Mary-Est-En-France

Thursday

My last day of classes. Wow. I didn’t expect to be saying that this soon. Catherine pulled up around 8am and we took off towards Charvieu one last time.

Of course, we had to talk about the news. She confirmed that we would be starting lockdown, but told me that the President also announced that people were allowed to travel for Easter. Thus, if I wanted to squeeze in one last trip I could. I just needed to be back by Tuesday. Catherine told me that she was absolutely shocked by the decision to close classrooms. Apparently, teachers preferred to have half classes instead of sending everyone home. Personally, I think the government finally made the most responsible choice. Those kids don’t wear their masks. They’re spreading COVID to each other and their teachers every day.

The staff room was abuzz when we arrived. Everyone was worried about how they would get work to their students. The principal, Mme Mille, gave a rallying speech to those in earshot.

Catherine and I went upstairs to class. I walked down the hall to meet with Géraut and give him the baby blanket I made a few weeks ago. He thanked me. I took my half of the class and we got started. Both groups were full of energy. We said our goodbyes and they asked me a few questions about France and my time here. They were particularly interested to know whether I thought France was better than the US. I tried to give a nuanced answer, but these kids don’t really get nuance haha. We finished class by going over some American slang.

Noury was cheerful as usual when I arrived in his class. He apologized for not having a surprise ready for me, he thought that he would have time to get it ready by next week. I told him that it was alright and that I appreciated the thought. For our last class, we watched the rest of Annie with Jamie Foxx. When the movie ended, Noury had the class stand up and give me a standing ovation. He said that he really appreciated my time in his class and that I did a great job with his students. I’ve really doubted my abilities here and hearing a colleague compliment my lessons and the things I shared with the students really meant a lot to me. I think that Noury was my favorite teacher to work with.

We walked together to the break room and talked about all the things I planned to do when I got back to the US. He was excited for me to start law school in the fall. He told me that he hopes to move to the US soon because he’s tired of teaching in France. He said that within the next year or so he at least plans to start a business venture in Morocco with a few friends because he has a house there. I did have to laugh because he said that he was surprised to see me today after the news the night before. He thought that I’d already be on a flight home. He told me I should get out of France as soon as possible. As the break drew to a close, we shook hands and said goodbye. I’ll miss getting to talk to him.

After break, I went and spent the hour with Catherine’s 5eme class. We all stayed together and we did the presentation on slang. The class had a lot of fun guessing what everything was even though it was a bit challenging for them. There were a lot of words that even Catherine didn’t know. Before I got going, we talked about what I would be doing when I went back to the US. The kids said they were sorry to see me go and would miss our time together. They all insisted that I come back to France and I said I’d consider it for work haha. After class, some students stayed behind to take pictures with me. It was really sweet.

Before going down to the 6eme class, I stopped in to say goodbye to Mme Mille. I thanked her for everything that she’s done for me while I’ve been at her school. I got her address so I can send her something in the mail when I get home.

Finally, I went down to see my last class. The 6eme greeted me with extreme excitement. They all agreed that they want to have an outdoor picnic with me next week if I’m still in the country- how could I say no? We talked for a bit about my plans and what I want to do with my life. They were very excited that I want to be a lawyer. They made me promise to keep them updated. For the rest of our time we talked about Boston and they absolutely loved the pictures. At the very end of class we did our goodbye photos. I got one with the whole class because they were my favorites. Then I did a bunch of individuals because every kid wanted one for their phone. As a special treat, I even took off my mask once before saying goodbye so they could see my face for the first time. I felt really sad saying goodbye. I really was not prepared for that yet.

When I got home I felt emotionally exhausted. I ate a light lunch and took a super long nap. When I woke up, I realized that I should get out and do some exercise. I ended up taking a walk around the village and mailing some letters. It was absolutely beautiful outside. Everyone was out enjoying the weather. There were basketball players on the court, pétanque games were everywhere in the square, and I constantly was walking by people and saying “bonjour.”

