Flute de zut!

Monday, 18h, Vieux Port comme d'habitude for a chocolat chaud with Rachel, Louise and Aimee. I then came home and had soup and baguette for tea. Isabelle (one of the teachers at Lycee) phoned me to say I wouldn't have her terminale tomorrow at 8h but that she would be sending the secondes at 15h. It's an improvement - at least she called me! I therefore didn't leave for Lycee on Tuesday morning until 9h30 as my next class wasn't until 10h10. Theoretically anyway. No students turned up. I can't say as I was surprised. It's getting to the point where I'm more suprised to see students. I came home for lunch. I then left again to go back to Lycee for what should have been 3 hours of classes. My BTS students (2 of them) turned up at 13h15. The terminale at 14h10 however where nowhere to be seen. But that's ok because the secondes would be coming at 15h05 just like Isabelle had said on the phone yesterday, right? Wrong. At 15h30 I was still studentless. I went home. I was supposed to have 5 hours yesterday with numerous students and ended up with one hour and 2 students. *Sigh*. On Thursday I have a class at 9h to 10h and then a class at 15h to 16h. The 9h class will definitely happen as Christiane emailed a room change this morning. As for the 15h class, well. The teacher has been absent the past 2 weeks so your guess is as good as mine. Last night I went to Rachel's for a cup of tea. I then came home and Louise text asking whether I wanted to go to the cinema. We went to see 'Reviens moi' which was good. Now, it's Wednesday and I'm working on my dissertation. *Sigh*. I'll keep you posted...

Je suis allee en vacances - part 2

CHAMBERY -

top - the theatre

second - the elephant statue - apparently a man from Chambery went travelling in India and this statue is to remember his travels...

third - the castle

bottom - palm trees in Chambery which is ridiculous. Palm trees are for warm climates - Chambery is anything but warm!

On Sunday we went round Chambery. It's a small town, old, pretty. In the afternoon we went 'faire du patinoire' and then we went for a hot chocolate with some other assistants - Katie who was really nice. She's from Eastbourne. Then there were 3 Italian assistants who were also really nice and Megan was there too. Again, we had to speak French. We went home to eat - omlette and salad tonight. And then went chez Megan with Jessy and Eva to watch a film - in English with French subtitles. On Monday morning I got up early to go to the station. My original plan was to get the train to Lyon and go round Lyon but it was cold and I had my suitcase so I just changed and got the TGV back to Marseille. It was a lot quicker than the ordinary train. I'm going to go to Lyon another time, probably one day during the February holidays.

Je suis allee en vacances - part 1

ANNECY

I got up reasonable early on Saturday morning and caught a train from Marseille to Valance Ville where I then changed to go to Chambery. It took me from 0901 to 1410 to get there so it was quite a way. Chambery is in the mountains - The Alpes to be more specific. I was going to visit Alex for the weekend and see a different part of France. When I got off the train at Valance Ville it was about 10* colder than it had been in Marseille. When I got to Chambery it was freezing. Chambery, apparently, used to be the 'gateway to the Alpes' but now transport has improved - ie. there are train lines that go further into the Alpes, it isn't so much of a 'gateway'. On Saturday afternoon we went to Annecy which is a town just north of Chambery. It was beautiful albeit cold. There was a lake with the mountains in the background and it was old and small and very picturesque. Afterwards we went back to Chambery and I met Alex's flatmate - Breo - he is also an assistant but he's Spanish. It's good because it means they have to communicate all the time in French. We cooked a curry and ate together. We then went to meet some of the other people in Chambery - one other assistant - Megan, she's American. And 3 French people - Benoit, Eva and Jessy. Because it isn't just all English speaking people hanging out together it means that you have to speak French.

Nothing exciting

Monday - I met Angeline for lunch. We went to Patacrepes at the beach but when we got there they were closed for refurbishement so we went back to the town centre to Al Dente. Rachel joined us. I was late meeting Angeline because I went to the post office and the parcel wouldn't fit in the post box so I brought it back and then walked to Joliette to take the metro to Noailles. I went to Virgin to buy the book which follows on from 'Et si c'etait vrai'. I then text Angeline at 11h15 to say I would be 10 minutes late. I thought 25 minutes would be plenty to buy a dictionary and get back to Joliette. But it wasn't, I just missed a metro and was late which made Angeline angry. Anyway, I ate chez Rachel in the evening and saw both Rachel and Louise comme d'habitude at 18h for a coffee. And there was Monday.

Tuesday saw me at Lycee for 8am. I hadn't received a phonecall from Isabelle so I was expecting her terminale to turn up and, shock horror, they did! We did Global Warming. I was then free until 10h when I had my 2 terminale girls. I was then free for 2 hours - not enough time to go home so I stayed in my room. But then my blind student, Thibauld, didn't show up so I could have gone home. I then had 20 minutes or so with a couple of Agnes terminale students and then it was mes secondes. The nice half of the class. I did the David Guetta 'Atomic Food' song which worked well. Rachel came chez moi for mashed potatoes in the evening and then we went to watch the FA cup reply between Arsenel and Spurs.

Wednesday - nothing exciting - dissertation.

Thursday - Strikes. Only one hour of lessons at Lycee at 14h. I did my Arctic Monkeys song with the Anglais Renforce class. I then had my cours de conversation. I went to the cinema in the evening with Louise to see Sweeney Todd. Louise left for Bordeaux for the weekend.

Friday - nothing exiting. I bought my train ticket for tomorrow - I'm going on holiday to Chambery.

Encore, une semaine de merde au Lycee

Lundi, qu'est ce que j'ai fait? Ah oui, je suis allee faire du shopping avec Rachel. Nous sommes allees a L'Exit Cafe pour un chocolat chaud et puis nous sommes rentrees chez moi pour dejeuner. Il pleuvait le soir quand je suis allee voir Louise et encore Rachel.

Mardi, je me le souviens bien. Je me suis levee a 6h pour aller au Lycee. J'avais une classe de terminale a 8h. C'etait la classe que je n'ai vu que trois fois depuis le debut de l'annee scolaire. Ils etaient la la semaine dermiere alors ils seraient la cette semaine, j'en suis sure. Mais non, j'avais torte, ils n'etaient pas la. Je ne sais pas pourquoi. J'etais encore au Lycee pour 8h pour rien. Je suis allee faire du photocopying parce que je n'avais rien jusqu'a apres la recreation a 10h10. Mais a 10h10 j'etais dans ma salle et il n'y avait pas d'eleves! Encore! A 10h30 j'etais en colere, j'ai quitte le Lycee et je suis retournee chez moi pour dejeuner. L'apres midi j'avais une classe de BTS a 13h. J'avais trois eleves qui, il me semblait, ne voulaient pas etre la, comme moi. Apres j'avais une classe de terminale, c'est assez bien passe. Apres, j'avais mes secondes, ma classe de merde et oui, ils sont vraiment une classe de merde. C'est 10 garcons de 15ans. Ils n'ecoutent pas, ils ne travaillent pas, ils ne veulent pas etre la. Leur comportement est insupportable. J'ai mit deux dehors mais ils faisaient du bruit dans le couloir. Je n'enseignerai jamais encore cette classe. Apres, j'etais triste, je voulais pleurer. Le soir, je l'ai passe avec Rachel et Louise.

Mercredi, je suis allee voir Rachel au Rond Point, nous avons dejeune ensemble. Apres je suis allee a la bibliotheque et j'ai emprunte trois livres pour ma dissertation. Je suis retournee chez moi pour les lire mais j'avais du sommeil... Rachel m'a appelle a 18h et m'a reveille! Je suis allee chez elle avec Aimee et Louise et on a cuisine cauliflower cheese, apres on est allee voir le foot.

Jeudi, encore je suis allee au Lycee. Les choses ont du etre mieux, j'en suis sure. Mais non. Je suis arrive a 10h et le prof m'a dit 'je n'ai pas besoin de toi aujourd'hui' alors je suis y allee pour rien. Je suis retournee chez moi en colere. Je suis allee au Vieux Port avec Rachel et je lui ai demande, est ce que tu penses que je devrais retourner pour une classe a 15h? Elle m'a dit que je devrais alors je suis retournee au Lycee mais pour quoi? Pour rien, rien du tout. La prof n'etait pas la. J'etais en colere, j'etais triste. Pourquoi me traitent-ils comme ca? Pourquoi la prof ne l'a pas prevenu qu'elle n'etait pas la? Je suis allee diner au Galiote avec Rachel et Louise. C'etait la jour la plus mauvaise depuis le debut.

Vendredi je suis allee dejeuner avec Aimee et le soir je suis allee au theatre pour voir 'Candide' par Voltaire. C'etait vraiment bien, ca m'a fait plaisir.

Samedi j'ai passe avec Aimee, Rachel et Louise. On n'a pas fait grandes choses. Nous sommes allees a Notre Dame de la Garde parce que Louise n'a jamais fait les choses touristiques a Marseille.

