One of my Thursday teachers came down with COVID for the second time and was unable to come into school, effectively canceling half my classes. I also needed to find a way into work. I checked the bus routes and the only available public transport was the 7:25 bus to Pont-Chéruy, which would force me to walk 40 minutes to Charvieu and make me late to my first class. Not a tempting solution. I checked with both my male coworkers- nope, unavailable. Finally, Mme Bodet let me know that she could take me and pick me up. An angel!
View of the Rhône before I left for class.
Both my classes would be working on the second part of my civil rights lesson. The presentation includes information about different periods in US history and films that correspond. I present the info, ask for questions, then show a trailer of the movie. We discuss the trailer and break down questions before moving to the next slide. Or at least- that’s what I pictured.
I started my lesson with the big news of the day.
Both groups of my first class were turbulent. There was no working audio equipment in the room, effectively throwing out my entire plan. The kids didn’t want to do any work at all. I couldn’t get them to focus or stay on the subject at hand.
A wall in the MLK school devoted to MLK quotes.
My second hour was great. We were able to watch all the clips I had planned and have a good discussion. Next week the teacher wants to watch “Twelve Years a Slave” with the students. I’m not sure that’s a great idea for their age group. The French seem to have different standards as to what is appropriate for kids to watch. They seem a lot more lenient with kids watching violence and nudity on screen than people in the US are.
I headed home with Mme Bodet around 11am. I was absolutely exhausted. This was a really difficult week for me with the students. I have been struggling to find joy in this work. I’m trying to stay motivated and positive, but it is hard at times. I feel like it is difficult to go back into the classroom with a good attitude when I spend so much of my time dreading interactions with naughty kids. I wish that my coworkers were more supportive or helpful.
I spent the rest of my day trying to relax. I watched some shows, read a little, and dreamed about vacation.
Early in the morning, I discovered that I accidentally bought coffee beans at the store instead of grounds. I needed to go into town so I could be properly caffeinated the rest of the week. Instead of going to Pont-Chéruy and walking the 30 minutes to Tignieu-Jameyzieu, I decided that I’d check out the Villette d’Anthon. The Villette is the next stop on the 1980 bus route to Meyzieu, but I haven’t had the chance to explore yet! The sun was shining and rain wasn’t predicted until 5pm, so I packed my little backpack and was on my way!
I hopped off the bus in the center of town, arriving around noon. I made my towards the outskirts of the village, where GoogleMaps claimed there was a church. I walked along the hill overlooking the Golf Club of Lyon. When I finally arrived at the church, I thought Maps led me astray. There was a driveway and a few houses scattered around. I couldn’t see a steeple, crosses, or a cemetery. Just as I was about to turn around, I saw tall iron gates. I pulled them open and discovered a little path that wound through a cemetery up to the husk of an old building.
The Ancienne Eglise Saint Martin de Villette d’Anthon. According to a small plaque at the entrance, the origins of this church are uncertain. The first mention of St. Martin in this place was in the 5th century, however the first mention of a building here was in the 10th century. The church was allowed to decay following the Revolution of 1792. Religious services recommenced in 1801 and the church gained a new bell in 1821. In 1852, a new church was build in the center of town and services moved there. The inner part of this church collapsed in 1859.
The little cemetery outside the little church. Used until the late 1800s.
The inside of the church. You can see the Virgin Mary in the lefthand corner. By the back window you can make out several crests- wish that I could read them more effectively!
I walked back into town from the little church. My first stop was the former Mairie. There is a small plaza in front of the building with a fountain. It sits across the street from a pizza shop and a boulangerie.
In 1873, the marshal of the village Alban Bargillat donated the land his house sat on to the town. They demolished his home and left it vacant for several years. In 1878, Madame the Widow of Bernaud gave adjoining land to the town. The Villette used the area to build the Mairie you see above and a small school.
A lovely fountain in the city.
At this point, I decided to delay going back to Anthon for a few more hours. The next bus was at 3:20, so I would have enough time to see things and do my shopping. I wanted to see the new church that the plaque mentioned, so I located the steeple and walked in that direction. I was not disappointed!
I knew there had to be a modern cemetery and located on Maps. I followed the route there, only to discovered that the gates were locked. I was struck by the colorful flowers, pictures, and layers of stones on top of the grave sites. There was so much color that it was like looking into a blooming garden. Unable to explore inside, I chose a new road and walked through the neighborhoods toward the current Mairie.
