Keys

I got up this morning at 6am in order to arrive at my Lycee for 7h50. I had a class from 8h to 9h where I had to talk to them about a cartoon strip of 2 men on a bench- one man telling the other man to 'get out' and then that man falling onto the floor. I then stayed with the teacher to introduce myself to her next class who I would usually be with from 15h to 16h on a Tuesday afternoon. They are all boys and are quite a challenging group but they seemed intrigued by me - the fact that I hadn't spend my whole life living in France and that I spoke English seemed enough to please them. This class were clearly besotted with me even if I do say so myself. I only stayed the first 15 minutes or so, just to introduce myself. I then had a break. During the break I had to go to get the keys to the rooms. In France each teacher has a set of keys for the rooms in which they teach. I was given keys for G01 and G assist. The G01 key was to be returned at the end of the day as a copy of it hadn't yet been made for me. I went at 11h to G assist with my key. Olivia was sending me 3 BTS students to work with. I was to help them prepare their oral exam where they have to talk about the work experience they've done. The key for G assist didn't work. Hmm. I went back to where I'd got the keys from and she gave me a second key, which, I might add, looked completely different from the first key she'd given me. I went back to my classroom and there were 3 students waiting for me. The second key didn't work either so we took it back. We then went to the secretariat to ask if there was a spare room anywhere as it appeared that no one in the school had a key that worked for G assist! We were sent to another office and, 25 minutes into the lesson, were finally allocated to a room. After that lesson I was supposed to have a class with Astriks but when I got to the room it was locked and the students were all standing outside. They told me she wasn't here today. I thought maybe they were just saying that because she was late and they didn't want a lesson but thinking about it, I realised I hadn't seen her yet today. I went to the staff room but none of the English teachers were there so I randomally asked another teacher what I should do. She said to go to the secretariat who would be able to tell me if Astriks was in the building. I did and Astriks was supposedly in the building. I went back to the class room, some of the students were still waiting. One of them said to me that I could speak to him in English so I did to which he replied 'oh, putain' as he hadn't got a clue what I'd said. I therefore reverted back to the french. I went back to the staff room for lunch and explained my somewhat disasterous morning to the other English teachers. Oh, yes, and I forgot to mention my key to the photocopying room didn't work either... After lunch I had 2 classes. The first was with another BTS group and the second was preparing students for their oral exam. As there was no key to my room I had to just use a free room. For the second class the students had to choose between two pictures and then talk about it. They couldn't do it. The couldn't even tell me that there was a picture of a dog on a plate with a knife and fork let alone explain to me that it was an advert by the vegetarian society to try and persude us to not eat meat. I felt like I was bullying them but they were so reluctant to speak! Argh! I went to write on the board, I got one of the boardmarkers out that I'd been given the day before and couldn't get the lid off. The thing was wrapped in selophane! When the bell went at 15h I was so ready to go home. I texted Rachel and we met at Vieux Port with Louise - an assistant I hadn't met before from Ireland, and Aimee. We went for a jus d'orange and then to the credit agricole where we bumbed into Mairead. We went to the library and then all went out separate ways. I went with Rachel to the supermarket where we bought pasta and tomatoes, pepper, courgette, cheese and carrot. We went back to her appartment to make pasta and sauce with cheese and crakers. Delicious. After we went out to meet Lucy and John and then I went home.

Board markers and a new flat

I was asked to go into my Lycee this morning even though I don't work Mondays. I arrived at 11 only to discover that the only reason I had been asked to go in was so that I could be given some boardmarkers! Yes, that's right, I'd made the 45 minute journey for some boardmarkers! I already had boardmarkers of my own! I was at the Lycee for about 15 minutes, I did some photocopying as well whilst I was there. I then went home for lunch and then went to meet Rachel at Vieux Port to help her move into her new appartment. It's in the same arrondissement as mine - 2ieme arr. It's on the second floor but it was ok as there is a lift. Her appartment is amazing. The view over le vieux port is impressive and she has an oven! After we'd arrived at the appartment an deposited the suitcases we had to go to get a photocopy of her passport, the deposit and fill in the contract. The photocopier at the post office was out of order and we went to about 5 cashpoints but there appears to be a rather low limit on the amount of cash you can withdraw within a day. So, several cards and umpteen withdrawal attempts later we returned to the flat. I then went home to eat and shower before going back out to meet Rachel to feter her new appartment. I think it's fair to say that the apres midi was slightly more productive than the matin!

