October 11, 2006
Archive
No, seriously. I got his autograph, and a croissant. Things here in France are going along in their slow, delicious pace. We had our first winter storm tonight, complete with lightning and thunder. It was rather dramatic and exciting! Since I last wrote, I have visited another town, made new friends, cooked incredible meals, and begun a new piece of fiction.
I finally got a bank account, though I still don't have the bank card...and my legal residency here is pending on a medical appointment that I don't get to make-I just have to wait until they send me a letter with the date and time. So, I'm waiting and hoping that it doesn't come while I'm out of town for vacation.
Last weekend, I was a good tourist. Michaela and I took a boat tour of the canal, and I met some very lively English folk, including my buddy John who thinks my name is Dorris. “Well, ello Dorris! How are ya today?” (This is how he greeted me at the train station the other morning when we happened to both be there.). On Saturday, Michi and I went to the market at Place Carnot, five blocks from our apartment (this is a Saturday morning tradition, where I buy all my fruits and vegetables for the week, and occasionally a baguette). After marketing, I meet up with friends for coffee at Cafe des Aromes, and this week Michi and I had coffee with Inga and Marcus, Germans living in Carca. On Sunday we took the train Beziers, which is a very pretty and historically important town a bit southeast of Carcassonne. We walked around for about four hours, touring the old town, the cathedrale, having a hot chocolate, and then heading home.
Michaela is the German assistant at the IUFM, and we live in the same apartment building. We spend most of our time together, traveling about, talking, and cooking. I don't have a table in my apartment, so we usually cook at her place and eat there. We trade off nights, one night it's her ingredients and cooking, the next night it's mine. She is really sweet, and it's nice to have someone who is sharing this experience.
On Monday, I had dinner at my friend Jay's house with all his roommates. There are 8 people living together in this HUGE house a little out of downtown. Jay's American, Susan, who is in my writing class and is the barmaid at the Irish Pub, and who first took me out in Carca, is Irish, Katie is also an assistant, at the high school, and she's from New Zealand, and then there are five French kids living there as well. Jay cooks out of a book called “Forbidden Cuisine”, or something like that. He made a Southern (as in US) inspired meal with French ingredients: fried rabbit? Okra with vinaigrette? Gravy with liver? Yep, it was real down home!
I also had my first workshop on Monday, with all of one student showing up to speak English with me. We had a great conversation though. He speaks Occitan (the regional language), and gave me a whole history lesson about the language and the traditions. It was very interesting! On Tuesday, I actually had 11 students show up! I hadn't planned anything, because I was just expecting Benjamin again, so I had to wing the whole thing. And they won't talk. It's like pulling teeth. You teachers who are reading this journal, please, please give me ideas! How do I make 24 year old students speak in English? I thought I would be great at that (I'm a 23 year old person speaking in a foreign language), but it's hard. I'm gonna start going in and just saying something horrible and controversial to get them arguing, like “all you French people smell, and I think the Iraq war is a wonderful idea!”. Maybe that will work?
Also on Tuesday, I bought my train tickets to Barcelona to begin my Toussaint vacation. I will be traveling to Barcelona for a couple of days, and then to Granada, and then to Madrid to stay with my good friend Elyse. Then back to Barcelona for one more night, and then home to Carcassonne. After leaving the station, I stopped by the NEW GYM, a gym that is about two blocks from my apartment. It's pretty crappy, old equipment, no classes except for one called “Body Sculpt” that I'm pretty sure is to help old ladies from fully dropping, but the woman there (the owner's mother) was SO sweet and so excited that I came in. Also, the location is great, and, for those of you who know me and my need to go to the gym all the time, it is tempting. I could use some body sculpting anyway. I think I'll join!
Yesterday, a student at the UFM invited Michi and I out for drinks. We had made dinner plans with Yanna, a girl we met who used to live in Carca, and is just back visiting and staying in the campsite outside of town. I cooked a delicious yellow curry (there is a little Asian market down the street from my place! I bought yellow curry paste, coconut milk, and a pork bun! I was SO happy to know that I don't have to go three months without Thai food- Portland, I miss you!). Maybe it's because I have TONS of time on my hands, or because groceries are so cheap, or because I'm suddenly having a domestic urge, but I have been cooking so much, and always wanting to cook! I've made, since being here, so many things! Maybe it's buying the produce from the farmers, I don't know! But last night's curry was damn good!
So, I went out smelling like onions, and thinking that I was going to birth a little curry child, to the pub to meet the very sweet French girls who invited us out. After about an hour, this big guy come up to the table, and says in English, “I heard Rebecca's sitting over here.” I look up, it's my friend Gary from the writing group. So, the girls have to go home and study (how I don't miss being in school), so I join the other table. Gary is writing a movie script, in fact he had just finished it that day and was celebrating, and Aden, the leading actress was there helping him along.
