Angry in Angers

My friends and I took a day trip this weekend to Angers, France. We’re slightly upset that it took 3 months for us to pick up and go, well anywhere… although it honestly took awhile to lose the tourist mentality we may have had with Nantes itself. It’s been our home for a bit of time now- we know what creperies and kebab shops we like, what boulangeries have the best pastries, which bars are for dancing, and how long the walk to the tram really takes (learned after many sprints for a leaving tram and a cold ½ hour wait for the next one). It’s comfortable here. We were ready for something new. 

 

A 16euro roundtrip train ticket and 36 minutes later, we arrive in Angers. Not knowing much, but knowing that there is a castle and a good museum, we wandered. The museum did not make us angry. It was quite beautiful, we played in the garden, took a lot of photos, and the people were happy to see visiting young foreigners. Many museums in France are free for students or anyone 25 and under. It’s wonderful encouragement for young people to truly take advantage of access to some of the best art collections in the world. 26 is le worst age to turn in France, as one of my friends here has come to realize. You no longer get reductions on transportation, the amount of housing welfare you receive decreases, and all your free museum visits are history. Tant Pis. We told the man at the admissions desk that we needed six under 25 tickets, and one regular priced ticket. He looked us all over (no doubt trying to figure out which one of us was too old) and told us he was just not going to check our identification. This man is the only nice person we met in Angers.

Time ticks on and cries of “J’ai faim!” ring amongst our group. We visit about 3 creperies where we are curtly told there is no room before just picking one and waiting it out. At one point our French friend got angry and had to step outside because the old ladies behind us were complaining that the group of foreigners would get seated before them. Well duh. We were here first. My being foreign does not make me less worthy of enjoying a crepe in your lovely country, which I happen to adore. By the way, I understand what you’re saying because I speak your language. 

 

The crepes were delicious. I realized I have never given you a photo of the grand Bretagne food I get to enjoy on a regular basis. You eat a savory “galette” first, and then a sweet “crepe” for dessert. Traditionally they are enjoyed with alcoholic cider. I know sometimes I can be untraditional, but I always follow this one in France :P

Galette with cheese, tomato, and egg

Homemade Caramel Crepe

Onward to the castle! It’s gorgeous. Which makes up for the meanie mean staff that work there. Again, the ticket purchases. There is a small sign explaining the price ranges “Free for students” “Free for anyone 25 and under holding a European Union passport, or living as a legal resident in France” “6,50 for adults”. Boom baby- I’m legal and here is my passport and immigration stamp to prove it! She grudgingly lets me through on the free pass. Again, the problem with my friend who is 26. But alas! She is a student in Germany! Here is her student card! The lady gets a terrible attitude and informs her that the free pass is only for French students of art history and tourism. Your little sign says none of that. And your unfriendly tone of voice is not appreciated. I don’t believe you. But thanks for the warm welcome. 

The castle in Angers houses the Tapestry of the Apocalypse, completed in 1382 and measuring 100 meters (328 ft) long, 4.5 meters (about 15 ft) high. We were convinced it would never end. My favorite panel involved a prostitute riding on a dragon kind of like a queen would ride on a horse. Is that part really in the apocalypse story? I don’t think I misinterpreted the sign and the French word for a prostitute (une prostituée).

 

Here is a piece of art I also really liked as it told the dark story of the prisoners that were kept in the castle at times. It’s a bit of a couchemar, but interesting nonetheless.

 After about six hours we were ready to peace out of Angry Angers. We had heard that Angers is quite “bourgeois”, and perhaps the people there are just not accustomed to young people or foreigners. The city itself is much prettier than Nantes- beautiful half-timbered houses, decorative buildings, and the castle is more impressive than our own Château des Ducs de Bretagne. But I’ll take Nantes anyday.

 

Speaking of angry, I’m also quite angry at American Republicans at the moment (shocking I know). The campaign ad accompanied by accordion music and criticizing Mitt Romney’s ability to speak French is just awful.  Here’s a link to an article about the video and the video itself “The French Connection”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-16549624

I know that the video and the mention of speaking French was meant to link Mitt Romney with John Kerry, and further support the notion that Romney leans more on the liberal side and should not be the Republican candidate. But I'm going to focus on how annoyed I was that speaking a foreign language was portrayed as a negative trait.

I’m not sure how speaking a foreign language can be deemed a negative aspect for anyone considering public office. My own travel experiences have given me a better understanding of the world and its people… have helped me better understand, appreciate, and respect our cultural differences. There is so much out there to learn, so many people to talk to.  How can we criticize this candidate for showing an interest in the world outside of America? America has forgotten that we are completely composed of different people who originally spoke different languages. When it comes to language we dismiss foreign language learning as unimportant, even criticizing it in this case. How can we truly connect with other countries if we are so stubbornly unable to grasp that we’re not all there is?

