2009...in 22 photos.

Because 22 years is how old I turned this year, I decided to sum up my year in 22 special photos, in no particular order. Enjoy!

1. Kalamazoo, MI- An anniversary party was held chez 808 to remember our time studying abroad in Besancon.

2. Visits from Michelle were always "a treat" (forgive the horrible pun)

3. Going to Chicago with Kristina, Sarah and Andy and staying in a ritzy hotel for a few nights made us feel like celebrities!

4. St. Patrick's Day festivities at the campus bar were held immediately after class was done. They didn't stop there.

5. Moving out of the Kalamazoo house marked the end of a great year at WMU with amazing roommates.

6. Seeing friends play gigs at random bars in Kalamzoo was a frequent thing we did to get out of the house.

7. Sang in a choir on the side, called Accapazoo- there I met some wonderful, talented people who ended up becoming close friends.

8. Of course, getting the assistantship has to fit in here somewhere. Placed in the academy of Bordeaux (and a town a whole lot smaller than what I expected), I would begin my teaching career in France for 7months.

9. Seeing movies with friends before leaving for France was a summer hobby. (Jon and I at Emagine Novi)

10.Graduating from Western Michigan University left me a BA degree, a ticket to France, and lifelong friends. My last semester of undergraduate college, packed 21 credits full, left me with a lot of work and little time to do much else.

11. Pancakes and jazz playing make a very welcoming kitchen.

12. Trying new wines at the Wine Loft kept us sane during finals.

13. The choir reunion at Phil's house was a great time for those who once called the choir room their home.

14. Meeting Amy, my British roommate, provided plenty of entertainment, laughs and dinners spent together in France.

15.My sister coming to visit in December provided great company during the holidays.

16. I started eating meat upon my arrival in France, knowing that refusing meat in the country (especially when invited to dinner) is about as common as pigs flying. As a result, I tried some new dishes: foie gras, confit de canard, and numerous types of sausage. The list goes on, but as time passed I realized I still prefer fish over meat. I guess now you could call me a Pescetarian.

17. Went to my first circus:

18. Got to know my sister's fiance a little better:


19. Went to a peace rally in New York

20. I lived by my own means for the first time (!)

21. Spent most of the summer chez papa, working two retail jobs over the summer to save up for France

22. Taught for my first time in a foreign high school:

Avignon, Christmas markets, and delayed trains.

It's high time I update this thing again, especially now that I've visited a new city: Avignon. My sister and I chose Provence for our winter vacation because we'd both never been to the southeast region of France, and we both had a general interest in the city. After only about 20 minutes, I knew I was going to love the area. Not only is Avignon known for its annual theatre festival, the city is close enough to see the Pyrenees in the distance which provides for a great background, and the Palais des Papes (Pope Palace) is one of the sites the city is best known for. Outside of the Palais, you can walk around after climbing a dizzying amount of stairs (had to pause several times on the way up) but the view is absolutely worth it. There is a little grotto-like place with a waterfall and a stone cliff that you can climb to get the best view all around. We felt similar to a mountain goat trying to balance on the stony, steep steps. Feeling the wind blowing your hair and breathing the fresh air from the heights was something I haven't felt in a long time (and can't really get in the flatlands in Aiguillon). It was exhilarating and enough to get me to want to come back and experience it again.

The first few nights were spent shopping and walking around the city, familiarizing ourselves with the area. As it is a few days from Christmas, we were welcomed with the beautiful icicle lights that hang from the trees and the other Christmas decor throughout centre ville. The Place d'Horloges is adorned with the Christmas market, and it's hard to walk past the man roasting chestnuts without wanting to taste some. I acutally had my first taste tonight, and I can finally make sense of the lyric 'chestnuts roasting on an open fire'... and appreciate the nutty wonder that seems to be everywhere at this time of the season. I also was tempted to indulge myself in a bit of vin chaud, which would have accompanied a nutella crêpe quite well, but as I was short on change the first couple days I decided against it.

I was pleasantly surprised when my paycheck came in a few days early- I had been worried because I was getting low again, and didn't know if we were going to get paid before Christmas or not. This relieved many worries (and I was able to get some more Christmas shopping done, even mailed out some presents the same day). I have a few more that might have to wait until I get home to deliver though, because of the weight it might be too expensive to ship. Anyway, I finally found some good gloves and other things that have long been on my list at H & M, so I gave myself a little Christmas present this morning while Michelle was at the hotel writing e-mails.

