Emily arrived on Wednesday. 24 hours later than planned. We went to the beach on Wednesday. We took the metro and the bus. We then caught the bus back along the coast and got off at Vieux Port. We went to Café Simon for tea. I had the fromaggi bruschetta and Emily had a crepe salée. We also shared une assiette de frites and then had dessert and a coffee. I had mousse chocolat and Emily had tarte tatin. It was delicious. We then watched France beat England in the football and went home. On Thursday I was at Lycée and Emily came with me. I had my BTS at 8h - I checked their work, went through their work experience with them - they both had their exams that afternoon. At 9h I had my anglais renforcé with Christiane and then at 10h it was Olivia's termiale which went really well. At 11h it was a class with Andrée - they're one of my favourite classes. Andrée had asked me to talk a bit about the government and main political parties in the UK and Sarkozy's official state visit to the UK and also about the Olympic Games in China. Afterwards we did some translating and then it was lunchtime. At 13h I had a cours de conversation with a member of staff at the Lycée and then a class of Terminale who were not well motivated. There were only 2 of them and I let them go after half an hour - half an hour that felt like a lot lot longer! I went and joined Marie José and her secondes.
After Lycée we went to Le Palais du Pharo and Le Palais Longchamps before meeting my french teacher and her daughter from Lycée at Saint Charles at 19h30. We went to Notre Dame de la Garde and then to a pizzaria on La Corniche that is famous for it's pizzas. It was really nice and such a lovely location too. We then came home.
On Friday morning I had French so Emily took a map and went for a wander round. We met later on at Vieux Port, bought a baguette and came home for lunch. We then went to Saint Charles and Emily caught the navette to go back to the airport. I met Angéline devant la pharmacie at 14h30 and we did some shopping. Galeries Lafayette have a sale on at the minute and I bought a necklace. I also bought some cow and sheep stamps in a stationery shop. I then had my cours de conversation.
samedi 29 mars 2008
Joyeuses Pâques!
On Monday I went out for lunch with Angéline. We went to La Galiote at Vieux Port. I had brousse stuffed ravioli and Angéline had a pizza. We both had tarte tatin for dessert. It was still really windy so after we'd eaten we went home. Angéline came chez moi for a cup of tea. She left at about 16h and I cleaned my windows. I couldn't reach the tops but they still look so much better than before. My room is now even brighter. I then did some dusting and sweeping. That was all really. Not alot to report for Monday.
I was at Lycée on Tuesday but there were mock italian oral exams in my room so I was roomless. I therefore didn't have any lessons. I went to a class with Marie José and then came home. Emily was supposed to be coming to visit. She was due to arrive at 14h45 but she'd had problems getting on the right train. She caught the Stansted Express at Liverpool Street rather that the train to Gatwick and so ended up at the wrong airport. She therefore missed her flight. She was able to get a transfer onto the next flight which was at the same time the next day.
I was at Lycée on Tuesday but there were mock italian oral exams in my room so I was roomless. I therefore didn't have any lessons. I went to a class with Marie José and then came home. Emily was supposed to be coming to visit. She was due to arrive at 14h45 but she'd had problems getting on the right train. She caught the Stansted Express at Liverpool Street rather that the train to Gatwick and so ended up at the wrong airport. She therefore missed her flight. She was able to get a transfer onto the next flight which was at the same time the next day.
dimanche 23 mars 2008
83. La Corniche
Above - La Corniche - Anse des Auffes
Above - Looking out to sea towards Les Isles de Frioul and Le Chateau d'If
Above - it could be Monaco, it is infact Marseille
Above - La plage de Prophet in the 7e arrondissement.
Above - La Corniche - walking from La plage des Catalans to Prado.
Above - looking towards Prado in the 8e arrondissement.
Above - Le port de Prado
Above - again, it could be Monaco. It is infact Marseille.So this afternoon I went on an adventure. A couple of weeks ago I asked my class of Seconde at Lycée to write me a news article. One pair wrote about tourism in Marseille and mentioned 'beautiful beaches like Catalan'. I remember at the time making a mental note that I must go there. I'd completely forgotten until the other day at Lyceé when the receptionist said she'd seen me at Catalan. Impossible! I'd never been! So today, I got my tourist book out (actually it's Louise's, she left it for me) and saw that bus number 83 goes from la Joliette to Rond Point de Prado passing through Vieux Port, up towards le Palais de Pharo and on around the coast - la Corniche, to the statue of David and up the Avenue de Prado to Rond Point where the métro is.
After lunch at about 14h I took my camera and walked to Joliette where I got on the number 83. I got off just after Catalans because it was looking very very pretty and I wanted to take some pictures. I ended up walking the rest of the bus route! You can walk around the coast, it's beautiful. My only complaint was le mistral. It was really really really windy and quite chilly (because of le mistral) but gloriously sunny. I just kept walking stopping every now and then to take the odd photo and admire the view. I could see Prado getting nearer so I just kept going. I then walked up the Avenue de Prado with the idea of getting the métro back to la Joliette but instead I got on the number 83 at 16h40 which took me back around the coastline, where I'd just walked, and back to la Joliette. It took much longer than the métro but I was able to see the sea and coast again.
For an Easter Sunday it was quite busy - people walking despite the wind, people using the bus, tourists. I was surrounded at one point by a japanese or korean family, a girl reading a german book (presumably she was German) and a man and woman speaking a language I didn't recognise - it was neither French nor English, it wasn't German or Spanish, nor any other Latin based language. I eventually decided they were Lithuanian or Estonian. Quite what led me to that conclusion I have no idea. They just looked Lithuanian or Estonian, not that I'd know what Lithuanian or Estonian people look like!
Yes so I've been exploring today. La Corniche is in the 7e arrondissement which is the 'rich' arrondissement. And yes, compared to la Joliette where I started off (at the south of les quartiers nord - the poorest of the poor quartiers) it is rich. It was hard to believe I was still in Marseille as the Marseille I know is a poor Marseille, a dirty Marseille, beautiful but nevertheless not without it's problems. I spend the majority of my life walking between Le Panier and métro Colbert which involves le Passage de Lorette. It's not the nicest of routes. I also spend a lot of time around my Lycée out in the 13e arrondissement - again, not the nicest part of Marseille. And then when I go out with les Restos du Coeur it's the poor parts - les quartiers nord. So to go to the 7e or 8e arrondissements is quite an eye opener. It becomes easy to see why the people here voted right right right.
And here is another video I took. It's La Corniche. It was REALLY windy - that's why it's so shaky - I hadn't been drinking, honest! Just listen to the wind and watch the waves and the blue bin bag at the end - look how it's blowing!
Mes sans-abris
Hier soir - samedi, j'ai tourné avec Les Restos du Coeur. I left chez moi at 18h and walked to la Joliette to get the number 35 bus. I was sat on the bus leaving la Joliette looking at all the building work going on. La Joliette is getting a face lift, an expensive face lift. It's becoming Marseille's new centre of affaires. Appartments, offices, car parks and jobs are being constructed to attract companies to Marseille, to attract workers to Marseille. (Which is completely mad, there aren't enough jobs to go round as it is) It makes me angry to see billions of Euros being invested in a tall glass fancy shaped building that will be the new office or appartment of someone who's moved to Marseille for the new job, when I know that I'll be back in a few hours time, right next to where this expensive monstrosity is being built, feeding people who have only the clothes they stand in. Why is the Mayor insisting on spending money in attracting more people when he can't even look after the people he already has? And to think the people of Marseille re-elected him! Well, the rich-by comparison-to-the-north south re-elected him. The north voted entirely to the left.
As for the bus, I still never know which stop to get off at. I know it's called 'Littoral Pas du Faon' but that really doesn't help when you hurtling down a straight road which looks the same at the beginning as it does the end. I've been lucky in that there has been someone else getting off at my stop each time so it hasn't mattered I haven't realised I needed to get off and so haven't pressed the button. Ooh, tell a lie, there was one time, I ended up at the next stop after having realised I'd gone past the Les Restos du Coeur builing, it didn't matter though. It wasn't any further to walk from the stop past where I wanted to be than from the stop before.
Anyway, when I arrived I began counting out 80 bags. In each bag we put a sweet, a yoghurt, a pot of spreadable cheese and a cake bar. A baguette and tin of either sardines, mousse de canard or tuna was to be added later. We loaded up the van and off we went. I'm getting to know the route now where we go. Our first proper stop, after Rue de Lyon and the marche aux puces, is usually Bougainville, followed swiftly by Boulevard de Paris, Rue Peyssonel and Boulevard Mirabeau. We stopped on Rue Roger Salengro at the bakers for the bread which they give us and picked up a pizza. We stopped at Joliette where there were lots of people last night. We then went to Vieux Port and Le Panier. I know the sans abris now. There's Daniel at Bougainville who has a hot chocolate, Jean Claude who's from Luxembourg - he has a hot chocolate too. Then there's Ricardo who's Spanish, Daniel who lives on Rue Peyssonel in a very old van. The thought crossed my mind last night, why doesn't it have a million parking tickets on it? Why hasn't it been towed away? What will he do when it is towed away? The car that was parked outside my appartment since before I arrived last September had loads of unpaid parking tickets on it. It's since been towed away. There are other people too whose names I do not know but who I recognize. It was a busy night last night, we used all 80 of our bags of food, we ran out of water, of milk, of chocolate. And it was cold. Le mistral was blowing and it was cold. I came home at the end and had a nice warm cup of tea, a hot shower and collapsed into my comfy cosy bed. My sans-abris still outside, braving le mistral.
As for the bus, I still never know which stop to get off at. I know it's called 'Littoral Pas du Faon' but that really doesn't help when you hurtling down a straight road which looks the same at the beginning as it does the end. I've been lucky in that there has been someone else getting off at my stop each time so it hasn't mattered I haven't realised I needed to get off and so haven't pressed the button. Ooh, tell a lie, there was one time, I ended up at the next stop after having realised I'd gone past the Les Restos du Coeur builing, it didn't matter though. It wasn't any further to walk from the stop past where I wanted to be than from the stop before.
Anyway, when I arrived I began counting out 80 bags. In each bag we put a sweet, a yoghurt, a pot of spreadable cheese and a cake bar. A baguette and tin of either sardines, mousse de canard or tuna was to be added later. We loaded up the van and off we went. I'm getting to know the route now where we go. Our first proper stop, after Rue de Lyon and the marche aux puces, is usually Bougainville, followed swiftly by Boulevard de Paris, Rue Peyssonel and Boulevard Mirabeau. We stopped on Rue Roger Salengro at the bakers for the bread which they give us and picked up a pizza. We stopped at Joliette where there were lots of people last night. We then went to Vieux Port and Le Panier. I know the sans abris now. There's Daniel at Bougainville who has a hot chocolate, Jean Claude who's from Luxembourg - he has a hot chocolate too. Then there's Ricardo who's Spanish, Daniel who lives on Rue Peyssonel in a very old van. The thought crossed my mind last night, why doesn't it have a million parking tickets on it? Why hasn't it been towed away? What will he do when it is towed away? The car that was parked outside my appartment since before I arrived last September had loads of unpaid parking tickets on it. It's since been towed away. There are other people too whose names I do not know but who I recognize. It was a busy night last night, we used all 80 of our bags of food, we ran out of water, of milk, of chocolate. And it was cold. Le mistral was blowing and it was cold. I came home at the end and had a nice warm cup of tea, a hot shower and collapsed into my comfy cosy bed. My sans-abris still outside, braving le mistral.
samedi 22 mars 2008
19. La Pointe Rouge et Madrague
Above - Anybody would have thought I was in the Mediterranean...
Above - Looking along the coast of Marseille from Madrague in the 8e arrondissement.
Looking over the sea from Madrague - Can you see Notre Dame de la Garde?
Above - La Pointe Rouge and it's port
Above - La mer Today I went to the sea. I caught the métro to Rond Point du Prado and then caught the number 19 bus to Madrague. It was very pretty. Blue sea, blue sky. A bit breezy but quite warm. Sunny. Beautiful.
I then got the bus back to Castellane and walked back home. I cooked lentil burgers and tonight I'm going out with Les Restos du Coeur to feed the homeless. I'll keep you posted. Just wanted to share my photos!
Below - a video I took at Madrague.
jeudi 20 mars 2008
On fait la fête
Above - Marie-José on her Birthday.
Clockwise - Filo (prof d'italien), Andrée, Isabelle, Agnes, Christiane, Marie-José et Olivia (profs d'anglais)Tuesday was a day of strikes. The turn of the teachers. Only Olivia was striking. This meant I didn't have her BTS. I had my 2 terminale girls at 10h - we finished that awful text about cranes - I dread to think what the next text will be. I was then free until 14h. It was Marie José's birthday and at lunch time most of the English teachers and the Italian teacher went upstairs to one of the English rooms and we had a little party. It was really fun - there was quiche and pizza and champagne. Drinking in the middle of the day when there are classes still to be taught! After the party I sat in the staff room with Isabelle, Agnes and Olivia chatting away until my class of terminale at 14h. They weren't as enthusiastic as last week's students but the lesson still went well. At 15h I didn't have my secondes because the CPE (disciplinary board) was going to talk to them. There had been 'an incident' I was told involving one of the members of the class. He's a lovely member of the class. It's a class of only boys. There's a lot of them and they're loud, uncontrollable at times and are not well motivated. This particular student is quiet and wants to learn, he's apart from the rest and because of that they pick on him. It makes me angry because they are nice students really, just a bit, well, loud. I later learnt that certain members of the class had, the afternoon before, thrown eggs and flour at this poor student! Bless him, he's lovely! So, that's why I didn't see my secondes on Tuesday. After Lycée I went to give Madison a cours de conversation.
Wednesday. I went to Lycée for my french class and handed in my homework. How good it is I don't know. I was quite pleased that I'd understood everything and managed to 'keep up' so to speak. After class I came home for lunch and then went to meet Christiane (teacher from Lycée) at the cinema. We went to see 'There will be Blood'. Neither of us knew what it was about. We just thought we'd go to the cinema and that was the only film on in the afternoon. It was, umm, different. It was set at the turn of the century and was about a man who dug for oil in America. I wouldn't recommend it, not really. I then went to the library before meeting Lucy at Vieux Port at 18h for a coffee. I then did a spot of grocery shopping before going home and finishing my lesson plans for Thursday.
Thursday, 8h. Lycée. I had a class fo BTS and then Christiane's anglais renforcé where I did an oral comprehension that went well. They found it quite hard so it challenged them. I then had Olivia's terminale, that went well. Then BTS which was good too. It was then lunch followed by an hour free. I then had my other anglais renforcé class where I did the same lesson as I'd done in the morning with my other anglais renforcé class. I then had Marie José's terminale which went well - we did keeping fit. I then went to Camille's to give her a cours de conversation before coming home.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings you fully up to date with all the goings on in Marseille.
A plus (probably Sunday after having been out with Les Restos du Coeur on Saturday evening)
Long time, no speak
Above - the spring sun shines through the window casting a pretty shadow of the pattern of my candle holder.Hello. I'm back by popular demand! It would appear you have all been quite concerned as I haven't posted anything for a while. Well, there are two reasons for that the first being I've been incredibly busy. They second being, that despite being incrediby busy, I don't have a lot to report!
So, the last you heard from me was when I went out with Les Restos du Coeur. Nearly two weeks ago! My word. Can I remember back that far as to what I've been doing...
On Monday (March 10th) I went to Casino (a supermarket - don't worry, I've not turned into a gambler!) to do my shopping and then met Angeline devant la pharmacie at 12h. We went for lunch at 'Chez toi' where I've been a couple of times before. It's really nice - a good vegetarian selection, reasonably priced for the food, tasty... trouble is it's always so empty! Anyway, we had a nice lunch.
On Tuesday I was at Lycee. I don't see the terminale class (you know, the one that hardly ever turned up!) anymore because they've done their exam. I went in anyway for 8h to do some photocopying and lesson planning. I then sat with Andrée (one of the English teachers at Lycée) from 9h to 10h and we just chatted away - in English. As I was free from 9h to 10h she asked whether we could spend the time talking English because she doesn't very often get the chance to speak with an English person. At 10h I had my two terminal girls. There level is so low and the texts the teacher gives me to study with them are too hard but we're plodding on. The text at the minute is rubbish - it's about cranes and building sites - the vocabulary is hard (I didn't know the french for 'crane' (I do now, it's une grue) - how could they be expected to know the english?!) Anyway, they try and they're nice girls. At 11h I had my BTS which are a nice class but this week they were pushing their luck. I told them that my secondes behave better than they do (which is saying something because the behaviour of my secondes is, well 'penible' (look that one up in your new french dictionary!) to say the least.) I had to repeat about 4 times my sentence before they understood. I think they were quite insulted that I compared them to a class of seconde (who are 14, 15 years old, compared with BTS students who are 18+) it seemed to do the trick though. After that it was lunch and then I had more BTS followed by Agnes' terminale. She sent me two students who were lovely. They worked well, they wanted to be there and learn, they were happy and had personalities - as opposed to blank, bored faces that I'm often faced with - they were human! After that I had my secondes - you know, the class whose behaviour is 'penible'. And indeed it was just that - penible. Well, I'd have been shocked with anything more.
Wednesday. I have absolutely no recollection of what I did on Wednesday. It could well have been my dissertation and lesson planning.
Thursday and I was back at Lycee. I began at 8h with Olivia's BTS, then anglais renforce where I did an article, that the teacher had given me, on smoking. After break it was Olivia's terminale and then I had a three hour gap. I'd taken my dissertation to school with me to work on during my three hour gap but Anne Marie (whose anglais renforcé I see on a forghtnightly basis) asked me whether, as I hadn't seen the class last week, I could take them today from 13h to 14h. I said I would, they're a lovely class. So that meant I had an hour for lunch, an hour of classes and then another hour free. I did my news quiz with the anglais renforcé class and then with Marie José's terminale I did keeping fit. I only had 2 of them this week (there were 6 last week). I only had 2 because one was ill and the others had been excluded! I was shocked, they were really nice students! After Lycée I went to Madisons to give her a cours de conversation.
On Friday I was supposed to have my telephone interview - you know, for the TEFL job I applied for for in the summer in the UK. The man called me but apologised for having mislead me. He'd just looked over my application again and realised I'd only be available from the end of July and as he was looking for people available from the beginning of July it wouldn't be possible for him to offer me a job. He apologised for having wasted my time and asked whether there was any way I could be available from the beginning of July - nope, I'm off to Germany to teach English for a girl I met whilst doing my CELTA course last summer. She has set up a language school there and was looking for teachers for an intensive english course in July. Naturally when she asked me I jumped at the chance - see more of the world and all. I was quite annoyed with the man and his interview because the primary school where Louise worked had called me earlier in the week to ask if I could be an accompagniatrice for a school trip to the beach and I'd had to say 'no'. Turns out I could have gone after all. Oh well, maybe they'll call me for the next time. At 14h I met Angeline and we went to eat ice cream together at Vieux Port. It was beautifully warm and sunny - we sat outside with the view of Vieux Port - beautiful. Afterwards we walked towards Joliette to discover another supermarché. I then had a cours de conversation with Doréan at 17h30.
Saturday and Sunday saw more dissertation writing. I now have a very nearly completed dissertation. I just need to reference it and check it. Sunday also so les élections municipales in Marseille (and other cities and towns too). Now, Marseille is the city that most voted UMP (Sarkozy) in the general elections last year so it was reasonable to think that they would revote in their current UMP major - Gaudin. And indeed they did. Whereas the rest of France is swinging towards the left, despite having voted right last year, Marseille is resisting and remaining right. Pity.
Now, this week. Monday. I went to Lycée for 16h. I was going to a french class. It my anglais renforcé class plus a few more. It's a big class and they were loud and noisy. They teacher got quite angry and ended up giving them a controle to calm them down so I got to leave early. I copied the question they'd beeen given as the controle down to do at home. Before going to Lycée I'd met Angeline devant la pharmacie and we'd been for lunch - Bruschetta, at Café Simon. Delicious, comme toujours.
So, the last you heard from me was when I went out with Les Restos du Coeur. Nearly two weeks ago! My word. Can I remember back that far as to what I've been doing...
On Monday (March 10th) I went to Casino (a supermarket - don't worry, I've not turned into a gambler!) to do my shopping and then met Angeline devant la pharmacie at 12h. We went for lunch at 'Chez toi' where I've been a couple of times before. It's really nice - a good vegetarian selection, reasonably priced for the food, tasty... trouble is it's always so empty! Anyway, we had a nice lunch.
On Tuesday I was at Lycee. I don't see the terminale class (you know, the one that hardly ever turned up!) anymore because they've done their exam. I went in anyway for 8h to do some photocopying and lesson planning. I then sat with Andrée (one of the English teachers at Lycée) from 9h to 10h and we just chatted away - in English. As I was free from 9h to 10h she asked whether we could spend the time talking English because she doesn't very often get the chance to speak with an English person. At 10h I had my two terminal girls. There level is so low and the texts the teacher gives me to study with them are too hard but we're plodding on. The text at the minute is rubbish - it's about cranes and building sites - the vocabulary is hard (I didn't know the french for 'crane' (I do now, it's une grue) - how could they be expected to know the english?!) Anyway, they try and they're nice girls. At 11h I had my BTS which are a nice class but this week they were pushing their luck. I told them that my secondes behave better than they do (which is saying something because the behaviour of my secondes is, well 'penible' (look that one up in your new french dictionary!) to say the least.) I had to repeat about 4 times my sentence before they understood. I think they were quite insulted that I compared them to a class of seconde (who are 14, 15 years old, compared with BTS students who are 18+) it seemed to do the trick though. After that it was lunch and then I had more BTS followed by Agnes' terminale. She sent me two students who were lovely. They worked well, they wanted to be there and learn, they were happy and had personalities - as opposed to blank, bored faces that I'm often faced with - they were human! After that I had my secondes - you know, the class whose behaviour is 'penible'. And indeed it was just that - penible. Well, I'd have been shocked with anything more.
Wednesday. I have absolutely no recollection of what I did on Wednesday. It could well have been my dissertation and lesson planning.
Thursday and I was back at Lycee. I began at 8h with Olivia's BTS, then anglais renforce where I did an article, that the teacher had given me, on smoking. After break it was Olivia's terminale and then I had a three hour gap. I'd taken my dissertation to school with me to work on during my three hour gap but Anne Marie (whose anglais renforcé I see on a forghtnightly basis) asked me whether, as I hadn't seen the class last week, I could take them today from 13h to 14h. I said I would, they're a lovely class. So that meant I had an hour for lunch, an hour of classes and then another hour free. I did my news quiz with the anglais renforcé class and then with Marie José's terminale I did keeping fit. I only had 2 of them this week (there were 6 last week). I only had 2 because one was ill and the others had been excluded! I was shocked, they were really nice students! After Lycée I went to Madisons to give her a cours de conversation.
On Friday I was supposed to have my telephone interview - you know, for the TEFL job I applied for for in the summer in the UK. The man called me but apologised for having mislead me. He'd just looked over my application again and realised I'd only be available from the end of July and as he was looking for people available from the beginning of July it wouldn't be possible for him to offer me a job. He apologised for having wasted my time and asked whether there was any way I could be available from the beginning of July - nope, I'm off to Germany to teach English for a girl I met whilst doing my CELTA course last summer. She has set up a language school there and was looking for teachers for an intensive english course in July. Naturally when she asked me I jumped at the chance - see more of the world and all. I was quite annoyed with the man and his interview because the primary school where Louise worked had called me earlier in the week to ask if I could be an accompagniatrice for a school trip to the beach and I'd had to say 'no'. Turns out I could have gone after all. Oh well, maybe they'll call me for the next time. At 14h I met Angeline and we went to eat ice cream together at Vieux Port. It was beautifully warm and sunny - we sat outside with the view of Vieux Port - beautiful. Afterwards we walked towards Joliette to discover another supermarché. I then had a cours de conversation with Doréan at 17h30.
Saturday and Sunday saw more dissertation writing. I now have a very nearly completed dissertation. I just need to reference it and check it. Sunday also so les élections municipales in Marseille (and other cities and towns too). Now, Marseille is the city that most voted UMP (Sarkozy) in the general elections last year so it was reasonable to think that they would revote in their current UMP major - Gaudin. And indeed they did. Whereas the rest of France is swinging towards the left, despite having voted right last year, Marseille is resisting and remaining right. Pity.
Now, this week. Monday. I went to Lycée for 16h. I was going to a french class. It my anglais renforcé class plus a few more. It's a big class and they were loud and noisy. They teacher got quite angry and ended up giving them a controle to calm them down so I got to leave early. I copied the question they'd beeen given as the controle down to do at home. Before going to Lycée I'd met Angeline devant la pharmacie and we'd been for lunch - Bruschetta, at Café Simon. Delicious, comme toujours.
dimanche 9 mars 2008
Walking with Christiane and Les Restos du Coeur
Above - Marseille - can you spot Notre Dame de la Garde??
Above - where we went walking.
Above - Christiane admiring the view.
Above - a rock.
Above - the landscape.
Above - the rocks by Aix.
Above - the view.Saturday morning I got up and prepared my lunch before leaving to go to Metro Saint Just for 10h30. I met Christiane - a teacher from Lycee, and we drove north, out of Marseille through Allauch and Plan-de-Cuques and into the hills to go walking near Mimet. It was really pretty. We could see 'Saint Victor' which is an area of rocks near Aix. And as we walked we could see Marseille in the distance. It was a bit misty but you could see Notre Dame de la Garde in the distance. We stopped at the highest point of our walk and ate our sandwiches before continuing a bit and then turning around and coming back. We then drove back to Marseille and she took me back to Saint Just where I got the metro and came home. I had a couple of hours before I had to get the bus - I was volunteering with Les Restos du Coeur. I arrived at L'Estaque at about 18h45 and we began preparing the 80 bags of food. One yoghurt, three small packets of spreadable cheese, two biscuits, two squares of chocolate and some bread in each bag with either a tin of sardines, tuna, pate. There was no fruit today. We left l'Estaque and started our usual route. There were five of us tonight - Stephen, Lauriane, Nadine, Suzanne and me. We went to the market et Madrague by La rue de Lyon in the 16ieme arrondissement and then along La rue de Lyon towards rue Roger Salengro in the 3ieme arrondissement. We stopped at two boulangeries to pick up warm bread and quiche - basically they give us what they haven't sold at the end of the day as they'll be closed tomorrow. We stopped at Bougainville, Joliette, Le Panier, Vieux Port, the town hall. I'm getting to recognise the people now and they recognise me too. There was a lady at Vieux Port with a suitcase, she was italian and her french wasn't very good. She refused to allow us to call the Samu Social. When we stopped at Bougainville there were lots of gypsies and tens and tens of children. It was quite a busy night, we only just had enough bags of food. We went all around the 15ieme, 3ieme and 2ieme arrondissements and to the gardens by Vieux Port in the 1iere and 7ieme arrondissements. It was a good night, a busy night and I liked the volunteers. There was one man complaining because we didn't have any jeans to fit him and he hasn't changed his trousers for over a week. There was another man wanting a blanket because he was cold and already had a bad throat because of the cold. I didn't think it was that cold last night, not in comparison to the other times I've been out. But I guess if you're out in the open all the time it's cold. There were lots of people at Joliette. We stopped at exactly the spot where I'd take the bus from earlier that evening. We also saw Daniel at Bougainville, Jean Claude, Ricardo, and the man who lives in the van as well as the young girl I remember from last time, oh, and the two ladies at Bougainville. I enjoyed it. We're going out again as a team in two weeks time.
Busy, busy, busy.
Monday was a day of planning. Planning a lesson for Tuesday's Secondes at Lycee. Planning a lesson for Camille, my private student, on Thursday. Planning a lesson for Madison, my new private students (who was Louise's student) on Wednesday. I decided to do the passive with Camille which took quite a bit of planning. And with Madison I decided to work on adverbs of frequecy, articles and the present simple - well, I did have 2 hours to fill and wasn't sure how much of it would be revision for her. At 17h45 I left to go to Vieux Port to meet Aimee and Rachel for the usual Monday 19h coffee. Rachel didn't come. I presume she forgot. And Aimee text me to say she was going to be late. How late she didn't say. As I didn't have an credit I just sat a waited. She eventually turned up at 18h25, grr. We then went to La Folle Epoque at La Prefecture. Aimee had a hot chocolate and I had a coffee. We got a jog of milk to share but Aimee didn't realise and she tipped her chocolate in the milk. I had a small, strong coffee *sigh*. She felt quite guilty I think as she paid for my coffee! Hopefully next week's Monday rendez vous will be more successful! For the first time in a quite a while I was looking forward to going to Lycee the next day. I don't normally look forward to going in on Tuesdays because I don't like my 8h class of Terminale - you know, the ones that rarely come. Well, when they do come I don't like them. Probably because they look about as happy to be there as a sheep going to market.
Tuesday. I'd received no text from Isabelle so I presumed I had to be there for 8h for my Terminale class. I got there and at about 7h50 I got a text saying Isabelle was absent this morning but would be there in the afternoon. That meant no Terminale. I looked at the time she'd sent the message - 6h50, it had just taken an hour to come through. Sometime's it's like that. It didn't matter. For once I wasn't angry at having got there at 8h for nothing. I had a lot of photocopying and printing to do. I took myself to the staff room and did the printing and then the photocopying. I carried on planning my lessons and was on the internet looking for TEFL jobs in August and September. It kept me occupied until my class at 10h. Astrig, the teacher, came to my class at 10h to apologise because she needed to keep her students today so they wouldn't be coming. She hadn't been able to phone me as she doesn't have my phone number. I waited until 11h when my BTS class came. I like this class. It's their exam soon so we were working to prepare for that. I handed back their work which I'd taken and corrected. I also corrected another student's work. At 12h I went home as Agnes, whose Terminale I have at 14h, had told me she wouldn't need me today. Me and my cheese and pickle sandwiches went home. I then went back to Lycee for my Secondes at 15h. Isabelle only sends me 6 now. It makes for a much better atmosphere. I did my news lesson with them which works really really well. At 16h I went home.