Today I just worked and worked and worked. I have to prepare all my lessons for the next week, as well as my workshops, and also putting things onto the shared network so the students can read and hear examples of English. I finally took a break and worked on my own fiction piece. My writing 'teacher' gives us homework assignments, and this assignment was to do a character profile for each of our characters. A character profile. I don't have a character, much less many characters that would necessitate an entire profile (what am I going to do with a gun rack? Wayne's World...). The story I've been working on is lost (the file is corrupted...a nice way for the computer to tell me that my story is a piece of crap, and that I should just bag it anyway.), so I've been quickly trying to piece together a new story with new characters. It's been fun, but I still haven't gotten up the courage to take my laptop to a cafe and stay for several hours like I usually do when I write. I'm afraid that would just be too weird and too rude.
Tomorrow, more work (trying to get it done before the weekend!), and then I'm going to the theater in the evening to see “L'Ecole des Femmes” by Moliere. I may be going to Toulouse for Friday and Saturday, still to be determined, and/or to Lourdes for a day.
Also, a great thing happened today! I got a package from my mom full of warm things like pajamas and socks! I am SO happy to have more than one sweater and more than one pair of jeans! Thank you Mom!
I think that about sums it up and fills it in. I have put a few pictures on Flickr, and I will be momentarily emailing invitations to view them. It's been so wonderful to hear from everyone, so please keep in touch! I hope you're all doing well!
Lots of love.
Friday, January 19, 2007
A nice week!
October 6, 2006
Archive
After my arduous work week of 4 hours on Monday and 4 hours on Tuesday, I went to Montpeller on Wednesday for a jour de formation (training day) with the other IUFM assistants in the academy. The day itself wasn't too exciting, but it was great to meet the other girls! Michaela and I decided to take the later train back to Carcassonne, so we got to hang out for a few hours in Montpeller. It is such a beautiful city, really young and lively, with amazing views from its hilltop monuments, and streets winding around little squares. Got home around 10:30pm and hung out.
Yesterday, I did administrative stuff (still don't have my residency papers!), etc. And then we cooked mussels and salad with some friends, and then I dragged them out to the pub to see a band and meet a couple of my other friends there. Carcassonne is small, but so easy to meet people! I met literally half the bar last night and made some new friends! Hooray!
Hanging out today, planning our weekend trip to Perpignan? Quillan? Lourdes? Hmmm...! Keep in touch!
Archive
After my arduous work week of 4 hours on Monday and 4 hours on Tuesday, I went to Montpeller on Wednesday for a jour de formation (training day) with the other IUFM assistants in the academy. The day itself wasn't too exciting, but it was great to meet the other girls! Michaela and I decided to take the later train back to Carcassonne, so we got to hang out for a few hours in Montpeller. It is such a beautiful city, really young and lively, with amazing views from its hilltop monuments, and streets winding around little squares. Got home around 10:30pm and hung out.
Yesterday, I did administrative stuff (still don't have my residency papers!), etc. And then we cooked mussels and salad with some friends, and then I dragged them out to the pub to see a band and meet a couple of my other friends there. Carcassonne is small, but so easy to meet people! I met literally half the bar last night and made some new friends! Hooray!
Hanging out today, planning our weekend trip to Perpignan? Quillan? Lourdes? Hmmm...! Keep in touch!
Need to Rehydrate!!!!
October 3, 2006
Archive
You know it's going to be rough Tuesday morning when you're out Monday night with a couple of Irish. It started benignly enough. On Sunday I went to the Office of Tourism to get some bus schedules, and I found a little flyer, in English, about a creative writing group meeting here in Carcassonne every other Monday. I was so excited to have found something like that, so Monday evening I walked over to the house, and joined this lovely little group of writers. There were 7 of us in all, the teacher (English), Anne (the English woman who I met the other day who owns the English book shop up the street from me), another british woman, a canadian, and two irish. The class was great, and it was so nice to be writing again and discussing things like vocabulary choice and tone and rhythm. After class, which ended at 10:30, Susan the Irish woman, who is a bar tender at the Irish Pub where my Spanish friend took me the other night, took me to another bar across the canal, where I drank I think about a liter of beer (Oktoberfest...) and met tons of new French, Irish, Brazilan, etc. friends. and was escorted home at 2 to wake up at 7 and go teach people about American culture (which I felt somewhat legitimate in doing since I had, afterall, been drinking beer).
During the weekend (and I will post pictures, I promise), I'm pretty sure, though not entirely certain, that I was wedded to a donkey during a tradtional Carcassonnian parade (don't worry, Ben, I'm sure it's not binding!). That's right, while walking about la cité (the walled city), I heard music and shouting. I followed it to find winding through the streets a long line of older men in serious drag, women dressed as gypsies, and a bride and groom (symbolic) all dancing along to a band of wandering...minstrels? The bride rode on a donkey. I asked one of the locals who was taking pictures what it was all about, and he told me that it's a traditional parade on the first Sunday of every October to celebrate the fall and also the roles of masculinity and feminity (thus all the drag?). He told me that they have been doing this since, oh, the 12th century or so. They find young women along the path, and make them kiss the donkey. I joked that I should hide myself. About 1/2 hour later, I found myself in the crowd, with my camera out, taking pictures and laughing, when suddenly, a gentleman in a pink tutu and red wig took my hand. We had a lovely dance, and then he led me to the donkey. Well, what could I do? When in Rome...or apparantly, when in the middle ages...