I asked my teachers class here what they would like to talk about in our upcoming sessions; they want to learn more about what is going on in the primary elections and how our political system functions. The world follows our news. It’s frustrating sometimes to read these kinds of articles and know that foreigners are trying to grasp these details and form an opinion on our people. To be honest, it can be a little embarrassing at times. 

Here’s another good article shared amongst many of the assistants here. It discusses some of Obama’s reforms and his “attempt to turn the USA into a European-style welfare state”. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/kristof-why-is-europe-a-dirty-word.html?_r=1

Sorry to get all political on you. Travel and language learning have done so much for me that I can’t help but feel strongly about the topic. The internet, Skype, couchsurfing, and the growing popularity of study abroad programs have opened up the world for my generation. I’m remaining optimistic in how Americans will be stereotyped in the future. 

Maybe the person who came up with this campaign video had only met one French person, and that French person was from Angers.

Bises

Steph

What’s more sparkly than all the Christmas Lights in Nantes, The Twinkling Eiffel Tower, and the Spanish Sunshine?

It’s been awhile since I’ve updated, but that’s not because I’ve had nothing to update about. It’s been an eventful couple of weeks… Foyer Christmas celebrations, Joseph’s visit, our vacation to Spain, and our engagement! 

 So grab half a baguette to snack on and a glass (or maybe a bottle) of your favorite wine, and read on. This may will take awhile. 

I considered smoking a cigarette in this, just to fulfill all the stereotypes

I’ll start by wishing you all a Joyeux Noël, a Feliz Navidad, a Merry Christmas! I hope your holiday was as beautiful as mine was. Cheers to the upcoming New Year! I apologize if you didn’t get this in your mailbox, or your email inbox, (as things were a little hectic) but I wish you all the best for the holiday season…

I know. You’re dying to hear engagement details. But let’s go through things chronologically and start with Foyer Christmas Celebrations.

My friends and I did our best to get into the Christmas spirit in this foreign environment, away from our own country and family traditions. School had a great Christmas lunch; the sea-scallops and the wine were delicious and a little fancier than what the cafeteria usually serves up. I spent a night making and decorating Christmas Cookies and watching Elf with other Americans… a far cry from the 8 hour day my mom, sister, aunt and I usually devote to this task, but a nice little piece of home-like Christmas preparations all the same. My good friends here did a small gift exchange with a 5-10 euro limit… this is what I received. A witty mug and a bank… giant, gold, and slightly obnoxious… it suits me. How these friends of mine have come to know me so well within such a short time is a little wild. 

Our Foyer also had a Christmas Party, with a huge spread of food and WINE, going against its own no-alcohol in the building policy (although whenever I make the trek to recycle my glass, suspiciously clanking through the lobby, no one ever says anything). Pere Noel was there, made out of a stool, a mannequin head, and a Santa suit. The whole event was loads of fun, but also a little confusing, as we weren’t sure if all the food first laid on the table (appetizers) was all the food we would get… it was not an easy decision when exactly to stop returning for seconds/thirds etc, and was the topic of more than one whispered conversation amongst the foreigners. There was also a band, not your typical holiday music, but reggae type music instead. I’m not sure why the French love this style of music so much, and whether any of the band members have any idea what they are singing about in English, but I’ve danced to more reggae music here than anywhere else in my life. 

Joseph arrived on a Friday, despite a hurricane-like storm that hit the French coast and cancelled all flights and trains the night before and the morning of. I have never been so addicted to the computer, constantly refreshing flight statuses. He had his own travel drama that involved sprinting through JFK as he was accidently in the wrong part of the airport relaxing and watching some football game… but all was well and he made it. Stephanie 1, Sports 0. 

I won’t go into too much detail here, because my approximate 7 readers consisting of: my mother, my aunts, my sister in law, my mine as well be mother Kelly, and some of my best friends, already know how we got engaged.

If you are a mystery reader who doesn’t comment on the blog, I will tell you that we got engaged in a quiet local Creperie in downtown Nantes, in an old pedestrian-only part of the city with tiny winding streets near the castle, over a pitcher of wine and a delicious regionally-traditional meal. It was absolutely perfect. We are so excited. 

I of course had no idea. When I questioned the boxy square size of his travel man-bag, and why he was even bringing it out with him to dinner in Nantes when he could leave it in my apartment, I accepted his answer that both his phones were in there, and he just wanted to have everything with him. 

I am also very thankful that we didn’t go to the pizza place I suggested as a quick and easy meal, knowing how tired Joe must have been from traveling. (As delicious as it is, it just doesn’t have the same ambiance).

That night was spent calling our immediate families and packing for Paris. I am so thankful to our families for keeping things quiet and off the social media network, because coming back home to Nantes and calling our dear friends, sending emails to those we couldn’t reach, and telling everyone ourselves was too much fun to miss out on. 

