A Revelation

I've decided to move to France permanently to be a teacher. Did you know they only have 18 contact hours per week??? And if you have the equivalent of our Master's degree its only 12, plus a pay raise??? Ok, so I'm not really going to move here but seriously... 18 hrs/week?! This French way of living definately requires some more investigation!!

My Trip to Oradour - Part 2

I had about 2 1/2 hrs to wait before the next bus came by so I decided to walk around the new town that was built bordering the martyred village. As soon as I exited the Centre it began to sprinkle and soon turned to a full rain. I headed to the bus stop for shelter but there was no bench and I didn't feel like standing around for the next few hours. So I headed towards the church and found a door open. The lights were all off and the church was more like what you'd find in the states. I felt awkward sitting there so I left and took refuge in one of the covered entrances at the back of the church. I sat watching the rain for an hour before venturing back out. The town is small (pop. 2000) and there weren't really any shops where I could pass the time. I found myself in a pastry shop and took my time before deciding on something. I headed back to the bus stop where I realized that the bus I was waiting for only runs during school holidays. I told myself it was ok because it was a vacation time. Another woman showed up and eased my fears until she mentioned taht sometimes that only refers to big holidays, like Christmas. So we stood there in the cold, rainy weather waiting for the bus. I was becoming anxious because I had 1/2 hr from the time the bus was scheduled to arrive back in Limoges to get across town to catch my train, the last of the evening. It was going to be tight. As teh bus time came and went I grew increasingly worried. Luckily it showed up about 5 minutes later. Due to the traffic, weather, and the fact that we hit every red light (of course!) we didn't get to Limoges until 6:13 (train leaves at 6:29). One of the passengers took me to the stop where I could catch a bus to the station. Of course, we just missed it, but another should be along any second...or 2 minutes later. I got off the bus at the indicated spot and didn't see the station anywhere. After a moment I recognized the intersection and with only 7 minutes to go i started to run, my body reminding me that I'm a swimmer, not a runner! 2 minutes later the station came into view and I was dodging cars like bullets as I tried not to slip on the wet cobblestone streets. I got to the train station, quickly verified what track and flew down the stairs just in time to see the train pulling into the station. I was out of breath, but on time. 2 minutes later and I would've been too late. I definately had a guardian angel looking after me!

My Trip to Oradour - Part 1

Yesterday I took advantage of the Toussaint (All Saint's Day) holiday and went out for a little sightseeing. I had taken a class at K on WWII in France and done a research project on a little village called Oradour-sur-Glane. Since Oradour is not far from here I settled on that is my destination. I took the morning train to Limoges and, with the help of the tourist's office, found my way across the centre ville to the bus station. I used the 1/2 hr bus ride to remember what I had learned. Oradour was a sleepy village (pop. around 1000 including the outskirts). On June 10, 1944 a group of Nazi SS marched into town and rounded up the citizens. The women and children were taken to the church and the men were divided into groups and taken to 6 barns. At 4 pm a shot rang out. As if on cue the soldiers began firing upon the citizens and then set fire to the town. 642 people including 205 children were killed that day. There were only 6 survivors of the attack. In 1953 most of the troops who launched the attack were brought to trial, found guilty and then released under a general amnesty granted by the French government. The commander of the unit is currently serving a life sentence in Germany. The town was left untouched so as to serve as a reminder. At the entrance of the village stands a sign, Souviens-Toi. Remember. and its an experience that's hard to forget. Each of the crumbling houses is labeled with the name and occupation of the former resident. The barns and church have plaques explaining what happened there. There's a memorial in the town center with the names and pictures of those who perished. It was a humbling experience. Rusted out cars sit where their owns last left them. Looking in what used to be windows you can see sewing machines, pots and pans and other objects that were not looted or burned up. Its truly a ghost town that reminds us just what people are capable of doing. There is a museum, the Centre de la Mémoire, that serves at entrance to the village. It attempts to place the events of Oradour in the context of the war. Its definately worth a visit. To this day no one knows for sure what led to the attack although there are many suppositions. Even the soldiers who carried it out didn't know why the order was.

