The Wheel Continues Turning

       I think I am finally warming up to this program (or maybe not) and the thought of being here in France. Only four more months till I am back home. Being here has had its ups and downs, it's been a bit like an emotional roller coaster for me. Getting used to working and not being a student is a bit of an adjustment. Not necessarily a bad one, but it has its stressful points. I've been targeting the program with all of my emotional duress, which is not helping my feelings for it. But the truth is, I would no doubt be experiencing the same things if I were back home. The only difference is, I'm far from my friends and family. Thankfully I've found good company here. In any case, no matter where I am on this earth, life goes on. No use wallowing in the past. Now I'm realizing how much my decisions do matter and how much they will affect the direction in which my life goes. It's a bit scary. Mais (But), c'est la vie.
      Right now, I am pondering my next steps. The New Year is coming, and of course there are always the New Year's Resolutions. I need new life resolutions though. Life is a journey, that's for sure, and it's not one that I get to repeat. I don't want to waste time mulling over the past, which I cannot change. I must keep my focus forward. That being said, I'm looking forward to finally publishing my book, which will probably be delayed because I've neglected to look into getting a copyright, which should have been my very first step! No worries, it will happen! In due time. For now, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, and if you aren't celebrating it, enjoy your vacation, and have a great New Year!

The Wheel Goes Round

             Finally, an update! In my time away, I finally went to Cité des Sciences to see the De Vinci exhibit, and I rather enjoyed it! I'm incredibly glad I went. There were interactive models of tools Leo had designed or drawn, and there were models that were realized as best as they could be by teams of people who had to interpret his drawings. Apparently some of his drawings did not include dimensions, which means that the teams who interpreted the drawings had to be very imaginative indeed! After seeing the exhibit, I went around the museum and saw another exhibit that had to do with transportation. It included the staggering numbers of people that are transported across the globe daily, and graphing images of what that transportation looks like over 24 (for air travel).  I found it all to be quite fascinating. It was a great investment of my time.
            Yesterday, I finally went to ride the Roue de Paris! I had some lovely company with me, another assistant and her friend, who were both from South Africa. The view from the wheel is quite pleasing. We went during the daytime, and I can only imagine what it looks like at night when the whole city is lit up! The Champs Elysees was the most crowded I've ever seen yesterday, what with Christmas being right around the corner! To finish off our afternoon, we headed, accompanied by yet another assistant (the more the merrier!), to the Petit Palais to have our fill of artwork. The Petit Palais is  quite a splendid little place and to make it even better, the visit was FREE! My pockets were dancing for joy at the thought of not having to become even lighter!
           Tonight for Christmas Eve, I'll be heading to the American Church in Paris for one of their evening Christmas services, and I'll have the company of my ferris wheel companions, which makes me even happier! It took a while, and maybe it's the season, but the thought of going to church actually doesn't seem so bad. A bit appealing now actually! The three of us from yesterday will be spending Christmas together tomorrow, which lifts my spirits because even though my family hasn't done much for Christmas the past few years, being away from home for the holidays REALLY STINKS! But having the company will make it all the better!

How to Speak French like a Real French Person 101

Add "quoi" and many "euh" interjections to your speech periodically. Listen to the way it is done naturally by watching reality TV in order to learn how to add them properly.

... and my kids catch me off guard....

by making me laugh out loud in class. If things continue this way, all my students will realize that it's almost easy to make me laugh and will maybe try to provoke it. So how'd they do it? It's no easy feat as I haven't laughed as much since I've been in France. (How shocking!) For the first incident, I had my students describing what their own country would be like if they had one, what kind of government they would have and such. One of my students declared that he would have a totalitarian regime and that he would tax his subjects 99% so that he could get all their money. I couldn't help but laugh at his cruelty towards his potential future subjects, and it didn't help that the students were so surprised by my reaction. The French do seem to laugh less than we Americans do! A student even offered me to stand by the window so I could get some air. The fact that they were commenting didn't help. It never does. Especially when people ask if I need air! The second incident happened only yesterday. I was encouraging one of my students to keep speaking English by going along with what he was telling me (that he'd written a book in one minute about how to solve the U.S.'s economic problems) and he decided to pick on his classmate, saying that since he was Russian, he was Borat's cousin. I couldn't help but laugh at his ridiculousness, and two of his other classmates, turning around and seeing that I was laughing, joined in teasing me, which made me laugh even harder. The life and times of my teaching experiences. Thankfully, overall, teaching has been going better since last week, which is rather encouraging for me. Incidents like these only make it more enjoyable.

Mr. Nov: Standing Room Only

       This weekend and last, I attended two concerts for a French artist who I knew almost nothing about, and who won me over with his voice and his ability to win over the crowd. Mr. Nov, le chinois chauve (the bald Chinese guy). And I discovered his talent courtesy of a friend who's absolutely crazy about his music. So much so, that he was part of her motivation for crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Was he worth it? Well, just from the fact that I walked in to his concerts not quite knowing or caring what his style of music was, as I was there principally for moral support, and walked out as an almost fan and admiring his performance style, we'll say he was very much worth it. Honestly, I've never been to concerts like those, with standing room only, with black lights (which bother my eyes as it turns out) and fog, and people screaming with happiness at seeing their favorite artist on stage. It was a lovely experience, and I couldn't help but watch with admiration as Mr. Nov played on the energy of his audience and  let his them take over parts of his songs for him, pointing to them while they sang along like a veritable chorus. I love music, it is such an essential part to my well being, and to see all of Mr. Nov's fans singing and dancing along like that, all ages and types, made me ridiculously happy. And the way he performs! A very passionate singer indeed, singing about passion, no less. The lyrics to one of his songs have imprinted themselves in my head and refuse to stop playing, so that when I think of this energetic, passionate, tattooed artist, the song that plays in my head goes, "par terre, par terre, contre les murs." And the way he sang, gripping the microphone and putting his whole body into his music, oozing passion, are what come to mind. A new fan in me? Somewhat. Sort of. Indeed.

Aux Champs-Elysées

           Yesterday, I spent a lovely afternoon/evening strolling down the Champs-Elysées in good company. Canadian company I might add, making my friend a neighbor as well as a fellow assistant. From the Arc de Triomphe, from which we could see la Grande Arche which is apparently a modern take on the Arc, to the Roue de Paris, we walked and talked and took our sweet old time. We stopped off in the Disney store indulging in memories of our favorite Disney movies and I found a plush doll of the big blue guy from Monters, Inc., one of the best movie characters of all time. We drank in the Christmas lights lit up along the avenue, pausing to take pictures in front of the cheery, not specifically oriented to any particular day display that was halfway down the avenue. And we kept walking down the Champs-Elysées where the Christmas Market stalls lined each side of the street. We walked down one side, indulging in the sights and smells of various stands featuring gaufres and crêpe, cheese, vin chaud, chocolate, jewelry, and what have you. The smell of spiced wine (vin chaud) is enough to go to one's head with feelings of giddy holiday spirits! The sight of the various booths of chocolate and confections, all potential gifts were chocolate lovers, were enough to incite memories of tooth aches and cavities. Looking upon the delicacies were enough for me.
         Still, we kept walking, strolling, laughing, stopping to watch a couple come down a super slide, in front of which a crowd gathered to take part in their adventures. Onwards we trooped, stopping at a seemingly German owned saucisse (sausage) booth, for my friend to order a bite to eat, where I couldn't stop doing  a silly dance to the reggae music they were playing. All at once, we found ourselves at the end of the markets, and the Roue de Paris, which had looked so far away when we'd been standing at the Arc de Triomphe, was right in front of us... and too expensive for us to ride (10€ an adult). Since a ride was out of the question, we paused to take pictures with the Eiffel tower in the background. The tower can be seen from many spots on the Champs-Elysées, adding a tall, elegant touch to the background. We had reached the end and all that was left to do was turn back around and find our way to the nearest metro. But first... we stopped along a few more booths on the other side of the avenue, sampling Maple Butter (mind-boggling!), Maple Butter Cookies (direct addiction upon first bite), and stopping to look at almost creepy, mostly cute baby dolls that cried upon having their pacifiers removed from their mouths. The time fairly flew by, and frankly, I was surprised at how much we walked. The best part, besides having great company, was looking back and realized how far we'd come from where we'd started, and seeing how the view had changed.