I got back from my walk just in time for my call with my friend. We got to go over all the craziness from the day before and talk through it. By this time I was feeling a lot calmer and was thinking more reasonably about it. I told them that I was thinking of leaving France in two or three weeks.

Our call ended just in time for me to make it to dinner with the Bodet family. Of course, we talked about the news. Both Daniel and Bernadette expressed that they were sorry my year in France had been so miserable. They both wanted me to be able to travel and “profite-bien.” Daniel made us some celebratory end of contract drinks nonetheless. They had rum, ice, citron syrup, and lemons- delicious. We enjoyed them as we watched the news and learned more about the upcoming confinement. The Bodets confirmed that I could travel from Friday to Tuesday. Bernadette told me that I needed to go even if I went alone, so I decided to pack my bags for Colmar the next day. After the news ended, we moved to the dinner table. There was a very cheese-y veggie casserole dish from Savoie paired with roast chicken and Savoie wine. We joked that even if I hadn’t traveled on a train, I had traveled France at their table.

At dinner we talked about our favorite American National Parks. Both Bernadette and I said Yellowstone and talked about our experience with bisons. She talked about her time at the Grand Canyon. Ianja did not believe her when she said how big it was so we had to look it up. He said the only part of the US he knew was New York city because of Spiderman. Daniel mentioned that he knew New York because of 9/11 and Bernadette agreed. They both remember watching the second plane hit the tower on live TV and said that the world completely changed after that day. It’s weird hearing that and knowing that most of my life has been spent in that completely changed world of heightened security and terror attacks. Though we had discussed 9/11 before, Ianja did not remember. He spent the rest of dinner watching old news footage and asking questions about the attack. I felt really strange about it because all throughout grade school that footage is played with clips from inside the towers. I remember sitting in 9th grade history, being shown a documentary and seeing people jump to their deaths- yet this little French boy had no clue the towers had even existed. It felt surreal.

When we finished our ice cream and cleared the table, I decided it was time to head home. I had a call and needed some downtime to myself to think over the day. I thanked them for everything and Bernadette reminded me to let her know when to pick me up Monday from the Meyzieu bus stop. I told her I would.

After a bit of alone time I had my weekly call. I felt so tired all of the sudden that I needed to just go to bed. I said goodnight, turned on some white noise, and fell asleep.

Wednesday

What an unusual day this turned out to be.

I woke up early so I could meet my neighbor Catherine J outside. She had agreed to take me to Crémieu so that I could renew my bus card for the month of April. I was in and out of the appointment in about five minutes. Catherine wanted to stop at the market while we were in town and I agreed to go along.

Our first stop was at a fromagerie. The glass counter full of assorted cheeses was absolutely beautiful. I marveled at all the different types. Catherine chose a few and got some butter before we were on our way.

The next shop was the butcherie. We waited in line for a bit before we were able to enter. Catherine encouraged me to enjoy the smells of roasting chicken and I was only reminded of how dull my sense of smell has been since I got COVID. I stationed myself directly next to the roaster and barely got a whiff. When we were finally able to enter, she found a selection of meats that she wanted to cook. Everything behind the counter looked so good! There were even fully prepared dishes available. I ended up buying some lasagne to take home for lunch. To my surprise, she was ready to head back to Anthon after purchasing the assorted meats. We climbed back into the tiny car and zipped away through the countryside. She pointed out all the “dry brick” walls that spotted the sides of the roads, telling me how they were constructed and how they were a great French tradition.

When we arrived home, I thanked her for the ride and scurried back to my room for a scheduled Zoom meeting. At 12, I chatted with one of the coordinators for the study abroad program I did in Grenoble in 2019. We talked about the influence that the program had on my life and my decision to come back to France. After our conversation I realized how much my time in Grenoble changed me and my mindset. Though I’ve done a lot of reflection on my time there, it can still be shocking to think about what a different person I became while I was there. I wonder if I’ll think the same things about myself after this program 🤔

Finally finished with my planned social engagements for the day, I enjoyed a long lunch before heading out on a long walk. It struck me just how little time I have left in France. I knew that April and May would pass quickly with the beautiful weather. I had just one more week before vacation, which would last two weeks, then just two more days the final week of April. I planned on having two weeks to travel after the program. My time in Anthon was growing more scarce. I took a lot of pictures so I could remember the little path that occupied so much of my time during confinement.

