MN = Timberwolves, France = Strikes

There have been a number of tell-worthy things in the last couple days and I have been bad about keeping up. So I'll write a chunk now and then I’ll get back to y’all on the rest. If it’s not short, I’ll at least try to keep it sweet.

Thursday I went around to more classes to observe and introduce myself. Being in front of French high schoolers is such a confidence booster. I’m automatically cool x 2 because I’m in my 20s AND I’m American. Like a real American. Like the ones they see on Gossip Girl and stuff. So cool. So cool I even say “cool” with an American accent.

Les sports

I’m surprised at how many people here recognize the state of Minnesota because of the Timberwolves. When I say where I come from, the response is generally a blank stare or “Oh! like the basketball team!”

Yeah….like the basketball team… that’s notorious for blowing chunks.

No one has heard of the Twins. Except, a girl was wearing a Twins jersey in one of the classes that I talked to. I was like HEY! Big game today! She just shrugged, but it made me smile. In France, any level of Twins loyalty is exciting.

Nouvelle camarade/amie

Another exciting part of school on Thursday was that I met Florence, who is one of the real English teachers (as in not an assistant). She’s 25 and in her first year teaching. She sympathized with me a lot because she’s only been at the school a month, so she’s still a little lost herself. She also understands the chaos of the foreign language assistant deal because she did the same program teaching French in Ireland a couple years ago.

She’s living in Paris not too far from me, so we went out for drinks in Saint-Germain-des-près yesterday. We’ve got ourselves a nice little symbiotic situation: I’m happy to have her around to be a guide in France and in teaching, and she’s happy to have a native English speaker around to keep her fluent. Though, I told her we’d have to speak French some of the time, as I am here to learn as well.

Eazy-Squeezy

I also got my work schedule at long last! I know that my mentor had been stressed trying to accommodate all of the English teachers’ needs. I was worried that the only way it would work was for me to come for 1 or 2 classes everyday. That would mean about a sizeable chunk of my time in France would be spent commuting. But, she did really well for me! It’s looking really cushy. I only work 3 days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. On Tuesdays I don’t have to be in until 10am and on Fridays I’ll be done by noon.

The teachers in France only have classes 15-20 hours a week, is that normal for the US? I feel like our teachers have to do a lot more than that.

Le Food

I went to the cantine for the first time this week and their lunch is pretty awesome. The food is below average for French food, but it is head and shoulders above the average American high school cafeteria. In some ways it’s really familiar: you get in line, grab your tray, get your food and look for a place to sit. The menus are entirely different.

With the American lunch menu, you got

- 1 Piece of fruit (a red delicious or an under-ripe banana)

- Hamburger, chicken patty or slice of pizza.

- 8 oz of milk or juice

At South High, if you paid extra you could also get a pop, a carton of fries, a bag of chips or a set of 4 huge chocolate chip cookies. Then you step out to the condiment counter and choose from ketchup, mustard or bbq sauce.

The French school lunch menu has multiple courses.

- You start out by taking as many chunks of baguette as you want.

- Then you get your choice of appetizer. They have little plates with different kinds of salad or paté, something along those lines.

- Then you get to choose a dairy product. There’s a couple different kinds of cheese or yogurt.

- Then you get your choice of dessert. They like to have some healthier options, like yogurt or fruit, and then they’ll have chocolate mousse or religeuse pastries.

- After all that, you get to assemble your main plate. There’s veggies, some sort of side (couscous, potatoes, etc), a protein (meat, fish etc.) and usually some sort of sauce/gravy.

Oh, and as a teacher I get an espresso at the end of my meal. 

This all costs me 3 euros. I will be eating lunch there are much as I can.

Le Public Transit Strike

The gov’t here just moved the retirement age back 7 years and people are understandably pissed. In typical French fashion, the reaction is a strike. So, next Tuesday is the beginning of a huge public transit strike that will last until who knows when. Tuesday is also supposed to be my first day of classes. I asked my teachers if I am expected to come in since I have such a long commute. I am. Since strikes happen here so often, life must continue as normally as possible. I guess since this happens so much, the law requires that they have a handful of trains that still run. If I have to walk to Guyancourt, it will take me a day. Please keep your fingers crossed for me.

That’s all for now folks! Stay tuned, my next installment will include some rollerblading, mooning, and French hobbits.