Check out the greenery! There’s so much biodiversity here!
This place reminded me of a home you’d see in California.
After about 15 minutes, I found myself in front of the Mairie. The building sits directly across from the area library. (I think I need to see about getting myself a card there.) The town hall had a cute little gate in front. There was a grand plaza upon entering the gates, followed by a small, wooded park. Beside the plaza, I found an obelisk dedicated to soldiers from the area.
Gates of the town hall
The Hôtel de Ville
Obelisk dedicated to those lost in war. Unique because of the rooster sitting on top. The rooster is one of the symbols of France.
Pro Patria
Well, it was time to walk across town for my groceries! I was so thankful for my podcasts as I walked the 30 minutes to Intermarché.
I think this building used to be a bathroom or a train depot. Now it hosts a community library.
I was wandering along when all the sudden, I was getting bah’d at! There’s a herd of inner city sheep! I found a sign nearby that indicated that they’re part of a movement to change the nature of green spaces in cities.
I got my groceries, headed back into town, waited for my bus, and went back to my apartment for the night. I got everything put away, tidied up, and prepared my lesson for Thursday.
Toasting the new administration.
Cheers!
Around 7:30, I went over to the Bodet house. We agreed to celebrate the inauguration together! Daniel brought out the good champagne and we each had a glass. Mme Bodet made some little appetizers while we waited for dinner to finish cooking. We had handmade meatballs, white rice, and a Malagasy sauce. After dinner we sat in the living room to watch the special news report on the inauguration. The coverage was followed by a comedy show that mocked Trump leaving the White House. It featured him beside a pool in Florida, unpacking issues of Playboy.
Comedy show mocking Trump in retirement. He’s opening a box of Playboys he had sent from the White House.
Woke up, brewed my coffee, and tried to generate some positive vibes for the day. I’d be spending the morning talking about slavery, segregation, and the KKK with my students. They’re usually the most difficult groups, so I really wasn’t sure how it would go. I decided that I would make a point of recording the names of students that misbehaved, hoping to get some more support from the teacher.
The students were incredibly excited to learn that we had a new room. They had a thousand questions about it! I did my best to answer before launching into the lesson. For the most part, these students followed along and asked good questions. I had to write down three names in the first group. When I went to talk with the teacher, she was dismissive. She told me they explained that they were just asking for a tissue and there was no real problem. I disagreed and said they were repeatedly warned to stop having side conversations and were really rude throughout class. The professor shrugged and said she’d do something if there was a problem the next week.
One little girl is very sweet. She speaks the best English in her class and explains everything to students who don’t understand. She made me two beautiful butterflies and gave them to me on the way out.
The second class was much more involved, as usual. They were really interested in segregation and had a lot of questions. They were shocked that racism was so prevalent in the US. Students also were really curious about police brutality. We spent a lot of time talking about that together. I showed them a video of the Birmingham march where Bull Conner sic’d his dogs on the protesters. They were horrified. I connected the police violence of the past to the police violence they heard about this summer. They’re all very familiar with George Floyd and the BLM movement. We traced the history of police brutality in the US from slavery to today. It was an effective class period.
At the break, I got to chat with the music teacher. He watched my lesson on Monday with the 3ème about jazz and country music from the hallway. We talked a bit about musical genres and cultural exchange. I learned that French students don’t learn how to play instruments in music class. They can read music and are taught about different types of music, but students don’t learn to play unless they attend a specialized art school.
My final class was rough. They failed to grasp the seriousness of the lesson. Some students thought that the KKK was a group of clowns. A few of them did seem to understand segregation and we did have a chance to chat about that for a bit. I had to write down several names from this class. They too, complained to their teacher and claimed they had done nothing to deserve their name being written down. I explained to her that they too interrupted me several times, removed their masks, and were generally disrespectful. She told me that she’d consider doing something next week if there was a problem again. Ugh!!
I got out of there as fast as I could. I was so frustrated! I marched down to the Mairie and hopped on the bus home. The trip took about an hour. I collapsed and slept for a few hours when I got home. I felt completely demoralized.
I made a chickpea and avocado curry for dinner. I felt a lot better after having a chance to talk with my friends on the phone. We shared that we all felt really nervous regarding the inauguration. None of us were sure if there was going to be violence at the Capitol. News had been coming out throughout the day about vetting of National Guard troops stationed in DC. It seems that at least 12 soldiers were removed from their posts for their connections to white supremacy/ hate groups.