On Teaching

Teaching has gone much better this week and I haven't had to fight with my student's attention spans nearly as much as I've brought them solid articles to read and questions to answer about them. I was able to find teaching resources here and I will continue to use this very helpful website till April. This week has actually gone rather well and been rather enjoyable. I'm remembering why I came here in the first place. In other reflections, seeing the looks of confusion on the faces of my students who seriously don't understand English makes me really want to help them get better. But how do you help someone when you don't have much time or material to work with? It would require much careful and close tutoring. On the other hand, in terms of school, I'm realizing that it's not really fair to ask students to be good at every subject. It's not incredibly realistic, and why should a student have to feel stupid because they can't wrap their heads around a subject that surpasses them? I think the problem is rather with the system, not with the student.

Let's Be Real

Looking at the financial aspects of this assistantship really make me wonder if it's worth staying here or not. If I went back to the states would I be able to find a job? Will I even have any money saved up at the end of this program to tide me over until I can find a job again back home? Is it really worth staying?

Things I Hate About the High School Where I Teach

It's fucking cold! They barely turn the heat on and to be in that building for prolonged periods of time is torture for people like me, who can barely maintain their body temperature. I'm going to move to a warmer state when I get back to America. This winter is really my last straw. My body simply can't handle the cold! I'm like a little plaything and the cold is the cruel cat. I look at people in their different coats and wonder if those are enough for them because mine is never enough! It's a sad sad story. Sigh!!!

Preliminary Decisions

It's much too early for me to be making this decision, but I've decided to stay in France, no matter what my health decides to throw my way. This experience is important to my personal development, which is why I decided to come here in the first place. Backing out because my health is challenging me is out of the question. What am I doing here? The question I ask myself most frequently, especially when I'm feeling down. Well, here's a list:

1. Teaching.
2. Working and paying my bills.
3. Thinking about what my next step is.
4. Working on my writing skills (thanks for reading!)

There you have it. There I have it. There it is for all the world to see (tmi?!). Of course, there's always the ever-present figuring out of self, and with that added to the mix, those are enough, more than enough reasons for me to stay. Life will be life no matter where I go, and I'm going to have to deal with it as long as I'm living. So I might as well buck up and get with the program before it gets to me!

Musée du Quai Branly

Today, I finally went to the Musée du Quai Branly, to see the exhibition that has been attracting my attention for the past month and a half, "Cheveux Chéris" (Cherished Hair). It was so worth it. I've never actually gone to a museum alone, but it was a lovely experience. Had it not been for the fact that my legs were tired and my body was screaming for rest, I probably would have stayed in the museum until it closed. The museum is fantastic. As you walk up to the museum, you see glass walls, and behind those walls are a lovely garden, which becomes even lovelier at night with the green, blue, and white cylindrical lights that cast lovely shadows on the ceilings above. How do I describe the architecture of the museum itself? It's nothing short of fantastic. As you walk in to see the exhibitions and the regular collections, you are exposed to a world of art from the West, East, North, and South parts of the world. I couldn't drink in enough of the art, African and Asian especially, which I most certainly have not seen enough of in my lifetime. What fascinated me most about the collections was how many similarities there were between cultures the world over. We humans, we are nothing but the same, wrapped a bit differently each time. Cultures from South America, the Middle Americas, as well as African and Indian (as in the country) have all sent warriors to war to have them come back with scalps (gross! yes, so gross, but it's true!), hold fascinations with our dead relatives, finding it not easy to let them go (how is it ever easy to let go of a loved one?), place different symbolism in hair itself. Cheveux Chéris isn't really about hair, so much as it is about people, the world over, people, who are so similar to each other, who want the same things, people, who reflect each other in every aspect whether they choose to acknowledge it or not. As I left the museum, I contemplated the fact that humanity is savage (as is the rest of the animal kingdom), and that for all intents and purposes, we haven't advanced a bit from our ancestors. Not what I was expecting, but a refreshing reflection to end a pleasant afternoon in a splendid museum (enough adjectives there?).