So we started our second European vacation as an engaged couple. It was actually pretty nice to be away from everything… cell phones, constant internet access, and instead just take a week to focus on us, with no outside interruption. 

Our trip began a little crazily, as we left for the train station in Nantes at about 5:30 am… making the 10 minute walk to my tram stop with our luggage before I realized I didn’t have my passport with me. It’s not something I carry around for my every day living here, and in my defense my mind was a little preoccupied by the giant sparkle sitting on my left hand. We made our train with 5 minutes to spare. 

Our vacation began with a day in Paris-  Joseph and I have already been to Paris, having spent a few days there summer 2010, so we weren’t on a strict itinerary to see and do a million things. We went ice skating by City Hall, visited the Christmas market at the Eiffel Tower, saw the Christmas tree at Notre Dame, put a lock on a Parisian bridge, and visited the Champs Elysees to see Paris’ most famous street all lit up for the holiday. Quite a relaxing start to our vacation… until jet-lag kicked in and Joseph spent most of the night watching Lord of the Rings in French while I peacefully slept.

I have wanted to visit Spain for some time now, I really felt like it was one of those places I had to visit while I was young. Spain was delightful. The food, the drinks, the colors, the sunshine… really lovely.

One of my biggest surprises concerning Spain was its aversion to speaking English. As a language person, and a fairly experienced traveler, I like to think that I can get myself around fairly well in a foreign environment, and that I tend to respect the language and cultural barriers that travel brings. However, knowing we were visiting two large cities, Madrid and Barcelona, I was expecting little to no difficulty communicating despite my lack of Spanish. 

Had it not been for Joseph and his high school + 1 UD semester of Spanish, I'm not sure I would have known what most of the menu said, would not have been able to order my coffee at breakfast, ask for directions etc. I was quite impressed with his Spanish skills!  

We're not married yet... but he already knows coffee is the necessary start to my day, even if he has to order in Spanish

I am American. I am a King/Queen of the world. Speak my language.

 Most of Europe has truly embraced the dominance of English- sometimes in large cities in France I will speak French and because of my accent the response will come in English. My Spanish friend here mentioned that she thinks that the Spanish, including herself, have a “block” when it comes to speaking English. She took classes in school, even at the university level, but the only time I have heard her try to really communicate in English was when she met Joe in our foyer. After a beer or two she once asked me why Americans think they are the kings of the world and that everyone should speak our language- ironically we were with an English friend who was not blamed for his native language’s dominance in world culture. The world has an interesting opinion of us… and I can only hope that I do not fulfill every American stereotype out there. I’m not saying that Spain’s aversion to using English is a good or a bad thing- it’s not like America goes out of our way to learn world languages to welcome people to our country and make their travels easier- I’m just commenting on my surprise in finding that even in the large cities language truly was a barrier.  

As far as our other opinions of Spain, Joseph preferred Madrid and I preferred Barcelona… although both were wonderful. In Madrid we went to a soccer game- a huge part of European culture that I would have missed out on had it not been for Joseph’s interest. It was so fun to be there, to see the waving scarves and hear the whistling boos when the hometeam did not perform as hoped. We acted as the locals, taking large lunches (usually involving wine), going home for an afternoon siesta, and eating dinner late, around 9 or 10pm. We drank a lot of sangria, ate a lot of paella, had a lot of ham or seafood tapas, tried churros con chocolate (delish). 

We also walked through the old medieval part of town, visited the Royal Palace (included a visit to the armory and the pharmacy), the Cathedral, and visited a bull-fighting themed bar, complete with taxidermy Bull Heads on the walls and graphic photos of gory bullfights. 

We like sportz and we don't care who knows

 

Barcelona brought on long walks on La Rambla (the most important of which was when we saw a bulldog), morning visits to the market for fresh fruit juices, more tapas and sangria late night, and a day dedicated to the architecture of Gaudi… something I’ve been wanting to see in person for years. I found a “Free”/pay what you think is appropriate at the end Gaudi tour… Joseph was a good sport and agreed to this… and we spent one of our mornings learning about the greatness of Antoni Gaudi’s works with 15 Asian tourists, some of which were studying accounting. Despite it taking a bit of time to get there, I think Park Guell was my favorite. I just really enjoyed the coloring and the mosaic works there. But Sagrada Familia was also completely overwhelmingly amazing. There are things I wish we would have had more time to see in Barcelona, and I wasn’t quite ready to leave when we did… but I tend to feel that way about a lot of Europe.

 

 Coming home to Nantes brought the fun of calling our good friends and giving them our engagement news. It was a special treat to call my college roommate in Morocco- I haven’t heard her voice in almost a year and I am so thankful we got to actually talk with her. Of course it was a little hard to understand her, as well as some of my other college roommates, over their excited high-pitched congratulations. Another favorite involved trying relentlessly to get a hold of my best friend from high school, finally calling her boyfriend who thankfully answered, and who she was with at the time. I demanded why she had not been answering her phone, she asked me what was wrong and if I was ok, and when I reassured her everything was fine she screamed “well then you’re engaged!” 

Looking like a native Frenchman

Our four days in Nantes were very relaxing…we did some city specific things like visit the castle and the machines gallery, but we also spent a lot of time going to the market, watching movies, playing bananagrams/cards/pingpong. Our Christmas this year was probably the most relaxing one we will ever have, as we had no where to go, and not much to do but skype our families, eat delicious food, and drink a little too much wine :)

I’m looking at a few lonely days here at the foyer, seeing as my good friends are European and not coming back to Nantes until work starts up after the New Year. The day Joseph left I did what any normal recently engaged girl would do in my situation… cried in bed for half the day, then decided to cook myself one of my favorite meals (duck Mmm), bought a bridal magazine, and attempted to make cookies in my toaster oven. The cookies could have been better, but they have mysteriously dwindled in number since yesterday nonetheless… 

Féliciations on making it to the end of this long long post. Did you figure out what was more sparkly than the Nantes Christmas lights, the Eiffel Tower, and the Spanish Sunshine?

My ring, duh.

Bises Bises,

Steph

Faites-moi un MAX DE BRUIT!!!

Loosely translated « Make Some Noissssse ! »

It was no UD Timothy’s Bar & Grill, but it was a bizarrely wonderful evening at Hangars Bananes with DJ’s shouting this phrase.

Un Max de Bruit is what happened in some of my classrooms this past week.

My friend and I made a Max de Bruit when we saw a man with his finger stuck in the tram door.

… all in all a good theme for the week

What’s been going on in Nantes/Rezé/Bouaye you say? Well I’m officially out of my little “womp womp I’m homesick mood”.  And here’s what else:

This is a real life metro sign in Paris, not in Nantes

Let’s just start with the tram incident shall we? My friend I were walking through the tram looking for a place to sit, happened to glance at a door we were walking past, and saw a little finger attempting to wiggle its way free. The man outside the door with his finger stuck appeared quite calm, held books or something in his other hand, and was smoking. The tram started to leave the stop. The man ran next to the tram because he could not free his finger from the door! We pulled the emergency stop handle. The man freed himself and ran off. We then had to explain to the conductor that we were not just joking, that this event had really happened, and that the disappearance of this man was as big a mystery to us as it was to her. 

The alluring glowy rings of Hangar Bananes

German birthday celebrations were fantastic and took us to the elusive and mysterious Hangar Bananes. We walked for about 30 minutes to get there… which is good because earlier in the night we were eating birthday cake that looks like this …  The bar we wandered into was some sort of Reggae bar, and I think I recognized the Jamaican flag from Cool Runnings. Someone else said it was South Africa’s flag. We may never know what kind of music we were actually dancing to. Like I said… a bizarrely wonderful evening. 

I saw a wild hedgehog in the field next to my building. It. Was. Awesome.

The man at the kebab shop asked me if I wanted a rewards card. Perhaps I should lay off the kebabs for awhile.

I used the new Twilight movie trailer as an introduction in my “Hollywood” classes. The girls were fou for it. Who doesn’t love a good steamy vampire-human-werewolf love triangle? 15 year old French boys that’s who. They were quite displeased with my choice.

I told students to get into groups of three for an activity. When they stared at me blankly and did nothing I told them in French to get into “équipes (teams) de trois”. They giggled uncontrollably & there was an awful moment where I feared I had referenced a sexual threesome. (I know the expression is obviously ménage à trios… but there’s a lot of slang I don’t know as well). Upon asking French foyer residents they confirmed that I did not say anything inappropriate and that students were giggling because that is what 15 year olds do.

I threatened 3 different classes multiple times to stop class and do grammar exercises because of the noise level. (I also just embarrassed noisy kids by making them move to sit by me). I hate grammar. (my classes are meant to be primarily conversation classes, so the students can “profiter” from a native speaker). There is only one class I dislike enough for this grammar threat to perhaps become a reality.  But I hate grammar so much maybe I will just tell their teacher that they are noisy loud disruptive students.

My older kids took a “Are you a Democrat or Republican” quiz to start off our discussion of American politics. They were Democrats. Every one of them. I was not surprised. In a discussion of “hot political topics” the legalization of marijuana came up (of course it did, they are 18)… Amsterdam was mentioned as an example for legalization for what they call “space cakes”. I then had to teach them “special brownies” as a vocabulary word. I was happy they were speaking. A lot of them were. In English.

To teach a lesson about American & French Stereotypes, I dug up an episode of The Simpsons called “The Crepes of Wrath” (HA!) This is the episode where Bart goes to France on an exchange program and ends up having to work at a winery with terribly rude French people who smoke and wear stripey shirts (stereotypes!). My brother has mentioned that this is the first thing that pops into his mind every time I tell him I am going to France. I can assure you all- I am chain smoking right now, wearing a beret and eating baguette, and have plans to ride on a motorbike in order to stomp on some grapes for wine tomorrow. Vive la France!

Ironically, one of my favorite classes is the one that originally skipped my first week. Boy was I angry at them then. Boy do I now love that they are silly, fun, eager to talk, and laugh at all my jokes. One boy asked me where I studied because my accent is great! I am not sure he understood that I am American and that my American accent is so great because English is my first language.

Upon evaluating my week and discussing it with some friends, I am quite pleased I was placed in a high school. My friend in a primary school spent a significant amount of one day with two flashcards yelling “repeat after me… this is a horse! This is a dog!”

I am really enjoying teaching. Lesson planning is definitely a lot of work, but the discussions and antics of high schoolers make it worthwhile.

And now, a little dose of awkward, because it’s me…

I got a French haircut, really just my bangs. Good thing I knew the vocab word “fringe” and had a photo with me, because this was my conversation with the hairdresser.

Please excuse the MySpace style photo

*he examines my hair, picking at it and looking at it strangely, and then says something that means nothing to me.

Friend who came along for moral and linguistical support “I think he just said your hair is frizzy!”

Me “Oh the water is different in France. I just recently bought French shampoo to replace my worthless American shampoo. I think my hair is still adjusting to the change”

Hairdresser: “the water should have no effect on why your roots are lighter than the rest of your hair.” …Which is what he was commenting on in the first place.

Oh yah… I dye my hair a lot. Can you give me fringe now? Just like the picture. I promise I won’t try to talk to you anymore.

And drumroll please, for my final bit of news… I am going to London in February with school! I was just invited this week and will get to see all of London’s famous sites, Chaperone style, for 5 days, for FREE. Merci Beaucoup Lycée! 

Bises Bises,

Steph

PS. A quick note on strikes… one of my friends didn’t have to work on Monday because of a strike at her middle school… why were they striking? The heat had not been turned on in the building yet. Teachers refuse to teach in a cold building! Students refuse to learn in these barbaric conditions! No school on Monday! This has been my favorite strike reason to date.

Officially a “prof” in France

…which sounds so much fancier than the English “teacher”

I have been observing classes, but this week was my very first to lesson plan and interact with the kids on my own. It’s been a big learning week for me… here are some questions that came up…

What do you do when your entire class of kids doesn’t show up?

Day 1 of teaching, Class #3 just doesn’t show up. Not even one student who was too scared to get in trouble for skipping. I didn’t know what to do so I waited for about 10 minutes, memorized my schedule because I looked at it so much, then went down to the teachers lounge hoping to run into one of the English teachers. No such luck. I stood awkwardly on the outskirts of a conversation between two profs I had never met until one of them asked me if I needed something. Yes. I need my students.

I was sent to speak with “la vie scolaire” (counselors/attendance office) and they said that sometimes the kids need to be reminded that my classes are not an option for them, they are compulsory. Well. Ok.  Stupid kids. I waited around for you. And now I’ve missed the bus and have to wait another hour. Needless to say- they do not get the option of voting on the topic they would like to study. And I will tell them that. And pick something that I want to do instead.

What do you do when you unlock your classroom door to find another teacher already using it?

You tell your students to hang tight and then run and bother “la vie scolaire” again. They send you to another room that is also being used. Run back to office. Finally they will send you to a tiny room with no technology…  Since I couldn’t use my planned lessons I instead discussed the crazy zoo event that happened in Ohio this week. God Bless you, interesting current events.

What do French kids immediately think when they hear the word “USA”?

I wanted to know what the kids knew already about America, so I put USA on the board in a circle and asked them what comes to mind right away. McDonalds was always in the first 3 things mentioned. One brave soul said “eunh, fat people”. New York always made the list. And Obama.  Also The Simpsons. And that’s how the world knows us, folks. 

What do you do when the fire alarm goes off in French high school?

Thankfully, you do the same thing you do in America. You get the kids out of the building and you shut the door behind you. You are also supposed to remember the attendance sheet- which I forgot. You should also probably know what the alarm sounds like, or else something like this will happen

Me: “ok! Whose cell phone is going off?”

Kids: “eunh Madame, we have to leave”

Me: “Wait what? Oh my gosh is that the fire alarm!”

Thanks to all who offered suggestions for my chapter themes with the kids…  here are the topics chosen by my 9 classes of First Years

American High Schools: 1

Hollywood & PopCulture: 4 (one of these groups is also interested in American sports. Ughhh. Fake it ‘til you make it right?)

