After a morning of frustration unlike one I have known for a long while things have really calmed down. Danielle and Jess and I have been hanging out killing time and we've actually accomplished quite a bit. We've even become card-carrying members of the public library in town, which is where I'm currently using the (free) internet. It may take a long time to get it at my apartment, but this works for now. We also bought some bus passes and showed off our apartments, and it seems that 7 of us will all be going out for a nice meal this evening. And then tomorrow we're off to Paris to blow off some steam as well. Nevermind that we're completely broke and won't be paid for a month, or that we're supposed to start at our schools on Monday, or that my cell phone doesn't seem to be working properly, or that my landlord hasn't fixed my apartment yet, or that I still feel like I'm a million miles from home and haven't got a clue what I'm doing... we're going to Paris. The city of lights is bound to make it all better, right?
Hope things are going well for anyone back home reading this, and better than it is here for any other assistants reading this. I really will try to get pictures up soon, I promise. I've even gone and taken some rather good ones of my apartment and the city itself and even some people, I just haven't found a computer with USB access until now... so next week I SWEAR there will be some pictures up here.
Weather is still awful in Chartres, which probably isn't helping my mood much. It's been freezing cold, windy, and rainy (think Ada in March for those of you who would understand that) since Monday... not great weather for moving into a city. I'm slowly getting used to the French. They'll either teach me patience or kill my will to live. I'll let you know which it is in about a month. I think that's all for now. Have a great evening!
28.9.07
Garg
Attempted to take my computer to McDonald's for their free internet. It didn't work.
Attepmted to use my computer at the internet cafe. They won't let me.
Attempted to get internet in my apartment. It will take at least a month.
Attepmted to hurt all French people who got in my way. Got very frustrated.
So that's been my day. Garg.
Attepmted to use my computer at the internet cafe. They won't let me.
Attempted to get internet in my apartment. It will take at least a month.
Attepmted to hurt all French people who got in my way. Got very frustrated.
So that's been my day. Garg.
25.9.07
Le troisieme jour
Things are going better and better here in France. Today I got my cell phone (email me at dweigel07@gmail.com if you want the number) and opened my french bank account. It was actually a lot simpler than I'd expected, due mostly in part to the woman helping us, she was fabulous.
Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I just haven't been able to find the time to take my own computer to the internet cafe yet. It's on my to-do list for this week so hopefully by Friday you'll all have some great photos.
Kelsey asked what I've been eating and the truthful answer is not much. I've been so busy\tired that eating has come lower on the list. Danielle (another Chartres assistant from England) and I did go out for a very nice meal at a creperie last night. I had a wonderful glass of local wine, a savory crepe with an egg and bacon and good cheese, and a cup of tea to top it off. So that was rather pleasant. Otherwise it's mostly been fruit on the go, though I did find a pain au chocolat today. Not particularly good one however, so I'll have to be sure to find another patisserie.
Keep checking for photos and have a great week!!
Sorry for the lack of pictures, but I just haven't been able to find the time to take my own computer to the internet cafe yet. It's on my to-do list for this week so hopefully by Friday you'll all have some great photos.
Kelsey asked what I've been eating and the truthful answer is not much. I've been so busy\tired that eating has come lower on the list. Danielle (another Chartres assistant from England) and I did go out for a very nice meal at a creperie last night. I had a wonderful glass of local wine, a savory crepe with an egg and bacon and good cheese, and a cup of tea to top it off. So that was rather pleasant. Otherwise it's mostly been fruit on the go, though I did find a pain au chocolat today. Not particularly good one however, so I'll have to be sure to find another patisserie.
Keep checking for photos and have a great week!!
24.9.07
Je suis en France!!
Well, it's official. I have arrived in France. The trip was long and stressful, but good and now I have an apartment that's cozy (read: tiny) and it has a view of the cathedral. And I've met my advisor and tomorrow I go to my schools with her to meet the prinicipals and teachers and everything.
If you'd like to send me something my address is:
(Address removed for security reasons. If you would like it please leave a comment or email me personally.)
Not a lot of time right now, we're headed to a big store to get the basics (bathroom stuff, pillows, blankets, food) but I'll try and put up some pictures and such as soon as I can. Hope things are well for all in the US.
If you'd like to send me something my address is:
(Address removed for security reasons. If you would like it please leave a comment or email me personally.)
Not a lot of time right now, we're headed to a big store to get the basics (bathroom stuff, pillows, blankets, food) but I'll try and put up some pictures and such as soon as I can. Hope things are well for all in the US.