I rolled out of bed and stumbled to the kitchen, but could not for the life of me find my cup of ambition Monday. I knew it would be a hard day, just because of the lessons that I had coming up. Some of the teachers expect me to cover really complex topics and always manage not to tell me that I’ll be the one introducing it for the first time. Kids come to class with no vocabulary and no context for the information. Everything I present- no matter how simple- goes right over their heads.
I took the 7:30 bus in and arrived by 7:50. I needed to get groceries, so I made the 30 minute walk to Tignieu-Jameyzieu. I wanted to go to E.Leclerc so I could see a bigger selection of coffees and check for yarn. I arrived before the store opened at 8:30, so I wandered around the shopping center for a bit before heading in. I found all my items (except yarn) and filled up my backpack at the checkout. I didn’t realize how much I grabbed and I regretted it on my 30 minute walk back to the school. On my way there, I went to the boulangerie in Pont-Chéruy and got a raspberry tarte to make myself feel better.
I finally got to school around 9:40. I chatted with the German teacher that occupies my room before me as I got my lessons all set up. My first two 3ème groups were going to be discussing gender equality. It was a train wreck. In the first group, one of the male students proclaimed that gender equality was a useless subject. He argued that women were meant to stay in the kitchen- after all, a wife is meant to cook for her husband. I felt absolutely deflated hearing that from a student. The girls in the class fiercely protested and made great arguments for women’s rights, but he just wasn’t willing to listen. In my second group, some of the male students thought the subject was funny and spent the entire time laughing. I had them write their names down for me. When I talked to Corinne about it after class she told me that she would never allow those students to come to my class again. She was angry that they disrespected me and the subject. When I told her about the male student in the first class, she explained that his attitude and that of his classmates was the entire reason she was doing the lesson. She informed me that he comes from a more traditional household and that she’s trying to expose him to different points of view. I was surprised and impressed that she was so devoted to sharing gender equality with the students. I appreciated her support regarding the students that misbehaved, as well. I don’t get a lot of backup and her help really meant a lot.
I met with Christel at the mid-morning pause. I mentioned during the course of our conversation that I struggled with changing rooms every hour on Tuesday. The internet connection is so slow during the third hour that I can’t open my lessons for about half of the time I have the first group. She walked me down to the vice-principal’s office and got me signed up for a permanent room for Tuesdays! So exciting. Now I have a home base.
I ate lunch with Ilaria and some of the secretaries. They talked about their frustrations with the lockdown and their concern about the possibility of a third confinement. They wanted to travel during the upcoming two week break, but it seems that that will not be possible.
When I finished eating, I headed down to my classroom for some alone time. I ended up meeting the new addition to the English staff, Camille. We chatted about my plans for the class and a bit about ourselves. She’s closer in age with me and also did not want to be a teacher! She studied languages at the Texas A&M for a few years. She insisted that her students’ language level was low and that I shouldn’t have high expectations- sending a stabbing pang of fear through my body.
That class was my first one after lunch. While the first group was certainly better than the second, I was pretty pleased with their language level. They asked great questions, despite being a bit noisy. We’ll see how they behave in the future. Overall, nice kids.
Next, we had my new 6ème class. These students have been rough so far. They’re really noisy and hard to get settled down. I don’t have a pattern established with them yet and I don’t know the trouble students, so it’s a challenge. The plan had been to talk about Little Red Riding Hood and then to watch and discuss two videos. The internet connection had other plans- completely disconnecting and not allowing me to reopen the slides. I was at a loss as to how I would manage this bunch of students with no plan. Thankfully, everything rebooted by the time the second group arrived. They loved the videos and we had a smooth discussion.
I got to end the day on a positive note with the 3ème students. I shared information about the blues, jazz, country, and rock music with them. We listened to famous artists from each genre and listened for similarities between each genre. They really had some fun, which was great.
I rode the bus home. I felt absolutely exhausted by the time I arrived at my doorstep. I slept for a few hours and scrolled aimlessly through Twitter before giving up and calling it a night. The thought of having to deal with my most difficult students the next day was harrowing. I proposed teaching my lesson on civil rights so I wouldn’t need to make a new one, but I already regretted it. I feared that the lesson would just be too complex for them to understand. Oh well- at least I have a room now.
