A Weekend in Limoges!
So I have been slacking and not keeping up with my blog. I really do like to write but I haven’t made time for it (I don’t know what I have been doing instead)! So here I go…
Last weekend was awesome (not Friday so much seeing as I did nothing), but Saturday I went to Limoges and spent the night at another assistant’s apartment that I RUDELY invited myself to spend the night. She was gracious enough to let me stay, and even reassured me that it wasn’t rude and “ya gotta do what ya gotta do” when you are in a foreign country without friends! I had a great time in Limoges. We met up with a bunch of other assistants (American, Irish, British, Mexican, Spanish, Austrian, etc.) and had a party for one of the Spanish assistant’s birthdays. I met a bunch of new people and by the end of the night I was invited to come back and stay with about 5 other people. Woohoo, now I have multiple places I can crash at on the weekend and don’t have to constantly bug the same person! They all felt bad for me…the American girl living in a small ass town with no car! But oh well, they were all so nice and told me to contact them whenever to spend the weekend there!
Saturday night we had a party at the birthday boy’s (and 2 roommates) place then went to a few bars/clubs. I didn’t get to sleep until 4:30 or 5 in the morning. FYI that is super abnormal for me!!! All in all, I had a great weekend and my options for the weekends are increasing. GO ME.
Teaching in France
This week I also started teaching. It’s not too bad, a little disorganized at the moment (a few of my classes were cancelled because the teacher forgot to tell her students and some students thought they had a class but they really didn’t). Also my class had 32 students yesterday…and I am not supposed to have more than 16 at a time! It is a really good thing that I went to school to be a teacher and knew how to handle that many students. Don’t get me wrong, the students were chatty and a little misbehaved but it wasn’t too long. Another slight issue I had was that in one class we were in a big classroom with about 40 desks and only about 16 students. They all sat in the middle to back on the room! When I told them to move and that no students were to sit behind a certain row, NOBODY moved! I had to get a little “big” with them to make them move. It was very disrespectful and I got annoyed (not going to lie) when they just sat there and looked at me when I was standing right in front on them telling them to move. I didn’t stutter…and I’m pretty sure that it something called INSUBORDINATION. Oh France. And they were all French girls, go figure. But on a more positive note, I have had a couple classes that went very well and that the students really liked to participate. BUT in the majority of my classes there are a few students who will not SHUTUP and are so chatty! And it’s funny because it is the boys that are the chatty ones! Another positive note is that I really like the middle schoolers. In the middle school I stay in the classroom with the teacher which is nice seeing as there is still a teacher in the classroom! They are so interested and actually think it is “cool” to have an American in the classroom. For the majority of them, I am the first American that they have ever met. Even though their French is super weak, at least they try to speak and are interested. Who knew that I would actually like middle schoolers?! I previously thought they were all annoying…guess I was wrong!
Now I am caught up to today. Woohoo!
So today was a great day. This morning I was super sleepy but when I went to the teacher’s lounge I had a package waiting for me from Jordan’s mother with some Halloween candy and a very cute book mark saying “the world is a book, and for those who don’t travel real only one page.” I personally think that is so true. I have such a greater appreciation for other cultures ever since I studied abroad. I am who I am because of my first trip to France. France really helped me figure out who I am and who I wanted to be and I am so thankful that I am privileged enough to be able to travel to a foreign country. I am not saying it is easy (because it is so not), but it is an adventure and a never-ending challenge!
Ok so after I got my package, I had a class this morning that went ok (not terrible but not perfect). Then I went back to my bedroom and took a nap and watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy online! I just found a site where I can watch American TV and movies yesterday and I already have caught up (4 episodes) in Grey’s Anatomy. I love the internet.
Around noon the Spanish assistant knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted to get a coffee with the English teaching assistant from last year who is an older Welch lady. I went out for a coffee (AKA a Coke for me) and spoke with Jose and JoAnne the previous teaching assistant. She is a lively woman and was very insightful. She lives in France and she has done the teaching assistant program for 3 years now. Basically she is a pro! After the “coffee” she offered to take me back to her place to show me some of her lesson plans and at her house we ate lunch and talked for a while. She is so awesome and so hospitable! I really appreciated her company. We then went for a little drive around the countryside and she showed me around a neighboring town. She told me not to hesitate to call her and that I am more than welcomed to come back and spend a weekend there. That was the type of hospitality that I have been missing since I got here. What an awesome lady! I will definitely take her up on her offer sometime, it was so refreshing to talk to her in English!
So that was my great day. Sorry my post is so long but I hope I didn’t bore you too much!