Define Teaching

            It's like an attention struggle between the teacher and the potential students. The kids want to go off on tangents and the teacher wants to impart precious knowledge on the students, who know less. Thankfully I did this program before applying to Teach for America. My experiences here and research I've done on that program have gotten me to change my mind. Before this, I was certain I wanted to be a teacher. Now I am certain I don't. The job of teacher always seems glorious to willing students like me, who sat bright-eyed and bedazzled behind our desks, soaking up knowledge. I don't want to fight my student's attention spans to be able to work with them. I'd rather avoid the educational establishment altogether.
            So now what? Now that I've decided that this stressful path isn't for me, what is my next step? Perhaps an internship with a non-profit company. Or an actual job with a non-profit. What do you do when you've been trained to study and read throughout your whole life, and you graduate into the real world knowing that heading into grad school right away is not an option (if you want to keep your sanity that is)? Job hop, that's what you do. You try on different hats until you find a hat that works for you. That's exactly what I'm doing, and it's all I can do. What hat will work for me?

Reasons Why I Haven't Been Updating

Hello my fellow readers,

It is time for me to explain why I haven't been updating my blog. Unfortunately I've been sick on and off since the first day of October (the first day that my contract began) and I've actually been thinking about returning home. Being in poor health would put anyone in that state of mind. Thankfully the issues seem to be cleared up, and I'm hoping they will stay that way. I've been feeling rather like a hermit here because being sick equals staying home. I haven't been a hermit entirely, but it sure does feel that way. I'm still debating whether I should stay or leave, but I'm going to give it until December, i.e. the winter vacation, to see how things work out. Besides this less than average TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France), I've found some wonderful people here who are making my stay worthwhile. I am going to try to enjoy my time here in France because I was excited to be coming here for so long. Yes, I am homesick, but who wouldn't be in my position? I am going to make more of an effort to step outside of my usual, because that was the point in coming here. Wish me luck, my fellow readers, wish me luck. Please and thank you :)

Mon Premier Jour

I hope my students don't hear the shaky undertones in my voice that indicate my nervousness.  They are not much younger than me, and I hope that I don't seem too much like I have no idea what to do with them. I have no training. A fellow teacher told me to ask the students to talk about themselves. That is exactly what I do. And then… nothing… I've got no clue what to do, so I have them work on adjectives that they have on their worksheets. I'm speaking a bit too fast for them to understand, and my students are a bit shy. No worries. I understand how it is. They're shy to speak English in the classroom, just the same as I was shy to speak French. They don't seem to know what to do, so I talk (more slowly), and try to have them talk as well. The bell rings and my students are free to go. As am I. Here I am, once more in the classroom, this time on the other side.

10/1/2012

First Official Class with Planned Lessons

Last night, as I was planning my lessons, I remembered why I applied to this program in the first place. That fiery passion that I have for teaching raised its head as I thought of ideas that would better help my students learn, and rejected others that seemed unworthy of them. My teaching rule? I won't give my students anything I wouldn't want to do myself. Too many times I've sat in a classroom, bored up to my eyeballs, wondering why in God's good name the teacher thought the assignment would be the least bit interesting to do. Here with this program I get to have rules more relaxed than actual teachers and my job is to help students have fun, while learning English. Thus far, my job has been going well. And I am only too happy when the students, my students, call me over saying, "Teacher, teacher!" That's me. That's my title. This is what I was born to do.

P.S.

Did I mention how official I feel when I write on the whiteboard? I have my own set of markers. :does happy dance:


After one week of teaching experience, all I want to say to the teachers of the world is thank you, and I don't want your job. So what do I do with myself now?

10/15/2012

Scarves (Foulards)

The real reason why French people wear scarves is to protect their necks from the hazardous memory of the guillotine. These are a people forever scarred by the bloody history of their country's revolution. Thus, to keep their necks from being exposed, their poor delicate necks from thinking of the blades, they hide them with scarves.

Goat Cheese (& Crackers) My Greatest Weakness

Dear friends, family, colleagues, strangers, soon to be friends, etc. Today I must admit that my greatest weakness here in France is goat cheese. Goat cheese because I am lactose intolerant and when it comes to goat cheese I need not suffer the horrid pangs of sorrow that lactose brings me. Goat cheese because it's a cheese that works for me and brings me cheesy happiness. I've purchased 4 different kinds thus far, and I have only just begun on this journey. I hope you all will bear with my cheesy goatiness, and I hope that you too can one day indulge in the wonders of goats. Sincerely, Lover of chevres.

Parleez vous ingles?