I walked until around 6pm, when I thought I had a call. Whoops! Wrong day. Instead, I made dinner for myself and put on a show. I was waiting for the French president’s speech to come on at 8pm. There were a lot of rumors circulating about what was going to happen. A lot of people suggested that our region might be confined because cases continue to soar here. Others hinted that schools might close- although many vehemently disagreed with that assessment. Madame Bodet assured me that we would be in the classroom next week. I wondered what new restrictions might mean and if life would return to how it had been in November when I first arrived.

My internet connection would not allow me to watch the broadcast live. Instead, I waited for news to trickle in from my friends. The first bit of news floored me. Secondary schools (middle and high school) were closing immediately. They would have Thursday and Friday to wrap up, then go online for a week, have a two week vacation, and be online again until May. Primary schools would be in person the last week of May. In one fell swoop, my time as a teaching assistant in France came to an end. I would not be able to say goodbye to half my students. I wondered what the traveling situation would be like- if restrictions were limited perhaps I had just won a month long vacation. Sadly, that was not the case. I received a message saying that confinement would start for the entire country again by Saturday. Unless there was pressing need for work or some other activity, we became limited to a 10km radius from our homes. Travel between regions would not be possible. I was crushed. There were so many things that I wanted to do in France and will be unable to enjoy. I would not even be able to say goodbye to my friends in person. I started to wonder if the best choice was simply to return home early.

Tuesday

I got to sleep in for a bit, as Mme Bodet was taking me into school with the boys. I got there just in time to get my lessons up and go grab the class from the end of the hall.

The first 5eme class has a really low level, so when I explained I was leaving they had no clue. One of the students got it and translated for everyone else. I explained that we could play games and figure something out that was special for our last few classes. They were happy with that. We learned a bit about Boston. They thought that the Little Italy portion of the town was pretty cool.

The next 5eme class has the highest level of the three groups. They understood when I told them that I was leaving. They asked me a ton of questions about the US and about my plans for afterward. We had a conversation about the vaccination rollout in the US. They were shocked that the US is actually doing a good job with it- I mean, aren’t we all?

My final class of the day, as usual, was a mess. They had a hard time understanding that I was leaving. When we finally got that communicated, they acted shocked that I would leave them and expressed that they would miss me sooo much. I had a good laugh to myself, they’re so naughty but apparently I’m their “favorite.”

I booked it out of the school and to the bus. I tried to read on the bus, but the Hardy Boys could not hold my attention. Two older ladies were having a very loud conversation that was just far too animated for me to read at the same time. I waited at the Meyzieu stop for 10 minutes and hopped on my next bus. The sun was absolutely wonderful outside. I fully planned on going for a walk, but I ended up sleeping until almost dinner time!

I went over to the Bodet house to find it decked out like we were having a party. I was a bit confused. Bernadette told me that her day had been super busy and she’d been getting calls from all her friends. I asked her if everything was okay and she said yes-that it was her birthday! I kicked myself, I wish that I had known and had brought over some wine or something! I immediately told her “joyeux anniversaire!”

Daniel brought over a bottle of wine from 2002 and we all clinked glasses saying “santé!” We enjoyed some charcuterie and chatted for a bit. Before long, Ianja brought out a few gifts for his mom. She opened them and said thank you. We transitioned to the dinner table and poured some more wine. That night we ate from the “planchette.” It was essentially a long, board-like electric griddle. There were plates of spiced and seasoned meats and a plate of veggies to fry up. Everyone could select what they wanted. Our first course though, was cold white asparagus. It was the first of the spring from the garden. We ate it with a mustard and parsley sauce. Finally, all of us put on our first meats. The sizzle and the smell was absolutely amazing. I liked this a lot better than raclettes.