So I have been slacking and not keeping up with my blog. I really do like to write but I haven’t made time for it (I don’t know what I have been doing instead)! So here I go…
Last weekend was awesome (not Friday so much seeing as I did nothing), but Saturday I went to Limoges and spent the night at another assistant’s apartment that I RUDELY invited myself to spend the night. She was gracious enough to let me stay, and even reassured me that it wasn’t rude and “ya gotta do what ya gotta do” when you are in a foreign country without friends! I had a great time in Limoges. We met up with a bunch of other assistants (American, Irish, British, Mexican, Spanish, Austrian, etc.) and had a party for one of the Spanish assistant’s birthdays. I met a bunch of new people and by the end of the night I was invited to come back and stay with about 5 other people. Woohoo, now I have multiple places I can crash at on the weekend and don’t have to constantly bug the same person! They all felt bad for me…the American girl living in a small ass town with no car! But oh well, they were all so nice and told me to contact them whenever to spend the weekend there!
Saturday night we had a party at the birthday boy’s (and 2 roommates) place then went to a few bars/clubs. I didn’t get to sleep until 4:30 or 5 in the morning. FYI that is super abnormal for me!!! All in all, I had a great weekend and my options for the weekends are increasing. GO ME.
Teaching in France
This week I also started teaching. It’s not too bad, a little disorganized at the moment (a few of my classes were cancelled because the teacher forgot to tell her students and some students thought they had a class but they really didn’t). Also my class had 32 students yesterday…and I am not supposed to have more than 16 at a time! It is a really good thing that I went to school to be a teacher and knew how to handle that many students. Don’t get me wrong, the students were chatty and a little misbehaved but it wasn’t too long. Another slight issue I had was that in one class we were in a big classroom with about 40 desks and only about 16 students. They all sat in the middle to back on the room! When I told them to move and that no students were to sit behind a certain row, NOBODY moved! I had to get a little “big” with them to make them move. It was very disrespectful and I got annoyed (not going to lie) when they just sat there and looked at me when I was standing right in front on them telling them to move. I didn’t stutter…and I’m pretty sure that it something called INSUBORDINATION. Oh France. And they were all French girls, go figure. But on a more positive note, I have had a couple classes that went very well and that the students really liked to participate. BUT in the majority of my classes there are a few students who will not SHUTUP and are so chatty! And it’s funny because it is the boys that are the chatty ones! Another positive note is that I really like the middle schoolers. In the middle school I stay in the classroom with the teacher which is nice seeing as there is still a teacher in the classroom! They are so interested and actually think it is “cool” to have an American in the classroom. For the majority of them, I am the first American that they have ever met. Even though their French is super weak, at least they try to speak and are interested. Who knew that I would actually like middle schoolers?! I previously thought they were all annoying…guess I was wrong!
Now I am caught up to today. Woohoo!
So today was a great day. This morning I was super sleepy but when I went to the teacher’s lounge I had a package waiting for me from Jordan’s mother with some Halloween candy and a very cute book mark saying “the world is a book, and for those who don’t travel real only one page.” I personally think that is so true. I have such a greater appreciation for other cultures ever since I studied abroad. I am who I am because of my first trip to France. France really helped me figure out who I am and who I wanted to be and I am so thankful that I am privileged enough to be able to travel to a foreign country. I am not saying it is easy (because it is so not), but it is an adventure and a never-ending challenge!
Ok so after I got my package, I had a class this morning that went ok (not terrible but not perfect). Then I went back to my bedroom and took a nap and watched an episode of Grey’s Anatomy online! I just found a site where I can watch American TV and movies yesterday and I already have caught up (4 episodes) in Grey’s Anatomy. I love the internet.
Around noon the Spanish assistant knocked on my door and asked me if I wanted to get a coffee with the English teaching assistant from last year who is an older Welch lady. I went out for a coffee (AKA a Coke for me) and spoke with Jose and JoAnne the previous teaching assistant. She is a lively woman and was very insightful. She lives in France and she has done the teaching assistant program for 3 years now. Basically she is a pro! After the “coffee” she offered to take me back to her place to show me some of her lesson plans and at her house we ate lunch and talked for a while. She is so awesome and so hospitable! I really appreciated her company. We then went for a little drive around the countryside and she showed me around a neighboring town. She told me not to hesitate to call her and that I am more than welcomed to come back and spend a weekend there. That was the type of hospitality that I have been missing since I got here. What an awesome lady! I will definitely take her up on her offer sometime, it was so refreshing to talk to her in English!
So that was my great day. Sorry my post is so long but I hope I didn’t bore you too much!
Just wanted you to know that I have read your blog tonight! Didn't want you to think no one was reading it. Just think - almost one full week of teaching fini! Love you. XXOO
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