Day 6 October 2, 2012
Simple, easy, today I signed up for a bank account, for my pay account at school (or tried to), applied for my social security. Very busy day, but mind numbing in its pedestrian tasks. I noticed the view from the city bus on the way into the school, and I need to get a photo of that, but still haven't done so. I will get one. So, to start, went to the bank, handed over a bunch of identification papers for photocopies, signed a bunch of sheets, and... I have an account number, but no way to access it yet. The bank card "is in the mail" and no clue about the cheques I did ask for. The social security was done by a lady who had no idea what she needed to complete the application, so I just gave her everything I had, she took photocopies of a bunch, and I submitted an application. We will see. Then I took that bus to the school. Takes about 20 minutes, but I get there faster taking the stop that is a about 5 earlier from the one in front of the school. I can just walk the distance. Get there, the secretary is "on lunch" so I have to wait for her to get back. From there, She apparently had a class, and I have to come back later to finish the paperwork. Ugh. A long bus ride home and then I relax at my place, with some downloaded One Tree Hill (for the second time because my second adapter broke), and then sleep. Still using the borrowed sleeping bags from my landlord. BTW, he is cool, but sleeping bags were built for kids. My feet stick out or my knees, or... well, they don't work right.
Day 7 October 3, 2012
A day in Nantes! Today I got up at 5:30am, which I am pretty sure is against French law, and left to take the train to Nantes for a meeting at 9am. Two hours to get there, train departed at 6am. If it wasn't illegal for teachers to work past 5pm, I am sure the day would have started later. I have dreaded this day. I don't want to meet my fellow assistants, not because I am sure they are 10 years younger, supported on their parents bill, and looking to just have fun... but because they will speak English. Last summer, I spent a LOT of time with anglophones, and while I had a blast, I am sure I could have learned more French had I spent more time with actual francophones. So, off to the BIG city. When I arrive, buy two tickets for the tram, one there, one back, and off for the meetings. I am about 45 minutes early, so I wander to the main administration hall. They understand my French, but are confused that I might want to pay for coffee when the free stuff will be available so soon after. I just wanted coffee. Still isn't what I am used to, but espresso (in French, expresso) is good by me. Then off to the meeting. Where I find some cute guys, sit with them and chat through most of the presentation. Those who know me in classes might know what this is like. I talk. A lot. OK, most of you probably know what this is like. But yeah, even drier than normal materials. So I chat with a couple of guys and a girl from Great Britain. Currently, their names escape me. Probably not that concerned at the time. After the first half, we get a lunch... for, like, 5€. Which is a lot, since I pay 3€ at my schools. So then, off to lunch, where nobody looks for salt and pepper till they see I am using it. And then water, cause no one sees the spigot beside all the water jugs. But whatevs. No one sees. So a mediocre lunch, love I am not vegetarian, cause the girl beside me had to work to find enough food to feel anything besides leafy green about the meal. Then to our separate classes. About how to deal with kids. In various levels. For collèges, it is 6ieme to 3ieme, which is about 10-11 until about 13-14. And then I get a whole bunch of lessons on dealing with 10 year olds. I mean, clearly, I can't ask 10 year olds to name every state in America. But really? Don't use big words like "understand"?! This is the second word one should know in any language, after the negative word or words. Non capisco. No entiendo. Nie rozumiem. Cause you will use that phrase. A million times. And then some crap about games to play. Like sing with them to their CDs. What CDs? We don't get a copy of them. Then, after this relatively useless lesson, I decide to join the group going to a bar, since I have 2 hours till my train. So much for booking it late in case things ran over... We have a couple drinks, I find a few places to go in Nantes and I make a few more "friends for a day" as I like to call them. Then back to town and my apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment