28*C

I spent the morning watching old episodes of Only Fools and Horses on TV Links before having lunch and heading out for the beach. The metro was really busy - les touristes anglaises partout. I got the bus from Rond Point du Prado to La Plage and sat on the wall looking out over the Mediterranean for a while. There was a sign displaying the outdoor temperature - 28*C! There were lots of yatchs, I don't know why. My phone was being bombarded with text messages but I couldn't reply to any of them because I'd ran out of credit. People probably thought I was ignorning them, oh well. I didn't think there was much chance of me getting credit today as it's Sunday but luckily one of the little paper stands was open near to the metro station so I was able to get credit there. I text Jessica, who has asked if I wanted to meet up, to say I was on my way. I met Jessica, Lucy, Rachel and Sarah Ohio at Le Vieux Port, Aimee joined us later. Afterwards we went to try and find an internet cafe as both Rachel and Lucy needed the internet. Aimee and I went home but I was meeting Lucy at 19h to go and look at an appartment with her. I went home and ate and then headed back out again. We walked to the appartment, it wasn't far, maybe 20 minutes. But it was small and well, Lucy decided to take the appartment she saw yesterday near the main station. It will work out better I think. I took a few photos of the port and then went home, showered, that's about all really. Nothing amazing today. I'm going to my Lycee tomorrow but not until 10am. I don't know how long I'm staying for, I still don't have a timetable, hopefully they'll sort that out this week for me. If I'm free at 13h tomorrow I'm going to go with Lucy and Rachel to look at an appartment, if not then nevermind. I also need to go to the supermarket too. Right, well, off to bed now. A demain! x

Lost

Top - English and Australian rugby fans everywhere

Middle - The music stage at Le Vieux Port

Bottom - People watching the rugby on the big screens

Lucy called this morning to see if she could come and use my internet. I went to meet her at the metro station and helped two random English rugby tourists on the way. Lucy used my internet and we had lunch together - nothing fancy, just cheese and tomato sandwiches with salad, that I'd rustled up in the kitchen. Towards 14h we left for Place Castellane to meet Rachel. We were going to Accueil Marseille. They had called Rachel yesterday to ask if we could go in to discuss us giving English classes. There had obviously been some breakdown in communication because when we got there they were ready to give us a French lesson... Anyway, we left about an hour later and went to Le Vieux Port to a cafe, we then hung around for a bit as there was a concert on inbetween the rugby matches. There were English and Australian rugby fans everywhere. England won the Rugby 12-10 against Australia. The English rugby fans were being awful to the Australians and well, you could have been in England, there were no french voices to be heard anywhere. No wonder the French hate the English. I was actually ashamed to be English. It's people like these rugby fans that give the English a bad name abroad. We left the cafe and went to join some other assistants. I was sat in amongst the English rugby fans so fed up of making polite conversation with complete strangers. If one more person asks me my name, where I'm from, which uni I'm at, what I'm studying, where my school is, how long I've been in Marseille, I swear I'll scream. I've had enough. There are only so many new people you can meet before you start to get a bit fed up. Rachel was supposed to be looking at an appartment at 19h so I went with her and Lucy to look at it. The trouble was the landlord hadn't got back to her about it so she presumed not to go. We went down towards La Prefecture to get something to eat. There were English speaking people everywhere and every restaurant had tables of rugby fans. We found somewhere and sat down but the menu wasn't all that impressive. The rugby fans on the table next to us presumed we were french but then, when they realised we were English, they started asking us where we were from, why we were in Marseille. I was so fed up. What's the point? I just said to Lucy and Rachel when they asked me what I was going to order that I was going to go home. I'd had enough. I didn't want to sit making idle conversation about all and nothing. I didn't want to sit and pick at some meal that I didn't want. I didn't want to go back to see the other assistants after we'd eaten. I wanted to go home, have a shower and something to eat and go to sleep. Today has been a hard day - apart from the first weekend, this has been the first time I haven't wanted to be here. Can I go home now please?

The mundane

Well, yesterday I finished le Stage. It was quite pointless really. I didn't learn anything. We were given a quick, and I mean quick, overview of the French education system, it didn't teach me anything I didn't already know. I did pick up though that my region has 2,720,047 inhabitants which is the equivalent of 4.5% of the total population of Metropolitan France. After standing outside for about an hour and a half trying to make sense of all the forms we were having to fill in we went into a lecture theatre, it was there that I learnt that 4.5% of France's population live in this region. We were in there until lunch time and then I went home. That was my day really, I didn't really do anything worth mentioning. Today I have been shopping, posted a birthday card and finally, at long last, got some kind of metro pass. I was standing in the queue to get my pass and a girl stops infront of me and is staring at me. She said 'Bonjour' so I said 'Bonjour' back. She said she saw me at Lycee Artaud, that I'd been into one of her classes. I didn't recognise her! Ha! Well, come on, I have met 6 classes each with about 35 students in - I can't be expected to remember every face! It was nice of her to stop and say hello though. Anyway, the metro, I have decided to do it monthly, I cannot be bothered with le prelevement automatique. So I am now in possession of a carte perso which gives me unlimited access to the metro for a month. I'll keep track of how much I would have spent if I were to have been buying individual tickets for each journey to make sure it is worth buying a months worth at once. I expect it is though. Everytime I go to my school it will cost 3 euros 40. I only need to go 12 times in a month and it's paid for itself. Plus if I use the metro at any other time other than to and from school. Yes, so that's been my last couple of days. Not alot to report really. I might go somewhere tomorrow, visit something. I don't know what though. I'll have to get the tourist leaflets out and see what I fancy doing.

Oop, la!

Oui, alors, Lucy m'a envoye un sms et je suis partie pour regarder le foot. C'etait un peu difficult parce que tout le monde voulait que L'OM gagne mais nous, nous voulons que Liverpool gagne! En fait le match etait nul et Liverpool n'a pas bien joue, pas de tout. Ils ont perdu 1-0. J'attends avec impatience le 11 decembre parce que Liverpool joueront au Stade Velodrome. Il faut qu'ils marquent plus qu'un but et qu'ils n'accordent pas un but. Je crois qu'ils peuvent le faire! Allez les rouges!

Le stage

8h30 Gare Saint Charles. We had to ask a random woman for direction to Boulevard d'Athenes which was where we were supposed to be for our formation pedagogique. I stood with Rachel and Lucy and we met another assistant called Kirsty from Bromley - where my Lycee are considering doing an exchange to. The 'training' was extremely boring and completely pointless. It was all given in French and I was quite pleased and somewhat proud that I understood every thing we were told. It was basically my CELTA course crammed into a couple of hours but time went so slowly. I was so pleased when we were released for lunch. We were given a free lunch at the university canteen, I guess to reward us for what we'd been subjected to all morning! I was surprised to find something vegetarian and was relieved it was slightly more impressive than the french school dinner I'd experienced in Monday. At lunch I sat with Rachel and Aimee and randomally bumped into Sarah New Orleans - it was really nice to see her, I hadn't seen her for quite a while. I also saw Andrew and Sarah Ohio. We met 3 other Americans at lunch too from Boston, California and Chicago, I think. After lunch I went back to Le Vieux Port with Aimee and Rachel for a coffee and Lucy came to join us. Aimee and Rachel left to go and open a bank account with Credit Agricole. I was just walking home when Jessica called me to see what I was up to. Not a lot. I met her at Colbert metro station and we went, on the metro, to Le Vieux Port when Rachel called. She came to meet us too. We went shopping - Jessica wanted a bathmat which I took to mean something for in the bath so that you don't slip but what she actually wanted was something for outside the bath so that you don't wet the floor when you get out of the bath. We randomally met another English Assistant in fnac whilst browsing through the diaries and calenders. She was called Lizzie, she's from Lancaster and is at university in Edinburgh. Her school is in Orange, so quite a way from Marseille. She came around with us for a bit and then left. Jessica and me went down towards La Prefecture whilst Rachel went to buy a diary. We stopped for a drink (and a chocolate crepe) and then Rachel came to join us. Then Aimee called to ask if we were still in town and could she join us. So she came. At arount 18h we each went out separate ways. I'm currently waiting for Lucy to text me - we're going to watch the Liverpool v L'OM champions league game...

Laugh until you cry

This morning I went to my school. I met 2 more classes. It was basically the same as yesterday. I had to introduce myself to them and then they got to ask me questions. I sat in on the rest of one lesson where they were looking at a scene from the film Bend it Like Beckham. I went to see the paperwork lady and sorted out all my paperwork. I'm quite relieved to have got it all out of the way. I still maintain that it is all totally ridiculous. I left the school at lunchtime and went home for lunch - yes! I wanted to avoid another french school dinner experience! On my way home I stopped at the metro office to get a metro pass. I had all my paperwork, it was going to be simple, right? Wrong. I went in and filled the form out. I handed the man the photocopy of my passport, my proof of address, my RIB and my passport sized photograph. He told me that I couldn't set up a prelevement automatique for 30 euros a month. What?! Auriane had done it the day before so I knew it was possible. A woman appeared and asked whether I had a french passport. I said no, British. She said I couldn't use that. I asked what I needed. She said a french passport, French carte d'identite or a Carte de Sejour. I know 100% that she is wrong! I am European. Europeans do not need a Carte de Sejour. I reached into my bag and produced some paperwork the British Council had sent me. I showed her. I even translated it for her as it was in English. It says that BY LAW European citizens do not require a Carte de Sejour and that a European Passport will suffice. She was having none of it. So I couldn't get my metro card. GRR. I was not impressed. I swear she was being deliberately awkward. I intend to try another metro station. Rachel text me to ask if I minded going to look at appartments with her, she didn't want to go on her own. I met her at Le Vieux Port at 15h30 and we headed towards La Joliette where the first appartment was. We were walking down the side of the Vieux Port and I suddenly wondered where we were going! This was not the way to La Joliette! We made a right turn and I navigated our way through Le Panier out onto La Rue de la Republique and left towards La Joliette. It was a bit of a long way round but nevermind. When we got to La Joliette it took us a while to find the appartment. When we did the landlord came to meet us. It was right next to the motorway thingy on a not-too-nice road. The appartment was also on what felt like the millionth floor with no lift. It had a good view over the Ports though. It was in a weird location, it was all closed in. A bit like Le Passage Lorette. Rat heaven at night I imagine. We decided we didn't much like it so, quite disheartened, navigated our way back through Le Panier to La Canabiere where we looked for bus 41... which, it turns out, doesn't exist. What we actually needed was bus 81! We got on the bus but of course didn't know when to get off of it! It was only by chance that I saw the bus stop sign and realised that this was the stop we needed so off we hopped. The appartment was quite nice, trouble was it's such a hike to get to the 8e arr which is where her school is. She would have to go into the centre of Marseille and out the other side. It was not realistic. Shame as the appartment was ok. We got back on the bus and went for something to eat. I think we sat down to eat at about 18h30. We had the set menu - main course and dessert. I had a pizza and creme brulee which, I have to say, I really enjoyed, but then again, I was kind of hungry. We were there for ages, infact we were there for so long that by the time we left the metro was closed. It closes at 21h, it was about 21h30 when we left. How we had managed to spend the best part of 3hrs in a restaurant is still beyond me, but we did. We looked at the bus times because Rachel needed to get back to the 8e arr where she is staying. She usually takes the metro and then a bus... It was not going to be possible. It was, quite possibly, the most hilarious thing ever. It all started with a cheese pizza... writing about it now it doesn't seem that funny but at the time we couldn't stop laughing. We were in tears. Hysterics. I told her she could stay at mine. I mean, I couldn't leave her stranded homeless at Le Vieux Port! We bumped into a few other assistants, alot of who I hadn't met before. Although there was one girl who introduced herself as 'Cat' and I think I kind of freaked her out when I said 'Hunter'. 'Moscow'. She was like 'yeah... how did you know?' I said I was Gill and that we had emailed back and forth a few times. We went home, showered, went to sleep. We had to be up at 7h25 the next morning to get to Gare Saint Charles for La Formation Pedagogique.

Lycee Artaud and red tape.

