Friday, October 9, 2009

Civilization and back

So we had our assistants meeting today in Montpellier. I’d say about one hour of the 6 1/2 was actually useful. I don’t want to seem like a know it all but I’m already a trained teacher and half the meeting was about teaching middle and high schoolers. It was like a summary of the last three semesters at school. In addition we had to sit through two boring and aweful hours in the morning about the french educational system, what an assistant does, and who the people in the panel are. For introduction in the auditorium the guy was describing the academie and he mentioned the lozère and then asked, are there any assistants from the lozere evn here? Then he continued on to describe the lozere as being very different from the other departments that make up the academie. What a joke! I’ve made my way down to Montpelier by way of a five hour bus and then I have to sit here and listen to this jerk make fun of my department. Like any one is going to want to visit me after that!

Since it rained last night , rather down poured to the point where we lost electricity four times during the night, I didn’t really get to meet any of the assistants from my academie. The even worst part is that I had to leave the meeting at the end before the mingling and getting to know each other could start! I was so bummed but in the end I don’t really care about meeting English speakers because I’m here to learn french.

The few people I did meet from Montpellier had a completely different first week or two experience. I think it was probably all my fears summed up about france that they wet through. Some of them didn’t have housing yet, some of them were in a hotel for more than two weeks, some of them don’t speak a word of french during the day, some of them don’t have their time table at all and worst of all some of them are annoying. I am so thankful of where I am and I quite honestly can’t wait to get back and do my own thing. As it turns out I actually like St. Chely despite its location and popultion. The people there are much more welcoming and they don’t at all treat me like a tourist. Yay. (this is probably the only time I will ever say this!)

The academie is going to pay for both my train tickets and hotel and lunch for today which is great. Al though I can’t wait to get home to eat something blandish. I’m feeling heartburn come on bad from all the bad food I ate.

The bus ride back was just as bad as on the way to Montpellier. It’s not the buses fault though its mostly because I’m really in the middle of nowhere. At an altitude of 1000 meters St chely sits on a hill side by la marguiride. (I have pictures of this too! It’s a beautiful valley about 5km away) The lozere is very different than any france I have seen before and I guess I’m glad to be here because I’m sure few people get to experience what I’m about to this year. Speaking of altitude, I never really noticed it until I went to Montpellier but the up and down is killer on my ears. Plus, I wonder what other effects the altitude is having on me? I’ll have to research this. I’ve never lived anywhere that hasn’t been sea level before so this is cool. I wonder if I fall into that *cook pasta longer in higher altitudes*? Lol.

No comments:

Post a Comment