When we finished the main meal, the plates were cleared away for dessert. Daniel poured all of us some pink champagne. He prepared a fruit tarte with sparklers and brought over. We sang happy birthday in French and in English together. When the sparklers went out, Bernadette cut the cake and served each of us. It was delicious. After dinner, Ianja stood up and gave us his presentation on his internship. All the 9th graders have to do an internship for a week and then present on it for a big part of their grade. He got to practice and have some feedback from us. Before heading home, I made sure to tell Bernadette happy birthday again and thanked her for the wonderful dinner.

I ended the night with a call with two of my good friends. We got some good news about grad school from one of them which was such a highlight.

Monday

Caught the 7:20 bus in Anthon to Pont-Chéruy. Weird to think that I’ll only do that one more time on a Monday. Ahh so close to the end of the program I can almost taste it!

When we arrived at school, I realized that I was still hungry and needed to go into town for a snack. I made my way through the stream of students heading to school and to the bakery. I got two coffee éclairs. On my way back, I noticed that the pharmacie was open. I went in and picked up some high SPF sunscreen. I will not be caught burned after the next picnic.

Back at school, I settled in with my coffee and a book. I read for about an hour before Iilaria came in. I went to sit with her as she prepared some lessons. We made plans to travel to Switzerland soon. So excited! I wonder if I’ll be able to get another stamp in my passport 🤔

Finally, it was time to start classes. I decided to tell the kids that we would have just one more class together. Next Monday there will be no classes because it is a federal holiday. The conversation took up most of our time, but that’s okay. I think it’s just important that they were speaking in English haha. They asked me a lot of questions about my plans for after I return. They didn’t seem to understand that I am not actually a full-time, rest-of-my-life teacher. When I told them I was going back to school they were shocked. They also did not get that I wasn’t coming back to France.

At lunch, I sat down at an empty table and started to read my book again. Suddenly, a few of the younger teachers scouted me out and we chatted about activities going on in the school. After we ate, I went back to the staff room and made a coffee beverage. Another staff member felt the need to lecture me on how it was unsafe to fill my cup so high. I don’t see why it mattered to her, but that’s really just such a French thing to do. Back to the safety of my classroom I read my little book until it was finished. I was happy to see that my next hold was ready for me, so I decided to save that for after school. I’m really making some progress to my goal of 30 books!

After lunch I had the 4eme. They were completely unmotivated, as usual. I let them know that I was leaving in a few weeks and suddenly they decided they would be sad to see me go. It was kind of funny. Like- you folks have not been thrilled to be in my class all year and suddenly you’ll miss me???

The 6eme were in good form. They finished their posters that we worked on the week before and stopped to show me in the hall. I told them I’d be leaving and they demanded we have a cheese tasting before I go. I told them they needed to clear it with the teacher, that maybe we could play games instead. They were happy with that. They loved the pictures of Boston and were amazed the Americans build things out of brick and wood. It was like they think we’re less civilized for doing so.

Finally, I got to work with the euro kids. They seemed to really enjoy the slang activity. They could not guess what any of the slang meant. They had fun joking and guessing with each other though. That’s what’s important haha.

I took the bus home and started my new book. I made my dinner immediately because I felt like I was starving. I decided to take advantage of the wonderful weather and later curfew and went on a long walk around the village. It was great. I came home and decided to be a hermit. I sat and read my book the rest of the night.

Sunday

Well, we’re officially six hours apart again! Daylight savings time finally came to France Saturday night. I woke up and felt completely exhausted. Alli and I had fried potatoes, eggs, and bread for breakfast. I packed my things and got dressed for the day.

The big event for the afternoon was a picnic with Maggie’s roommates in the town park. One is from Columbia and another is from Italy. I was really excited to meet folks from other countries and to speak in French with them. Alli and I cut up some apples, peppers, and cheese in preparation for our little meal together.

We met up at the bus station downtown around 12:30 and walked from there to the “kiosk” which is a beautiful pavilion that overlooks the park and has a lovely view of the mountains. Someone produced a huge blanket and we took a seat in the middle of the park. All of us introduced ourselves and started chatting.