I was up and about early so I could see what was left of the snowfall from the night before. Sure enough, things were already a bit melty by the time I pulled on my little boots. I walked past the Tobac and all the buildings to see the fields facing Lyon.
A new neighborhood friend greeted me on my way out the door.
The western edge of town.
Snowcapped houses on my way back into the center of town.
Some succulents peeking through the fresh snow.
I was ready to have a snowball fight!
I love the crunch of thick packing snow underfoot.
What I imagine Florida would look like with a little dusting of snow.
Road to the eastern edge of town
Everyone around here loves horses! There are at least four pastures that I know of.
Overlooking the village
The remains of a private chapel down the road.
I love looking at the Rhône!
After my walk I made dinner and relaxed with some reading. I was on the final chapters of Angela Davis’ book.
I got to learn about women involved in the US Communist Party!
I made sure my lessons were ready for the next day, laid out my clothes, and went to bed. A pretty productive day.
I’ve been struggling with teaching, so having the time off on the weekends has been a huge pleasure. New COVID restrictions have made it difficult to travel to other towns and to see new things. Still, by the time Saturday rolled around, I was itching to get out of the house and to do something new. The weather seemed to agree, so I set out to the neighboring town of Chavanoz.
It was a beautiful day for a walk. It took me about thirty minutes at a brisk pace to reach the little village. My first stop was the Mairie (town hall). I pass this in the car on the way to Charvieu every Thursday and wanted to get a closer look. The building was apparently constructed in the 14th century.
View of the Mairie from the front gates
Side view of the building, faces the road coming into town
The back entrance to the Mairie
On the fourth side of the building, I had the pleasure of seeing a group of locals playing pétanque. This is a very French game. Players each have a few metal boules (balls) that they throw towards a target boule. When throwing, the object is to get as many of your boules as close as possible to the target. You can knock opponents’ balls out of the way to ensure more of your boules are closer. This is often played in parks where there are hard gravel surfaces.
French grandpas playing pétanque
I was curious to see the wonderful church downtown, so I wandered next door. This is one of the stops that the bus makes on my way home from school on Monday. I’ve never been able to get a good picture through the buss window haha.
I love the steeple! It’s amazing.
Here’s a little statue of the Virgin Mary. She’s got a not-so-little pigeon hanging out on her crown.
In the parking lot in front of there church, there is an obelisk dedicated to men from the community that have died in wars. I’m always interested to see these in each town. In Anthon, the obelisk is almost empty. Here, it was full. There were plaques below and on the sides for those that didn’t make it on the obelisk or those that were somehow special. The entire thing is surrounded by beautiful flowers and is protected by a wrought iron fence.
“20th anniversary remembrance from former soldiers to our comrades.” “In memory of the children of Chavanoz who died for the fatherland.” “MARGUET Georges, deported to Germany and mortally wounded in 1945.”
I wandered around a bit more, but honestly there wasn’t anything else to do. There were no grocery stores or boulangeries to be seen. The Tobac was empty and looked sad on the corner of town. I headed back home along the side of the main road.
Look at those wonderful rolling hills!
Enjoying some good walking with my handy little adventure backpack and my Michigan mask! Gotta be careful with that British COVID variant out there.
I made it back home and spent the rest of the day relaxing. I worked my way through about half of Angela Davis’ “Women, Race, and Class.” Truly fascinating analysis. As I got ready for bed, I went around the apartment to close my curtains and lock up. When I looked out the kitchen door, I was absolutely shocked! There was snow! Thick, puffy, beautiful snow! I threw on my boots, zipped up my coat, and yanked on my hat as I ran out the door. Wow! I must’ve looked ridiculous standing outside crying because snow was falling all around me. I didn’t realize how much I’ve missed Michigan. I just had to see the village draped in white.
Peering out the back door.
Picture this- me sprinting up the stairs and back down again to take a picture.
Place des Plantanes – completely silent in the middle of the night. Check out the palm trees covered in snow to the right.
Is anyone a plant expert? This whomping willow type thing looked absolutely majestic.
Closing my eyes, trying to imagine we had a white Christmas.
My little friend looked completely frozen.
What a good way to end the day! I resolved that I would wake up early to walk around town Sunday so I could see the snow on all the houses.
Started the day with some home fries (yes, I did learn how to make these this week!), eggs, and coffee. It’s rainy, so once again I’ll be stuck in the house. I’ll be reading my book of the week today and tomorrow. I hope to spend some time watching old movies this afternoon too. I thought I’d take some time to talk about the COVID situation in France because I won’t have much else to write about today.
When I arrived in November, France started a national lockdown. We were not allowed to leave the house for more than an hour, except for work. Everyone that could work from home was expected to do so. Restaurants and bars were closed. Everyone was required to stay within 1 km of their residence. When leaving the house, you were required to fill out an attestation, a document that said where you were going, why you were out, and when you left the house. If you were stopped by the police and violated any of the rules, you would be issued a fine of 180 euros.
Conditions became less harsh in December, even as cases continued to rise. We were allowed within 20 km of our houses and could go out for 3 hours a day. An attestation was still required. Restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, and bars remained closed.
In late December, this system was replaced by a couvre-feu (a curfew). This was seen as a reward, because cases were dropping and the situation was becoming more manageable in hospitals. In most regions, you were required to be in the house by 8pm. If you needed to leave the house after that, an attestation was required. However, all shops were required to close at that time. Restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, and bars remained closed.
Since Christmas, hospitals have been struggling. Many people had large family gatherings and mixed with people from other regions. There have been confirmed cases of the British variant of COVID, which appears to spread more easily than other variants. The government instituted a stricter couvre-feu policy. This rule was originally supposed to last only two weeks. Regions with large metropolitan areas would be under a curfew starting at 6pm. As of this writing, my region is not currently under this rule. Curfew rules have really reduced my ability to travel and to see other cities.
There was a recent announcement by the French government that changed curfew policies. On January 14th, the Prime Minister announced that the 6pm curfew would extend to the entirety of France starting Saturday the 16th. It will last a minimum of 15 days. The object is to limit gatherings and to limit damage to the French economy. If caught violating the rule, you will face a fine of 135 euros on the first offense. If you are a repeating offender, the fine can go as high as 3,750 euros. Link for more info here. Looks like I’m about to stuck in the house for a while! If you have any good books to suggest, let me know!
The attitude towards these measures is mixed. It compares in no way to the anger and violence seen in the US over COVID measures. While there are protests, I don’t think it’s right to compare them to things we’ve seen at home. The culture of protesting is different here in that is done more frequently and with much more vigor than in the States.
Many French folks are upset that cultural centers like museums, theaters, and cinemas are closed. They have protested the harm done to the economy through these closings. Some insist that these places pose no health risk because tourists have almost disappeared from the country.
I think the attitude here is mixed. In cities, where there are more highly educated people, I think that attitude is a lot like that in more liberal cities in the US. People know the virus is real, that is is dangerous. They socially distance whenever possible, they limit outside time, they wear their masks properly. That’s not to say there isn’t pandemic fatigue, because there is. I see a lot of French TikToks that talk about how much people miss their friends, but how much they fear killing off their grandparents or their parents. A lot of people my age, no matter where they are, seem deeply concerned for the welfare of their communities.
“Wearing a mask like this is like going to the office like this.”
In more rural areas, much like the US, there is strong disbelief in the utility of masks and social distancing measures. I see a lot of people wearing their masks incorrectly and refusing to respect social distancing. There are often people who wear their masks correctly who complain intensely about having to do so. While they do comply, they don’t necessarily do so happily. I think it’s also interesting that here, social distancing is considered 1 m or 3 ft. Kids are frustrated that they’re missing sports, time with their friends. People desperately miss being social, so they bend the rules a lot.
“Masks are like a bathing suit, you have to adjust them correctly.” Ad on the side of every bus.
Still, I think that government measures and communication about the measures is much better than that in the US. There is a coordinated effort by the French state as a whole to crush the COVID problem. When the President got sick, there was clear communication about his condition and the medications that he was given. The people got a clear timeline of what was going on. We can see advertisements about how to wear a mask, what symptoms are, how to get tested, and where to get tested. Students can get free masks at school, there are community drives to give cloth masks out to those who need them.
“Putting on the mask like this risks some humidity.”
I started my morning with Géraud’s 4ème class. They’re generally pretty good, but there are a few students I have problems with. They’re a couple of boys that like yelling across the classroom with their friends and refuse to sit near the front of the room. The lesson for the day was pretty serious and I wanted to get on with it, but that was difficult with them misbehaving in the back of the room. I decided to send the ring leader back to the main class. He left in a huff, exclaiming, “I didn’t do anything!” and peeking back into the room as if to check if I’d changed my mind. Without him we were able to have a good conversation. I learned that the kids did not know that the KKK existed and continues to exist. At first, they thought that it was a humorous group and that they were clowns. I explained that they were a white supremacist group with views similar to N*zis. I shared photos of Emmett Till and explained that white supremacist violence against the black community affected everyone, even people their own age. They were shocked.
My next classes was another 4ème group with Noury. We work together for the entire hour instead of switching out half groups. This works really well for the two of us. He studied in the US and knows a lot about our culture and history. He is able to answer questions I can’t get to or explain things in a way that fits the French cultural framework in a way that I just can’t. Kids were surprised to learn about segregation. They did not know that a person of color could be arrested for using white facilities, sitting in the wrong place, or just going about their business. I introduced them to MLK and his message of non-violence and civil disobedience. I also shared images of the Black Panthers and explained their use of armed self-defense to the students. They had no clue as to why it would be necessary for the black community to have armed self-defense. I introduced them to the KKK, as well. We went through Google Images and saw many black and white photos from the 60s. However, we also saw recent photos. One featured someone dressed as Tr*mp standing beside hooded figures. I felt embarrassed when one student asked if the president supported this group. I had to explain that while he had not explicitly said yes, he also did not rebuke them when David Duke promoted his candidacy.
At the pause, I got the opportunity to speak with Noury about his experiences with discrimination and racial issues in France. His parents arrived in France during the first wave of Moroccan immigration and raised him here. As a Muslim, he experienced discrimination from his teachers and neighbors constantly. He recalled a poignant moment where a French teacher told him it would be better for him to stop studying because he would amount to nothing and it was a waste of his time. He told me that his wife proudly wears the hijab and that she experiences more intense discrimination than him. She was also a teacher for many years, but was forced to quit her job when the 2011 law was passed that made wearing the hijab in schools illegal.
We discussed the French attitude towards diversity. Frequently in France, national unity is ranked above individual identity in importance. I find that it is the opposite in the US. Both systems have drawbacks, obviously. Noury argued that the French framework can be harmful when thinking about learning tolerance. Students aren’t taught about different religions. It is entirely plausible that Christian classmates would have no knowledge of Islam or Judaism. If you don’t understand a religious belief system, can you be truly tolerant towards it? It is much more likely that you would harbor misconceptions and that those misunderstandings could lead to prejudice.
Similarly, France does little to teach students about history and other cultures. My coworker explained that many of his students do not know the historical context that surrounds them because they are given just 3 hours of history instruction each week. He also said that many of his students do not consider themselves French. Instead, they refer to their family’s country of origin to identify themselves. While a student might have been born here, they might say that they are Algerian or Afghan. Many students here are immigrants and they come from many different countries. Yet, there is no cross-cultural education or discussion. This leaves room for prejudice to grow within the community, especially among people who have been in France for several generations (side-eye towards the white French folks). Noury told me that the National Front is especially powerful in this region. This is France’s far-right party, led by Marine le Pen. Her father Jean-Marie le Pen started the party after WWII and advocated unity between the mainstream and N*zi collaborationists.
Noury was impressed by the US mentality toward diversity. He appreciated the frank conversations he had with folks in the US about religious and cultural differences. In his opinion, there was less discrimination towards Muslims in the US than in France. I found this striking because he was here after 9/11, when anti-Muslim sentiment was incredibly high. I recall many Islamophobic statements made by conservative teachers and adults during that period. Still, he said that he’d love to retire either in the US or in Morocco.
If you’d like to learn more about the secularism laws in France, I’m linking the Wiki page here.
My next class of the day is one of my favorites. They have some rambunctious students, but I like them because they are involved and ask great questions. I love a student that asks questions. They were really curious about the Civil War. They called it “the war of secession” which was interesting because you don’t hear that phrasing super often. They didn’t understand why the South wouldn’t give up slavery. I explained that much of the southern economy relied on slavery, while in the North there was a high degree of industrialization.
The last class of the day was the 6ème. Catherine sits in the back for this class the same way that Noury does. She’s really helpful with handling questions and adjusting the response for the age level of the students. The presentation posed some problems with these kids because they had so so many questions. I apparently was the first person to explain slavery to them. The kids had no idea that slavery in the US was race-based. They did not understand what it meant to be a slave in that they did not know slavery was often lifelong and full of arduous labor. I wondered if they were too young for this content and pondered when it was introduced to me. Probably 4th grade in the classroom, but I was certainly reading about it in 2nd or 3rd in my American Girl Doll books. Explaining segregation and the Civil Rights movement was also difficult because there were so many questions. We decided that we would come back to the lesson next week. I’ll be able to suggest media to the kids and answer some more questions.
I was particularly struck by one question I couldn’t answer. One boy described a shooting in the US that he had seen on the internet. He described a traffic stop where a black man was pulled over and his family was in the car, filming the incident. The man was shot and killed as his wife begged for the officer to calm down. The student asked me why that would happen if America was supposed to be moving beyond racism. I was at a loss for words. How can you explain systematic racism and hateful ideologies to a 6th grader? I don’t know.
I feel like I learned more Thursday than I have in a long time. Talking to my students about their perspectives on the US and talking with my coworkers was so eye opening. I took the rest of the day to process and reflect. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done back home.
Tuesday night I made ambitious plans to hike over to the nearest town to take some photos. Chavanoz is another small town in the area. It’s a tad bigger than Anthon, clocking in at 4,500 residents. I drive though on my way to classes and can catch glimpses of castle-like buildings. I’d love to see them up close! Sadly, when I opened my curtains in the morning, I knew it would be impossible. A thick cloud hung overhead and rain fell steadily from above. Another cozy day inside would be required.
I enjoyed watching the news and writing letters to some of my friends and family members. I have finally gotten the hang of buying stamps and know where I can send off mail. Conveniently, the town’s mailbox is attached to the Tabac. I needed to buy some groceries, so I donned my boots and headed out. I felt like I was walking in the middle of a cloud. The air was heavy with moisture. I know I’ve said this before, but I feel like I’m stuck in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice movie. There’s something very romantic about this misty, rainy weather.
I decided that I was already damp and that I might as well take a lap around the village. I knew I wouldn’t be motivated enough to devote myself to yoga and wanted to get some exercise in.
Looking out over the fields. This road leads out of town. To the right you can go to Pont-Chéruy or Charvieu. To the left you can go to Lyon or Meyzieu. This field is constantly full of large heron-like birds.
No one else was out and about this afternoon. Puddles gathered in the center of sidewalks. Note the tall walls surrounding each house.
Ended my walk with a peek at the Rhône. I just can’t get over this view! This picture is hazy because the mist is particularly thick near my house.
I’ve enjoyed the large amount of free time that I’ve had, but it’s becoming difficult not to feel restless. I haven’t been able to locate a consistent yarn source here, so I haven’t been able to indulge in any crochet work. I was chatting on the phone with one of my friends Wednesday night and realized that cooking has become one of my main activities here. If you know me, you know that I HATE cooking. I gain very little enjoyment from the process and don’t enjoy cleaning up. It doesn’t help that I’m really just an awful cook. I can spend forever on a dish and still have revolting results.
France has been a different story. I have nothing but time and am really tired of bland French foods. Don’t get me wrong, French cuisine is incredibly well done and can be a fantastic experience. However, dishes are often cream-based and have very little seasoning. Rosemary, thyme, and pepper play heavily in many French dishes. I have missed the diversity in cuisine that I experienced back home. I love spicy BBQ, flavorful Asian dishes, even the pain that comes with a particularly hot Mexican dish.
While I’ve been here, I’ve been doing a lot of experimenting with new flavors and new dishes. I’ve always avoided chicken because East Quad chicken scarred me (how can something be both dry and raw in the center???). Last weekend I made two different types of fried chicken! I did a dry Memphis rub on Friday night and a honey mustard sauce on Saturday. They were amazing! I decided to try my hand at homemade pizza on Wednesday night. I had slowly accumulated ingredients during my last trips to the store. I finally was able to find yeast and pizza sauce this week!
“Levure du boulanger” basically a bread yeast. “Farine à pizza” flour for pizza dough. “Huile d’olive verge extra” extra virgin olive oil.
I kneaded the dough, prepared my toppings, and threw it all together in the toaster oven for about 30 minutes while I watched “Angels and Demons”.
It’s done! What a cutie! I think it turned out pretty well.
I was excited by the results. I have missed pizza so much while I’ve been here! Now I can make it myself and know that it’s really not too much trouble!