16.9.07
Back Home Again
I'm back in Medina, staying at my parents' house getting ready to leave. A week from today I'll be in France, settling into my new apartment and going out to see my new hometown. Before that I have to pack, re-pack, re-re-pack (I like to be thorough and I always take more stuff out with each consecutive re-packing, making my luggage lighter), visit some friends, spend some more time in classrooms getting used to young kids again, set up some paperwork stuff and generally just hang out. That's a lot to do in a week! So I'm off to begin. Wish me luck!
11.9.07
Falling into Place
So the woman in charge of the elementary language assistants emailed me! She'll be picking me up from the train station and then we'll go together to see my school and meet those people. And the new director of my school emailed me as well. So he knows I exist (which in the French system of things is a VERY good sign)! And I talked to a girl who was an assistant in Luce/Chartres last year and she gave me some very encouraging advice and inside info.
Tomorrow is to Dayton for Jared to take the GRE and Dana to buy some good tennis shoes chill out! 11 days to take off and things are in great shape! I'm off to Findlay right now to meet with a past language assistant to learn even more.
Now if I can just shake this cold and get my car sold (no rhyme intended) the world will be gold! (Ok, that last one was intended.)
Tomorrow is to Dayton for Jared to take the GRE and Dana to buy some good tennis shoes chill out! 11 days to take off and things are in great shape! I'm off to Findlay right now to meet with a past language assistant to learn even more.
Now if I can just shake this cold and get my car sold (no rhyme intended) the world will be gold! (Ok, that last one was intended.)
Look, it's a picture of my main school!!
7.9.07
In Over Ma Tête
So I leave for France in two weeks. I haven't moved home yet, I haven't made a list yet, I haven't made any piles yet, I haven't packed anything yet, I haven't even really been studying my French yet. And yet somehow I am still relatively calm about this entire endeavor. It's been a rather relaxing first week of nothingness. I have no work, no class, no nothing. Katie and I work out in the morning, I sit in on a class to observe and then I just generally chill out.
The only thing that does have me worried is my placement in France. For some reason these silly French people decided that I would be good working with the 6-11 age range. I thought that was great... until I spent some time with a few 6-11 year olds this week. Do you have any idea how scattered a 6 year old brain is? How short their attention span is? How little knowledge they have of their own mother tongue, let alone a foreign language?! Suddenly all of my carefully pondered lessons plan ideas went flying out the window at mach 3. I know that French school is more structured and disciplined than the average American school and that a lot more is generally expected of the students, at least academically. And I know that I can be the cool foreign teacher who only sees them once a week, but still I saw glimpses of future panic attacks as I realized I wasn't in college anymore and now I had to bring it on down to a whole new level. This is going to be reeeeeealy interesting. Luckily my old 1st grade teacher agreed to let me come observe and chill in her class one day so I can learn more about that general age group and see a real pro at work with kids. That should help.
Other than that I've been talking to quite a few past and present assistants online. One lives near me and we're getting together for lunch next week!! Jared's also taking the GRE next week (I'm sure he would like me to insert somber music here, but he'll do fine) so I get to hang out in Dayton for a bit... maybe do some last minute shopping (blast French women and their tiny bodies! Clothing in France doesn't seem to fit me!!). And that's about it. See you next time, which will probably be as I start to pack and realize just how incredibly unprepared I am for all of this!
The only thing that does have me worried is my placement in France. For some reason these silly French people decided that I would be good working with the 6-11 age range. I thought that was great... until I spent some time with a few 6-11 year olds this week. Do you have any idea how scattered a 6 year old brain is? How short their attention span is? How little knowledge they have of their own mother tongue, let alone a foreign language?! Suddenly all of my carefully pondered lessons plan ideas went flying out the window at mach 3. I know that French school is more structured and disciplined than the average American school and that a lot more is generally expected of the students, at least academically. And I know that I can be the cool foreign teacher who only sees them once a week, but still I saw glimpses of future panic attacks as I realized I wasn't in college anymore and now I had to bring it on down to a whole new level. This is going to be reeeeeealy interesting. Luckily my old 1st grade teacher agreed to let me come observe and chill in her class one day so I can learn more about that general age group and see a real pro at work with kids. That should help.
Other than that I've been talking to quite a few past and present assistants online. One lives near me and we're getting together for lunch next week!! Jared's also taking the GRE next week (I'm sure he would like me to insert somber music here, but he'll do fine) so I get to hang out in Dayton for a bit... maybe do some last minute shopping (blast French women and their tiny bodies! Clothing in France doesn't seem to fit me!!). And that's about it. See you next time, which will probably be as I start to pack and realize just how incredibly unprepared I am for all of this!
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