Cote d'Azur

For the Toussaint Vacation Krista, Nele and I decided to go to Nice for 4 days. We had to spend the night in the Charles De Gaulle Airport in order to catch our 7 a.m. flight this morning. It was fun for about 2 hours but then the over-tiredness sets in and pretty soon you'd kill for a bed. Oddly enough there were a lot of people doing the same thing we were. A guy next to us snored the whole night and not to mention there were cleaning crews buzzing around us...some on machines with flashing yellow lights!! Needless to say I didn't hardly sleep. Our flight was scheduled to leave Paris at 7a.m. this morning but once we got loaded on and we were ready to go the captain said that air traffic control weren't allowing us to leave until 8:30a.m.! Fortunately we left shortly after that announcement and we arrived on time in Nice. We were happy campers! Unfortunately it rained all day today. We took a walking tour of Nice, the beach too and we checked into our hostel. Its a great hostel and I'm really happy with it. They even serve dinner and breakfast is free...score! It was an awesome day and I'm ready to go to bed but its only 3:34p.m.! Tomorrow we're headed to Eze and Monaco for the day. I have already been to both but I loved both of them. Its so odd going back to places that I was three years ago. For example, I found the same gelato place in Nice that I had visited when I was here with Providence...haha! Thats it for now. Its going to be a busy 4 days but it's nice to get out of Fourmies.

Love

Thoughts About the Schools

So it's been about a week since my last post and nothing much has changed besides that I have finally observed classes at my other college (middle school). In both of my colleges there are major discipline and respect problems; I really can't believe it! The kids don't care and some of the teachers don't either. A perfect example of this is one of the teachers at my other school, Joliot Curie, doesn't care at all about teaching the kids. While I'm there he usually writes random english phrases on the board that they're supposed to translate. Meanwhile, he's chatting me up and being a grumpy puss about teaching. His name is Mathieu just fyi. The other teachers that I work with at Joliot Curie are nice and welcoming. One of them, Marilyn, has purple and blonde hair....setting a nice example there lady. She has difficulties controlling her class as well. My favorite of the three is Valerie. I observe her class last on the days that I'm there (Tuesdays & Thursdays).

The walls in this school are either bright pink, orange or green. I often wonder how they came to pick those terrible colors? Did the designer really love those colors or did the principal of the school pick those colors in order to punish everyone who enters the building hah! Instead of bells they plan a string of classical music to signal the end of that particular learning experience.

I witnessed my first English test this week as well and it is actually teaching me something. The students are learning all the right names like: direct object, indirect object etc, and to be honest some of those things I don't even know!

So far its been a good experience for me and it makes me realize how lucky we are to have good schools in the United States!

*More Soon*

Whoa Adventures!

Well, it's been too long since my last update and I'm sure a lot of you have been dying for me to update you...well here goes!
I have been in Fourmies for 2 weeks only and it feels like I've been here for a lifetime. The landowners are fantastic people, they have been so kind and welcoming to be. Especially with the internet problem...I still don't have internet at my house and they have given me a key to their house so I can come over whenever I want to use it - wow, talk about trust!
Fourmies is a small town of 13,000 people and it has everything you need for daily life :) I won't lie to you but the first few days of my living here alone was quite a shock and I missed home terribly, just like anyone. Most of all I missed my family and the loudness that my family makes (haha) but I have been advised to drink this all in for two reasons: 1) I may never be back in Europe again and 2) as soon as I arrive home, there will be noise. God has really helped me through the rough days and my parents as well with their unfailing encouragement. But enough of that..
I started work officially on Friday and this Tuesday and Thursday I will be working the full days at both of my schools. I have been at the school right around the corner from my house several times now and all the teachers have been so welcoming to me, I didn't expect that at all. Spending time there has helped me get over the whole lonliness part of the trip. The students are very interested in me and America and of course I'm happy to share with them!
My work schedule is: I work full days Tuesdays and Thursdays and that's it! It's great for doing side travels.
In a couple of weeks I plan to go to London for 3 days during our first school break called Toussaint. I'm really looking forward to it.
My house is perfect and I really have come to like the quiet and I have a routine down for the night. I have been keeping daily journal entries which have helped jog my memory about what to write here for all of you.
Overall, it's been a great experience already and I've only been here for 2 1/5 weeks. I'm trying to take one day at a time and to have a planned activity for everyday so I won't lose my mind!
This week on Wednesday we have orientation for all the assistants in Lille for the entire day, it should be interesting.
I miss the US a lot and the familiarity of everything but I'm in Europe so it's time for me to start to enjoying it right?!
Please email me and give me updates about your life! I will try to get keep updating this as much as possible.

Love to all!