Today was my second to last day as an assistant here at the lycee. I can safely say that the connections that I made to my students this year are not as strong as the connections I felt to my students when I was doing my student teaching in Broomfield. Very nice kids, of course, and I don't think it was a communication issue... I am certain that it was the fact that I saw kids one hour a week if I saw them frequently and one hour every six weeks on the other end of the scale.
I received some very nice gifts from students in a few classes. A bouncy ball (balle rebondissante), some candy, a Star Wars magnet of C3PO and as a gag gift, a razor. Then I was given a t-shirt with signatures and "WE (heart) YOU" on it. I cannot wait to wear that to a baseball game in the States!
Then, in my volunteer conversation class, I was given a very nice gift by two brothers. I accused them of stealing from their parents, but they insisted that they did not. I was given three beautiful bottles of wine. This may not mean much to many of you, but I received a 2001 Paul Jaboulet Aine - St. Peray (white Cote du Rhone), a 1999 Meursault (red Burgundy), and a 1996 St. Emilion (red Bordeaux). When I opened the box I was rendered speechless. If purchased in the States today this could cost about... umm... 300 bucks, easy. I am sure that the parents of these boys purchased the wine from the wineries the years they came out at any number of wine expos that go on in France any weekend of the year. That would have only cost em about 45 euros at the time, shoot in francs at the time, so maybe less. But the gesture is still incredibly nice! I will try and give the rest of my classes guilt trips an hopes of other nice vintage years!
All in all I beleive that the last 7 months were good. Friday starts the second chapter in our stay here. We're looking forward to the change!
In other things...
Marseille is a great city! We went there over the weekend with Patrick and Marielle (Math and English teachers) and their 3 yo boy Enslin. He's kind of a butthead, but he is three. Lots of repetition, but it was fun to hang out with a kid. It makes me want to play with my nephew, Zain, more than ever! Then I will hand him over to his mom and dad and look at a new nephew sleeping!
Marie, the German assistant, left for home last Thursday. This was kind of a owner as she is the one person whom I feel I really got to know while over here. It just means that my German will have to improve so that we can go visit her in Jena... and drink lots of beer!
I am looking for a job picking fruit. So far I have not had any luck, but I know that there are a lot of jobs and I just need to continue in my hunt. Apparently cherries are cheaper to grow in harvest in Turkey because they can exploit workers even easier! Not as good for me, but the apricots and blueberries will arrive soon.
The weather in Valence has been beautiful and it hasn't been raining too much. This city is a lot nicer in the spring than it is in the winter. I would have invited bombers to level it if I had received the offer in February. Now I am liking it more and more. Markets are lively again, and flower beds are full. That's nice.
So there you have it! Let's turn the page!
- Patrick
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
French retirement
So Wednesdays in France are a little different "hump day" in France than in the States. All elementary schools are closed and high school students spend their Wednesday afternoons in art and film classes or club sports. Thus, Wednesdays for Patrick and I take on a feeling of a Saturday, since he doesn't work.
Yesterday we slept in, ate a late breakfast, went to feed the ducks, and buy food for dinner. On our way to feed the ducks, there are lots of little ducklings around our area that play in the canals that cut through Valence, we found a boules club. Boules is like bocce ball from Italy, as far as I know, and is usually played by old men. They seem to be very intense games of great skill. These men seem to know just how to throw the heavy metal ball to score a point or block an opponent's balls from getting a point.
One of the men playing boules noticed we were feeding the ducks and decided to tell us a very interesting story about his friend who fell off his bike into the canal. He swallowed some of the canal water and had to go to the hospital. It turns out that his friend died because the water was full of poison and rat pee. Well after such an interesting story and I developed a slight fear of dying from accidental canal water consumption, we decided to watch this group of people play boules. We sat for a while on a bench under a newly leafed tree watching a group of about 7 men and 1 woman, all over the age of 60, play. We were easily the youngest people there except for a few children playing near the boules game area. We were joined on the bench by an elderly couple who came to watch too. I guess this is what you do when you are retired in France, you play or watch boules during the nice April afternoon.
Perhaps Patrick and I will try to play this summer with the elderly people of Valence. Here's to spending a brief moment as a French retiree. All it needed was a glass of Ricard and we would have been set!
Only in France would feeding ducks lead to a random conversation about death and a game of boules.
Here's to France!
Molly
Yesterday we slept in, ate a late breakfast, went to feed the ducks, and buy food for dinner. On our way to feed the ducks, there are lots of little ducklings around our area that play in the canals that cut through Valence, we found a boules club. Boules is like bocce ball from Italy, as far as I know, and is usually played by old men. They seem to be very intense games of great skill. These men seem to know just how to throw the heavy metal ball to score a point or block an opponent's balls from getting a point.