Our hotel, in Centre Ville, was a great place to spend the few days in Avignon. We opted out of breakfast (6 Euro every day) and decided it'd be much cheaper to just buy a pain 'o' chocolat and a coffee in Centre Ville (which is exactly what we did). We found a Carrefour where we bought things for dinner, and brought the food back to the hotel to eat. The three nights were spent walking around in the rain with our umbrellas (thankfully during the day it wasn't consistently raining) but we didn't stay too long outside because a dry, cozy hotel room seemed much more appealing to us.

We took the bus today to Villeneuve-Lez-Avignon, which was a smaller town across the Rhône (river) and about a 5-10 minute bus ride from Avignon. We had a good walk this morning as we took the bus to the last stop and walked all the way back down towards the Office du Tourisme, and by that time we were ready to head back. We still hadn't seen the Palais at that point (the highlight of our day) and we wanted to get there before it closed. The rain was starting in on us again, so that told us it was time to go.

I am already planning my second trip back, and shooting for seeing a show next time (it didn't fit the schedule this time around). I'm planning on seeing my friend in Nice in March, so that might be just around the right time to pop back into this wonderful city.

Chilly weather, chilly people and French markets.

It's getting colder outside and yesterday, we had our first snowfall! Of course, none of it stuck (apparently it rarely does) but it was nice all the same to walk back from Salle 9 (the computer lab in the school) and seeing the snow, enhanced by the glow of the lights. It was enough to make me feel like it was really December, instead of just a cold Autumn day (which would be Michigan's equivalent to Aiguillon's winter). There won't be any snowmen around here, that's for sure- but Aiguillon is decked out in Christmas lights throughout Centre Ville and it certainly does something to make this otherwise plain small town a festive one.

Going to the market on Tuesday and Thursday mornings (which is always right in front of the lycée) always is a trip, because of the things you see (dead pigeons without their feathers plucked, piled on top of one another for sale) and the people you meet. In today's case, it was just a story of pushy old ladies. I was cut in front of *twice* after waiting for my turn and the first lady even told the cashier that she'd been there longer than I had. I just mumbled "ça va, ça va (it's fine)" and she went ahead and paid. She also was the same lady who earlier had pushed me aside from where I was standing in line so she could get her tomatoes. Good lord, what happened to manners?
Normally I would just shrug it off but a third person (a guy this time) did the same thing when I went down to the atelier to have my laundry washed. I dropped off my things with Madame Bertrand and as I was leaving, I came across some man I didn't know walking speedily in my direction. The hallway was small so I tried to scoot off to one side, but he actually just plowed on through, bumped me (enough so that my body weight shifted) and didn't say a thing. Okay, I know you're in a hurry. I understand that you might have things to do. But seriously, is even a small "pardon" out of the question?! Do I just scream "bump into me! I like it!"? I'm pretty sure I don't have that written all over my face, so what's the deal with these people?

I just spoke to my colleague about her Friday class. It's a group of Terminales (last grade of high school, equivalent to seniors) who are all girls and who don't really respond too well to my lessons. I just told her that they don't all respond when I ask them questions, (even in French when they refuse to speak english), they don't participate in the activities I plan and I just get the strong feeling there's no point in coming to that class if they don't care and don't want to participate. I'm going to stay with her before going off with half the class this Friday and talk to the students with her so we can figure out together what the problem is. It's not all the students who react like this, just maybe about half of them. It's hard enough to get them interested in my lessons, but when some of them don't put in any effort at all, I get the feeling like I'm not doing my job right. This is the only class that I've had students like this. I see them every week, and it's been like this since the beginning. The case might be that the lessons I plan for them are just too far above their heads and not their level, but how am I to know if they don't tell me "it's too hard"? That way, I could just adjust my lessons. But I'm not just going to give them lyrics to a song and have them fill out missing words all the time (that was the only lesson I did that seemed to interest them- they even requested a few other songs in english). I have to give a good variety, but why bother if they don't participate?

Paris with Michelle, pt. 2

Michelle and I stopped by La Comédie Française on Friday night, looking for a show to see that weekend. There were two playing, but Michelle was looking for a comedy that would be relatively easy to understand (it is quite difficult to follow French plays, with not only the language barrier but the subtle jokes thrown in as well). Since we both agreed that we should keep looking for something that really caught our eye, we popped next door into the gift shop and saw this dress in the window:

It could’ve been the purple that caught my eye, or the mere fact that I love period clothing, I don’t know. But seeing it on display there made me want to try it on and run around in the theatre, pretending I was part of the company.
I made a mental note to see Cyrano de Bergerac while here in France, as the main character hails from my region of France. I was reminded by seeing the souvenir t-shirts with quotes from the book. I was tempted to get something to bring back to Aiguillon, but I decided everything was a bit more pricey than I’d’ve liked, so I moved on.