The view from the terrace

Top - the view of the square from my terrace

Second from top - view towards the sea over le panier with the cathedrale major

Second from bottom - view down the street to the left of my terrace

Bottom - Over the other appartments

Complete exhaustion

Saturday. My alarm clock went off at 8am but it took me until 8h20 to crawl out of bed. I had to go out to La boulangerie to buy the croissants for breakfast. They were extremely fresh, much better than when you buy them the day before. At about 9h20 we left for the metro from Colbert to Saint Charles where we changed to the red line to go to Rond Point de Prado. I don't know why but that station was really busy, there were crowds of people around the barriers where you get out. And I think someone fell down the escalator. I don't know, it was just really busy. We got on the number 19 bus to Parc Borely and walked around there. We then got back on the bus to go to the beach. We walked along and sat for a bit watching the sea and the boats. Then, at around 12h30 we had lunch at Patacrepe. A ratatouille crepe followed by dessert (which really wasn't necessary) mint icecream and chocolate chips and sauce with fresh cream. Delicious but I was so full afterwards! After lunch we got back on the bus to Rond Point de Prado and then on the metro to Saint Charles where we changed to go to Cinq Avenue Longchamps to visit Le Palais Longchamps. There were 2 sets of brides and grooms there having there photographs taken. We went in the cafe there for a caffe au lait and un jus d'orange and then back on the metro to Colbert and home. It was about 15h30 when we got back. I was completely exhaused, I think we both were! After recovering slightly we went for a walk around Le Panier and saw the Cathedrale Major. Then we bought a baguette and went back home. For tea we had bread and cheese - a selection of french cheeses, followed by the flan I'd bought the day before. Later on we watched the rugby. I'd never watched a full rugby match before and well, I don't think I'll ever watch another one ever again! If it hadn't have been for the score in the top left hand corner of the screen or the jumping around of the English fans, I would never have known England had won. They beat France and are now in the final - yey! I thought in rugby you had to get the ball over the line but all the players did was jump all over each other and keep repeatedly kicking the ball out of play. Confusing. I didn't understand at all.

Oh, and the most hilarious thing of the weekend, I've just thought of it, is that I'd asked for a roll of sellotape and a tin opener to be brought for me. I had all these tins of baked beans and spaghetti which had been sent through the post but none of them had pull rings on and we didn't have a tin opener in our 'fully equiped' kitchen. Well, the suitcase was searched at Birmingham airport as it was hand luggage only. The tin opener wasn't a problem, it was the roll of sellotape that was confiscated! Ha! Apparently the man said that you are not allowed sellotape or masking tape in your hand luggage incase you tie someone up! But it is ok to have a tin opener - you could begin cutting the side of the plane out! Brilliant!

Anyway, it's now Sunday, it's 9h50 and I feel like I've been up for ages. I have been to Gare Saint Charles and back, I had swept the appartment (it gets so dusty) and I have written my blog... what's next? Oh, I guess I could do the ironing so that when I get up in the morning I don't have to iron whatever I want to wear before I can wear it.

Guess who

Friday, now what did I do on Friday? Oh yes, I got up and cleaned. I cleaned the bathroom, I cleaned the kitchen, I cleaned my room. I swept, I put some washing in the washing machine, I went to the supermarket and bought deux tranches de flan, then I had lunch. It took me most of the morning to clean. I have been here for 4 weeks and I have cleaned the bathroom 4 times. After 1 week I decided to clean it because Auriane had already been here for 2 weeks so I presumed she'd already cleaned it. After having been here a month I now realise she never cleans anything. She isn't messy, she does her washing up (ok, so most of the time you get something out of the cupboard and if she's 'washed' it you might have to do it again before you use it...) but she never seems to clean or sweep up. Anyway, after my morning of cleaning I made my way to Gare Saint Charles, I was having a visitor for the weekend. We took the metro back to Colbert and then went in La Poste as I had a parcel to collect. Afterwards we went back to my appartment to unpack. I am now the proud owner of an advent calender, a times newspaper, a christmas pudding, some mince pies, a bar of cadbury's chocolate and some ginger biscuits. I am also now in possession of my wallace and gromit dvd and accompanying book, my teaching tenses book, my chicken run dvd and some recipes for the microwave. After unpacking we went to Le Vieux Port to Notre Dame de la Garde on Le Petit Train. Later on in the evening we went out for a meal in a restaurant on Le Vieux Port. I had an italian salad and a chocolate sponge dessert with a glass of wine. In fact, we both had the same. Delicious. So, have you guessed who it is yet?

Wednesday, Thursday

I wasn't at school yesterday. I went with Rachel to meet Lucy at 13h to go and look at an appartment. Afterwards we went for lunch and bumped into John, he's still looking for an appartment, he's staying with Liz at the minute. Mt English is really suffering... random french words are creeping into when I'm speaking English, it's happening to everyone. It's so funny because we don't realise we're doing it and we all understand each other! 'It isn't meubleed' said John. 'You can always meuble it yourself' replied Lucy. Ha! Later on I went to the supermarket and then home.

Today I have been to school. I was in a class this afternoon and the teacher basically left me with the students on my own, no warning. Ok, so there were only 11 of them but I didn't have a clue what to do - a bit of warning would have been nice! We talked about America, England, French music, football, rugby, a bit of everything really. They teacher then gave me a cartoon strip of the beginning of Macbeth and asked me to go through it with the class. Considering I don't actually know the story of Macbeth and had never seen this cartoon strip before it wasn't exactly the most easiest of tasks! It would have been fine if she were to have given me the sheet beforehand to look at. I got the impression she was using me to take her class whilst she just sat there, hmm. I stayed at the school until about 15h and then headed home. Rachel called me, whilst I was on the metro, and I went to meet her at Le Vieux Port. We had a coffee and then went back to mine to get my library books which had to be returned today. We went to the library and just walked around. James, who I worked with at Oxfam in Hove and who also works for BA, was flying from Gatwick to Marseille (he's cabin crew). He called to say he was coming into Marseille - he had brought me a tin of spaghetti, a tin of baked beans and a jar of pickle - yummy! The three of us went for something to eat and they James had to go as the flight back to Gatwick was really early the next day. Rachel and me walked around taking photos of Le Vieux Port by night and then went home, branston pickle in tow. That's about all really.

Work

I went to my Lycee yesterday morning at 10am. My time table is very nearly complete and it looks like I'll be working Tuesdays and Thursdays - pretty full days. At the moment I only have 8 timetabled hours, I expect that to change considering I'm being paid for 12! When I arrived the gate was closed so I pressed the buzzer but the lady wouldn't let me in! 'Vous etes une eleve' was all I got. 'Non, je ne suis pas une eleve, je suis l'assistante d'anglais!'. I got in eventually. I like sitting in the staff room talking to the English teachers. I think I've met all 12 of them now although it will take some time for me to remember all their names. It's surprising how the level of English varies between the teachers. Some of them are much much better than others. I sat in on 2 classes, introduced myself, answered questions. Like last week really. I left the school at about 12 to go and meet Rachel and Lucy at Le Vieux Port as Rachel had a viewing for a flat. I wasn't there in time so they left without me. I did my food shopping and then met up with them. We went around some of the shops, for a coffee, to an internet cafe. Later on we went to see a flat for Lucy up by the station. After that we headed back to Le Vieux Port to meet up with Mairead, John, Sarah, Sara and Liz. Then it was home time.

This morning I went back to my Lycee for 10am. I went into 4 classes today. The first teacher, I got the impression her English wasn't very good, she couldn't write the word 'Ludlow' on the board correctly even though I spelt it for her. Her lessons were also a bit boring. I stayed with her for 2 hours - 2 separate classes. In both classes I introduced myself and the students were allowed to ask me questions. In the first class I went round and helped them correct some of their mistakes in a test they'd just been handed back and in the second I sat and listened to the lesson on New Orleans. It wasn't a very interesting lesson for the students I don't think because they had to listen to the teacher read. Although I don't think this teacher is particularly good she seems nice enough. At lunch I went to the Artotheque, I'm still trying to figure out what this is. It's apparently rare for a Lycee to have one and it seems to display art... hmm. After lunch I went to 2 classes. I really like both the teachers. The first class, the time went really quickly, we were talking for the whole hour! They were very talkative and there was one girl, who I'd been forewarned about, she just talks and talks and talks! I didn't stay for the whole of the second class. Only until I'd introduced myself and they'd asked me questions. In several classes today the students were allowed to ask their questions in french. Particularly with the first teacher in the morning. She then translated my answers into french. What was the point of me speaking English?! Anyway. I spoke a bit of french with my last class and one of the first classes of the day. Simply because their English wasn't particularly good. I was at school until about 15h, I then came home, completely exhausted - I'm not quite sure why, and started to look for a text to use with some students next Tuesday. For one of the groups, I have to help them prepare their oral exam - they have to talk about their work experience, then I have to provide texts and do reading comprehension. Another class has to talk about a picture that they are given but I am going to be given the pictures by the teacher. Then I have a student who is going blind, he is repeating his final year, but just some subjects. He wants to keep up his English. I have him for one hour a week and am pretty free to do whatever I like. As for my other classes, I'm not yet sure what I'll have to do. I need to get a username and password sorted out for the computer so I can print. I have a key which opens the photocopying room as well as various others and I have a photocopying code. All I need to do it get the room number of the room that is especially for the language assistants. There's 3 of us. I haven't met the other 2 yet. They are Spanish and Italian. We share the classroom between us. Yes, so, I'm really loving working at the school. I'll be glad when I start properly next week.