Throwback to Nantes

Exactly two years ago I wasn’t that far, at least geographically, from where I am now: I was visiting Paris with my family. It was during my semester in Nantes, and my family had come to France for a week over Thanksgiving. We took a long weekend in Paris (including a Thanksgiving dinner at Le Saint-Martin), and spent the rest of the weekend visiting monuments, museums, and eating as much French food as we could.

It’s funny what’s changed, and what hasn’t, during my second round of living in France. I still spend time with friends, but rather than Americans I have a group of international friends in Saint-Quentin. I still see teachers all the time, except rather than taking their classes, I’m working with them to help teach. I’m not a student any more, though I am quite possibly learning more in Saint-Quentin than I did in Nantes.

Regardless of the similarities and differences, I am grateful for my time in Nantes, as I’m grateful for the opportunity to live in France again. Since I would never have been a teaching assistant were it not for my semester in Nantes, here are some of my favorite photos from two years ago as a sort of tribute to my remarkable first time living in France.

~ With the fam in Nantes~

~ Parents at the Louvre ~

~ Jardin des Plantes in Nantes ~

~ IES trip to Mont-Saint-Michel ~

~ Bri, Scott, Lisa, and Annie in Saint-Malo ~

~ With Annie and Rachelle in Rome ~

~ The beautiful gardens of Chateau Villandry ~

And my favorite picture from the whole semester:

~ Our celebratory night out right before going home ~

Thanksgiving in France

This is the first year that I haven’t been with my family for Thanksgiving. It’s weird and a bit melancholy to be so far away on this holiday, which is my mom’s favorite. I’m lucky, though, for having my fellow teaching assistants here. We planned an international Thanksgiving celebration on Wednesday night and ended up having a wonderful evening. Here are the numbers:

5: nationalities represented (3 Americans, 3 Germans, 2 Brits, 1 Mexican, and 1 Italian)

2: Mexican games played (basically Mexican bingo and Mexican dreidel, and they were awesome)

5: bottles of wine, cider, and juice consumed

0: traditional Thanksgiving foods eaten (instead, we had lasagna, croissants, chips, fries, salad, broccoli, carrots, spaghetti with pesto, cookies, and chocolate mousse)

10: sincere and heartwarming recitations of thanks. This was the best part of the evening: going around and saying what we’re thankful for. While every family has a different tradition for this part of the holiday, it seemed important to include it with our international group. We also all gave thanks in French, which was certainly a new experience for everyone!

~ Paper turkey from home, which we used as a table decoration ~

~ Assistants at our Thanksgiving table ~

Baking Adventures

Earlier this week, I decided to honor my family’s tradition of making Chanukah sugar cookies, plus some Thanksgiving cookies for the assistants’ Thanksgiving dinner. It seemed like a straightforward plan: sugar cookies, pretty basic, not a problem.

Until I realized I had a tiny French kitchen and very limited baking supplies to work with. I ended up using a pot as one of my mixing bowls, was almost defeated by the cups to grams conversion, and ultimately had little piles of cooling cookies covering all available surfaces.

Luckily, with the help of some Monoprix sprinkles and chocolate icing, the cookies turned out fine and were added to our Thanksgiving feast. It was pretty fun, actually, to weigh the flour and sugar and mix everything by hand – but I think I’ll wait a little while before baking anything again.

~ Scale for measuring; mixing butter and sugar by hand in a pot ~

~ Happy Chanukah! ~

~ Thanksgiving cookie and European Union cookie ~

~ The finished product ~

Teaching Roundup 2: Thanksgiving, MLK, and Mad Men

I’m about to start my fourth week of actual teaching and my sixth week at school.  It’s been fun and stressful and feels like I’ve been running around my school for much longer.  Here’s the breakdown so far of the three pillars of my “English Assistant” existence: lessons, students, and teachers.

Lessons: My teaching duties consist of 12 hours of lessons per week, mostly working with students in small groups.  I have a lot of freedom when it comes to planning lessons, and I've found it to be fairly challenging so far.  Some of the teachers have instructed me to review a particular topic with the students, but most of them have told me to do whatever I want as long as the students are practicing their spoken English.  I was kind of daunted at first, but I’ve started coming up with more ideas (and there are a ton of helpful ESL resources online).

The past few weeks I’ve particularly enjoyed teaching lessons about MLK, Thanksgiving, and Mad Men. My first MLK class involved an impromptu American history lesson (from slavery to Civil Rights- ready, go!), but I think I pulled it off. All of last week was taken up with Thanksgiving lessons (my way to deal with not being home for the holiday is to make as many of my classes learn about it as possible). And I was thrilled to incorporate Mad Men into a class: instructed by the teacher to find work-place related video clips, I showed the pitch meeting to Lucky Strike scene from season one.

Students: The students have been the biggest surprise.  Despite my Hebrew School teaching last year and my pursuit of the TAPIF program, I do not consider myself to be a natural with kids, and before I arrived I was somewhat apprehensive about working with high schoolers all year. It helps, of course, that I’m not that far from my own adolescence, and once I got here I realized it would be no problem to relate, at least on some level, to many of the students.

I’m working with a range of students: from the school’s youngest (15) to oldest (early 20s) and from limited to advanced English ability. Though some of them would clearly prefer to not learn English at all, I’m finding that several of my classes are full of very motivated students (these are usually the ones who gleefully shout “hello!” when they see me in the halls). I particularly enjoyed when one advanced student came up to me at the end of class last week and asked me to explain what a “man crush” is.

Teachers: I am chiefly working with groups of students separately from the teachers, but I find that I still interact with the teachers quite a bit. The English teachers are a fun group—most of them are always up for chatting in the teacher’s lounge between classes, and I’ve started meeting with one of them to practice speaking French (I’ve had to become more proactive about improving my French since, amazingly, I do not speak loads of French in my day to day life).

While I’m glad that I get along well with the teachers, working here has still been a challenging adjustment. One of the reasons for this is my somewhat strange situation: while I have authority when it comes to working with students, I’m younger and have much less power than the actual teachers.  I guess this is sort of the definition of a language assistant, though, and I figure with time this semi-limbo status will feel more normal.

~ From my Thanksgiving worksheet - I tricked a few people with d) ~

Day Trip(s): Paris

It’s pretty hard to go to France and not talk about Paris, even if you’re not living there. I’m no exception, and since Saint-Quentin is a short 1.5 hour train ride away, I have even more opportunities to experience the Parisian France (which is quite different from everywhere-else France).

I’d been to Paris once before this year; when my family visited during my semester abroad, we spent four days in Paris and saw a lot (the Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame).  There were still a few major landmarks I needed to mark off my list this year, two of which I saw during visits to Paris at the end of October and earlier in November.

~ My family in Paris 2 years ago ~

Stop 1: Sacre Coeur. I visited Sacre Coeur, an impressive basilica sitting atop a steep hill, with my fellow assistants on our way to Normandy in October. We arrived early in the day when a dense fog was covering the basilica—we could barely make out the building’s outline from the base of the hill. Visibility improved a bit as we climbed, and by the time we had reached the top, toured the interior, and reemerged outside, the fog had blown away, revealing an impressive view of Paris.

 

~ Sacre Coeur: foggy and visible ~

~ View of Paris from the top ~

Stop 2: The Eiffel Tower. This is one of the most recognizable and visited landmarks in the world, but I didn’t manage to see it up close until I visited Paris again a few weeks ago. Miraculously, I managed to be at the Eiffel Tower during the only 20 minutes of sunlight to hit France in November, resulting in some nice photo ops. My mission for next time: climbing to the top!

Stop 3: Starbucks. Okay, not a famous landmark. However, when I met up with my friend Sean from study abroad (who is living and studying in Paris this year), it was a case of two Americans who, despite our proclivity for French culture, just really wanted a reliable caffeinated beverage. Also, it was great to catch up over coffee and proceed to spend the afternoon shopping (which is just as legitimate a "Paris activity" as seeing the Eiffel Tower).

~ Sun! ~

~ I definitely got close this time ~

AVF: Welcome to France

Accueil des Villes Françaises (French Cities Welcome) is an organization operating all over France designed to welcome people who have just moved to a new city. I heard about AVF from another assistant when I arrived, and most of us have since joined. It offers different classes and activities like painting, cooking, and language practice. I’ve been participating in the weekly French conversation club, which has been a great way to improve my French (especially given that my job requires me to speak English all day at school).

The conversation club is really nice: it’s run by a French woman, Francine, who welcomes a group of us to her apartment for a few hours every Wednesday. In addition to helping us with French, Francine serves tea and cookies in the middle of the session, which is always lovely. Sometimes we just chat informally in French, sometimes we review specific grammar or vocabulary questions, and sometimes one of us gives a mini presentation about our home country.  My presentation was about environmentalism in the United States – unsurprisingly, I had to look up a ton of new vocabulary for that!