One of the men playing boules noticed we were feeding the ducks and decided to tell us a very interesting story about his friend who fell off his bike into the canal. He swallowed some of the canal water and had to go to the hospital. It turns out that his friend died because the water was full of poison and rat pee. Well after such an interesting story and I developed a slight fear of dying from accidental canal water consumption, we decided to watch this group of people play boules. We sat for a while on a bench under a newly leafed tree watching a group of about 7 men and 1 woman, all over the age of 60, play. We were easily the youngest people there except for a few children playing near the boules game area. We were joined on the bench by an elderly couple who came to watch too. I guess this is what you do when you are retired in France, you play or watch boules during the nice April afternoon.
Perhaps Patrick and I will try to play this summer with the elderly people of Valence. Here's to spending a brief moment as a French retiree. All it needed was a glass of Ricard and we would have been set!
Only in France would feeding ducks lead to a random conversation about death and a game of boules.
Here's to France!
Molly
Thursday, April 2, 2009
April already?
I am always surprised at the rate in which time passes. It seems like just yesterday Patrick and I just arrived and now it is April, crazy. Spring has arrived in Valence, which not only makes Valence more enjoyable with beautiful flowers beginning to bloom and trees budding pretty little flowers but also improves my general mood. Here are a few updates from the pass few weeks.
Paris: Round 2
I have to say the more time I spend in Paris the more I enjoy the city. Don't get me wrong I loved Paris when we went in December, but Paris is not like the rest of France. It lacks some of the best qualities of French life because it is a city that runs like all big cities do - non-stop, tourists after three days begin to ruin the cities charm even for me - another tourist, and anything that resembles "real" French culture has a price - an expensive one. However, all that aside there is a magic to Paris, just like all big cities, it gets under your skin and moves you like a marionette to the play that Paris wants to tell you.
This trip was a little different this time since we had our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin come to visit. The role of being simply a tourist morphed into that of a tour guide. Patrick had to work part of the week so I was left alone to show them the city. It was so nice to see them and to share with them France. I loved getting to watch each of them see the city and the country. Rosie's eyes were wrapped up in everything around her so much so that Patrick and I had to make sure we didn't loose her. Devon became keen on French, you could say, as we would walk around the city I would teach her the little French that I know and got to watch her practice her French with real French people. As for Kevin it took him a little bit to see the city as his mind was on other, more important things, than merely a trip to France. You see Kevin planned to propose to Devon while on the trip and the day was set for Saturday. However, after the proposal and the celebration of their engagement Kevin got to enjoy the city too. It was great to watch the newly engaged couple have little romantic moments all throughout Paris.
Life Update
I returned on Friday morning to a beautiful day in Valence. The sun was shinning and flowers were in full bloom. This Friday I finally received word from UCLA about my application status; I didn't get in. Oh well, no graduate school for me next year. I have a plan B which involves taking some classes, writing a lot, and working so that I can reapply again. It might take some time to get where I want to go but I will get there.
That is about it for now. Patrick and I are preparing for the summer with looking for fruit harvests to work on, getting excited for Brook coming, and trying to figure out how to afford that last little bit of travel. My goal is to see the west coast of France before we leave, which is feasible. So get ready for summer stories about Rose wine, late nights, picnics, French camping, and fruit harvests.
A bientot,
Molly
Paris: Round 2
I have to say the more time I spend in Paris the more I enjoy the city. Don't get me wrong I loved Paris when we went in December, but Paris is not like the rest of France. It lacks some of the best qualities of French life because it is a city that runs like all big cities do - non-stop, tourists after three days begin to ruin the cities charm even for me - another tourist, and anything that resembles "real" French culture has a price - an expensive one. However, all that aside there is a magic to Paris, just like all big cities, it gets under your skin and moves you like a marionette to the play that Paris wants to tell you.
This trip was a little different this time since we had our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin come to visit. The role of being simply a tourist morphed into that of a tour guide. Patrick had to work part of the week so I was left alone to show them the city. It was so nice to see them and to share with them France. I loved getting to watch each of them see the city and the country. Rosie's eyes were wrapped up in everything around her so much so that Patrick and I had to make sure we didn't loose her. Devon became keen on French, you could say, as we would walk around the city I would teach her the little French that I know and got to watch her practice her French with real French people. As for Kevin it took him a little bit to see the city as his mind was on other, more important things, than merely a trip to France. You see Kevin planned to propose to Devon while on the trip and the day was set for Saturday. However, after the proposal and the celebration of their engagement Kevin got to enjoy the city too. It was great to watch the newly engaged couple have little romantic moments all throughout Paris.
Life Update
I returned on Friday morning to a beautiful day in Valence. The sun was shinning and flowers were in full bloom. This Friday I finally received word from UCLA about my application status; I didn't get in. Oh well, no graduate school for me next year. I have a plan B which involves taking some classes, writing a lot, and working so that I can reapply again. It might take some time to get where I want to go but I will get there.
That is about it for now. Patrick and I are preparing for the summer with looking for fruit harvests to work on, getting excited for Brook coming, and trying to figure out how to afford that last little bit of travel. My goal is to see the west coast of France before we leave, which is feasible. So get ready for summer stories about Rose wine, late nights, picnics, French camping, and fruit harvests.
A bientot,
Molly
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
