So I'm going to start with the bad and move on to the good.
Bad: I came in 3rd in a bicycle race today. Oh, and I broke the bell on my rental bike.
Good: I've had two of the most interesting days of my life.
Want more detail? Well, I think I explained the "Bad" category adequately, so let's move on to the good.
Two nights ago I met up with the three other English assistants who were here. It was really funny to hear so much English! They all three live together at a high school. I found out that two of them sing, so we're going to look for a choir together! I'm going to church with Katie (one of the three) tomorrow, too; I hope my two years of Episcopal church will help me navigate the liturgy in French. But in any case the big guy upstairs understands English.
Yesterday was scary but exciting. I went to the high school to meet my colleagues/get my work schedule/etc. I only work 12 hours each week, so I get to start late every day :) For Monday, I'm preparing a presentation for my 3 classes on myself, my city, my state, American culture, etc. I can't wait to talk about how awesome Florence and Nashville are. There are 9 English teachers, 8 of which I'm working with, and all of which seem very nice. One of the younger ones invited me out for drinks after school! The place we ended up going was closed, though, so it got postponed. Instead I went home and played some more Monopoly. I love making Monopoly jokes about the American mortgaging his property (hypothèquer). But fortunately for me, my housing bubble didn't burst and I won.
Today is when things get really fun. The family decided to spend the day riding bikes and touring the city of Compiègne. We drove to Pierrefonds, where Irène's parents live, and headed off to the bike path (piste cycable) along with Grandma, but not before noticing the enormous castle that overlooks the town. I'll post a picture later when my internet connection is better. We then proceeded to bike a leisurely 13 km, finally arriving in the picturesque city of Compiègne. I've never seen such pretty houses; we must have come in from the nice part of town, because everywhere we looked there were enormous 19th-century villas overlooking the broad tree-lined boulevard. But we weren't there to look at houses; we were on a mission to eat.
The restaurant we went to was one-of-a-kind. Not because of our main dish--it was really good, but not as exciting as dessert. Today was the day I learned what à la volonté means. It's the French version of "all-you-can-eat," and it's almost unheard of. But at this little bistro in this smallish city, you can order profiteroles à la volonté. All-you-can-eat puff-pastry-thingies with vanilla ice cream in the middle, smothered with melted chocolate. You'll be happy to hear I stopped myself at 4.
After lunch we visited the centerpiece of the city, the chateau. It was built by Napoleon, but it reminded me a lot of Versailles, except not quite so extravagant. But still pretty dang over-the-top. Seriously Josephine, you need golden angels to hold up your bed curtains? No. You don't really even need bed curtains.
We'd noticed a rather oddly-dressed girl walking around the chateau while we were inside and I had tried in vain to snap a picture from a distance, but I didn't succeed. At least not until we caught her at the gate and, in a flurry of French I didn't quite understand, was told to stand beside her for a picture. Then we danced a waltz with no music. It was very nice but very odd, until I realized why. Bachelorette parties in France aren't like those in the US. Instead of going to Chippendale shows, the brides-to-be go to public places and do silly things, like dress in period clothes and dance with strangers at castles. I knew this from my study-abroad program in Aix, where I'd been snatched from the doorway of the cell phone store, stuck on a scale, and kissed by a bride-to-be on a quest to kiss 1000 kilograms of men, but this time I was thrown off by the location and the period costume. Glad I figured it out eventually.
After the chateau, we went back home on the bike trail, this time riding as fast as possible. I was tired by the time we got back to the car, but in a good way. After a quick drive home and a much-deserved shower, I went off with Camille, Orso, and two friends to grab dinner at a kebab shop. The rest of the family had gone to a party (of course I was invited), but I wanted to stay close to home. After dinner, I ended up jamming with Benjamin and Orso. I was in high demand as a singer (since I know English and half the songs they like are in English), but I also played guitar for the first time in a while. Of course the first song I teach them is "Sweet Home Alabama." It turns out we're going to play it at an open mic night somewhere down the line!
In other news, I finally got my French phone in the mail this morning. The mail lady had asked for a "Madame Ray," which confused Camille, but I fortunately caught her before she left with my package. I've been playing with it some, and it seems nice, but it's no iPhone. But that's okay, because who needs an iPhone when you have a 1400-year-old country to explore out your back door?
