Mary-Est-En-France

Saturday

Once again, constant rain! I was stuck inside throughout the day. I listened to my audiobook on Russian history for a few hours in the morning. I’m really missing my amazing collection of yarn back home for days like this! I’ve already made all the coasters and hats that I can with the yarn that I brought along with me.

In the afternoon, I watched all of the Santa Claus movies with Tim Allen. I never realized how conservative he was, certainly shifts the way I view those movies.

I got to sit on the phone with my lovely friend Rachel in the evening.

Friday

I had hoped to spend the day shopping or visiting Lyon, but the weather had other plans. It rained at a constant pace throughout the day. I enjoyed a fresh pot of coffee, cleaned the apartment, and watched Christmas movies.

I went to the Bodet house for dinner around 8pm. The meal started later than normal because Yanza had rugby practice. Mme Bodet made a selection of traditional French sausages. I really enjoyed getting the sampler!

I asked the Bodets about the weather in Anthon this time of year. They informed me that it is almost always raining. It never snows. They said that the only places in southern France that got snow are in the mountains. I’m sad that there won’t be snow for Christmas. I’m starting to think a lot more about the holidays now. It is starting to sink in that I won’t be home to see my family.

Thursday

An unexpected vacation day. Catherine alerted me that she wasn’t feeling well and would be staying home from school, eliminating two of my classes for the day. Mr. Ahaddout informed me that he would be staying home for a few weeks, eliminating another class. When I emailed Geraud for the morning plan he told me that I might as well stay home if I was only going to have one hour of class for the day. Fine by me!

The French school system is really different from our own. When teachers are gone for the day, there is no substitute called in to replace them. Students simply don’t have class. If there are multiple teachers gone, the kids don’t come to school. If a teacher is going to be gone for a long period of time, there might be a substitute called in so the students don’t fall too far behind.

I had originally hoped to use my refreshed bus card, however it quickly became apparent I was out of my depth with regards to public transit. My small town life has not prepared me to use public transit regularly. I avoided it like the plague in Ann Arbor because it made me so anxious to even consider. I would rather walk 40 minutes than figure out a bus transfer. So, my desk was covered with little bus schedules and I switched from app to app to try and find the best routes possible into the city and home.

I realized that trying to navigate the day of my trip was not the best idea. Instead, I decided I would plan a trial trip for the next day to the outlet mall I visited with Catherine a few weeks ago. The outing would require me to visit most of the same stations that a trip to Lyon would and it would ultimately be lower stakes if I got lost. I hoped to look over some books, some winter clothes, and to check out some restaurants around town.

Thursday ended up being a great rest day. My sense of taste started to come back. I can make out more flavors than I could before. I would liken the sensation to walking through a foggy town. You can vaguely make out that there are objects beyond you in the fog, but you can’t quite tell what they are. To celebrate, I made pancakes from scratch and ate them with some amazing maple syrup.

Next week I think I’ll talk about the holiday season in the United States with my students. If you are out and about in the coming days, please send me some pics of holiday decorations that I can share with the kids! If you decorate a tree or do the elf on the shelf, that might also be cool to share. Anything you can think of would be appreciated!

Wednesday

Madame Bodet took my to the transport office to help me get my bus card sorted out. We communicated that the bus routes available to Anthon forced me to go out of zone to Meyzieu before turning back. Thankfully, there was a plan available that allowed me to add Lyon and the Meyzieu zone to my card for roughly the same price! Now I can use my card to get to Lyon and on the metro there! What a relief. Now I’ll be able to go into the big city to shop or walk around as much as I want.

We went to the store to grab some groceries. I always feel rushed because she’s waiting on me, even though I know she doesn’t care how long I take at the store. So, even though I was able to find a lot of helpful items, I still forgot a few things. I hope that with the bus card it will be easier for me to be independent. Maybe I can go into the city to shop at Monoprix and grab Starbucks!

I spent much of the day reading, watching crime shows, and finishing up some paperwork. In the evening I decided that I should get out of the house and go for my hour long walk. Thank goodness for audiobooks! I got to learn more about the Russian imperial family as I walked.

I took a new route through the village to spice things up and orient myself. I passed a beautiful cross at one intersection.

At the next intersection, I found a cute little Christmas display. This is a bad picture, but there’s a tree decorated with light and small presents.