I spent the rest of my night on the phone while I prepared my lesson for the next day. Because MLK day is January 15, the teachers at Charvieu wanted me to do a lesson on MLK. I felt like it was wrong to give a lesson just on MLK without situating the students in the historical context (hello history degree). I started my lesson with slavery and the Civil War, moved to segregation and Jim Crow, then onto the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, finally ended on the Black Panthers. I put in links showing police brutality during the movement and put in some clips to show the Black Panther’s lasting influence on activism. I’ll let you know what the kiddos understand. I hope they’ll get something out of this.
I slept a little easier after reading the evening’s news.
I arrived at the school around 7:45. When classes started at 8:00, the staffroom emptied out. I got myself a little coffee from the machine and sat down to enjoy it while I listened to the NPR morning update. I said hello to Christel when she came in and she told me about a few of the students yesterday and explained why they were difficult. It seems there are a few boys involved in a family feud and a bubble burst in my class yesterday. They’ll be separated in the future. Phew!
I started with the least difficult of the Tuesday classes. They’re always fun to chat with. They have creative answers whenever I ask questions about they things they did. They like to read and they are very passionate about Harry Potter. They loved the West Side Story clip that I shared. They liked the dancing and were able to identify the Spanish accent of the actors.
The galettes and the king’s crown.
At the morning pause, the teachers brought out three galettes des rois and some crowns. Because I’m the youngest they wanted me to guess who the roi (king) would be, but no one has every introduced themself to me and I don’t know their names! I refused as politely as possible and enjoyed a slice of the pastry.
The second class is one of the problem classes. They always ask good questions and we can have a good conversation, but they’re difficult to calm down and they love to make noise. I told them that we’d be starting a new system. If I needed to talk with them twice, they would write down their name for me and the teacher would talk to them after class. Surprisingly, no names. Their English is good enough that they had time to watch clips from Wicked, West Side Story, and Hamilton. They said that West Side Story was their favorite because of the dancing style. The second half of the class was jealous because the other group got to watch a clip from my cousins’ band last week. Of course, I had to make it even. We watched “When the Curtain Falls” before the bell rang.
The third class is always a nightmare. Even though I use the same room as the first class, the internet never works at this time of day. I couldn’t get my slides to show up, so I had to do the entire lesson with no catchy visuals. None of the students liked the clips I showed. They declared that West Side Story was racist because it mentioned that things are easier for white folks in America. I tried to explain the racial divisions present in our society today and in the past, but it was difficult because students kept blurting out random noises around the room. I wrote down three names for each group of ten kids. The teacher was not happy.
I was surprised by my students’ lack of knowledge again Tuesday. When I asked for landmarks in New York, they suggested the Twin Towers. I had to explain that the Twin Towers fell in 2001 and no longer exist. The students had no clue that the 9/11 terrorist attack took place and had no idea that there were international conflicts that came out of the attack.
It was snowing today!!! Check out the little snowflakes hanging in the air and the little piles gathering alongside the river banks.
After school, I went grocery shopping with Mme Bodet. I was able to find everything I needed much more easily. I asked a grocery clerk for help and she was able to understand me and direct me to the product that I needed! So cool.
Ooo look at that deep snow!
Finally taking my boots out for a spin! Was it worth it to bring these bad boys to France? Probably not.
I ate dinner with the Bodet family. We had a veggie, red sauce lasagna with salad and bread. There was a galettes des rois for dessert with a cup of coffee. I hadn’t eaten with the family in a few days because they took a trip to Grenoble over the weekend. They packed up unwanted school supplies in a container to ship to Madagascar schools. Daniel was eager to talk about all the issues with the insurrection last week. Both he and Bernadette agree that Tr•mp should be impeached and that he is a danger to our democracy. They are worried that there will be large-scale violence in the US at the end of the month.
We also got to talk about my upcoming MLK lesson on Thursday. I told them that I’m unsure how much students know about the US system and history. They confirmed that the students’ knowledge is very very limited. Bernadette was excited to tell me that she visited MLK’s home in the US when she worked stateside. She was shocked to see how racially divided our country was. While there are class and racial divisions that affect housing in France, they simply do not have anything like our history of redlining and de facto segregation.
I went home and got the chance to talk to my weekly Tuesday groupchat on the phone. Later, I visited with my cousin and got caught up what’s going on her life. It is always awesome to hear from the people you’re close to after a long day of learning.
Mary-Est-En-France 