Well, it’s been over a week since my last post and the last post was actually about a week old by the time I posted it so there is a bit to talk about.
And what a week it has been!!! All I can say is I think I’ve just had my 15 mins worth of fame and then some!!
Let’s go back to the beginning, since my last entry, the All Blacks won the semi-final, I was then off to Caen for my orientation. On the way there I passed French people wearing All Blacks jerseys and others had commented that the French would be smashed by the All Blacks, others had said the French like being the underdogs so expect the unexpected – so a varied response. I personally was agreeing with the latter opinion and as it turned out, that was what happened.
In Caen a colleague kindly put me up in her apartment. The next day I enjoyed meeting other people doing the same thing as me here in France, we exchanged details and experiences. I realised I’ve been put in the perfect spot. Our town where we are is one of the most rural in France and lots of people are in towns on their own with no transport (public or private) and absolutely nothing to do. At least I have a flatmate, accommodation provided, a town on a train line to Paris, which has shops, supermarket, even McDonalds, sports clubs etc. So even if it is quiet in the weekend it’s not far to go somewhere to visit. We really have got the best of both worlds I think. While travelling around I have also noticed many people travelling with their cats in cages – the cats aren’t phased by it at all. If only I’d been able to train Bella like that? Maybe I could have brought her! Haha, although one of the assistants from America has brought their cat!
So this week was week 3 teaching and week 4 since I left – I can’t believe how fast the first month has gone, I’ll be back in 8 months before you even know it. In some ways, I feel like I’ve always been here and being here a second time round helps with that, as a lot of things are familiar or I know how it works/what to expect. I’m settling into the school and routine. It’s not much different from work back in NZ expect it’s in English, not French, and I only have to go for 12 hours, teach a lesson/run an activity, then walk away – no reports, marking, meetings etc etc. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen the staff have one single staff meeting the whole time I’ve been here. Important information is sometimes emailed, or else it’s written on a bit of paper and stuck on doorways where people can’t miss it, notice-boards and on the tables in the staff room.
I’ve also started running again with some of the girls from work (have to make sure I keep off all this amazing food I’m eating!). We have been running in a little wood not too far from here, that was once an old manor home (I thought it was a chateau and was corrected that it was definitely not a chateau but a ‘grande maison’). We’ve decided to start some training and compete in some 10/15km fun runs and maybe a half-marathon (I’m eyeing the Paris one for beginning of March). It will be a great goal and a way to see some more places.
Speaking of seeing more places, it’s the holidays at the moment, and we (friends from school and flatmate) celebrated by going out to dinner Friday night, it was a really fun evening and great to hang out with the new people I’ve met in the last few weeks. Tomorrow Janet comes over from London so we are hitting Paris for the next few days (as if I haven’t hit Paris enough this week!!), then she’ll come back to my little village to check it out and, if all goes to plan, we are going to go to Mont-St-Michel (link of pics below) on Monday/Tuesday. Mont-St-Michel is on my bucket list so I’m very excited about this – and it’s my birthday week so good timing!!
http://www.google.fr/search?q=mont+st+michel&rls=com.microsoft:en-nz&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=fr&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1093&bih=538
I’ve just booked a trip to see the Christmas markets in Strasbourg for the end of November and I’m hoping to go somewhere for the long weekend of Nov 11 – possibly Lille. Then it will be Christmas in the South of France!! My 9 months here is fast filling up with a rough plan of what I’m doing for nearly the rest of my time here!So, on to the exciting news of the rugby. Before the big game on Sunday I was actually interviewed by the local French radio station, because I had missed some details on their bulletin about where the final would be screened, so I emailed them. When they realised that I was a Kiwi they asked to interview me about the upcoming game. So I did a phone interview in French which apparently was played at some point – but I don’t know when. I thought that was my 15 mins there but there was more. Sunday, got up at 5.50 to get the train to Paris to watch the game at the Hotel de Ville (Paris town hall). Turned up to realise I was the only Kiwi there and suddenly freaked out. Waving my flag I found some other Kiwis and French All Black supporters. Then the TV 1 guy came over and interviewed me and said to come see him after the game if we won, so the bit you’ve all seen was after the game. Plus, lots of photographers were taking our photos so who knows if the photos are out their somewhere??!!
Here’s the link if you missed it.
No comments:
Post a Comment