I got to learn about the types of experiences other people have had in the program. Sometimes I forget that the language assistant program is broader than the TAPIF program that brought me to France. In reality, people who speak many other languages come to France to teach students their mother tongue. One of the assistants spoke Spanish and was stationed in a high school, middle school, and a primary school. He said that he favored the high school students. That seemed to be the consensus, the high schoolers were the best because they were more motivated to be there. The picnic was certainly a highlight of the trip. One of the roommates brought wine and desserts that were really nice. It was so cool to be able to get through an entire 4 hour picnic in a foreign language. I never would have thought I could have done something like that a year ago. I feel really proud that my language skills have come this far.

Around 4pm, Alli and I excused ourselves so that we could grab my things and get to the 5:20 train. Everyone at the picnic exchanged contact information and promised to stay in touch. I thought it was so sweet, Maggie’s roommates were so shocked to hear about my bad experiences in France that they invited me to come back and stay with them the next weekend. Haha if there’s not another confinement, I might just head over.

Alli and I made it to the station on time and she waited with me until the train came. We both realized that we were absolutely scorched by the sun. Whoops! The heat must have made me tired, because I got on the train and the next thing I knew I was waking up as we pulled into Lyon.

The city is heavily “confiné” right now. The French government has put travel restrictions and limited movements within the city because of rising COVID numbers. I had to fill out an “attestation” to get to my tram and get home. Catherine A picked me up from the tram stop in Meyzieu. She told me that there were rumors still circulating saying that schools might be closing soon. Oooof.

I made it home after curfew. I sat down and planned my lessons for the next day. I decided that I would present Boston to the kids. I love Boston and got to go there to validate my visa for France. I threw some of my favorite pictures together so they could get a sense of the city. With the euro kids I decided to do the slang presentation that Maggie sent me a few weeks ago. I ended up going to bed early so I could be well rested for the early bus on Monday.

Saturday

We had a late start to the day. For breakfast, we fried up some potatoes, had some eggs, and a bit of bread. After we ate, Maggie and I took some time to tone our hair. We went from brassy blond to platinum.

Our main goal for the day was to visit the castle that sits on the mountain across from the main part of town. Before we departed, we stopped at the store and grabbed some beer and snacks. The hike up the hill to the ruins was quite lengthy. We decided the best option was to Uber up to the amphitheater halfway up the hill. There, we could have a picnic before mounting the rest of the slope.

There was a small nature path leading from the parking lot up to the Roman amphitheater where we stopped to eat our snack. The view from the picnic spot was absolutely breathtaking. If we turned around we could see the castle’s ruins spread out behind us. Ahead of us, over the hill, sat the entire city.

We found a spot in the amphitheater and settled down to have our snack. It was fun chatting and seeing all the other activities that people were partaking in around us.

After we enjoyed our break, we decided it was time to start the hike up. It was really a hike! The paths were covered in loose stone (I’m sure to avoid erosion), but that just made things more difficult. I was slipping and sliding everywhere! Finally, we got to the actually castle. It was incredible! I could not believe how many room there were. They were of different sizes, shapes, some next to stairs and some down long hallways. It was so complex. I marveled in the ingenuity of past peoples. To build something so impressive and to have it last so many years is truly a testament to their skills.

We reveled in the beauty of the castle remains for quite some time. As the sun was starting to fall, we decided it was time to make our way back home. We marched down the impossibly long hill and caught a bus to Alli’s apartment. Maggie and Jenni went home for the night. Alli, Julie (Alli’s roommate), and I all got sushi for dinner. When we finished eating, Alli and I watched a few crappy romantic comedy movies. We headed to bed soon after.

Friday

I got to have a relaxed start to this travel day. I got up around 9, packed some more and ate, and left around 10am to get to the bus. I rode to Meyzieu without a problem, hopped on the tram, and got into Lyon around 11:15. I had plenty of time before my bus, so I treated myself to a breakfast at Starbucks. It was amazingggg! I miss coffee from the US so much. I ate outside the station and enjoyed the warm sunshine.