Bad: I came in 3rd in a bicycle race today. Oh, and I broke the bell on my rental bike.
Good: I've had two of the most interesting days of my life.
Want more detail? Well, I think I explained the "Bad" category adequately, so let's move on to the good.
Two nights ago I met up with the three other English assistants who were here. It was really funny to hear so much English! They all three live together at a high school. I found out that two of them sing, so we're going to look for a choir together! I'm going to church with Katie (one of the three) tomorrow, too; I hope my two years of Episcopal church will help me navigate the liturgy in French. But in any case the big guy upstairs understands English.
Yesterday was scary but exciting. I went to the high school to meet my colleagues/get my work schedule/etc. I only work 12 hours each week, so I get to start late every day :) For Monday, I'm preparing a presentation for my 3 classes on myself, my city, my state, American culture, etc. I can't wait to talk about how awesome Florence and Nashville are. There are 9 English teachers, 8 of which I'm working with, and all of which seem very nice. One of the younger ones invited me out for drinks after school! The place we ended up going was closed, though, so it got postponed. Instead I went home and played some more Monopoly. I love making Monopoly jokes about the American mortgaging his property (hypothèquer). But fortunately for me, my housing bubble didn't burst and I won.
Today is when things get really fun. The family decided to spend the day riding bikes and touring the city of Compiègne. We drove to Pierrefonds, where Irène's parents live, and headed off to the bike path (piste cycable) along with Grandma, but not before noticing the enormous castle that overlooks the town. I'll post a picture later when my internet connection is better. We then proceeded to bike a leisurely 13 km, finally arriving in the picturesque city of Compiègne. I've never seen such pretty houses; we must have come in from the nice part of town, because everywhere we looked there were enormous 19th-century villas overlooking the broad tree-lined boulevard. But we weren't there to look at houses; we were on a mission to eat.
The restaurant we went to was one-of-a-kind. Not because of our main dish--it was really good, but not as exciting as dessert. Today was the day I learned what à la volonté means. It's the French version of "all-you-can-eat," and it's almost unheard of. But at this little bistro in this smallish city, you can order profiteroles à la volonté. All-you-can-eat puff-pastry-thingies with vanilla ice cream in the middle, smothered with melted chocolate. You'll be happy to hear I stopped myself at 4.
After lunch we visited the centerpiece of the city, the chateau. It was built by Napoleon, but it reminded me a lot of Versailles, except not quite so extravagant. But still pretty dang over-the-top. Seriously Josephine, you need golden angels to hold up your bed curtains? No. You don't really even need bed curtains.
We'd noticed a rather oddly-dressed girl walking around the chateau while we were inside and I had tried in vain to snap a picture from a distance, but I didn't succeed. At least not until we caught her at the gate and, in a flurry of French I didn't quite understand, was told to stand beside her for a picture. Then we danced a waltz with no music. It was very nice but very odd, until I realized why. Bachelorette parties in France aren't like those in the US. Instead of going to Chippendale shows, the brides-to-be go to public places and do silly things, like dress in period clothes and dance with strangers at castles. I knew this from my study-abroad program in Aix, where I'd been snatched from the doorway of the cell phone store, stuck on a scale, and kissed by a bride-to-be on a quest to kiss 1000 kilograms of men, but this time I was thrown off by the location and the period costume. Glad I figured it out eventually.
After the chateau, we went back home on the bike trail, this time riding as fast as possible. I was tired by the time we got back to the car, but in a good way. After a quick drive home and a much-deserved shower, I went off with Camille, Orso, and two friends to grab dinner at a kebab shop. The rest of the family had gone to a party (of course I was invited), but I wanted to stay close to home. After dinner, I ended up jamming with Benjamin and Orso. I was in high demand as a singer (since I know English and half the songs they like are in English), but I also played guitar for the first time in a while. Of course the first song I teach them is "Sweet Home Alabama." It turns out we're going to play it at an open mic night somewhere down the line!
In other news, I finally got my French phone in the mail this morning. The mail lady had asked for a "Madame Ray," which confused Camille, but I fortunately caught her before she left with my package. I've been playing with it some, and it seems nice, but it's no iPhone. But that's okay, because who needs an iPhone when you have a 1400-year-old country to explore out your back door?
Sounds like you're having a blast! Haha, I like their style of bachelorette parties. Good luck with your classes - I know you'll do great!
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