Wednesday. I was supposed to have my first private lesson with Madison at 16h30. She lives in the 13ieme arrondissement, now far from my Lycee. So I had to take the metro to La Rose and then a bus to La Ravelle and then walk. It took me about 50 minutes to get there. Patricia, Madison's mum, had called me the week before to ask whether I could go that week and I said 'no' so we arranged it for this week. When I arrived at 16h30 neither her nor Madison were there. Her husband told me that they didn't think I was coming so they'd gone out!! But we'd arranged today at 16h30! He called Patricia but because I hadn't called the night before to confirm I would be there she presumed I wasn't coming! Who in their right mind randomally calls again to reconfirm that they'll be there?! Surely you call to say you can't come?! More french madness. She apologised and asked whether I could come on Friday at 14h30. I said I could. So I made the 50 minute journey back home, grr.
Thursday I was back at Lycee. 8h - BTS. Again, it's their exam soon too (like my Tuesday BTS class) so I corrected their work and listening to them tell me about their work experience. At 9h I had my class of Anglais Renforce with Christiane where I did 'Plan a day' to get them using direction phrases. At 10h I had Olivia's Terminale where we did keep fit and at 11h I had another class of BTS so more talking about work experience. At 12h I went to the staff room for lunch. My next class wasn't until 14h. I like having 2 hours for lunch. I was talking to another assistant. Well, she isn't really an assistant but she isn't a teacher either. She's german and is teaching german but her french is very very good as is her english. I also gave a copy of the work sheet I'd prepared for a new class at 15h. Usually on a Thursday at 15h I have Marie Jose's Secondes but last week she asked me whether I'd take her Terminale instead as they have an oral exam soon. She was very pleased with what I'd prepared for them. At 14h I went to my class of Anglais Renforce but there was no one there. I was disappointed because I like this class and I only see them forghtnightly and I wanted to do my news lesson with them. I went to the secretariat to see whether the teacher, Anne Marie, was here. She wasn't marked as absent but her class was marked as cancelled. It turned out she was doing something Lycee related but just not in Lycee so as far as I was concerned she was absent. I wasn't particularly looking forward to my class as 15h. I liked the Secondes and didn't like the idea of yet another class of Terminale, another image class, another hour of global warming. But they are really nice and it was fun. I liked them and I didn't realise but they were there voluntarily. Usually they are free at that time. So they wanted to be there. I asked them at the end whether they were coming next week and they said they were. At 16h I made my way to Camille's for a private lesson. I asked her whether there was anything she needed help with and she said she had an exercise to do for homework that she was stuck on. It was on the passive! Perfect. I began with my lesson and then she was able to do her homework and the exercises I'd made on the passive. It all went really well. At 17h30 I made my my way home. I was checking my email and found that one of the TEFL jobs I'd applied for online on Tuesday wanted to give me telephone interview!! Sometime next week. I had to email back a couple of times I'd be free. It's all very exciting.
Friday morning I went to the same cafe I went to last Friday morning, only this time with Angeline. We were originally going to meet at 11h30 and go for lunch but because I had to leave for my cours de conversation with Madison at 13h30 we decided to postpone it until Monday to make sure we'd have plenty of time. After coffee with Angeline we went food shopping together and then home. I had lunch and left for my private lesson with Madison. She's really nice but I think a 2 hour lesson is quite hard on her - she's only 12! We began with her homework and then went on to what I'd prepared. When I left I went back to La Rose and walked to 'Ed' - the supermarket, to buy museli - there museli is really really really nice. The queues were enormous though and there was no basket isle. I found myself with a carton of fruit juice and a packet of museli behind 3 people - one with a basket and 2 with their trolleys piled high. The first lady told me that if all I had were the 2 items I could pass in front of her. I looked at my watch and it was 17h10. I had to be at Saint Just Metro in 20 minutes for my cours de conversation with Dorrean. It only takes 10 minutes to get there from La Rose on the metro but still. I asked the man in front whether I could pass in front of him and he said I could. So, after a bit of queue hopping I paid for my fruit juice and museli and made it to Saint Just for 17h30. I gave my cours de conversation to Dorrean and then came home picking up a baguette on the way so I could have soup for tea. I sat eating and talking to Auriane and Christiane - a teacher from Lycee phoned me to ask whether I'd like to go walking with her tomorrow. I said I would. She said to meet at Saint Just metro at 10h30 and to take lunch - good job I'd just bought that baguette!
Tuesday. I'd received no text from Isabelle so I presumed I had to be there for 8h for my Terminale class. I got there and at about 7h50 I got a text saying Isabelle was absent this morning but would be there in the afternoon. That meant no Terminale. I looked at the time she'd sent the message - 6h50, it had just taken an hour to come through. Sometime's it's like that. It didn't matter. For once I wasn't angry at having got there at 8h for nothing. I had a lot of photocopying and printing to do. I took myself to the staff room and did the printing and then the photocopying. I carried on planning my lessons and was on the internet looking for TEFL jobs in August and September. It kept me occupied until my class at 10h. Astrig, the teacher, came to my class at 10h to apologise because she needed to keep her students today so they wouldn't be coming. She hadn't been able to phone me as she doesn't have my phone number. I waited until 11h when my BTS class came. I like this class. It's their exam soon so we were working to prepare for that. I handed back their work which I'd taken and corrected. I also corrected another student's work. At 12h I went home as Agnes, whose Terminale I have at 14h, had told me she wouldn't need me today. Me and my cheese and pickle sandwiches went home. I then went back to Lycee for my Secondes at 15h. Isabelle only sends me 6 now. It makes for a much better atmosphere. I did my news lesson with them which works really really well. At 16h I went home.
Wednesday. I was supposed to have my first private lesson with Madison at 16h30. She lives in the 13ieme arrondissement, now far from my Lycee. So I had to take the metro to La Rose and then a bus to La Ravelle and then walk. It took me about 50 minutes to get there. Patricia, Madison's mum, had called me the week before to ask whether I could go that week and I said 'no' so we arranged it for this week. When I arrived at 16h30 neither her nor Madison were there. Her husband told me that they didn't think I was coming so they'd gone out!! But we'd arranged today at 16h30! He called Patricia but because I hadn't called the night before to confirm I would be there she presumed I wasn't coming! Who in their right mind randomally calls again to reconfirm that they'll be there?! Surely you call to say you can't come?! More french madness. She apologised and asked whether I could come on Friday at 14h30. I said I could. So I made the 50 minute journey back home, grr.
Thursday I was back at Lycee. 8h - BTS. Again, it's their exam soon too (like my Tuesday BTS class) so I corrected their work and listening to them tell me about their work experience. At 9h I had my class of Anglais Renforce with Christiane where I did 'Plan a day' to get them using direction phrases. At 10h I had Olivia's Terminale where we did keep fit and at 11h I had another class of BTS so more talking about work experience. At 12h I went to the staff room for lunch. My next class wasn't until 14h. I like having 2 hours for lunch. I was talking to another assistant. Well, she isn't really an assistant but she isn't a teacher either. She's german and is teaching german but her french is very very good as is her english. I also gave a copy of the work sheet I'd prepared for a new class at 15h. Usually on a Thursday at 15h I have Marie Jose's Secondes but last week she asked me whether I'd take her Terminale instead as they have an oral exam soon. She was very pleased with what I'd prepared for them. At 14h I went to my class of Anglais Renforce but there was no one there. I was disappointed because I like this class and I only see them forghtnightly and I wanted to do my news lesson with them. I went to the secretariat to see whether the teacher, Anne Marie, was here. She wasn't marked as absent but her class was marked as cancelled. It turned out she was doing something Lycee related but just not in Lycee so as far as I was concerned she was absent. I wasn't particularly looking forward to my class as 15h. I liked the Secondes and didn't like the idea of yet another class of Terminale, another image class, another hour of global warming. But they are really nice and it was fun. I liked them and I didn't realise but they were there voluntarily. Usually they are free at that time. So they wanted to be there. I asked them at the end whether they were coming next week and they said they were. At 16h I made my way to Camille's for a private lesson. I asked her whether there was anything she needed help with and she said she had an exercise to do for homework that she was stuck on. It was on the passive! Perfect. I began with my lesson and then she was able to do her homework and the exercises I'd made on the passive. It all went really well. At 17h30 I made my my way home. I was checking my email and found that one of the TEFL jobs I'd applied for online on Tuesday wanted to give me telephone interview!! Sometime next week. I had to email back a couple of times I'd be free. It's all very exciting.
Friday morning I went to the same cafe I went to last Friday morning, only this time with Angeline. We were originally going to meet at 11h30 and go for lunch but because I had to leave for my cours de conversation with Madison at 13h30 we decided to postpone it until Monday to make sure we'd have plenty of time. After coffee with Angeline we went food shopping together and then home. I had lunch and left for my private lesson with Madison. She's really nice but I think a 2 hour lesson is quite hard on her - she's only 12! We began with her homework and then went on to what I'd prepared. When I left I went back to La Rose and walked to 'Ed' - the supermarket, to buy museli - there museli is really really really nice. The queues were enormous though and there was no basket isle. I found myself with a carton of fruit juice and a packet of museli behind 3 people - one with a basket and 2 with their trolleys piled high. The first lady told me that if all I had were the 2 items I could pass in front of her. I looked at my watch and it was 17h10. I had to be at Saint Just Metro in 20 minutes for my cours de conversation with Dorrean. It only takes 10 minutes to get there from La Rose on the metro but still. I asked the man in front whether I could pass in front of him and he said I could. So, after a bit of queue hopping I paid for my fruit juice and museli and made it to Saint Just for 17h30. I gave my cours de conversation to Dorrean and then came home picking up a baguette on the way so I could have soup for tea. I sat eating and talking to Auriane and Christiane - a teacher from Lycee phoned me to ask whether I'd like to go walking with her tomorrow. I said I would. She said to meet at Saint Just metro at 10h30 and to take lunch - good job I'd just bought that baguette!
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