An update...

February was a month of rain, a spring like week, homesickness, some frustration, a finally complete file with the CAF office and a lot of thinking. I have to say, I’m happy it’s March.

I’ve come to some realizations recently - which are making me rethink a lot of things, which hasn’t been very easy. I do think, however, that in the long run I’d like to be a travel food writer, whether from a research standpoint or a freelance point of view (i.e. the female Michael Pollan or a writer for Saveur). I’m not sure what that means for the next handful of years, but I do think it involves some time at culinary school (which has been my backup plan for quite a while now) and maybe some education in journalism. There’s a game I play with my classes called Hot Air Balloon where I challenge each student to think of their ideal job and, once they’ve chosen, tell them there has been an apocalypse and we’re the only survivors. But (and here’s the twist) there isn’t enough room in the balloon and we have to kick off some people. They then have to convince their fellow classmates that they should get to stay in the balloon. When I give an example, I always say that my ideal job would be a chef. Maybe it’s time I take that idea more seriously.

Other than that, I’ve been having a lot of very French experiences lately. And these aren’t the sipping wine under the Eiffel Tower after a picnic kind of experiences (unfortunately). Last Tuesday and yesterday I had, what I’ve recently termed, French Days - where I get to experience things that are very normal in French culture and not very normal in Anglophone culture. My day on Tuesday started with some fun on the bus. Now, I should explain quickly, that there aren’t school buses in Orléans so students take the city bus - which means that I see a lot of my students on the bus. So, Tuesday morning I get on the bus, find a seat and starting daydreaming. Three stops later the worst children in the world get on the bus. I see them twice a week, every week and dread it. They are three boys from ages 4 to 7 + one very overwhelmed Dad. They throw tantrums if they don’t get the seat they want, the cry, they kick the seats they scream. It’s great! Well, the worst one, Steve, (I know his name because his Dad is always yelling it) takes a seat right behind me. But apparently it wasn’t the seat he wanted because he starts crying and throwing punches - which barely missed my head. Then he starts kicking the seat with such force that I actually have a bruise on my back. Oh, Steve, how I loathe you. Then, at the next stop a student of mine gets on - scans the bus, makes eye contact with me and then proceeds to make a very distinct kissy face - at me. *shudder* At school, during my one hour break I managed to get stuck in a conversation with Mr. I’m Still Bitter You Don’t Have My Class Anymore. Where he implied that I don’t work enough, that my classes are rowdy, that I may or may not be a good teacher and that I’m working too much and should rest more. *sigh* worst 10 minutes ever. I think I prefer Steve. Then I run into Alain who proceeds to comment - for the third time - about a little scar that I developed on my nose from my really bad cold in January. Because nothing is more fun that being reminded you have a new scar in the middle of your face! I teach another class - which goes ok - and then I try to sneak back into the break room to get my coat and escape before any other teachers decide to have a conversation with me. But I run into Alain again - who wants to know what I’m having for lunch. It goes like this:

“Quiche.”

“Oh, with a mixed salad?”

“Uh, no, just the quiche.”

“Oh, but it isn’t quiche without a mixed salad!”

“Yeah, well, I don’t really have time to mix up a salad during my break.” *smile*

“Ah, Americans, they never have the time.”

*here I just look blankly in his direction*

“Is it homemade or from the store?”

“Homemade, it’s leftover from dinner last night.”

“Ah, leftovers? You don’t like having a fresh lunch?”

“Oh, I do, but I also love cold quiche.” *smile*

“Cold quiche? Oh no, must be warm.”

“mmm....well I better get going. Have a nice afternoon!”

I did not have quiche for lunch. Instead I had spicy black beans with cheese, sour cream and salsa... because it was the least French thing I could think of. And then I got stood up by my 1 o’clock class. Awesome!

Yesterday was much more exciting, however. I arrived at school at 8:10am only to discover an especially large number of students standing outside and 6 cop cars parked in front. When I finally made it to the front gates I discovered that they were barricaded shut - with fencing, trash cans, chairs, and a lot of students linking arms. And the sign - On Veut le Bac Blanc - we want the mock Bac test. Yes, that’s right, students had barred the school shut because they wanted to take a mock test. Only in France. I was finally shown, by a teacher, how to get in - which meant going around to another entrance and arguing with students to let me in. They didn’t believe me that I was a teacher - until one kid finally recognized me (he’s been in a class of mine that I’ve had for the whole year - I wonder how much he’s been paying attention...). I get inside, only to discover that the teachers are very agitated and giving a lot of dirty looks to each other. Alain finally catches me up. Apparently a lot of teachers decided to protest giving the mock test because it’s too much work and they don’t have enough staff. And the students got pissed (if you don’t pass the Bac you can’t leave high school - it’s a big deal) and the parents got pissed and then the headmaster sided with the students. Which made the teachers really mad. Hence, the students decided to shut the school to make their point (and I say, good for them). I also learned that around 7:30am the cops tried to pull the barricade down - through a human chain - and some kids got a little roughed up. After being filled in on the situation, I wandered around and talked to a handful of teachers and got a lot of different opinions on the subject. At 10am the teachers finally became agitated enough to call an emergency meeting. The German assistant and I decided to sit in - because how often do you get to witness something this exciting? Despite our best intentions, we somehow ended up right in the middle of the room and pretty much got a front seat to the debate (or bickering as I saw it). Now, I won’t lie - I didn’t understand a lot. People were yelling, talking fast and using a lot of words I didn’t know - not to mention I really had no idea what the hell was going on. But, basically, they argued for a long time about what they should do and at one point suggested firing the headmaster as a solution. I did learn that the students had threatened to go to the rectorat (which is like the state board) and complain - and that the teachers were pretty worried about that. There was a lot of talking over each other and yelling “let me finish” and people getting mad and name calling. One guy kept getting the room all worked up and even insulted the headmaster - pretty brutally. And then, after 45 minutes, the German assistant and I left. On the way out he stopped to ask a teacher a question and some other teacher hit me on the arm and told me to be quiet because she couldn’t hear. I responded, “C’est pas moi qui parle! - It’s not me who’s talking!” gave her a dirty look and walked out. Apparently, this was just a big excuse to be mean to each other and complain. As we were leaving the school, we ran into a couple of students we teach - who are both just lovely and as sweet as can be - and they asked us what was going on. The German assistant understood a lot more than I did, so we told her that no decision had been made and that they were having a big debate. We asked them what their plan was, and learned that they were delegates for the class and wanted to go to the rectorat with the teachers to find a solution that made everyone happy. So there you have it - students acting like responsible adults and teachers acting like 10 year olds on the playground. I don’t know what more took place in the meeting, but I heard that the teachers decided to stick with their boycott and not give a bac blanc. I wonder what’s going on today at the school...

Besides all this excitement, the weather has improved slightly, except for last weekend where France was hit by a very storm storm. Which in Orléans, in all honesty, was exactly like a monsoon storm but without the lightening. Apparently, though, the coastal areas were hit very hard and 41 people died. This week though has seen a lot of blue skies, but colder temps.

The sunshine though has all the assistants crawling out from hiding, and I’ve been doing a lot of socializing lately. A dinner party last Sunday, a birthday party last night, long talks with people and a handful of fun weekend plans. I do feel extremely lucky to have such an amazing group of people to share this experience with. I think I really lucked out in my placement - because there are so many people here who are super nice and very caring and have their hearts in the right place.

This weekend an Irish assistant who lives in Blois is coming to visit, so today is a day of cleaning and resting. Then this afternoon Seamus and I are meeting up with Caitlin, Jenny and Sam to plan for the next vacation in April. It looks like a trip to the south of France is shaping up! So excited!