We enjoyed imagining in which apartments we’d like to live and how much they’d cost each. For example, there was one that had a view inside the Louvre, and was probably right off Rue de Rivoli. I didn’t check, but I could bet that living there costs about an arm and a leg. Whatever, we decided when we’re rich that we’d live in the Louvre, not around it. We’d probably have to buy it first from the French Government. Don’t know how happy they’d be with the idea.



Paris was decorated with about as much extravagance as I’d expected for a big city- not to say I wasn’t impressed. Almost every street, small side-street, and corner was lined with Christmas lights. I had to wonder how much brighter Paris looked from a plane if you were to fly above it at this point in the season. The most decorative building I’d seen was Le Printemps (above), and I pictured it to look about the same as a Galéries Lafayette on the inside, with probably the same prices. Needless to say, we didn’t go in. Instead we opted for Gap, H & M, Camaieu, and a few other smaller French boutiques lined along our walkway. Michelle was looking for something without artificial fabrics, but she couldn’t find much under 100 Euro that was 100% wool, cashmere, or cotton that she liked (expensive taste may or may not run in the family). I wasn’t looking for clothing at the time but did find a few things I liked. I keep trying to remind myself that the more I buy here, the heavier my suitcases will be and the more fun it will be to lug them around the Paris Metro when the time comes to leave France.

We started planning our Christmas vacation while in Paris. We’ve booked a hotel in Avignon for 3 nights, and Michelle will be coming to stay with me before and after we take the train out east from Aiguillon. I’ve been looking into things like bike rentals, recommended visits, and must-sees in my France on a Budget guide (thank you Evan, it’s come in handy quite often while I’ve been here). We want to go to the lavender fields for sure, but don’t feel too inclined on taking the tourist-guided buses out there from our hotel. Way too pricey, and not the way we want to experience it. We prefer the Rick Steves way of experiencing, by just going out and doing it yourself or maybe 1 other friend and hosting a TV show about it. Although, we won’t be doing the latter. Yet.

I thought it was a bit of a shame we wouldn’t be in Avignon during the summer when the renowned theatre festival would be going on. True, I have the option of staying later over the summer to see it, but the whole not-working-thing would probably keep me from doing that. Also, I’m pretty eager to see my family and friends. David (the assistant in Nérac) suggested I stay at least for a week longer to visit Greece with his friend Regina (assistant in La Réole). It does sound tempting, but I also have to save up for my plane ticket/rent when I move back to the States. Where will that be, you might ask? Well, maybe not Michigan right away, if I can find an apartment in Boston first. Tickets would be cheaper, and I could start looking for a job straight off the bat. Why Boston? Because I haven’t gone through with any other applications for grad school other than Emerson. So, it’s Emerson or bust. Plan B? Get a job teaching French in a high school (although I may have to get certified for that first, not too sure about how that works) and audition for shows on the side. Either way, if I do go straight back to Michigan, it won’t be for long. After living on my own for 7 months, I’ll want to keep it that way.

Paris with Michelle pt. 1

I finally bit the bullet and bought one of my favorite classic trilogies: The original Star Wars Trilogy. And what's better? I can watch it in French too! :D (Although it simply wouldn't be the same with different voices...) It'd be the best if Mark Hamill himself spoke French. Anyone know if he's bilingual?

This is the studio Michelle and I stayed at during the weekend. It actually belongs to her fiancé's godfather, but they were both in London for the weekend while we stayed there. As you might be able to tell from the picture, it was very small, and literally only made for one person (but Michelle and I did fine for the few days we were there). There was only room for one bed, so we created a makeshift bed on the floor next to it out of blankets and a rolling futon mattress. It was definitely nice to be able to stay somewhere rent free in Paris, even for a few days.

Eglise de la Madeleine (yes, I had to go there)
Michelle and I passed by this beautiful and well-known church, which happened to be holding Mozart's Requiem mass on Saturday night. We decided we'd like to see at least one show of some sort while we were there, and this one took the cake. Tickets were 20 Euro apiece, and we bought them a day ahead (guessing that it would be pretty popular, and not wanting to get shafted if we bought our tickets the same night). The concert was beautiful, opening with a soprano soloist who sang two versions of Ave Maria, followed by a quartet of vocalists who sang with the orchestra. Then the choir came out, and they sang the Requiem Mass (even with the so-so acoustics in the church, I still found Lacrymosa to be heavenly). We both agreed it was money well spent, and by the time it ended (around 10:30) we were ready to go back to the studio and have some hot soup. We were (physically) tired from having walked so much, my feet were hurting and her legs started to ache, so we decided to call it a night after that.

We were insistent on visiting at least one museum that weekend- so we figured the Louvre would be the best route to go. Michelle hadn't been there before, and I'd only been once, so I was more than willing to go again and see some more beautiful artwork. I was able to find my favorite painting by the artist Pierre Narcisse Guérin, L'Aurore enlevant Céphale. This painting captured my eye the first time I visited the Louvre, and was definitely still in my mind the day I went back. It hangs on a red wall in a large room with several other masterpieces from different French artists. If you can, next time you go to the museum, look for this piece and maybe you'll be as taken away as I was by its beauty.

Paris tomorrow ... :)

I'm happily preparing for my second visit to Paris this year. My sister called last night, just as I was about to fall asleep, and with this wonderful surprise I woke right back up in excitement to hear from her. Hearing family over the phone is so, so different from just talking to family over e-mail. She called to let me know she's safe in Paris in the studio, and she's planning our weekend as I write this. I'm taking the train early tomorrow morning (6:20 a.m.) and I have to change trains twice before arriving in Paris- once in Marmande and again in Bordeaux. Not fun- but at least I got a steal when buying my tickets. I got them about a month ago, and, not taking into account that I had a class Friday morning, booked the earliest train. This morning I got to awkwardly explain to Marie-José (whose class I help with on Friday mornings) that I bought the tickets without thinking and that I'd be missing her class unless I changed my train until later. She gave me a frank "ça m'est égal" (I don't mind) and said that it should be okay if I miss the one class. Yay! I do still feel like a doof, though, for having forgotten about class Friday morning. :-/

I packed very light because I'd asked Michelle to pack some things from home I'd forgotten (or just decided after arriving that I would need). It turns out that I hadn't as much an opportunity to wear my shorts and skirts as I was hoping, but maybe around March and April the weather will be a bit warmer. Still, for December, the weather is not that bad. We had a bit of rain earlier today but it was absolutely bearable. I just stayed inside and read my bande-dessinées (comic books). I'm really addicted to them. Wondering who back home might like one as a gift from me...

It's beginning to (feel) a lot like Chris-tmas...

...mostly because of the colder weather we've been having, but also the streets of France are decked out in Christmas lights. It's a wonder to walk along the streets at night with your roommate, demi-bottle of white wine in hand, under the lit-up side streets. I can't think of a better way to pass the time while waiting for a train to come.

Amy and I went to Bordeaux two days ago, for the entire day. I got some Christmas shopping done, and got to take in the city I've been meaning to visit for a long time. It was a long day, but I got some great pictures and was definitely convinced that I need to go back for a second trip soon. We stopped in the museum of Aquitaine, shopped down Rue St. Catherine (the "Champs Elysees" of Bordeaux) and walked along the Garonne river. It was pretty chilly, thankfully the rain had stopped by the time we arrived but it was still a bit wet. We almost went ice skating but after noticing that the rink had about an inch of water lining the ice, we decided we'd pass. You could easily tell who had fallen thanks to the water marks on everyones bums. (I tried not to stare). But there was one guy skating around and he looked like he knew what he was doing, or anyway like he'd been placed there to advertise the rink, because he was singing along to the (American) music that was projecting out and giving the eye to every female mammal that walked by. So...my stare might have lingered a little longer on his bum. And no, there were no water marks.

Aside from those fun-filled activities, I've begun the search for some more interesting lessons to do with my students. I've started working with PostSecret images and discussing them in my classes, having the students make sense of what is written on each card and then following it up with a "how does this secret make you feel" discussion. I'm hesitating to give them the link to the website, because at times the secrets can be a bit risqué. But, I feel like with the way they snog out in front of the school anyway, sex isn't really that taboo for them. Even the younger ones.

I'm getting ready for Paris this coming weekend. My sister and I are going to spend time together, sipping tea in the cafes (coffee in my case) and walking around like two old women, commenting on everything we pass by and just enjoying each others' company. Staying in Mark's (sister's fiancé's) godfather's studio will be a nice change from paying too much for a small hotel where you can't stretch your arms out in the shower. But in any case, shower or no shower, I'm ready to see my sister!

Getting cozy

11/21/09
I’m finally starting to feel at home here.
I’ve been spending the last few days relaxing (no class this past Friday), walking to the library, listening to Ella Fitzgerald and Michael Bublé, and reading some French comic books. Their world is really something different here, not like a typical Marvel comic book back home. These stories are lifelike, the artists using lifelike situations and with real emotion. They’re a pleasure to read (especially “Les Profs”, a lighter-spirited series compared to those I’ve been reading, but all the same they shine a lot of light on the life of a professor in France). The two I’ve just finished are Le Combat Ordinaire and La Memoire Dans Les Poches- both stories that delve into the personal lives of the main characters, in one case an old man who begins caring for an orphan Moroccan infant, and the other a young adult without a job who meets a veterinarian and begins sharing his life with her. They’re touching stories (especially Memoire) and I’ll be heading back to the library for sure to rent the next chapter as soon as the library opens.

I went to Nérac last weekend to visit my friend David, another American assistant. It’s hard for the assistants there to get around (yep, harder than here in Aiguillon) because they stopped having trains run through, and started using a private bus system instead that goes from Agen to Nérac. It’s about 45 minutes one way, and 6 Euro 10. Much more expensive than hopping on the train, but David’s seemed to become used to it already. He’s been to La Reole several times (his friend Regina is the english assistant there) and Bordeaux as well. It is a bit ironic though, that he got placed at the school with the Theatre BAC (which isn’t at every lycée) and that there is no such specialization for the students at my school. I told him it’s too bad we couldn’t have switched, because they seem to have more going on in that realm in Nérac in general. When I visited, we saw a modernized Romeo & Juliet. Later in the week, he saw a second show (can’t remember what it was). But his students seem to adore him (one of his english prof colleagues told him that they’re going to miss him next year! Already!) So he is pretty happy there, but as far as transportation goes he’d prefer otherwise. The city of Nérac is pretty and charming- we went for a long walk through the historic park which had several fountain/monuments, including one dedicated to the lover of King Henry IV, Fleurette (which is where the word flirt came from, thanks for that bit of wisdom David!) The park is lined by the river Garonne (which, on that day, was a bit brown due to several days of rain preceding our walk). David says it’s normally pretty clean-looking, so I suppose I just came on the day Nérac was grève-ing (on strike) and just decided not to charm its visitors for once. If that was the case, the grève was pointless because I enjoyed the city nonetheless, with its beautiful churches and castle (which we didn’t go in due to the small fee we didn’t feel like paying at the time). I am planning on going back to see the castle and probably show Amy around (she was out of town that day).


Still no LiveBox (modem) or home phone yet. I’ve been patiently twiddling my thumbs and checking my casier every day, expecting to see the package there waiting for me....but alas, nothing. I’ve checked on Orange’s website (the company with which I ordered the service) and according to them, everything is installed and working. If I don’t get this package Monday, I’m going to call them and ask what’s up. The only thing that keeps me from calling is how expensive it tends to be when calling from your cell phone- minutes are eaten up like *that* and it’s hard to get quick customer service over the phone...therein lies my problem. If I had my fixed line by now, it’d have been a free phone call....but I wouldn’t need to call if I had my phone in the first place! (augh)



Still working on those grad school applications. There are a few schools I’m looking at that require the GRE, which means if I want to have my application in by the deadline for Fall 2010, I’ll be taking the GRE here in France. The closest test area is Toulouse (about an hour from Aiguillon on the train) so it can be done. I’m a little bothered about having to take the test because I’m not the best test-taker, and I don’t think my test scores reflect the way I learn material. When I’m timed, I’m always under stress, which always seems to affect my performance. But- hopefully, hopefully the grad schools will look at my transcripts from undergrad and high school and see my past work, and my letters of recommendation and such which will balance it all out. In any case, here are the schools I am planning on forwarding my GRE results to:
1) Emerson College- Boston, MA
2) Boston University, MA
3) University of Northern Colorado
4) DePaul University, Chigago IL

There were a few on the bottom of my list in Canada, but a few things are deterring me from applying there (namely, the weather and the whole not-being-a-Canadian-citizen thing). But, I’ve secretly always wanted to own a cozy log cabin somewhere way up north where I can escape when need be, and go skiing and ice fishing when the mood strikes. I don’t think I could live in a wintry place like that year-round, but a once-in-a-while escape sounds quite right.

As far as work goes for the moment, I plan on doing a Thanksgiving lesson with each of my classes this coming week, as the holiday falls this Thursday. The school is going to be serving turkey for dinner, and some of Adeline’s (english prof) students are going to be making posters about Thanksgiving to hang up in the cafeteria to go with the themed dinner. This will be one of those exceptional days where I’ll be eating in the cantine instead of chez moi- they tell me it’s cheaper to eat there but I like cooking for myself, and they don’t always serve food “qui me plait”. So, I’ll be having turkey on Thanksgiving, à la française, and although it won’t be quite like turkey back home with the family, I’ll be with friends and colleagues all the same. And that’s alright with me.

Thoughts on life after the assistantship.

So, as I am only working twelve hours a week, I have a lot of extra time to do whatever I choose. Thus, I've found a few things to keep me busy:
1. Apply for grad schools
As this is about the time that I should be getting my stuff together for next fall, I've begun researching graduate schools back in the USA (and a few in Canada) to get my Master's degree in Theatre Education. I'm leaning towards a specialization in Voice & Speech, as knowing extra languages are always a plus, and I just have an overall general interest in this area of theatre. I'm updating my resume, making lists of potential universities, and starting to write motivation letters already, because some of the deadlines are as early as December 1st for entry into the Fall programs. I've thought about getting an MFA in Acting (which doesn't necessarily always require a BFA in Acting in undergrad), but I think I'd feel more secure and there would be more of a need for teachers with specific training in a certain area instead of just a bunch of acting classes. This way, I can get my MA, and still teach (but go from teaching english here to Theatre aux Etats-Unis). I'm looking so far at a few Universities in Boston, California, and Canada.
2. Take tap lessons from an amazing dancer from Switzerland who runs his own company!
This is something I've always wanted to do because this is probably my favorite style of dance to watch. It's super difficult already and I've only been to one lesson (but he's been extremely patient with me and realizes that I haven't been tapping since I was 2.5 like most dancer girls I know.) My teacher (friend)'s name is Laurent, and he's here in Agen studying theatre for a semester until he has to go back to Switzerland to prepare his company for a performance in Russia. I'm his first student here in France and he said he's happy to be teaching again (even though i'm sure he's used to teaching much more experienced dancers). Yesterday we worked for an hour and I was shown just how out of shape I really am. Looks like I'm going to have to start up the jogging routine again to keep up with him!
3. Shop, travel, and eat.
Of course I've been doing a handful of the latter two, which is where most of my money is going at the moment. I'm in the process of discussing Christmas plans with Michelle (sister), and right now we're looking at Paris or the Southeast coast (Nice, Avignon, Marseille, et cetera). Things are still in the works, so if any readers have any input/ideas as to where the ideal place to spend Christmas in Europe would be, your comments are welcome/appreciated!

Plans, plans, plans!

So, I've decided that I want to visit London during one of my week-and-a-half long vacations that France so lovingly has offered me, and during that stay I want to see a show in London's West End. I've lived in the States for 22 years, and still have never even been to a Broadway show. As obsessed with theatre as I can be, it's a little insane that I haven't been to a show yet- and I'm going to make that happen. I will ask Amy if she's interested in going, and she could guide me around the big city (that I believe she's only been to a few times, but still, that's more than me). Plus, I don't know if she's seen a show there before! I'm looking into Wicked, Avenue Q, and Les Miserables. I'd prefer the first two because I haven't seen them before (I've performed in and seen high school versions of Les Mis, and I love it to death, but seeing a new show interests me more.) A few days ago I went and saw The Bald Soprano (La Cantatrice Chauve) by Ionesco with Amy in Agen, and we both enjoyed it, for an absurdist piece. She's not much a fan of all the non-sequitirs and it's not my favorite style of theatre either, but we were entertained and had some good laughs. I'm still waiting to see a classic play, hopefully this weekend i'll find something good.

The internet technician came yesterday and installed the phone line at our apartment. Now all we have to do is wait for the modem to be sent to us, and we'll finally be connected! I still don't know if we have to buy our own phone or not, but I suppose it'd come with the modem when it gets mailed. Anyway, it'll be a relief to not have to rely on the school being open in order to use the internet.

Yesterday was also kind of a crazy day, from waking up early and not being able to fall back asleep to having the technician come three hours early to rushing to a meeting with the Proviseur to show him my website I created for the students, nothing seemed to go as planned. But, after only two lessons (my only lessons of the day on Monday) I left class feeling in a better mood than when I had entered. Whether it was laughing with the students or just being around people that brightened my day, i'm not entirely sure. But if teaching is becoming therapeutic, I can't say i'll ever be able to stop.

Some post-worthy pictures of note.

So, some of my posts will be dedicated specifically to significant pictures from my entire France album from this year. This is one of them.


This is in Agen- it is what it looks like: a manmade canal over the river Garonne. Neat, huh? This is a hotspot for bikers and joggers to exercise- despite there being very little room on either side of the canal to move over when there are big groups of people. No wonder why there have been things like bikes, purses, cell phones, even cars found in the canal after it's been emptied. When someone told me about that, I shuddered a bit and now I pretty much hug the very side of the wall so I don't accidentally slip. Who knows, it could happen...

(looking backwards from the canal toward the sunset)



This is Theatre Ducourneau, the theatre in Agen that I haven't been to yet- but will see my first show there this weekend. (La Malade Imaginaire) Will post another update with how it goes.


This is the theatre in Marmande that gives classes every Tuesday night. I'm going to check it out next week- cool painting, eh?

Happy Halloween!

10-31-09
So, I’ve been reflecting the past two days about what might be the best solution to take care of my restlessness problem. After going over two different lists of pros and cons of staying in this apartment, i’ve decided to stay here in Aiguillon, save some money and just make the apartment a bit more livable. Today I called France Telecom to have them come and install a fixed line here with internet, and we’ll be able to cut the contract at 7 months, when I leave. I am also opting to decorate the apartment a bit with a rug here and a lamp there, but I don’t want to spend too much on decor only to have to give it all away in the end.
I called and canceled the apartment visits that I had planned in Agen. I don’t think with the work they’re doing on the rail system right now that there’s even a train to get there on Saturdays- as far as I know, it’s only running through the main stops during the weekend up until November 20th- but Amy and I are going to walk down to the station later to check the schedule.


The other day, as I was coming back from a shopping trip in Marmande, there was a bit of a disruption with the trains that led me stuck in Agen without a ride back to Aiguillon. Here’s what happened: I was on the last train back to Aiguillon, which kept getting delayed 20 minutes, then 25, then 40, then an hour...and so on. Everyone on the train was getting restless and all the conductor could tell us over the loudspeaker was “we’ll give you information as it comes up”. So we sat for maybe 1 hour-1 hour ½ waiting to leave, and then the conductor says (from what I could discern), something about the gendarmerie (police) being dispatched and us having to switch trains....so I asked another passenger, an older woman, what was going on (for a bit of clarity) and she told me that one of the trains had been “attaqué”, or hijacked I guess. Wtf? So I change trains, only to find that the one I got on passed aiguillon and went straight to Agen. I (fretting a little inside but remaining what I thought was calm and collected on the outside). After disembarking at the Agen station, I found the SNCF worker closest to me and explained my situation. She told me, with the biggest French shrug possible, that there wasn’t a train going back to Aiguillon for the rest of the night (it was only 8:30 or 9!!) and that I should call someone for a ride back home. I called the three professors that I knew that lived in or near Agen- each one was out of town, of course, and one didn’t respond his cell or his home phone. That was my “contact” that is essentially supposed to be the one I call when I need something. Go figure. Anyway, Marie José (One of the profs who took me under her wing as soon as I arrived and already invited me over to her house twice for dinner) was in Bayonne at the time and called her friends from where she was to see if they could take me in for the night. I told her I’d just look for a hotel because I didn’t want to bother anyone- so I walked not far down the main road from the Agen station and came across Hotel Regina, a two-star hotel that seemed to be open but whose doors were already locked. The concierge saw me trying to get in and came to tell me the hotel already stopped taking reservations. I told here I was willing to go elsewhere, but I just needed one room for the night and that was it. She brought me over to her desk and showed me that she had one room available, for 36 Euro (an extra 7 for petit dejeuner) and I said i’ll take it. I was just happy to get a room for the night and not have to sleep in someone’s house I didn’t really know. Plus, it was essentially the first hotel I got to stay in during vacation. For two stars, it was just what I needed- the only minor thing being the toilet was a shared one in the hallway. But that was nothing- the public toilets on the streets however, are crawling with all sorts of diseases and black plagues and such. I think the one in the hotel was typhoid free.
I may be returning to the same hotel a few times a month in order to take theatre classes in Agen. I’ve already gone and met the teacher of one of the classes there, but it doesn’t get out until 9 p.m. (and as we all know by know, there is most certainly no way to get back to Aiguillon at that point in time). Amy suggested instead of finding an apartment to be around classes and such in Agen that get out late, to just stay in a hotel for the time I’ll need to be there. This would be during the week however, and I do have an 8:15 class in Aiguillon the following morning, but thanks to the early trains it shouldn’t be a problem.

La Toulousaine

10-25-09
Well, I’m on my way to see Toulouse today! My first vacation (Toussaint) since arriving and starting work here in France. I’ve successfully finished my 1st months of teaching high/middle school, and thus far i’m happy with how things are going.
I expect to do mostly touring/taking pictures today and saving shopping for another time. I’m only there for the day, so I’m going to get the most out of it and see what I can in the 5-6 hours i’ll be there.
Amy is in Bordeaux with her parents for the week. She offered to have me visit a little with the three of them, but I wouldn’t be going until later in the week (Wednesday and Thursday I’ll be in Agen working with Peter, a British colleague of mine). Also, my pay advance is expected to come sometime this week, so having that money available would be ideal before travelling again.
It’s very foggy/misty this morning, hopefully it’ll clear up by the time I arrive in Toulouse! I never wrote about Noelle, the librarian who works at ecole Marcel Pagnol with Amy. She is a sweet lady who had us over for Sunday lunch two weekends ago at her house in Aiguillon. It was a bit of a special occasion for her as her son was in town from Mont-de-Marsan, along with his 4 roommates. They were all very sweet and welcoming (and my age!) and they invited us back to their place later on in the coming months. It sounds like they’re planning a trip to the Pyrenees too- how exciting!
The only other people my age that I’ve met so far are the ones i’ve been working with in Agen. The students are part of a business school called Sud Management, and they’ve all chosen to continue their studies after lycee in order to find a job as a manager, business-person, director, P.R. manager, you name it. Apparently, it is becoming rarer for French students to go to a University after high school- most just end up working right away. What my job is at the school is to assist them in projects, especially with their english (right now they’re working on fundraisers to raise money for a trip to England- last week I heard their ideas and suggested my own for a few groups that haven’t decided yet). It’ll be nice to work around students closer to my age instead of just younger ones!
It looks like the mist is already starting to life. The blue skies are a nice change from the past couple wet, grey days we’ve been having.
Yesterday I walked around Agen a bit and took pictures. There is always something I haven’t seen there before, like last night when I happened upon an old Catholic church called Paroisse Sante-Foy. Mass had just started (3 minutes after the hour) so I hopped on in the pews and took a seat. What a nice surprise- the choir consisted of two younger men singing in harmony, one playing his guitar and the other holding an adorable baby. There were a few volunteer cantors who took part of the ensemble, mostly younger teens. After hearing a few gorgeous songs, I decided i’d try and get some information on joining a church choir in Agen. It turns out there are 4 choirs to choose from, and one of them (thankfully) doesn’t meet too late at night, so it looks like I’d be able to take the train to the rehearsals. I just have to find the church first! (There are tons in Agen- I’m not sure the number exactly but enough to get them easily confused.)
I went to Tonneins again on Saturday to find some info about the theatre and dance workshops they offer at the centre culturel. I’m going into the office tomorrow morning to get prices and see if I can attend the first class for free to get a good idea of how it’s run. The classes aren’t cheap (over 200 Euro if you don’t live in Tonneins) but it might be completely worth it. Aside from working 3 jobs, anything leisurely to occupy my time will be a big relied.

~later~
So I’m now back at the gare, waiting for my train to take me home. I had a great time, did tons of walking all around Centre Ville, and what made everything better- I got my advance! :) So, thanks to that big perk of the day, I treated myself to a long-waited for (and badly needed) haircut. I learned a lot of necessary beauty vocabulary right then and there, while awkwardly trying to explain in Franglais what I wanted done to my hair. Split ends, face frame, hair dye and bangs aren’t all words I use on a day-to-day basis.
I decided to hold off on buying the perishable food gifts until Christmastime when Michelle visits, and she can save me the cost of shipping everything over to the U.S. by packing the gifts in her bag. I think the recipients would rather have fresher items, too!
I noticed in the office du Tourisme that the region seemed to boast about their violets. They had violet-scented everything in the gift shop, which I’m sure smelled great (I was more looking for event information and such). I have a bunch of calendars with events and shows going on here so I can plan a longer stay later in the year, with an actual itinerary to go with it!
I’m on the train now. My legs are only a bit sore from all the walking (I wore my usual favorite boots). I probably could’ve gone with my running shoes and been better off. Oh, well!
I’m on one of those compartment trains where you have 8 seats (4 facing each other) and you can close the door. It definitely feels more old-style in comparison with the modern trains with toilets that probably flush. (Mine on the way here did not.) And of course, after I used the bathroom and sat back in my seat, the cute guy in front of me went right in after me. He probably thinks I’m a sick individual who doesn’t flush. I swear it wasn’t my fault!!
Anywho, I should sleep well tonight. Although I should probably try and have a real dinner (last night I wasn’t too terribly hungry after getting home from Agen- so I sort of went to bed with a rumbly tumbly. But not tonight!)