Where in the world are the English speakers? They're everywhere apparently, and this program is helping me to realize that. The English speakers of the world hail from Scotland, Ireland, Britain, Trinidad, and elsewhere, as well as from my old homeland. I'm encountering people from different countries in THIS country, and you know what? It doesn't feel like I'm meeting people from different countries. It just feels like I'm meeting people. People. We're the ones who are important, we're the ones who count, we're who make our countries what they are. The people. So where are our differences? Our differences are partout, our differences are here and there, but at the core, at the beggining, middle, and end of the day, were are the same. Because we are people. No matter where we hail from. No matter what language we speak. 9/2

Ce que j'ai remarqué (What I've Realized)

The reason why I can read and write French and yet have trouble when I speak it, to the point where I feel like I don't know anything, and other assistants I've spoken with are in the same boat, is because we learned French backwards. We learned to read and write French from textbooks before we learned to speak. We still don't know how to speak. I still don't know how to speak. I can look at the verbs on paper and know what they mean, I know how to use them when I'm writing an essay (for the most part), and yet, when it comes to speaking out loud, I stumble, I fumble, I stutter, and the right verbs elude me. My vocabulary is small. At times I choose silence over attempting to express myself. A good solution? I think not. This experience is serving to dissuade me from wanting to become a language teacher. I don't want to teach language the way I've been taught. It doesn't work. The method is fallible. It's backwards. One must learn to speak before one learns to read and write. Just the same as we crawl before we walk, so on and so forth. Such is the way the brain works best. 9/26/12

Cergy, Soit!*

(This phrase is best understood in reference to the Bible where God says "Let there be light!" which in French is "Que la lumière soit!" So here, Cergy is basically being commanded into being, and since Cergy, Soit is the name of the festival, Cergy also refers to the aspects of the festival.)

 The Squams are straining on their leashes and I'm looking on in confusion, wondering if this is legal, asking Lisa, my companion for the day, what exactly is going on. We follow them out of curiosity, as do the rest of the people in the square, because we are all wondering who the Squams are, why they're on leashes, and who are the officers blowing at them on their whistles. This is Cergy, Soit! a free festival being held in Cergy for the weekend, and these are the Squams, incredibly talented actors, who very convincingly play the role of… Squams. Ape-like creatures who strain against their chains of captivity, and resist being put back into their cage, creatures who stare at the audience with wild eyes, looking at us out of curiosity, wondering what kind of creatures are we. Cergy? Soit! And so, Cergy was. A center for the arts for that weekend, showcasing talented acrobats, and actors, musicians, comedians, and what have you. And thankfully Lisa had learned of and invited me to the festival that took place on a gorgeous weekend in September. We ate baguette for lunch in a Cergy square, wondered about the presence of a group of people who wore red and white outfits that I endearingly nicknamed the coneheads because of their cone shaped hats. We sat on the grass and watched Dora the Explorer escape from her captive balloon existence and float off into the distant blue sky, to explore new lands. We assisted an incredibly strange marrionnette play in which the queen, justifying our quiet suspicions, turned out to be a man. We were party to a cabaret show in which an incredible comedian brought me to tears, and an incredible dancer passionately acted out the story of a heartbroken love. The people said "Cergy?" and Cergy said "Soit!" And thus the people were. The people were out in full force, living, laughing, playing, enjoying life, and we were there. As for the Squams? There was a sign on their cage that said don't feed them, so who knows what became of them? Let's hope the gamekeepers kept their best interests in mind. 9/26/12

Swimming in Alphabet Soup

I feel like I'm floundering in a sea of verbs and articles in which I struggle to find the right ones when necessary. They're always there, but not within the close reach that I need them to be. I'm looking forward to the day when speaking doesn't feel like such work anymore. Not that it usually does, but you get my gist, especially if you've been in my boat! 9/19/12

An Inconvenient Truth

Saying a word with a french accent doesn't make it anymore french than it isn't. Conditioner, and vegetables aren't french words, and saying them with a french accent has only gotten me confused looks and responses such as "quoi?" The correct words, which I've since learned, are "après-shampooing" and "lègumes". 9/19/12

A Bit of Satire

My fellow Americans, you're not going to like me for saying this, and you're going to think me quite prejudiced, but in my opinion, everyone sounds so much smarter in French. I'm quite enjoying hearing Indians and Asians speaking French. Tis quite awesome. I'm still a hesitant little non-Frenchie learning the French ways. They're not so different from us. Humans really aren't that different the world over. Yet we have all these funny preconceived notions about each other. Born of not knowing and all. Well, there's my opinion about French. (I'm being ionic of course.) 9/15/12

Eplucher les Aubergines!

This weekend, I learned a new verb "éplucher", which means "to slice". Aubergines are eggplants. But aubergine sounds so much more beautiful than eggplants… I've been using my new verb often. For one thing, I like the way it sounds: eh plu cher. It sounds like a splash of sound. Pluch. It's difficult to convey the sound to you, my fellow Americans, but I guarantee you, this is a nice sounding verb. My neighbors kids are both sick with colds, so I gave them my famous recipe with onions (oignons) and brown sugar/honey (sucre rouge/miel) to help them feel better. I told the youngest to "Eplucher un oignon" and let it rest covered by some sugar or honey in a container in the fridge and to drink the resulting syrup. One of my favorite and best tasting recipes to help get rid of colds and sore throats. (It's best with honey.) Well then, my fellow Americans, being as how it's back to school season and you've probably caught cold from your fellow sickly classmates, Allez eplucher des oignons! (Go slice oignons!) and try that recipe and I hope you all will feel better. As for les aubergines, let me know how you like them best. I prefer them thinly epluchée (sliced) and baked, so I can enjoy their slight sweetness. Did you know that aubergines are actually REALLY big berries? 9/18/12 Corrections: 9/19/12 "Eplucher" does not in fact mean "to slice", but it does mean "to peel". "To slice", one would say "couper", or "trancher". My bad!

Tongue Tied!!!

I find myself tongue-tied in French, especially when it comes to the smaller, faster exchanges. I find myself quickly wondering whether to use "tu" (for the younger kids and peers and friends; informal) and "vous" (people that you don't know/are older than you; formal). In those moments I hope that I won't appear completely bête, but for the most part I'm sure that I don't I think that I just seem… tongue-tied. Which is okay. Because in English I am often tongue-tied as well. Remembering that makes me feel a lot better when I'm feeling slightly inadequate about my language skills! I feel like I'm a foreigner, especially when I have to speak to others, or when others are saying something that I don't understand. But that's not a bad thing. It's a good experience. A necessary experience. Back home, speaking with people who had heavy accents made me feel unsure if they understood me. For the most part (half the time) I understand what people say to me the first time they say something. But for explanations of broader ideas, I find myself asking for repetitions and always always listening very hard to make sure I catch everything! I watch a lot of TV, hoping that le French will install itself in my head more quickly that way. I also am better able to work on my listening skills that way. This experience reminds me of how I gave a friend who had recently come from Haiti advice about watching a lot of TV and looking for children's books and getting as much exposure to English as she could right before I left. We're in the same boat her and I, she in America, myself in France. It's true that the only way to truly learn a language is to submerge yourself in it/the country/the culture (at least in my experience and others who I've spoken to). If you only try to learn from books, you won't learn everything that you need to know. Especially because language is so fluid, being as how it's always in use. I've got my work cut out for me here, and I'm quite looking forward to it! I'm looking forward to getting my library card so I can get my hands on a dictionary and on some children's books so I can expand my vocabulary further. Wish me luck, my fellow Americans, wish me luck!

French TV

I heard that French commercials were a lot more abstract than American ones, but I haven't found that to be true at all. I've found a lot of American TV shows here, especially on the Disney channel, that have been dubbed over by marvelous (no exaggeration, think about the work that goes into voice acting for a completely different actor!) actors. They're shows that I wouldn't normally watch because they had no appeal for me, but being as how I'm listening to them in French now, that helps my French skills. Which makes the shows somewhat useful (I'm so harsh when it comes to American TV. There's so much uselessness therein.). But one fabulous thing that I've noticed recently, et exuse-moi si je me suis trompée (excuse me if I'm wrong) but there are no commercials during the programs! I thought that the shows I was watching were shorter, but then I realized that the commercials are only before and after the programs. How cool is that?

On Being a Foreigner

What stands out most about being a foreigner is the frequency with which I say "Comment?" That means "what?" I also ask people to repeat things. I try to pinpoint exactly what I would like them to repeat by repeating the last thing that I heard and understood, but what usually happens is that the whole sentence is repeated. There are also sometimes the small explanations that follow. I think it's an incredibly valuable experience to be a foreigner. I don't think I have an American accent, but if I did, I wonder if people would speak to me differently. I'ec always felt a bit timid to speak with people who have accents because I'm not sure that I will understand what they're saying and then I wonder if they'll understand what I'm ssaying. There are plenty of accents around here of course My main point is that being a foreigner makes me feel nervous, because I wonder if I'm doing things "the way I'm supposed to" as in the way the french do them. But no one can tell I'm a foreigner if I don't tell them anything. I mean, just today as I ordered my crepe, the lady told me the price in English and I said "Comment?" and she repeated in French. Talk about victory!

les differences entre les francais et les americans

               I've only been in France for 5 days, and yet it feels like I've been here for much longer. I think that the fact that I've been here twice already has much to do with it. I'm feeling more comfortable here than I felt my first two times, which is good. It's nice to feel comfortable in a foreign country. Here, one usually has to pay a few extra cents for a plastic sack when one goes shopping. For those who've lived here all their lives, I'm sure it seems common place and is seen automatically as a way to be conscious of one's effect on the environment. People commonly carry their own sacks with them when they go to the market. But to a foreigner like me, it seems like an ingenious way to get people to think about the fact that their actions do have consequences. And things here are smaller in general. The elevators for example. In the apartment buildings that I've been to, the elevators are tiny. It creates a more intimate environment in which strangers are encouraged to speak with one another. For friendly old me, and for people in general who like such things, it's refreshing.
            I visited the Opéra Garnier with two other assistants today. I also had my first crêpe since I've been back in France. It was a bit too sweet for me, being as how I've laid off sugar in the past few months. But it was delicious. I had a staring contest with some beautiful, brightly colored macarons today as well, in the same place where I got my crepe. They tempted me, sorely. But I decided that the crepe was enough sweet for one day. I was right. I bought a pair of boots today. They cost me about an arm and a leg, but I worked for that money in America and I will spend it here in France! Wisely, of course. Oh, and back to things being smaller. Space is more widely used here, in general. A square in the floor and a second floor to get to? Why, how about add a circular staircase that wraps around a pole to take care of that level difference? A tiny space in which to live? Why how about a tiny washing machine, dryer, and dishwasher to help you with your daily activities? And the cars! They're just downright cute! I'm particularly in love with a bright blue one owned by a handsome man living down the block. (My future cuddly French husband who smells of croissants?)

Bored in France

So I've been craving internet access lately as if it were my next fix. Wifi to be more specific. And now I've got it and... and. It's as though I depend on it to feel connected, but it's just the feeling. It's not as if everyone I want to speak to is available all the time when I'm on the internet, but it sure does feel like it! At least not having wifi for the time being will give me the chance to detox from my over dependence on the internet. Over dependence is common among Americans, do you other Americans agree? This will also have me spending less time online feeling like I'm doing something when in reality all I'm doing is browsing random pages. I find myself bored at times. I need more things with which to amuse myself. Like... television... and ... movies. Haha jk. I'm gonna look for something with babysitting so I won't be poor. And enjoy France. Tomorrow, I shall go to the American Library in Paris! I was headed there today, but luckily changed my plans. Apparently it's closed on Mondays. Oh les French.

Les Generalizations on How the Other Half Lives + Why I Love French So Much

Generalizations are everywhere. French people don't care much for deodorant. Americans love big things and everything's huge in America. Especially the Americans/ They're obese. All French people are tiny and they don't eat a lot, but exercise much. Things I've heard about America, and generalizations I've believed or have heard about the French. And of course, all they are, are generalizations. Stereotypes. Not facts, not truths, just conceptions widely believed about each other. Some of my Frenchies are absolutely convinced that these are true, despite what I try to tell them otherwise. That's okay. Seeing and living it is believing it. That's the best convincing anyone can give. I think the reason I love French so much is because it's so close to Creole, my mother language. My mother's language. The language that comforted me even before I came out into this world, the language that let me know that all was well and that convinced me that life on the outside would be fine when I was untimely ripped from my mother's womb. This language sounds so comforting to me. I find myself surprised at the ease with which it flows from me, when I hear myself having a conversation with someone else. Of course, there are times when I feel completely stupid, that can't be helped. Then there are those other times when I feel I can express myself well. That makes me happy. I love this language, if it were a person, it would be my husband. My cuddly, sweet amazing husband who smells like crossants. Oh, and did I mention I can see the Eiffel Tower from the apartment where I live? And that there were fireworks in Paris yesterday? 9 12 2012

Au revoir mis gentes! Allo France!