AVF also has occasional receptions to welcome new members and gather existing members together. One of these was last Friday night in Saint-Quentin’s town hall, which turned out to be very beautiful inside. The reception was pleasant—a few people spoke about the organization, and afterward everyone schmoozed and nibbled hors-d’oeuvres and desserts. I’m looking forward to participating in more activities through AVF in the weeks to come.

~ Assistants at the AVF welcome reception ~

Day Trip: Laon

I’m finishing up a shortened workweek following a three-day weekend in honor of November 11 (I always seem to be returning from a break of some sort). Sarah, Swenja, Alex and I decided to take advantage of the extra free time by visiting Laon, a town about 45 minutes from Saint-Quentin.

Laon turned out to be very picturesque: it’s situated on top of a hill amidst otherwise flat countryside, providing us with an impressive view of the elevated city when we arrived. Our first of two guided tours gave us an even better vantage point: focusing on Laon’s medieval history, the tour began with a trip up one of the cathedral’s five towers. Though this involved two very narrow spiral staircases and several hundred steps, it was worth it for the amazing views of Laon and the surrounding landscape that awaited us at the top.

Our second tour was a nice complement to the first: after seeing Laon from its highest point, we explored the city’s network of subterranean tunnels. Some of the tunnels were rough passages of stone, while others were fully built corridors with vaulted ceilings; there were even large underground rooms used for various purposes from the Middle Ages through the 20^th century. Like every town in northeast France, Laon was directly impacted by WWI and WWII, during which one of these underground chambers was used to safely store the city’s records from the fighting aboveground.

~ First view of Laon (Cathedral to the left) ~

~ Medieval hospital ~

~ Medieval gate ~

~ View from the top of the Cathedral ~

~ Cathedral details ~

~ Underground corridor ~

Life in France: Pros and Cons

This is my second time living in France (I studied abroad in Nantes). There are definitely some things, both good and bad, that I’ve forgotten in the two years since I was last here. I’ve also noticed new things about living in France that are making my experiences this time around quite different from Nantes.  So, on the eve of my seven-week anniversary in Saint-Quentin, here are some pros and cons of life in France.

Pro: Food. I have easily taken to the French practice of buying a baguette several times a week from the bakery down the street, with which I eat Camembert cheese almost daily.

Con: Cold. Even with the heat on, buildings never seem to get truly warm here. Given that minimal heating is much better for the environment, I feel a bit of inner conflict with this one…but usually, I settle with the American perspective that I am entitled to a comfortably toasty room in the winter.

Pro: Fashion (“mode” in French. I was in a store last week choosing between different shoes, and the salesman kept pointing to his favorite pair and saying “c’est la mode!” over and over).  I’ve also indulged in buying some new French sweaters with trademark elbow patches. I’m trying to be inspired, rather than intimidated, by how effortlessly chic the French are.

Pro: TV. French TV does weird things like have a program start at 6:25 or 8:50, or have a single 10-minute long commercial break during an hour-long show. I only have a few channels in my apartment, which is a good thing: there’s not so much choice that I waste a ton of time watching TV, but there is enough available that I get to practice my French comprehension through such delights as French Big Bang Theory, French Lord of the Rings, and French news.

Pro: Walking everywhere.  Taking walks has been a nice way to get to know my town, as well as a convenient way to pass time on a sleepy Sunday. (Plus, it’s always good to get fresh air after working on lesson plans for several hours.)

Con: Walking everywhere. Saint-Quentin is very charming and I enjoy walking around… except that a) it rains almost every day in fall/winter, and b) temperatures have started dropping into the 40s and 30s. So I a) have my umbrella with me at all times, and b) wear at least four layers when spending more than fifteen minutes outside. My cold tolerance is…not very high.

Con: Sundays. Pretty much everything is closed on Sunday in a French town of 60,000.

Pro: People. The people in Saint-Quentin have been very nice so far. I don’t know if they hear my accent and just pity me a little, but I’ve found dealing with people here, even just interactions in a store, to be very pleasant. This totally dispels the “snooty Parisian” stereotype.

Con: People. In a way, I was fairly sheltered from the French in Nantes. I had people like teachers and waiters to deal with, but I didn’t need to make any connections with French people on my own – I was conveniently ensconced in my host family and American friends. The French have their own norms for social interactions; they’re more private than Americans to start, and there are other subtler, less easily defined differences.  Americans are told to just smile and be as friendly as possible, but that would come across as fairly pushy and overzealous in France. While acclimating to my new job, I’m also trying to fit in with new colleagues in an environment with implicit norms I don’t fully understand. This has been, I think, the most challenging thing so far.

Pro: Language. It’s just cool to know a second language! Even though I am by no means fluent and certainly ask French people to repeat themselves sometimes, we usually understand each other in the end. It’s fun.

Pro: Travel. Trains here are awesome, and there are tons of little towns all over Picardie that are easy to access. Every city has an interesting historical site, medieval quarter, castle or cathedral that is worth visiting.

Pro: My job. My main purpose for being here is to be an English teaching assistant, and I’m happy to report that it’s definitely a pro so far.  I like the teachers I’m working with, many of the students are enthusiastic learners, and I’m actually enjoying the process of planning lessons (stay tuned for a more detailed teaching post soon).

~ Sunset view from my kitchen (another pro) ~

11 Novembre

Yesterday was a holiday in honor of November 11, 1918, when the armistice was signed at the end of World War I. It’s a big deal in France, and especially in the northeast where there was a lot of damage from both world wars. Saint-Quentin is no exception: it was heavily bombed during WWI, and had many casualties during WWII.

I wanted to learn more about the holiday and Saint-Quentin’s role, so I participated in two 11 Novembre events this weekend. The first was a guided tour of WWI sites in Saint-Quentin’s downtown, during which I heard about the intersection of French citizens, English troops, and German forces in Saint-Quentin. It’s interesting to learn about the war while in Europe, since there is so much evidence of its impact at every turn (for instance, Saint-Quentin’s basilica was bombed during WWI – it’s clear that its front section has since been rebuilt).

The second event was Saint-Quentin’s 11 Novembre commemoration ceremony: a march from the town hall to the city’s main world wars memorial. Uniformed veterans and a marching band playing patriotic French songs led the crowd to several monuments before reaching the main memorial. Several people spoke about the wars and the band finished on an upbeat note. It was respectful without being overly gloomy: an interesting cultural experience and a fitting tribute.

~ Basilica: the front section in white is all new ~

~ Memorial to Albert I ~

~ The parade ~

~ Main war memorial ~

Vacation: London!

The “main event” of my vacation was my trip to London.  I liked the city a lot—it seems to have the size and diversity of NYC, with the personality and ambiance of DC (the best of both worlds).

With Lily for the first half of my trip and on my own for the second, I checked off a standard list of historical and touristy sites. It was neat to see places like Parliament, Buckingham Palace, and the London Eye (I have a new thing for ferris wheels, apparently. My favorite spot was definitely the Tower of London – maybe I read too many biographies of various Tudors during high school, but it was really fun and interesting to be there in person.

I explored a few museums and different neighborhoods during my stay as well.  The Victoria & Albert Museum was my favorite; it’s an absorbing place full of art and cultural history.  I stumbled upon a temporary exhibit there that details the evolution of London fashion from 1700 – 2012, and I thoroughly enjoyed examining the array of clothes on display.

Of course, I also have to mention the food. Not exactly what you go to England for, but Lily and I did have a fantastic fish and chips dinner one night. Eating fish and chips was on my “must-do” list for my trip, and the restaurant where we ate in London’s Soho did not disappoint. I made sure to try all the traditional side dishes (including homemade tartar sauce, mushy peas, and pickled eggs).

~ Tower Bridge ~

~ Tower of London ~

~ At the London Eye and Tower of London ~

~ London Eye at night ~

~ Fashion exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum ~

~ Egyptian artifacts at the British Museum ~

 

~ Big Ben and Parliament, day and night ~

Day Trips: England

My longest trip during the recent vacation was a week spent in England, during which I tried to make the most of my first visit to the UK! I was in London for the majority of my stay, but I visited a few other cities as well.  One of these was Norwich, a city in the northeast, where I met up with my friend Lily who’s studying there this year. I was only in Norwich for a day, but I managed to see several sites and especially enjoyed the town’s market and castle.

Later in the week, I went to Bath for my second day trip.  Despite an unusual hurricane-like storm that disrupted travel the morning of my visit, I made it to the city and had a nice day exploring. Bath is beautiful: it’s located in a valley, with the river Avon flowing across the town and lovely Roman and neoclassical architecture throughout. The Roman baths were by far my favorite thing in the city—I’m awed by anything that old, and some of the pools and infrastructure are remarkably well preserved.

~ Norwich Castle ~

~ Norwich Market; Cathedral courtyard ~

~ View of the river in Norwich ~

~ Outside the Roman baths ~

~ Inside the baths ~

~ The Crescent; Royal Victoria Park ~

~ Pulteney Bridge and the River Avon ~