French and American Stereotypes: 1

American Holidays: 1

*I did not see two of my classes of kids this week- the class that skipped and one that was cancelled for a meeting*

My 2 classes of “terminales”/ seniors are more serious and want to talk about American Politics and Government, Social Classes in America, Travel in the US, and Stereotypes

I will have two classes where I will be working with teachers who want to improve their English. Most are doing this for fun, some are doing this so they can practice to take an exam so they are certified to teach their discipline in English. The amount of language learning that goes on over here is incredible to me… bah American Education you are so far behind.

I asked all the teachers why they were taking that hour with me and one said “I want to improve my English so I can speak to tourists and people that I meet from other places.” Immediately a bumper sticker I once saw in America popped into my mind “Welcome to America, Speak English!” (Miraculously I somehow resisted the urge to rear-end the vehicle) … If everyone instead thought like this Frenchman, our world would be a better place. 

But I have survived my first week of teaching with many ups and downs.  And now I have a two week vacation!

Interesting social life tidbits from the week:

Crepes and cider in Trentemoult, which is a lovely little once-fishing village at the end of my bus line. We ate at a restaurant right on the water and it was quite charming.

Salsa dancing. We thought there was a lesson in the basement of this bar… nope, it was just in the middle of the bar. This tiny Latin American man led us speaking a mix of Spanish and French, Salsa music was cranked up loud, French bar patrons looked on, and we all stepped on each others’ feet as we “danced” for an hour. Kaitlin and Tracie- the way this man danced reminded me a little of UD Intermediate Jazz Dance with Gary 2007… figure eights? Still look real awkward when I attempt them.

Devoured Oysters (not just by me)

There are always evening activities at the foyer where I live and this week was themed “Energy Week”. I had a lot to do with lesson planning, but on Thursday I went on this odd little field trip: drove to a wind turbine about an hour away, looked at it, and then had a sampling of oysters in the middle of the wind turbine field by the glow of car headlights. First time with Oysters- and I think I was a little overenthusiastic… it was delicious but by the time we got home all I wanted was some bread and water. What do oysters taste like? My friend’s first reaction was “Oh Gahhh it takes like something you would accidently swallow when you are swimming in the sea!” I liked ‘em. They are salty. And you slurp them right out the shell. 

I’m leaving tomorrow to meet my parents and my aunt in Rome. We will then explore by cruise Rome, Sicily, Athens (as long as the political situation has calmed), Crete, and Ephesus Turkey. I am so excited to see my family, but am especially proud of my dad for braving that transatlantic flight for the first time. I am so excited to share this big travel experience with him, and also share it with my wonderfully adventurous mom and aunt.

Bises,

Steph

Saturday Night Saturday Night

I had some interesting interactions in Nantes this weekend…

1.       Some friends and I were on our way to the castle, when we passed some French men sitting at an outdoor table… I overheard one of them ask the other if he thought we were French. In my opinion French women always look fabulous… so WooHoo! For maybe being considered one.
 
2.       Later in the evening I was asked on the street if I had a lighter. Here is our conversation
“No I do not have a lighter, I do not smoke”
“You are clearly not French”
“Why because I don’t smoke?”
“No, because of your accent”
Goodbye all self confidence and good feeling from being possibly mistaken for a French girl earlier in the evening.
 
3.       We left to go to a bar and I was not quite finished with my wine… so I just carried it by my side and tried to be discreet when we were walking through the center of town. Someone walked past me and asked what I was doing with that bottle of wine. I wanted to say I am hiding it. In French “to hide” = se cacher. Instead of using that verb I used “Se coucher” which means to go to/to take to bed.  I told a stranger I was taking my bottle of wine to bed. Awesome.
 
4.       We got to the bar where I ran into a whole crowd of my students… I’ve just been observing a lot of classes so I did not recognize them, but they knew who I was right away. Why were my high school students in a bar? Perhaps that young drinking age is not so great for professional relationships. I am mainly confused why they were in Nantes… it takes me an hour on public transportation to get to my high school and I doubt they drove themselves as they cannot get their license until age 18. Thankfully when I saw them I was just standing in line for the bathroom and not doing anything to make a fool of myself. I told them I would see them Monday and that was that.
 

Some other interesting weekend tidbits:

There is a bar here called “La Maison” which translates to “The House”. It is organized like a house would be with its different rooms decorated as different rooms in a house… you can choose to drink in the kitchen, the bedroom, the living room, the bathroom even. Very fun.

 

I also had my very first treat from a bakery (I’ve been very good you see). I am biding my time until the perfect macaron comes into my life, but I did get directions to the supposed very best boulangerie in Nantes. I also walked past this beautiful display (a revolving tower of macarons? Yes Please!) but did not have the time to stop. I’m sure it will not disappoint. Neither did this Caramel Éclair. The caramel here is sea-salted and absolutely delicious.

