Friday, March 14, 2008

I go for mine, I got to shine, now throw your hands up in the sky high.

Yay! Today was a good day. I had a hard time getting out of bed. I guess this is a good thing because I am sleeping better - I thank the yoga - but it's a bad thing because I need to get UP and get MOVING!

So I got to School Two for three back-to-back classes. (Ok, with fifteen minute breaks in between.) I got there at 8:00, and by 8:10 I had pumped out a quick dialogue for my awesome fifth graders to read. And they did! I had one of the M4 girls and J* "present" it. They did a good job reading it cold. We did some comprehension questions, and then they had the rest of the class period to create their own dialogue. These kids are such good workers. I left today thinking I'm a good teacher. I was really impressed at how well it worked.

Lunch with Rocio and Marie was nice. Sometimes I think Rocio is too familiar and that interferes with her comprehension of the conversations. But then again I've also become ultra-pragmatic.

I'm also tagging along the high school field trip in two weeks to the Musée du Président. I am SO excited! I've wanted to see this ever since I learned that former President Jacques Chirac is from Corrèze and that he put his museum here! So now I get to go for FREE. I just bring a bag lunch. I am SO excited! I don't even care that it'll be in the middle of crazy marking period wrap-up. Woohoo!!

In other travel news, God bless the SNCF. Not only can I reserve and purchase my train tickets online, but I can choose to have them delivered to my house for FREE within four days. All of the tickets Maggie and I need for our whirlwind tour of Bretagne have been delivered! I have the youth reduction card and Maggie doesn't, obviously. Can I just say: this card is a god-send. Sign that you've lived in Europe: you dread your 25th birthday because it marks the end of pretty much all price reductions.

I went to the post office to mail out Mom's penpal letters (finally, I know) and buy some pre-stamped international envelopes. Then I went to Leader Price, my hands-down least favorite grocery store ever for applesauce, strawberry candies, and quite possibly the worst chocolate I've ever had. French chocolate is not all that good, and the French promote it more than they should. Super-cheap grocery store chocolate is awful. I have 400g to eat. I think I'll manage. And then I bought a pain, which is different than a baguette in terms of ingredients, shape and size. Basically a pain is bigger and more nutritious.

Tomorrow I will go to marché to see if there's anything else I can waste my money on, see if Juliette (Ben's supposed friend...wonder what happened there...) is busking with her concertina (miniature accordion), and perhaps get a fun pastry. Then some serious lesson planning. Then tutoring. Then more serious lesson planning. Only three more weeks, and the last day is shot because of vacation. I'm not making my kids do anything "serious" on the day before vacation because my head's not in school either. So we do something fun and cultural. But only three weeks! I have to do centers and évaluations orales and penpal letters and Saint Patrick's Day! Did you know that Ireland is an Anglophone country? We should probably talk about Saint Patrick then.

I REALLY miss friends and family. But Mom was right. These next weeks will FLY. I have to talk to Françoise about housing and if not her then Madame le Proviseur and if not her then Monsieur Martinet at the Circonscription de l'Inspection Académique and if not him then Madame Renson. I am unconcerned. No one who knows me will let me be homeless. I have to ask Madame Renson about June 30. I have to get an appointment to close my bank account. I have to confirm that the Rectorat will really pay us when they're supposed to so my paycheck doesn't end up in limbo. And THEN I have to get a real ticket home. Because June 10 is not correct. Thanks Continental. And then I have to book a hotel and a train in Paris. AHHHH all this in less than eight weeks?!

But yes I really miss my family and my friends.

France is nice but I can't live here with the back of my mind always thinking of home.

No comments: