Sunday, December 5, 2010

En Français s'il vous plait...


Well, I have figured out my next adventure. After my job prospects here in the Chesham area didn't really seem to be panning out in a way that I was okay with, I found a program called Geovisions where I will live with a family and teach them English in exchange for free room and board for a few months. The exact timeframe is still yet to be determined, but I'm thinking about 2-3 months is what it'll end up being.

So, I am going to France for 2-3 months and for at least the first two months, I will be living in a town called Dol-de-Bretagne in northern France. It is a tiny village, with a giant cathedral and is only about 8 miles from a larger town called Saint Malo, which I have heard is somewhat of a chi-chi (how does one spell this word...chic-chic? she-she?...not sure, but you get the point!) vacation spot on the English Channel. I have never been to this part of France and I am really excited to see it- it looks GORGEOUS in the pictures!

Most people reading this blog probably know that I minored in French and lived in Nice for six months during college. I started taking French in a before-school program when I was in first grade and have always been somewhat of a Francophile- mostly thanks to some AMAZING teachers in middle and high school! I haven't really spoken any French in about 10 years and I have been really down on the fact that I spent so long studying it and then let it go! So, I am extremely happy for this opportunity to brush up on my skills. I have been dating a French teacher here in England and hearing him speak French so well has inspired me to get off my butt and do something about it!

Since I am about to be an unemployed loser in a matter of days, (8.5 days to be exact!) I had to figure out some way to pass my time and I am definitely not ready to just throw in the towel on this experience and come home. Finding this program was awesome as I now won't have to spend a lot of money but will have something cool to do AND most importantly, relearn French!

The family in Dol-de-Bretagne has two boys who are 12 and 9. They all have very limited English but are opening a bed and breakfast and so they want to brush up on their skills so that they can increase the business. England is only about a 5 hour ferry ride across the English Channel from them and I am sure there are many English speaking tourists looking for a stone farmhouse in the country, which apparently they seem to have! They also have two dogs, two cats, and two little ponies! HOW CUTE!!!

I've been reading Harry Potter et l'école des sorciers (Harry Potter 1) in French for the last few weeks to work on brushing up on my skills as well as tormenting Mike by asking him one million questions about how to say things and grammar questions.

This week at school was one of my worst yet from the kid perspective. My head of department has basically stopped helping me with any sort of discipline issues as I am leaving so soon and so this week I was called a stupid b**ch twice and told to F off several times. Makes me feel awesome. Obviously, this is not how all schools are, but there are some issues for sure at CPCC. I am happy to not have to deal with them anymore.

On the real job front, I have been accepted to an international school job fair in London at the end of January for jobs during 2011-2012 school year. There will be about 180 different international schools from all over the world. I'd like to get a job in one of the 5 in London but we'll see. Mama needs a new pair of shoes.

So, once again, my whole life is up in the air, but at least I have something cool to do for a few months! And, before I actually move to France, I am going skiing in the French Alps with my friend Nicola for a week over Christmas! YAY!


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