I passed the Mairie (town hall) and discovered an adorable little letter box for Santa. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the French ideas surrounding secularism. The French state is supposed to laïque which roughly translates to “secular.” This is supposedly in an effort to create a state that ignores religious differences to promote equality. Something that surprises Americans is the fact that students aren’t allowed to wear hijabs or any signs of religious affiliation in schools because they are state-run institutions. However, as I have observed throughout the week, Christmas songs are played over the loudspeaker to release students from classes. One teacher pointed out that over half the students we teach are Muslim. Yet, we hear only Christian tunes played overhead and see only symbols associated with Christianity decorating the schools. She argued that this did not violate laïtcité because Christmas was a pagan holiday and thus entirely unrelated to religion. Never mind, I suppose, that paganism is still faith system and is not secular. When I asked students about the issue, they claimed it was fine because Christmas has been commercialized. I wondered what American Christians would have to say about those evaluations.

I ended my day with my weekly phone call with some friends and a bit of Duolingo. The Duolingo Year in Review just came out and I was pretty pleased with my results!

Tuesday

My marathon day. I got on the 7:30 am bus out of Anthon to the school. We’ve reached what I think I can officially say is winter. It is consistently about 35-40 degrees outside. The morning air is frigid, especially near the water. I’m starting to miss being home. I wish there was frost on the grass or even just a little bit of snow. Instead, there are oranges clinging to trees and still blooming flowers on the side of the street.

I sat and listened to my audiobook on the Romanovs before my classes started at 9am. As usual they were super rowdy. I had them work on a vocabulary exercise together for the first ten minutes and then we spent the rest of the time talking about landmarks in New York, LA, and Chicago. I showed each class drone tours of Central Park, Navy Pier, and photos from my family trip to Santa Monica Pier. They always get really excited when I show them older pictures of me and act shocked that my hair used to be a lot longer. I got to head home at 12 with Madame Bodet.

Each year on December 8th, the city of Lyon hosts a Festival of Lights. We were unable to go because of COVID restrictions, but nearby villages like Anthon also participate. The same day as the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the festival celebrates the Virgin Mary. In 1643, Lyon was struck by an outbreak of the plague. Members of the town council promised to pay tribute to Mary if she would intercede and stop the outbreak. Since that time, there has been an annual procession to the Basilica of Fourvière to give thanks. The massive church sits atop a steep hill in the city and overlooks Vieux Lyon (old Lyon).

Nearby towns like mine celebrate by placing small candles outside their windows at night. I didn’t think it would be dramatic, but when I stepped outside I gasped! It seemed like the street was transformed. Nearly every windowsill and every doorstep was outlined in tiny candles, fluttering in the evening breeze.

Monday

Peeling myself up and out of bed felt like a Herculean feat. I got a ride into school with Mme Bodet, her son, and his friend. I was there about an hour early so I grabbed a coffee from the little machine and sat down to read my new book Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis. I’m excited to get through it and see what she has to say.

My first classes were working on how to describe a photo in English. I decided to share some photos from my summer in Ann Arbor and the different nature trips I was able to take. (I’ll share some of them below.) Students talked about what was going on in each photo and described the colors and objects in each photo.

My next groups were talking about using personality traits to describe others. My presentation included Ursula, Mulan, and Olaf. We watched short video clips of each character and then would move on to a picture of them where I would write all the words we would use to describe them. The kids love when I play videos, so I think I’ll have to use one each week. It’s good to practice their listening skills!

I was really frustrated with one of my 6ème groups on Monday. There were five boys who sat in the back and wouldn’t stop talking. My head was pounding and I asked them multiple times to be quiet throughout the class. I gave them one last warning and had them write their names down for me so I could talk to the teacher later that day. Another boy approached my after class to tell me they had been insulting me in whispered voices when I turned around. When I spoke to the teacher she promised they would not be attending my class in the future and that she would write home to their parents about their behavior. I feel bad that they won’t be able to come to class anymore, but honestly it is a bit of a comfort because everyone else in the class is so nice. There’s a little girl in the same class who waves hello to me every time she sees me in the hall and tells me she loves me. It warms my heart.

At lunch I ate with the Italian and German teachers. They were both really nice and it turns out this is everyone’s first year at the school. The Italian teacher is closer to my age and told me she wants to travel around the country with me! I’d love to do it, but I really need to practice either understanding her Italian accent or my Italian!

My final class of the day was the 3ème Euro class. They’ve been working on the United Nations Sustainability Goals for their exchange with the Spanish and the Italian students. We finished the questions and then started brain storming ideas for their Christmas cards. We listened to the iconic Mariah Carey song to finish up the day.

I rode the bus home, completely exhausted. I collapsed on my bed as soon as I got back and fell asleep immediately. I slept for four hours, got up to eat and watch some TikTok, and fell asleep for the night. It was perhaps the most tired I had ever been. I struggled throughout the day to speak French and felt like I had regressed to where I had been in my language skills when I first arrived. It was so frustrating.

Wednesday through Sunday

What a long week! I spent last week recovering from COVID-19. There weren’t many fun things to keep everyone updated on and I didn’t have the energy to write everyday, so I decided to lump all the posts together here.

Wednesday

In the evening, Catherine (the head English teacher from Charvieu) stopped by to bring me chicken soup supplies and a plush new pillow! I was so grateful! We made sure to wear masks during the exchange and she told me that the children cried when they heard I was sick. One girl thought that I was going to die! Definitely was not a comforting thing to hear, but Catherine was almost giddy as she told me because their reaction meant that they really love having me come in.

Thursday

I was elated because Thursday morning my European charger arrived for my 3DS. I was able to spend all day dozing and playing Harvest Moon with crime documentaries in the background. I had enough energy by the end of the day to throw together the chicken soup supplies. I made enough soup to last multiple meals because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to cook again.

I got to end the day with a call with one of my friends.

Friday

My pounding headache finally started to dissipate! I was able to sit up a while longer to enjoy the Sherlock series. I read for a few hours and finished the Mindhunter book. At the end of the day I chatted with another friend on the phone.

Saturday

I finished Sherlock and Hannibal. Made some major headway on my video games. Might have to invest in some new ones while I’m here.

Sunday

The final day of my quarantine. Teachers expected my back in the classroom the next day and it was assumed that I was no longer contagious. I worked on slideshows that taught students how to describe personalities using famous Disney characters like Ursula and Mulan.

End Notes

I was lucky to catch a comparatively mild case of COVID. Still, it was an absolutely exhausting illness. The entire week, I struggled to do basic care tasks because I was so exhausted. It felt like my body was suddenly 100 pounds heavier and I didn’t have the muscle mass to carry it around. Though I didn’t have much of a cough, I felt and continue to feel that I lose my breath easily. Walking up stairs or quickly through the school is incredibly tiring. For days, I thought my head might explode because my headaches were so severe. Thankfully, this was the first symptom to go. I lost my sense of taste and smell early on, making it a struggle to eat. When everything tastes like nothing, it’s quite disconcerting. I’m still waiting for these senses to come back in full. I can tell when things are salty or sweet because of increases in salivation, but I couldn’t distinguish between foods if you paid me.

I urge you to take COVID seriously! I was lucky to experience only mild symptoms compared to others, but those symptoms have still been absolutely exhausting. This has worse than any flu experience I have had. Wash your hands and stay safe!

Tuesday

I didn’t bother to set an alarm this morning because I knew I had the day off. I almost cheered when I realized I wouldn’t be seeing my monstrous classes this week. I watched some Youtube, listened to the news, and did my morning routine.

I got a text from the lab saying my results were ready around 11am. I logged onto the patient portal and thought I must have misread something. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Positive. I tested positive for COVID-19. I was floored.

A few minutes later the doctor called to confirm. I definitely didn’t misread anything. She asked about my close contacts, my symptoms, and gave me information about quarantine procedures. In France, you only have to quarantine for a week if symptoms don’t persist. You don’t even have to be retested before returning to work.

I wanted to do my part to let me circle know what was going on. I started by sending out a flurry of emails. I informed both of my schools, sending them a copy of my results. I let me landlady know and told her to monitor for symptoms. I called Mme Bodet to give her the news and she ran out to grab me some pain medication (she’s too sweet). Catherine gave me a call when she got out of school and she’s making a run for chicken soup supplies tomorrow.

I’m so grateful for all the support I’ve gotten from my friends over here. I’ll be sure to keep everyone in the US posted as things progress. For now, my symptoms are manageable. However, I do want to stress that this is something that needs to be taken seriously. Not being able to taste your food SUCKS! It’s scary not knowing when (or if) I’ll be able to smell again, or if my sense of smell will be the same. Wearing a mask in public helps protect others and helps limit the spread of COVID-19. If you’re sending your children to school in person, teach them to wear their masks properly so they aren’t getting teachers or fellow students sick. Due to the confinement here, I can say with certainty I was exposed at school. Just because we want our schools to be safe places for our kids, doesn’t mean they are. If your district goes online, take a second to remember that it’s for a good reason.

Remember – wear a mask and wash your hands!

~Things I’d Rather Be Doing Include~

Monday

I didn’t even think about it on Monday, but this day marked the end of my first full month in France. It feels so different from my summer in Grenoble. Those weeks felt like a grand adventure. I was traveling every weekend with my lovely friend Jillian and the amazing friends we made in our program. We were seeing castles and museums while eating new and beautiful foods. This trip hasn’t had the same sprinkle of magic. Maybe it’s because I’m working, lesson planning, and struggling to set up a life here on my own. Maybe it’s because I’ve been required to stay at home and haven’t seen any exciting new sights. I’m hoping that as confinement eases I’ll be able to go out and start having those magical French experiences again. However, as it turns out, Monday wasn’t much help in that direction.

I do want to stop here to provide a ~content warning~ regarding COVID-19. If you don’t want to hear details regarding COVID, you may want to stop reading here.

I woke up around 8am with a bit of a headache Monday morning. I hurried along getting ready for work, setting up the coffee pot, and hopping in the shower. I got dressed, put on the news, and realized that I couldn’t smell the coffee brewing on the stove. My mind went instantly to the news reports I had been reading in previous weeks that stated loss of smell and taste were COVID symptoms. Still, I wasn’t sure. I thought perhaps it was just hard to smell coffee brewing in this new type of pot. I poured my cup, waited for it to cool, and took a sip. Nothing.

My mind went blank. Then, in a flurry, I flung open the fridge desperate to find something I could smell- trying to prove to myself that I still could. Pasta sauce? Nothing. Soup from the night before? Nothing. My jar of sliced onions? Absolutely nothing. I closed the fridge and sat on the floor. I didn’t want to overreact, but my heart was racing. My classes started for the day at 10, it was 9:20. I didn’t know what to do. If I was sick, I didn’t want to expose the students to COVID. Still, I worried about my ability to communicate what was going on.

I got all of my things together and headed out as if I were going to school for the day. However, before I got in the car I told Mme Bodet that I suspected I was experiencing COVID symptoms. Together, we called the school and filled them in on the situation. I got the day off and the teachers I was going to be working with were informed. We asked both schools to inform us of any positive cases that might have come into contact with me. Apparently, both schools had had students come down with positive cases. However, because they students and I were both wearing masks the school would not consider my case as one contacted there.

Madame Bodet drove me to her doctor’s office in Charvieu. I went over my symptoms with the doctor when we arrived. Slight sore throat, splitting headache, intense fatigue, and the loss of smell/taste. She gave me a prescription for both a rapid test and the PCR test. The appointment was 25 euros because I didn’t have French insurance. They apologized for the “huge” expense, but I thought it was really affordable compared to prices at American Urgent Care centers. I was shocked that I got such quality and efficient care for such a low price.

We left the office and zipped up the road to the local lab where I got signed up for the PCR test. (I’d post a little picture of the prep kit, but it has some personal information on it.) We went through the drive through, I got the little swab shoved to the back of my brain, and I got dropped off at home to await my results.

It was quite a nerve-wracking day. All I had to do was sleep and wonder what my results would be. Teachers kept texting me to ask if I was alright, which was sweet but also anxiety invoking. As the day went on, I tried to convince myself that I actually could taste something, but that ultimately failed when I realized I couldn’t tell if I was drinking a glass of wine with dinner or if it was actually just water. I went to bed hoping for the best.

Sunday

I had a slow morning. I had some oranges for breakfast and continued watching Netflix. I decided to make a scarf out of the massive ball of yarn Catherine bought for me the day before. It turned out really well! I’m excited to wear it when things get a little chillier.

At 12:30 I had lunch with the Bodet family across the street. We had roast duck, white rice, and baked butternut squash with a mushroom filling. There was an Italian dessert wine during the meal and a tidy little espresso afterwards.

After we ate, Mme Bodet went off for her walk and I sat down with Yanza to practice for his English test on Monday. We read through the piece and corrected grammar together. When he felt prepared enough, I headed home.

I’ve been a little frustrated because the teacher’s here only tell me the plan for class the day before. It gives me very little time to prepare and I never feel like I’ve been able to do a great job. Tomorrow I’ll be teaching about the 3 biggest cities in the US and some of the landmarks they each have. Luckily, I’ve been able to find some video tours that look promising and I put together a slideshow. I made up a vocab exercise for everyone to work on as well. Here’s hoping it goes over well!