Meet the gang....

Meet the Gang...

I’m just about to enter my eighth week here in France, so I feel it’s about time that you people back home met the guys I’m hanging out with...How you ask? Through the only way possible, photos!

There are roughly twenty of us assistants actually living in Le Mans: the majority of which are from America and Britain, but others are from Germany, Spain, Mexico and New Zealand! These guys are primarily the reason that I’m having such a ball here in France, without them I’d probably hate it...and with 20 of us, there’s a nice group. I find that because people come from difference origins, it adds diversity to the conversation and it’s like my dream has come true as there is always someone who is free and feels like doing something. So, without further ado, let’s get introducing!

Here you have (from left to right): Olivia Cheng (US), Lilly Manzi (US), Alice Fyffe (UK), Claire Stavenga (US), Jess Carpio (US), Lisa Stuart (US) and me. This photo was taken at a ‘Pot Luck’ party at Lilly and Lisa’s house.

Next you have (again from left to right): Kate Townsend (NZ), Me, Elizabeth Bruner (US), Enar De Dios Rodríguez (ES) ,Carly Fox (US) and Louise Clarke (UK) and this photo was taken in ‘Place de la Republique’ (the main square) after a party at Liz’s!

Here is a photo of the 3 LAD teaching assistants: Nathan Stewart (UK), Ashley Carlin (UK) and Tom Stottor (UK) in their second home ‘Mulligans’!

Here is a photo of Rosalind Wright (UK), Alice Fyffe (UK) and me at Ros and Alice’s apartment right in the centre of town!

This is a photo of when we got invited around for dinner with the ‘Moreau’ family. I rent my flat off Francois (the old man there in the background), as does Casey Paige (US) and Vanessa Hapi (CM) (far left and far right). In this picture we also have Alison Gerrish (US) and Anette (DE), both teaching assistants at the University in Le Mans.

Ah, this photo reminds me how sunny it was when I first arrived in Le Mans- this is an assistant called Annie Rutter (UK), having lunch on the Place de la Republique when it was like 25 degrees!

Finally, here is a group picture of most of the characters I’ve told you about plus a couple more in one of our favourite pubs, the Union Jack! Going around in the circle you have: Casey Paige, Adrianne Himmel (US), Carly Fox, Alice Fyffe, Sonja Butler (US), Fiona (US), Elizabeth Bruner, Myriam Salazar (MX), Enar De Dios Rodríguez, me, Louise Clarke and Alexandre (DE).

So now you’ve met everyone J

In other news...

If you remember back to when one of my schools (Val D’Huisne) burnt down 4 weeks ago, I can now finally update you on the situation. They have moved to another ZEP Collège called ‘Les Sources’ and although they remain two separate schools, they are sharing facilities until Val D’Huisne gets rebuilt. Just to let you know, I promise that schools being burnt down isn't a regular occurrence in France during the strikes! To prove it, even French people look at me, eyes wide and mouth open when I say I work(ed) at Collège Val D’Huisne. Until now I have only been working at Berthelot as they were still sorting out the new timetable, and by the sounds of it, it’s a complicated affair. Trying to satisfy numerous teachers, keep things hunky-dory with the kids and not clashing with les Sources timetable= numerous days spent trying to figure it out! Anyway, I spoke to Emmanuel earlier this week and I finally have my new timetable! It’s pretty similar to before but I now work: 6 hours on Tuesday, 4 hours on Thursday and 2 hours of Friday leaving me with Monday and Wednesday FREE! WAHOO!

Teaching:

It’s the same old story since I last wrote to you I’m afraid! This week I have taught a grand total of 3 hours which means I spent about 30 minutes lesson planning... I taught about ‘English food’ this week which proved to be a good topic to teach and my French vocab of food has definitely improved. Next week is definitely looking more promising though as I start back to work at Val D’Huisne or should I say Les Sources and I have to say I’m actually looking forward to doing a full week now. I know I will most probably report back next week and say I wish I had no classes again but you can’t have it both ways ey?

Speaking French:

So, bizarrely, Sarah (a friend from Birmingham who’s doing her year abroad in Grenbole) told me about a friend of a friend who lives in Le Mans. So we started emailing over facebook and yesterday we got to meet up! She is the cutest French girl I’ve ever met, SO nice and she taught me a lot about Le Mans. We went for coffee and talked for an hour. So hopefully we’ll be meeting up every now and then, improve my French some more and practice her English!

Illnesses:

EVERYONE gets ill in Le Mans. It’s obviously the change of scenery and along with it a change of germs. So this week I’ve been ill L which has meant that I’ve spent a good few days in bed, but don’t you worry, I’m gonna make up for it in the next four weeks....

The Plan:

Saturday 21^st Nov: Dinner with Alice, Céline (teacher from Berthelot) and her friends to celebrate Beaujolais wine.

Saturday 27^th Nov: Thanksgiving party at Liz’s

Sunday 28^th Nov: Day trip to Versailles

Friday 3^rd Dec: Strasbourg for the weekend

Saturday 11^th Dec: Day trip to Paris J <3

Saturday 18^th Dec: HOME TO ENGLAND FOR CHRISTMAS (28 days today!)

I’m sure other things will crop up as well, but I am now SO excited for these next four weeks and I’m actually getting scared that this year abroad is going to go far too quickly for my liking... 2 months down, 5 to go.

Bisous,

Kate

Quoi de neuf?

It’s amazing how quickly time goes here in France. Never before has time flashed before my eyes this fast, it just goes to show that when you are having lots and lots of fun, time really does fly by! Since I last wrote you all I have encountered many a French strike, had Toussaint’s holiday (half term for schools and universities), made it England to see Pedro, the rents, Leah, Sam, Kat, Sarah, Lara and Lauren J and finally made it back again to France...

That last week before Toussaint we lived the ‘stereotypical’ French life; the strikes disturbed our daily lives, we had many days off work because of the blockades at school and in my case because it had been burnt down...! The buses didn’t run, there were protests in the streets most days and the train station was utter CHAOS with everyone asking if there train was running and swopping if not. The poor man stood at the help desk was continually getting hammered for answers and I felt sorry for the poor chap, he looked haggard by the end of the week! Of course, I was one of these people as I was heading back to England at the end of the week, but I tried to be very polite and I swopped my train for an earlier one without a problem! I then spent countless hours refreshing the website for Nantes and East Midlands airport with the fear that my flight would be cancelled. Against all odds I made it to Nantes, our flight flew on time and I touched down in ENGLAND! J

Those first three days of being in England went by like a TGV at its highest speed. I spent them mostly with Peter, trying to pack in as much time in as possible with him before he left to go back to Edinburgh. I had an amazing time <3 I also managed to catch up with Frosty and the Twins a couple of times as well as both my Nan and Granddads and a couple of Aunts! Then, on Wednesday night, the night before my flight, I found out that it was cancelled... I couldn’t get back to France because of the petrol strikes. I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as annoyed as I was at this moment in time...I was really looking forward to coming back and I had plans to travel around Brittany with three other assistants, which would have been great... So after spending a while moping around, I decided to make the most of my extra time in England, so we visited Sheffield to catch up with a couple of home friends. It was a good night J

I arrived back in France on Tuesday 2^nd November so I have now been back in France land for a week. As per usual, time is flying! Last week I had a grand total of four hours of lessons and this week I will only do two. Don’t tell me...you’re jealous? I have come to realise how much I love my life at the moment. I literally work no hours and just get to spend my time travelling to places and arranging trips. C’EST LA BELLE VIE. Of course, I will eventually work my 12 hours a week when everything gets sorted, (because of the fire, and in Collège Berthelot’s case just sheer disorganisation) but until then I’m lapping it up. Now I have plans to go to Paris and Strasbourg in December and other plans are in the pipeline at the moment. Today, I visited Tours with Liz and we shared some great laughs... I had a really good time.

As Liz said to me today: ‘Its travelling that restores my faith in humanity’. I have to say, I fully agree.

Bisous!