I didn't know how long it would take me to get to the school this morning. In fact, I didn't even know where it was. I kept meaning to do the journey in advance but I just never quite got round to it. I had to be there at 8am so I left at 7am - it was still dark! I learnt something about Marseille though - there are still rats around at 7am and also, people in flurescent jackets come out in force with huge hosepipes to wash the streets! France has clearly never heard of a hosepipe ban and doesn't concern itself about conserving water. These were not your average hosepipes but more the sort a fireman might use in a country's worst fire for years! Anway, I got the metro at Rue Colbert to the final stop - La Rose. I then followed the signs for the bus. There were students everywhere. I thought I needed bus 3 but I didn't know where to get bus 3 and I also wanted to make sure that bus 3 was the right bus. I didn't want to ask a student so I found a man and asked him. He said I could take either bus number 3 or 5. I got on a number 3, as did the man, and as many of the students that could possibly cram onto it. The phrase 'packed in like sardines' suddenly took on a new meaning. I had to stand, I don't think I've ever sat down on a french bus. As I was standing I realised I didn't have a clue where to get off. It was ok though as most of the students got off at Lycee Artaud and I saw the signpost too. It isn't far from the station, I could easily walk it if ever I didn't feel like becoming a sardine. When I got there I was a little on the early side, I guess that's what you get for not doing a dummy run - I could have had an extra 15 minutes in bed! For saying my school had only emailed me 2 days before I was due to start I was amazed at how organised they were. They had all the paperwork I needed to fill in ready and waiting for me. There was someone to give me a guided tour and introduce me to the other English teachers - of which there are 12! I stayed until about 14h, during that time I sat in on 4 classes. I introduced myself to each class - I wasn't allowed to speak french to the students. I basically said the same thing 4 times - my name, where I was from, that I was a student studying English Language and French and that I would be their English assistant for the year. The students were then allowed to ask me questions. The questions were really similar bewteen all the classes - what are your hobbies, how old are you, can you speak french, how long have you been learning french for, what sort of music do you like, do you have any pets, do you like Marseille, how long have you been here for etc. I asked each class how many of them had been to England, surprisingly not that many. The level of their English varied tremendously. I was really impressed with one terminale group (so they were 17, 18 years old) they were translating from English to French and they were good. A complete contrast was a primaire group that I met who struggled to understand the very basics. I mean, it isn't as if I have a strong accent and I wasn't talking that quickly either! After 2 classes I went with one of the teachers for a french school dinner... there was no choice, it was a set meal. And not eating meat meant that I could only have a plate of peas and a cheese and onion sausage roll (I suppose I should be grateful it wasn't a sausage sausage roll!) There was a choice of fruit - grapes, apple, pear or melon. I went for an apple. Oh yes, and bread and cheese! What a surprise! There is a sandwich shop too, maybe I'll try that tomorrow - can't say as I was overly impressed with the school dinner. Jamie Oliver would be disgusted! I was surprised that, if students forget their text books, they are made to leave the class. In effect, they are thrown out! So, if you particularly hate one subject, just leave your book at home! I stayed at the school until about 14h. Getting out was a bit of a problem. Ok, so I didn't know my way around, but that wasn't the problem. Things are well signposted, I found the gate out onto the road no problem at all. The thing was that it was bolted. Umm... apparently the gates close at the beginning of the day until the end of the day opening for an hour at lunch. When you bear in mind that the school day runs from 8am to 6pm I'd say that is about the equivalent of being in a prison. There is absolutely no way in or out between 8 and 6 except at lunchtime. So, being inquisitive, I wondered what would happen if a student were to be late one morning. Well, it turns out that they have to sit outside the school gates until next lesson! (The lady on reception lets late comers in inbetween lessons if she feels like it) So, if your bus is late and you arrive at 8h01 you have to stay sitting outside (in all weather) until at least 9h. I have never, in my whole life, heard of anything so ridiculous. So, where was I? Oh yes, trying to work out how to get out of the school. As I am a member of staff (although the lady on reception took a bit of convincing - I just look like a student) they will open the gate for you, if you ask, to allow you to escape, sorry, I mean, leave. When I'd escaped, sorry, left, I went to Le Vieux Port to meet Rachel and we went for a coffee and discussed our first days at school. At 16h we went to Castellane to meet Lucy and then to Acceuil Marseille to ask about lessons for learning French as a foreign language. The woman seemed more interested in signing us up to teach English rather than learn French. That didn't bother me in the slightest and it's something I want to do. She did however, take an hour to say something that could have been said in 5 minutes. After Accueil Marseille we went to eat. I then went home and Rachel and Lucy went to an Internet Cafe. When I got home I called my landlord, he came to collect the rent. I then showered, ate and began filling in all the forms for my school. The amount of paperwork is a joke, it's ridiculous. People warned me in advance that there was a lot of paperwork for anything you wanted to do in France but never in a million years did I imagine that a supposedly civilised, developped country could be so addicted to forms. Not only are there forms that are pages and pages long but you have to have photocopies of other documents to go with the forms. Everything I have done has required a photograph of my passport, my birth certificate - both in English and translated into French (even though that isn't supposed to be necessary anymore) I need photocopies of my arrete de nomination to show I'm employed at a school and everything requires a RIB - the french are obsessed with them. When I opened my bank account with La Poste, one of about 15 letters (an no, that is not an exaggeration) that they sent to me included about 10 copies of my RIB - releve indentite bancaire. At the time I didn't have a clue what they were or why on earth I might possibly need so many of the things, now I understand. You cannot step foot outside the front door without someone demanding your RIB! When I'd finally filled in all the forms and made sure I'd got copies of everything I started looking into getting a metro card for the year. Now, in Brighton, to get a year's bus pass I needed a passport sized photograph and the money to pay for the thing. Not here. Something as simple as a metro pass requires not only a passport size photograph but also une piece d'identite - that'll be my passport, again. My RIB in order to pay for the thing (they want you to have a french bank account) and proof of address - apparently you can only get a Marseille metro card if you can prove that you live in Marseille! I finally had everything I needed and would go to Le Vieux Port metro station tomorrow to get it... yeah right, nothing could be that simple, could it?!