9/7/2012 Today, I set sail (fly) for that far away land (France) that I fell in love with a few years ago (in 2010). I knew I wanted to go back when I returned from France last year. I knew I wanted to be a Teaching Assistant from the first day I heard of this program (TAPIF.org) back in 2008 when I was still a young college freshman. I'm now older (and wiser) and I'm heading off to France, and it's not a dream. O.O I shall miss my people (mis gentes) but of course, I shan't be gone long. My fellow Americans, it has been a pleasure sharing la vida de Nueva York with you all. 9/8/2012 I have arrived! Here is my contact info: I can be called at 06 60 16 90 54 if you are in Europe or 33 6 60 16 90 54 if you are in America. Once I have regular internet access in the apartment where I'm living I can stop feeling so maladroit with this French keyboard, lol. On Monday I interview with a babysitting company, and next week I will see to opening my compte bancaire and getting a regular mobile plan. My plane ride fascinated me of course, my love of airplanes is no secret! However, I'm feeling almost half deaf at the moment as my right ear has yet to pop from the air pressure. My ears hurt a great deal on our descent into France, that's never happened to me before, and I'm sincerely hoping that it's nothing serious. My English already feels different because I'm trying to think in French, so I have no doubt that it will sound a bit weird to my readers for which I apologize in advance. I have been having a completely lovely time thus far, everyone has been quite friendly. Hopefully in about a month my brain will be more French because I feel a bit like I have trouble understanding simple things right now. P.S. I haven't eaten any croissants yet!!!

Updates!

The Birth Certificate situation almost turned into a fiasco! It turns out that the Office of Vital Records had not even printed it and I'd been waiting these 4 weeks for something that wasn't coming! It usually takes 3 weeks for it to arrive so I wasn't too anxious at first and then the fourth week came and still nothing. Thankfully I went down to the office yesterday and met some very helpful people and I will be able to pick it up Tuesday morning. I'll be there at 9 am, then I'm off to the County Clerk to have it notarized, and then back to the Apostille office to get my stamp. Please wish me luck! I hope the process goes smoothly! In other news, I just applied for a second job with babyspeaking.fr, hopefully they will be able to place me with a babysitting or tutoring job, because I would really love to work with children while in France. (I'll be working with high schoolers at my job.) Things seem to be falling into place, please wish me all the best so that things will go smoothly!

Breakfasttimes... in France

One thing that I really miss about France is the muesli. Yes, I miss the cereal that I used to eat for breakfast. Laden with delicious pieces of fruit and grains and all that great stuff, I couldn't go wrong with a bowl of that accompanied by rice milk for my breakfast. That's one of the first purchases that I'll be looking to make when I finally arrive! Besides all the extra food stuffs. Speaking of arrival, I'm still unsure as to whether or not I'll actually be able to leave next week because my birth certificate still hasn't arrived. It's quite worrisome. I think I'm gonna have to make a trip down to the bureau of vital records either today or tomorrow to see what's going on. I shake my fist at you bureaucracy!

8 more days till takeoff!

So, I'm leaving for France in about 8 days, to live there for 8 months. The only thing holding me up is that I haven't yet received my official birth certificate in the mail, and I'm gonna need to have it notarized and all this official crap so it can be recognized internationally. Get an apostille and whatnot. This has been a source of worry for me, as I've checked the mail incessantly for the past few weeks and still... nothing. Nada. Zilch. Rien du tout! Que dois-je faire? Must I delay my departure as I've been thinking I must? I know some people would be happy if I did... but I'd just be... irritated... of course that would give me the opportunity to make a little more money before I leave. I should be packing and stuff, but I haven't started yet. I still need two large boxes in which to pack my stuff and have them shipped off to France. And I need to do a little more shopping before I leave. Emphasis on the little. I'm trying not to buy too much before I leave cause I can always buy stuff in that old country. Well this is it then. The first entry to the blog I hope to keep going during my eight month stay. Wish me luck mes amis :)