Finally, I worked on finding the bus. I am proud to say that I was able to ask for directions and figure out where I needed to go really easily. I found out that the bus station was actually located just beyond the trams. I found my bus and waited until it was my turn to get on. The ride would be about an hour and forty-five minutes. On the way to Valence, the bus made a short stop in Vienne. The city has a lot of Roman ruins all around. There is a museum on the other side of the Rhône from the main part of town that discusses them.

I arrived in Valance at about 2:15. Alli came to pick me up and we had a nice walk back to her place from the station. When we got back, we cracked open a bottle of wine and grabbed some snacks. We invited the other girls to come over whenever they were ready. That afternoon, we planned to have a spa day. We were going to dye hair and do some haircuts because everyone was feeling the need for some self-care.

When Maggie and Jenni arrived, we took a trip across the street to Lidol to grab food for the night. We decided that we’d make our own pizzas. It ended up being a great idea. It was a fun activity to cook with everyone and prepare the food. Eating the pizza was even better. We played great music, had great wine, and put on the movie “She’s the Man.” While we watched, we started on everyone’s haircuts. It turns out that Maggie is a pro, so Maggie and I got some nice trims. Later in the evening, we got started on bleaching hair. Maggie did my roots and I did hers.

It ended up being pretty late, so we decided to worry about toning the hair the next day. Instead, we all enjoyed some cake and wine on the screened in porch. I was completely exhausted from all the activities by the time we turned in. I slept like a rock.

Thursday

Catherine A came to pick me up at 8am. I would be teaching her students about Easter in the US. Teaching about holidays like this always makes me a bit uncomfortable. I know that a lot of my students are Muslim and I don’t feel like I should be shoving Christain holidays down their throats when their holidays are pointedly not discussed in schools.

In my first class with the 4eme, I taught the lesson on New Orleans. They acted shocked when I explained that the US has 50 states. I know that we’ve talked about it before and I can’t help but be confused that they don’t already know that the United States has states. I feel so frustrated because it seems like everything I say to these kids goes in one ear and out the other.

I was getting my presentation ready for my class with Noury and he suggested that we watch a movie instead. I thought it sounded like a great option, so I agreed. I got to spend the hour on my phone with the students watched Annie with Jamie Foxx. I’m not a huge fan of this adaptation, but I thought it was still a good choice to share with the students.

At the break, everyone sat in the break room together and chatted about the possibility of another confinement. It seems that that is the word on everyone’s mouth. I’m really concerned about it. If there is another confinement, I might just come home early. There’s not much good with me just sitting in a little apartment all the time if I can’t travel.

With the 5eme class, I talked about Easter. It felt like such a long class. They behaved really well, but wow they looked so bored. I tried to show videos but the internet refused to work. I really felt bad, they did not seem to care about Easter at all. They were shocked when I said that sometimes we put change inside eggs for kids and that we wear nice clothes to church. All of them just wear jeans. Chocolate is very popular in France for Easter.

In the last class, a little girl presented about her trip to Asia. She showed us pictures that she took and said most of the presentation in English. It was so cute. I applauded at the end. After the presentation, I shared the Easter slides with the 6eme. They were much more interested than the previous group. They asked a lot of questions and were really interested in the Easter Bunny. I guess in France, baby chicks are more often the symbol of Easter.

After school, Catherine and I got lunch from the boulangerie and took it to a park to eat outside. It was a really good lunch and I got extra dessert. We chatted about how little the students are motivated at local schools. Catherine said that they prefer to get all of their information from their phones, but it is usually not factual. She told me that many students in France believe wild conspiracy theories because no one monitors their use of the internet. Many of the kids believe that China created COVID on purpose because of a certain Twitch streamer, for instance. I was happy because Catherine told me that she wouldn’t make me come back after break. She thought the kids would be too rowdy and she wanted me to have a chance to travel.