That about somes up my weekend. I began work on Monday, and my students are great! I like the job, I like the hours, I'm really excited about getting involved with all of it. Tomorrow I am going to Montpellier for a training day with all the IUFM assistants in the academy. I'm looking forward to meeting the others and having some more contacts around the area! Also! Good news- I've found a few friends with cars which means that I can see the area a bit! That's great! Also! In even better news- I just bought a plane ticket home for Christmas! Hooray!
So, I hope you're all doing well. Keep in touch!
Archive
You know it's going to be rough Tuesday morning when you're out Monday night with a couple of Irish. It started benignly enough. On Sunday I went to the Office of Tourism to get some bus schedules, and I found a little flyer, in English, about a creative writing group meeting here in Carcassonne every other Monday. I was so excited to have found something like that, so Monday evening I walked over to the house, and joined this lovely little group of writers. There were 7 of us in all, the teacher (English), Anne (the English woman who I met the other day who owns the English book shop up the street from me), another british woman, a canadian, and two irish. The class was great, and it was so nice to be writing again and discussing things like vocabulary choice and tone and rhythm. After class, which ended at 10:30, Susan the Irish woman, who is a bar tender at the Irish Pub where my Spanish friend took me the other night, took me to another bar across the canal, where I drank I think about a liter of beer (Oktoberfest...) and met tons of new French, Irish, Brazilan, etc. friends. and was escorted home at 2 to wake up at 7 and go teach people about American culture (which I felt somewhat legitimate in doing since I had, afterall, been drinking beer).
During the weekend (and I will post pictures, I promise), I'm pretty sure, though not entirely certain, that I was wedded to a donkey during a tradtional Carcassonnian parade (don't worry, Ben, I'm sure it's not binding!). That's right, while walking about la cité (the walled city), I heard music and shouting. I followed it to find winding through the streets a long line of older men in serious drag, women dressed as gypsies, and a bride and groom (symbolic) all dancing along to a band of wandering...minstrels? The bride rode on a donkey. I asked one of the locals who was taking pictures what it was all about, and he told me that it's a traditional parade on the first Sunday of every October to celebrate the fall and also the roles of masculinity and feminity (thus all the drag?). He told me that they have been doing this since, oh, the 12th century or so. They find young women along the path, and make them kiss the donkey. I joked that I should hide myself. About 1/2 hour later, I found myself in the crowd, with my camera out, taking pictures and laughing, when suddenly, a gentleman in a pink tutu and red wig took my hand. We had a lovely dance, and then he led me to the donkey. Well, what could I do? When in Rome...or apparantly, when in the middle ages...
That about somes up my weekend. I began work on Monday, and my students are great! I like the job, I like the hours, I'm really excited about getting involved with all of it. Tomorrow I am going to Montpellier for a training day with all the IUFM assistants in the academy. I'm looking forward to meeting the others and having some more contacts around the area! Also! Good news- I've found a few friends with cars which means that I can see the area a bit! That's great! Also! In even better news- I just bought a plane ticket home for Christmas! Hooray!
So, I hope you're all doing well. Keep in touch!
What Am I Going To Do With All This Free Time?!?!
September 29, 2006
Archive
I got my teaching schedule. I was hired to work 12 hours per week, which sounded reasonable for my vacation here in Europe, but my real schedule is more like 9 hours a week, with several weeks a month that I don't even have classes. Thus leading to the question...what am I going to do with all that time? My dad's response, of course, would be "eat as much cassoulet as you can!". Not too terribly tempting... My answer of course is to travel; let's just hope that I can afford it!
In other news, I have some friends! Sonia is Spanish, Michaela is German, and I met some French girls the other night who will soon become amies, they just don't know it yet.
I've mostly just been getting things done (so many papers to sign, accounts to open, etc.) and hanging out in town. The people here are so nice and helpful. I feel really happy and comfortable in Carcassonne, and I think it's partly because it re,inds me of Portland- active but laid back, really friendly and not at all pretentious. Lots of trees and green space, and lots of people walking in the streets and saying hello to each other.
I'll post pictures as soon as I can get my own computer working, and then I will have more time to work on this journal. Until next time!
Archive
I got my teaching schedule. I was hired to work 12 hours per week, which sounded reasonable for my vacation here in Europe, but my real schedule is more like 9 hours a week, with several weeks a month that I don't even have classes. Thus leading to the question...what am I going to do with all that time? My dad's response, of course, would be "eat as much cassoulet as you can!". Not too terribly tempting... My answer of course is to travel; let's just hope that I can afford it!
In other news, I have some friends! Sonia is Spanish, Michaela is German, and I met some French girls the other night who will soon become amies, they just don't know it yet.
I've mostly just been getting things done (so many papers to sign, accounts to open, etc.) and hanging out in town. The people here are so nice and helpful. I feel really happy and comfortable in Carcassonne, and I think it's partly because it re,inds me of Portland- active but laid back, really friendly and not at all pretentious. Lots of trees and green space, and lots of people walking in the streets and saying hello to each other.
I'll post pictures as soon as I can get my own computer working, and then I will have more time to work on this journal. Until next time!
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