we arrived in France the first time. Now I am used to being here, so my body is not so shocked.
Yesterday I must have been whished happy New Year by about 25 different people. I was really amazed so many people said it to me even a week into the New Year. I asked the lady I tutored about it, and she told me that it is the custom in France to wish all your acquaintances “Bonne Année” up until the end of January. If you don’t, some people might see you as being rude. She is a hairdresser, and she said she only says it for the first two weeks because it starts to get annoying after a while. I think this is a really interesting custom because in the US you really don’t hear the phrase uttered past January 3.
I will have to remember to say it to everyone, so I won’t be seen as the rude American.
So…Bonne Année everyone!!
I know it wasn’t this bad when I came out in September. My friend, Tamar, said it was because we were both in survival mode when we arrived in France the first time. Now I am used to being here, so my body is not so shocked.
Yesterday I must have been whished happy New Year by about 25 different people. I was really amazed so many people said it to me even a week into the New Year. I asked the lady I tutored about it, and she told me that it is the custom in France to wish all your acquaintances “Bonne Année” up until the end of January. If you don’t, some people might see you as being rude. She is a hairdresser, and she said she only says it for the first two weeks because it starts to get annoying after a while. I think this is a really interesting custom because in the US you really don’t hear the phrase uttered past January 3.
I will have to remember to say it to everyone, so I won’t be seen as the rude American.
So…Bonne Année everyone!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