I arrived home just in time to change and get ready for my lesson with Nawel. We went to a different little park this time. I enjoyed it a lot, except it was next to a school so there were tons of little kids screaming their heads off outside. We talked about her experience in France with jobs and education. She studied to be and worked as a vet for several years in Algeria. She came to France to complete a masters program and a PhD. However, she was unable to fund her PhD research. She tried for three years before giving up. She wanted to be a scientific researcher. Since that time, she has done odd jobs. However, her goal has always been to return to research. That is why she wants to get better at English, so a lab might hire her. After the lesson, we picked up some stamps at the post office and then she took me home.

I took an evening walk to get in some steps. The sun was absolutely beautiful and there weren’t too many people out.

At the end of the day, I packed my bags and got ready to go to Valence the next day. I planned to stay the weekend with the other American assistants there. After I was packed, I got to chat with my friend on the phone. I read a bit before bed and turned in.

Wednesday

I started my day off with another run. The weather was perfect. Sunny with a steady breeze. I went at the perfect time- there were no French people out and about. I’ve noticed that even when you’re running, French people expect you to acknowledge them and say “bonjour.” I find it so frustrating- I just want to mind my own business, not huff “bonjour” at somebody with my bad accent haha.

I came home, showered, and made breakfast. I watched the news as I wrote letters. I had a cup of coffee and did some reading.

Around 2pm, Nawel came and picked me up for tutoring. We drove over to the lake in Charvieu and sat at a picnic table in the sun. She told me about her desire to start a business in France and the difficulties she faced. In the past, she tried to import products from Algeria so she could support artisans there and sell the products in France. However, shipping and storage were too expensive without a partner for the business venture and she had to give up. Since that time, she has been thinking of other business ideas so she can help small communities back in Africa.

I arrived home about 4pm and made myself a snack. I talked to my mom on the phone about our upcoming craft show and product orders.

I went over to the Bodet house for dinner. Janja made himself a pizza and the rest of us had a wonderful meal from Madagascar. Daniel made a traditional rice dish with a stewed fish. It was delicious. We drank white wine with dinner. At the table, the conversation was rather heated as Janja revealed his lack of knowledge on a lot of scientific topics. He pondered how we know what dinosaurs look like and how we know that birds evolved from them. Daniel seemed surprised that his son did not know these things and set about teaching him. We looked at extinct bird and animal species fossils together. Janja also did not know about continental drift or how volcanos worked, so of course we got a science lesson on that. Though I don’t have the immediately vocabulary to describe these things myself, I was pleasantly surprised and found that I easily understood everything that was being explained.

After dinner, I went home and watched some TV before turning in.

Tuesday

One of my last Tuesdays! Yay!

I started the day early on the 7:20 bus to school. I sat around in the staffroom until my classes started at 9:00. I enjoyed a coffee and got about halfway through another book.

I presented to all the students on New Orleans. I showed them where the city was located in the US, where it was located in Louisiana, and then we went through pictures of all the cool things that make New Orleans special. The first two classes decided that it wasn’t a city they wanted to visit because they don’t like jazz and don’t think the buildings look very pretty. I thought that the New Orleans style was really similar to the style in Paris, but with a bit more color.

The third class of the day was an absolute mess. I knew they would have a hard time with the presentation, so I brought them a worksheet to do. I took words that I used in the presentation and told them to match English to the French translation on the other side of the page. That alone took about 20 minutes and left us pressed for time to correct the pages. Throughout the process it seemed like little quarrels were breaking out in every corner of the room simultaneously. One boy would throw a marker at a girl and she’d yell at him, while in another corner someone might steal something from another student and that student would get upset. It seemed like the moment I tried to handle one problem, another would pop up. I felt so overwhelmed! Thankfully, class finally ended and I was able to head home on the bus.

When I arrived home, I made myself lunch and took a really long recovery nap. I worked on writing for a bit and then read a book. I made a pizza for dinner and had a good chat with my friends on the phone before bed. The difference in daylight savings time between the US and France for the week was nice. I got to spend more time on the phone with folks.