Long Overdue Updates

So this week in called “La Semaine des Arts.”  In other words, Art Week.  It has been quite a cool week if you ask me.  On Monday there was a photo expo that Jose did a lot of work for.  Tuesday there were some student performances…playing instruments and also some acting/storytelling and it was also a dress-up day with a Spanish theme.  I don’t think anything happened on Wednesday but if it did, I totally missed it.  Today there was a short film made by four students, one of which is my student.  Apparently in October they won some kind of competition with it.  I was pretty impressed with the filming and acting.  Then, Jose made a slideshow with music of a trip to Spain he went on with some of the students.  Basically I am a slacker assistant.  No, not really, but this week it seems like it.  This week was pretty cool considering that it has been around 70 degrees every day and the Art Week is pretty cool too.  AND 3 classes were cancelled this week.  Woohoo.

In other news, last weekend I went to Bordeaux to visit a girl I studied abroad with in Avignon.  

 When stepping outside the train station I could already tell that I was going to like the city. And I did.  It is the perfect size city, not too big and not too small…just right.  The first night, Friday, we went out for dinner, drinks, and then went to a club.  Well technically, it was an Eramus party.  (Erasmus is the program that Europeans go through to study abroad).  It was really fun and I got to know some of Lauren’s friends.  Plus, I don’t go out very often so it was a nice treat.  We didn’t get home until 5:30AM!  WAY past my bed time! 

  We eventually got to bed and woke up around 11 and got ready and went shopping.  I got 2 pairs of shoes and a purse.  All of the shopping was on 1 road…and it was PACKED with people.  

 Apparently it is the longest pedestrian street in the world (at least that’s what Wikipedia says).  Saturday we were pretty tired so we met up with some friends and called it an early night.  Sunday I went home on the train with no complications.  I had a really good weekend.

As for teaching, I really enjoyed this week.  I am learning more of my students names and forming connections with them week by week.  Some of my students are finally realizing that I am not quite so bad after all and some even said they will miss me.  My middle school students are the cutest.  They literally cheer when they see me and never want to leave my lesson and go back to their teacher.  The way it works is that I see half the class for 25 minutes and then I get the other half of the class for the next 25 minutes.  It is so cute when they are like please, don’t make us go…let us stay…PLEASE!!!!  On a side note, today I was showing a PowerPoint with pictures of Niagara Falls, Buffalo, and my house and one picture was of Beaver Island Beach.  One student says “The word bitch is written on a desk in the German classroom.”  The rest of the students were like “SHHHH, don’t say that.  That’s a different word.”  In general, French people have a very difficult time with the difference between beach and bitch.  They sound very similar…so I made it a teaching lesson, explained the difference in meanings and pronunciation.  And then made them promise not to tell their teacher.  Last week I also explained to a class of Terminal AKA Seniors the difference between being pissed off and being pissed on.  Very subtle difference, but very important as well.  They thought that was funny. 

 I am going to miss some of my students but at the same time I am ready to go home.  I am glad I came to France for the past 7 months but I am ready to get back to ‘normal’ life.

Sorry I have been sucking at writing in my Blog lately, at least I wrote a long post today!  Enjoy and see you soon!  23 days!!!!

The End is Near...

So my time here is slowly running out.  5 weeks left.  17 days of teaching left.  It is crazy how time flies.  In October and November I felt like this time was never going to come. 

I have an exciting 4 weekends ahead of me.  This coming weekend I am going to Bordeaux (as in Bordeaux wine, the region where it is made) to visit an American friend that I studied abroad with and now is an assistant as well.  Bordeaux is the sixth biggest city in France and from what I hear, it is a pretty cool city.  The weekend after that is my birthday and I hope to go to the beach (about 3.5 hours from here by train) and get a tan…but the weather isn’t very predictable so maybe that won’t happen.  If not, I’d like to go to Dordogne, an area I can go kayaking in and while kayaking, there are apparently some castles you can see.  I hear it is a beautiful area.  The weekend after that (The first weekend of April), Easter, I am going to visit a friend in London!  I will be staying at her flat and she can be my guide.  I also have a couple friends from college that are studying abroad there that I would really like to see as well!  So now, this brings me to my next weekend in France…I will be going to Versailles.  You know, the castle that was stormed by the French peasants during the French Revolution.  There is some fountain show that is paired with music and lights so I am told.  This is a place that I have wanted to go for a while but haven’t had the time.  It is near Paris, but not in Paris and when only in Paris for a few days, I never wanted to waste a day not enjoying the Paris city center.  So here is my time, the only part that I don’t like is that we are taking a bus…probably a 4 hour ride and I sometimes have the problem of getting motion sick.  Hopefully I will be ok though!

So as excited I am to go to all of these places, I am equally excited to come home.  7 months in a long time to not come home…I am ready for my ‘normal’ life again.  USA, here I come. 

Happy

 

So I remember the last time in France (2 years ago when I studied abroad) I just got confident in French, used to life in France and really started enjoying my time and then it was time to go home.  This time around I started really enjoying France a month or two ago and am enjoying my time here.  I no longer resent my small town I live in but actually really like it.  I am involved in my town and have met some really nice people.  On the weekends I visit friends or explore new cities or occasionally even stay here and relax.  I am really glad that this program was 7 months long and not just 4 (like abroad).  It gave me time to learn to despise my town and now time to really appreciate all it’s worth.  I am now busy three days during the week and before, the reason why I didn’t like my town is because I felt lonely, trapped, and bored.  Now, I don’t feel any of those things.  And I love it.  Don’t get me wrong, I am more than excited to go home, but I can honestly say that I have really enjoyed parts of my time here.