Et voila, encore une semaine se passe.

La Rentree

Saturday - shopping to stock up on food.

Sunday - Pique nique with Rachel.

Monday - Hagan Daas Ice cream with Rachel.

Tuesday - Lycee. 8am - Isabelles terminales who I have only ever met once actually came today - shock horror. I then had an hour free before the 2 terminale girls. Thibauld, who I normally see at 13h came to say he wouldn't be able to come today so I was able to go home for lunch. I went back to Lycee for Agnes terminales at 14h but they didn't come. I see nothing's changed. I'm still being forgotten. I then had mes secondes - classe de merde. I did a new year's resolution poem with them which leant itself well to the future tense using 'will'. I then went home.

Wednesday - I spent the day with Rachel and Louise, the sales started so we went round a few shops. Louise had her new cours de conversation at 17h and afterwards I met up with her again for a coffee.

Thursday - back at Lycee but not until 9am as my BTS I normally see at 8h are on work experience. I did the new year's resolution poem with my anglais renforce at 9h. I then did binge drinking with Olivia's terminales at 10h. Then I had a BTS class at 11h. I had two hours then until a second class of anglais renforce where I did Roald Dahl's short story - The Hitch hiker. After this class, at 15h I had a class of secondes. I then had my private cours de conversation with Camille where I helped her with some homework.

Friday - I met Rachel at Rond Point at 10h30 and then met Angeline for lunch afterwards. I went out for lunch with Angeline and afterwards we did a spot of shopping. I bought a bag from Accessorize that I'd seen before Christmas but was now in the sale with 50% off. I then had my cours de conversation at 17h30.

Saturday - I was supposed to be volunteering Les Restos du Coeur but due to a shortage of volunteers it was cancelled.

Sunday - Shoe shopping with Rachel and Louise. Rachel needed a pair of shoes to accommodate her bandaged toe - she decided it'd be a good idea to remove her toe nail the morning she was coming back to Marseille...

Noel Noel

On Christmas Eve I went into Ludlow to meet Philippa. We went into De Greys for Afternoon Tea. There was loads! Sandwiches, tea, cakes and scones with jam and butter. Delicious though. I felt like I'd been home about 5 minutes and already it was Christmas. Cheddar cheese, branston pickle, somosas, spaghetti, baked beans, lentil roast on Christmas Day, chocolate, biscuits, mince pies, Christmas cake and umm, more chocolate. On the 28th I went to Shrewsbury on the train - Sale Shopping. When I came home all I needed to buy was a pair of boots, waterproof boots. I bought a pair in Ludlow on the 27th - a pair of ankle boots. Then, on the 28th, I bought a pair of knee high boots, a pair of suede boots and a pair of shoes, amongst other, none-shoe, things. On New Year's Eve I went to Telford, and, amoungst other things, bought another pair of boots... I then spent the remainder of my holiday weighing everything in a somewhat pointless attempt to stay withn RyanAir's ridiculous weight limit of 15kg - something that was always going to be an impossible task.

In the period between Christmas and New Year I booked a train ticket from Birmingham International to Stansted Airport with virgin, direct this time, not changing at Northampton. Then Network Rail decided that it's engineering works were going to overrun. And it was the line I needed to use to get the London that was closed due to the overrunning engineering works. Liverpool Street Station was also closed with no trains to or from it. That meant no Stansted Express. The day before I was due to leave the line was still closed. I went into Ludlow train station and said 'I need to be at Stansted Airport for 14h tomorrow'. The man nearly laughed at me. He told me that despite Network rail saying the line would be open at 5am tomorrow morning that he doubted it. He did however find me another route. A better route, a proper direct route from Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport, no changing. The trouble was my ticket for my original route was at Birmingham International waiting to be collected. And also, I didn't know whether the line via Rugby would actually be open. If it wasn't I could get a refund on my original ticket, if it wasn't I would lose my money if I didn't go that way. I decided it was better to be safe than sorry and bought a second ticket for the direct train from Birmingham New Street to Stansted Airport. I got a lift to Birmingham International and then collected my tickets - all 6 million of them! I had an abundance of tickets for getting to Stansted going just about every way possible. I then got the train from International to New Street where it became obvious I had massively overestimated the amount of time I would need to get to New Street for the 10h24 train. I had an hour and a half wait. Oh well, better to be early than miss the train. The rest of the journey went smoothly. The flight was on time. We got to Marseille at about 19h and then got the bus and metro. My suitcase weighed over the weight limit and I had to pay for excess weight. Nevermind.