My First Day of School - St. Exupery

Nearly 3 weeks after the beginning of my contract I finally had my first day at the third and final school. Having not yet received my schedule as of the end of last week I set out Friday in search of it. I arrived at St. Exupery (named after the famed author of The Little Prince) 20 minutes after I started out only to learn that not only did they not have a schedule for me yet but none of the English teachers were around for me to talk to. The vice principal set up an appointment for me Monday morning with the teacher in charge of me.
I showed up Monday morning promptly at 11 and was directed to the teacher's lounge where I spent 20 minutes waiting for the phantom teacher. I finally went back to the secretary who took me upstairs to check the professor's room. It was locked up tight. I guess the woman hadn't been feeling well lately so we went to check the infirmary. Sure enough, she was there, but too sick to talk to me. The nurse then took me down to the media center to wait because all of the other English teachers were unavailable. I spent 40 minutes wandering around the media center reading French poetry that I had studied in high school (trois allumettes une a une allumée dans la nuit...) only to discover that I would have to wait another 2 hours for the teacher's to return from lunch break. Not exactly excited at the prospect of waiting 2 more hours and not wanting to have to walk back there again just to get the schedule I suggested that I leave a copy of my schedule for the other schools with them. The professors could then get together when it was convenient for them and fax me a copy of my schedule (which is what they were supposed to have done the beginning of the month). Thankfully that was agreed upon and they sent me to the cafeteria for free lunch. Almost 2 hours after arriving at the school, and having seen nary an English prof, I was finally able to return home.
I received a note in my mailbox the next day requesting my presence Thursday morning from 8-12. I showed up on time and was introduced to one of the English teachers who immediately apologized for all of the problems and informed me that there were some problems with the scheduling. The woman who was supposed to be in charge of me has washed her hands of the whole thing and only three of the teachers were willing to have me in their classroom. The rest felt it would be too disruptive since I am only there 4 hours a week and couldn't attend all of their classes. The poor woman who offered to work on my schedule and be my new mentor is also in the midst of planning a birthday party for her son that seems to have a new problem develop each day, so she's a bit frazzled right now. i get the impression there are some major divisions within the department and hope that my presence will not further those. They do not yet have a schedule for me but are hoping that next week (which is vacation for All Saint's Day) they will be able to get one to me for the return to school. Needless to say I don't know if I will ever see again the students that I worked with yesterday, but its reassuring to know that they haven't forgotten about me; and the three teachers with whom I'll be working all seem to be very nice and excited to have me there. It should be, if nothing else, an interesting school year!

My First Day of School - Jean Renoir

Jean Renoir (named after the son of artist Pierre Auguste; Jean was a film director) is the second school that I have received a schedule from, and only because I was invited to dinner at the head of the English department's house by his wife who is a teacher at Littré. I had the opportunity to ask about my schedule and learned that I was to be there Tuesdays from 8-12, but the first Tuesday to show up at 10. So I got there at 10 and went in search of the head of the department. He wasn't in his classroom. So I went to the teacher's lounge. He wasn't there either, but I ran into the 2 English teachers I was to be working with that day; not that I had any idea, I only knew when I was to be there. So I followed the first teacher back to her class where she gave me a copy of my schedule and a class list. She promptly divided the class in two and sent me to an upstairs classroom with half. I had been planning on observing the first day and thus had no lessons planned. The students were not overly excited to be there (who is at that age?) and their level of English ranged from pretty good to one student who, according to the teacher, doesn't know anything. Which of course is fantastic since I'm not supposed to be using any French with them. We muddled through the first half of the class at which point I had the sinking realization that we were not switching halfway through but that I had the students the entire period. The students confirmed this and informed me that I would get half the class one week and the other half the next. At least someone knows what's going on! Time crept forward until we finally reached the end of the period. I escaped to the second class only to learn it was to be a repeat of the first. I was slightly more together for this group but I can only imagine what they must have said to their teacher's the next day! Ugh. Next time I'll definately be ready for them!

My First Day of School - Littré

I will be working 12 hours/week divided equally among 3 different collèges (equivalent to our grades 6-9) in the area. Each of them has around 700 students and a staff of 6 English teachers. My primary school is called Littré, named after a French philosopher from the 1800s according to the street sign, and is about a 5-minute walk from my apartment. They have decided to take advantage of the fact that they have an assistant for 4 hrs/week and have put me on a rotating schedule. Week 1 I see one set of 4 classes, then Week 2 I see a different set of 4 and then back to the Week 1 group. As if that wasn't enough, they've divided each class in half and I will see each half for half an hour. Whew! That's a mouthful! What it comes down to is that I will be working with around 200 students for a half an hour once every 2 weeks. It will be hard to put together lessons that will carry over 2 weeks, but its half the lessons that I need to prepare!
My first "first day" at Littré (since I will have 4) went rather well. The teacher had the students ask me questions in English. The kids were cute; the teacher, on the other hand, was kind of scary. She spent half the time yelling at the kids and went so far as to make one kid stand in the corner, something I've only seen done on TV! The students' crime? Laughing and giggling about their mistakes. I had to watch it as I found my self laughing along with them at times. They were funny. One poor kid got chewed out because he asked if I had a boyfriend. The previous question had been if I was married and considering that the kids were trying to think of something they knew how to say in English, it seemed to me to be a reasonable follow-up question. Not so to the teacher who reduced the child nearly to tears. Of course, this is the same teacher who called another child crazy and told me he had problems on multiple levels (in French) in front of the entire class. So much for not ridiculing kids in class! She's a really nice woman outside of the classroom, if a bit of a perfectionist; but I wouldn't want her for a teacher!
My second "first day"was much smoother. We used the same format as the first day but the environment was much more relaxed. The students were allowed to laugh and joke about their own mistakes. They were also allowed to ask more questions and I got everything from 'do you have a boyfried?' to 'do you prefer Bush or Kerry?' to 'do you like French wine?' I abstained from the political questions not wanting to start an international disaster. I found the students' responses to my answers to be interesting. I had one group Boo my list of favorite singers while another class cheered the same list. They'd never heard of Dave Matthews Band but were familiar with artists of lesser popularity in the States. They were also shocked to learn that we do not get French songs and TV shows in the US considering the number of American influences here. Students watch CSI, Dawson's Creek and Smallville and listen to Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Madonna. I think I'm going to be learning as much from the studetns as they will from me (if not more). I'm even learning the English language! One of the students had asked me, "have you got a pet?" Which I then repeated back as, "do I have a pet?" so that the students could hear my pronunciation. At which point the teacher informed me that 'have you got' was teh British way of saying it and because their text is based out of England, that's teh way they've been learning it. Oops! It'll be an interesting year. By the time I'm done, I'll be tri-lingual: American, French and English! :o)

A Whirlwind Tour of Orléans

I arrived in Orléans late afternoon on Sunday the 3rd. They were holding a welcome meeting for all the assistants in the academy there on the 4th and I wanted to get a jumpstart on my sightseeing. Of course, being that it was a Sunday, everything was closed so I would only be able to take pictures of the outsides of buildings. After about an hour and a half on the train I arrived in Orléans to find people and cars and buildings everywhere. It was a huge, confusing mess (Orléans is 2x the size of Bourges)! With the aid of my map I located my hotel, but try as I might, I couldn't get into it. I finally went next door to the bar to ask the stupid question of just how to get into the hotel. Turns out the bar and hotel were owned by the same person and you had to check in with the bartender who then gave you your room key and pass code for the front door. I dropped my things off in my room which, strangely enough, had a shower but no toilet (for that you had to go down the hall), and set off to take my pictures before the sun started to set. Orléans is another town steeped in history having been the one Joan of Arc liberated after a 7-month siege by the British in 1429. Highlights include the house she stayed in during her time there and the Cathédrale Ste-Croix where Joan joined in a procession of thanks for the town's deliverance. The cathedral also houses impressive stained-glass windows depicting the ill-fated saint's life story. Also not to be missed are the Hotel Groslot, local residence for the king of France for 2 centuries, and, of course, the Loire River. I managed to get all my picture taking in just before the sunset! The meetings themselves were a bust, containing information I already knew, or things that were rather obvious, such as: if a child is acting up in your class, do not ridicule them in front of the other students. I did get to meet some other assistants in the area and exchange info, so there was a plus to the welcome meeting. I have a few assistants out there in search of peanut butter for me. Keeping my fingers crossed that they'll come through. No peanut butter in Bourges or Orléans.

Discovering Bourges

A few people have sent questions about the town I'm in so I've written a quick exposé on Bourges. :o) Bourges is a bustling village with a population of around 80,000. Despite the fact that it is about the same size as Saginaw, it seemed rather overwhelming at first. Now that I've found my way around a bit, it seems much smaller because everything is so centrally located. Bourges is in the center of France, about 2 hours south of Paris by train. Culinary delights of the region include duck, goose, foie gras, mushrooms and goat cheese. Yum... There's also a dessert called a Forestine, but I've yet to discover what that is.
Bourges once served as capital of France and currently is surrounded by the many chateaux left behind by Jacques Coeur, the wealthy financier of Charles VII. His palace still remains in the centre ville, although I've not yet had the chance to see the inside.
Other places to check out include the Cathédrale Saint-Etienne, a 13th century Gothic masterpiece, and the numerous museums highliting the work of local artists.
Bourges' long history is apparent in its half-timbered houses and winding cobblestone streets. Because its off the beaten path of the standard tourist, it has managed to maintain some of its old-world charm and the people here are very eager to share their town with you.
The weather here is comparable to that of Michigan although I've heard that the winters are milder. Being in a relatively flat region, far from major bodies of water, this makes sense. They do get some snow, but only a few inches. I guess winter here is marked by grey, dismal days. Something to look forward to. :o)

Apartments Part 2 - Murphy's Law

If it can go wrong, it will. (L'histoire de ma vie.) :o) I suppose that having descended from a line of Murphy's I am extra susceptible to his law and should be used to it by now. I met with the agent as planned and we went to check out the apartment. It was perfect - great location, clean, furnished, decent-sized. The problem? I won't be making 3x the rent each month. They needed someone else to guarantee the rent. Thinking of this ahead of time, I had my parents sign a guarantee form of financial aid. But of course, the agency won't accept it because my parents live in a different country.Not knowing where else to turn I headed to my school and explained the situation. They were outraged. How am I supposed to get someone here to guarantee my rent when I've been here less than a week? So the school called the agency and they exchanged words at which point the agent offered to talk to the landlord about waiving that part. In the meantime, one of my mentors had set up an appointment for me with a different agency. We checked out a studio meublé near the school. The location isn't quite as great as the other one, but its not bad at all. C'est très joli! Its on the 3rd floor (4th for us Americans). Its an attic apartment complete with sloped ceiling (good thing I'm short). I always wanted sloped ceilings as a child and here's my chance. It looks newly refinished with an equiped kitchen, bathroom and a bedroom that can be separated (there's a door and a half wall separating it from the rest of the apartment, all I have to do is hang a curtain). So I signed the lease and am in the process of paying for it (the bank only allows me to withdraw so much each day). I got the key this morning and started getting my stuff in. Due to a miscommunication, my electricity won't be up until Tuesday. :o( But after lugging my stuff back and forth across the city as I hotel-hopped, its nice to finally have a place to call home. Now all I have to do is get used to the pigeons that perch on my windows.