 

Sunday: to recuperate from being so Frenchy, in a true act of desperately missing Joseph (and also a desire to interact with fellow human beings) I went to watch American football at the one bar in Nantes that will show a game. The Bills won. Eagles were looking sloppy. Sportz. ‘Merica. Speaking English. Oh Yeah. Apparently  that even my English  has a very strong American accent and is hilarious for people from Australia and Guadeloupe to imitate. (Emily George if you are reading this- the country of Guadeloupe reminds me of AP U.S. History and our dilemma with Guam. Yes?)

No word on my school schedule yet- so I've been working on my to-do list and spying on people with their dogs in the field outside my window instead.

Maybe by the time I see my students again they will have forgotten that they saw me in a bar on Saturday night.

Bises!   Steph

Lycée Bouaye

I had the day to myself today and it's been very productive! I got a French cell phone! and picked up my French bank card! and got some groceries.   I have my big “Nantes High School English Assistants” Orientation Thursday, and I will be back at school Friday to (hopefully) have my teaching schedule!

I’ve done observations of English classes all week.  I saw a student wearing denim shortalls- again 224, particularly you Grace… love you! Rockin style choices. I’ve also seen a pair of purple sneakers that I am dying to find for myself… But school stuff: One class is learning about Native Americans and they were watching excerpts from Dances with Wolves, another class was learning family vocabulary and used “The Simpsons” to create a family tree.  The students are quite shy with me and afraid to make mistakes in front of a native speaker, but I’m sure once I say anything in French they will realize that I have an accent and make some mistakes in their language too. As a language learner you are going to make mistakes. Always. And it’s hard to shake an accent. Corrections are very important but too many too fast can be disheartening. I will have to balance encouragement and corrections (especially pronunciation) with zeez kiddos.

When I studied abroad I heard the most encouraging thing from a teacher, asking us to think something along the lines of:

“Yes, I am trying to speak French. No I am not French. I am American. I will probably never really sound like I am French unless I live here for many consecutive years. Oh you can understand me? Even with my accent? Oh you think my accent is charming? Yes it is isn’t it?”

She reminded us that an accent is part of who you are, and it’s very difficult to lose it completely. It’s not something to be embarrassed about.

French are typically taught British English, so my accent and some expressions may be hard for some of the students… but at the same time I am a Midwesterner and have the most desired American accent out there.  They should probably consider themselves lucky to have an Ohioan (even if they have never heard of my state).

I already noted that most high schools have longer school days than we do in the good ol USA, and that some hold classes on Saturdays. Another big difference is that students attend high school only for 3 years.

For this first part of the year I will be working with “les secondes” who are in their first year of High School. I will have small groups of students 1x per week for a month. Then I get all new students. The English teachers want me to basically create chapter ideas with a final project for the students to present to them at the end of the month. The students in each group can choose what they would like to learn. I have a couple ideas and I am hoping that the students this first session will have ideas of what they want to learn as well. Obviously my first class with each group will be an introduction class, so I can’t get too elaborate with my “chapters”… no time for the beloved syllabus day!

At the same time, this blog post is to shamelessly ask your opinions- What do these French kiddos absolutely need to know about America? English Language?  Email me if you want to hear about what I’ve got so far…

No matter what topic/chapter the students choose to do, I would also like to give them some common language/slang vocabulary… but it has to be appropriate for 15 year olds. Some kind of “word of the week”. Any suggestions for that vocabulary list?

I will also have a group of 6 teachers from school 1x a week so they can practice their English... a little intimidating!

When the semester changes we are going to try and make a yearbook- which is something they don’t do here. That will be an interesting challenge of course and in no way can it be as elaborate as ours in the states, but I think it could be a great way to really make normal American high school life something personal and easy for them to understand.

I’m kind of working from scratch here, as I’ve never really done my own teaching and I don't have a course book to follow. Suggestions are welcome… I am very excited to have my schedule, really hammer out some plans, and get going!

Pornic & Sainte Marie Sur Mer, FRANCE

Cou Cou everyone, I finally find myself in France. And it is lovely.

 The past few days I have spent with an English teacher from the high school where I'll be teaching, and her family. I was originally a little anxious about this, seeing as I had never stayed with a French family before... but it has been nothing but wonderful. We speak French about 95% of the time and I have regained a lot of confidence in my language skills- it's hard to retain vocabulary and grammar without any regular practice in the States. I have also had the opportunity to eat homecooked delicious french food- we have had pain au chocolat, quiche, crepes (with scallops and leeks YUM), mussels and duck. Oh la la Mmmmm.


I'm going to attempt putting some photos of the city on the blog now...  It's situated right on the ocean- I can almost see you over there America!! There is also a chateau that dates from the Middle Ages, the Duke who built it knew Joan of Arc- I think they were friends but I could have misunderstood that part... People just walk around this place like it's nothing. Mmm I love the history and oldness of everything over here!











I spent today wandering around taking pictures, and journaling on the beach (see photo below). Not bad huh. I resisted the urge to swim in the ocean, because I did not think it was in my best interest to get eaten by a shark alone in France before I even started work here.

A little anecdote for you: While I was walking an older French man who passed me started to sing in English something Sinatra like- then said "not bad enh?" in French when he finished. Hoooowwww did he know I spoke English when we did not speak to each other? It's not like I was wearing a shirt with the bald eagle on it and tossing my passport around like a baton. In face I was wearing a boring green shirt, jeans, and carrying my French purse. Bah.

Tomorrow I move in with a different teacher who lives closer to the high school. It will be easier to get some of my affairs in order from there- open my back account etc. I can't move into my housing now until next Monday... so unless they can find me somewhere else to stay, I will be coming back to Pornic to stay with this family again for the weekend. 

There is a big education strike tomorrow. Oh France. You and your revolutionary spirit.

I'm happy to be here.


Gros Bisous,
Steph

Why Love France?

Sometimes people are confused just why I love France so much, and why I always want to be there.  So here’s a little something something I put together to let you know just what I am specifically excited about for the next couple months of my life, and some things I am not so excited about.

Things I love…

• Let’s get it out there right away: The Food, the Drinks, the Desserts, the Wine…The food is brilliant. I can’t wait to discover a local boulangerie for my everyday baguette, try many patisseries for macarons and bonbons, go to the market for fresh veggies and fruit, and pair a good stinky cheese with even better glass(es) of red wine.

• Being a Pedestrian. All the time. I won’t have a car in France. No big deal. I’ll have public transportation, hopefully a bike, and my own two legs. This will suffice. .. and will hopefully counterbalance my love of French food.

• Foreign Language I make mistakes. But I love love love this language. And I can’t wait to see just where my language skills will go after such a long period of time listening/speaking/writing it.  And the funny stories I will have from language miscommunications. These situations can breed awkward, and I tend to thrive in that. Bring it on.

• Teaching I know I belong somewhere in the education field, and I feel lucky that I have had a lot of different opportunities to see just where I want to fit in. I am excited and terrified to have a classroom of my own.

• Travel There is a Mediterranean cruise planned for October with my parents and my aunt. I’ll probably be in Spain at Christmastime. I want to get to Morocco to see my college roommate at some point. And my very first friend ever is planning on coming over to backpack. Top it all off with the possibility of working camp again this spring? Family, Boyfriend, Friends… the world is ours. I can’t wait to explore more of it with you

• A Slower-Paced Lifestyle They work a shorter work week, take longer lunch breaks, and close their shops up when they need to. Americans put so much value on ambition and convenience… which can be great. But I think that some days it’s harder for us to take a step back and enjoy everyday living.  

• New People + New Perspectives One of my favorite parts about study abroad was the class of kids I studied with. We had about 17 kids in class, representing about 9-10 different countries. Living in the Midwest, this is not something I get to experience often. I’m excited to learn more about France and will have most of my interactions with French people, but there is also a German language assistant and a Spanish language assistant placed at my school. And I’m sure multiple nationalities will be living at the “foyer” that I will be calling home

• Pretending to be Belle from Beauty & the Beast It’s too easy. Life over there is so picturesque. I just want to sit on a fountain while people sing a song about me, read a book, and have a sheep take a bite out of a page.  I can skip the whole locked up in a castle for a spell of time. 

Things I can handle but wish I didn’t have to…

• (The lack of) my American life + Time Difference  I will miss you, and you, and you… I have a lot of wonderful people to miss. This will not be easy. I know that. I love you. I know that the time difference makes it hard to keep in touch, but let’s try. And if you ever are wondering what life 6 hours into the future is like, chat me up…

• Dog Poop. Everywhere. The French are not the most responsible dog owners when it comes to picking up their pups’ messes. When I studied abroad I had one particularly terrible day. And on my way to my program director’s office to discuss said day, I stepped in Dog Poop for the first time that semester. He congratulated me and said that meant I had truly lived in France for a significant period of time.

• Greves (Strikes) True Story, I was once tear-gassed in France.  Because I was outside eating my lunch at the wrong place wrong time, and the middle schoolers were striking. While I love that the French really work for what they believe and act as an important part of their government processes, this can be very inconvenient. And make you cry. And they are very common.

• Neutral Colors Goodbye bright colored clothing and prints. I used to think I was so worldly and people would mistake me for European all the time. Nope. I am so… American.  I don’t need to be drawing any excess attention to myself so I try as hard as I can to dress like the French when over there. So I’ll be donning black, brown, beige, grey etc clothes for a good spell of time.

There are good and bad things about everywhere you can live. But since I try to live my life a little more on the optimistic side, I think my list of great things about France outweighs my negatives.  My lists could be far more extensive, but you get where I’m going. I love France.  I’m excited to live there, and maybe now it’s a little clearer why. I'm only 10 days away!

Bises, 

Steph