http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Carine-en-France/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Carine en France en-us Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:39:47 +0000 Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:39:47 +0000 It's been less than one month since my last entry I'm really starting to pick up speed on this thing Except that my time abroad will be over in less than 2 months. I can't believe it's gone by so fast...but sometimes it felt as if it would drag on forever usually that was in winter when I had absolutely nothing to do. I'm just finishing up my fourth and final 2 week paid vacation...I'll mi http://www.travelblog.org/Middle-East/Turkey/Marmara/Istanbul/blog-391367.html Well it's been another 60 days and I'm updating again. I just seem to forget about this blog. Here are some highlights of the past 60 daysPrague I went to Prague for the last weekend of January to see 2 of the Miami skating teams compete at their international competition. I traveled alone and everything went really well. I didn't realize how much I missed my old friends it was really revi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-382819.html I received an email from my travelblog recently it told me it missed me after the 60 days during which I have not logged in.So I'm back I somehow just forgot to keep updating it wasn't that I didn't have time it's just that I began to forget...Here are some highlights since I last wroteBeaujolais Nouveau The first wine in a vintage to be put out is the Beaujolais Nouveau. Beaujolais is http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-364437.html I've been meaning to post my address in France for quite some time so here it isCari DrakeWittenbornChez M. Thierry Duchne101 avenue Barthlmy Buyer69005 Lyon FRANCEI haven't writen about my daily activities in awhile so I thought I'd take a second to do that especially after experiencing the US election this past week. Of course Obama was the favorite candidate of just about every French http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-342987.html Well we woke up to rain gray skies cold air and a brutal wind...story of our vacation. By now we had learned not to let it get us down so we woke up early it was actually Vince who woke us up so we knew it'd be a productive day... and headed down to the port to check out the times for the boat tours. We wanted to take one tour to the two islands just off the coast one named Isle d'If is w http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d-Azur/Marseille/blog-341726.html The next morning Kristi and I woke up early as was the case this trip and Vince slept in. I went for a run to see the train times since we had to check into the hostel in Marseille between 1012 and then we gathered up our stuff and went to the station. Turns out there was a train leaving right when we got there and we sprinted to get on. The train was pulling away as we found seats. the r http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d-Azur/Marseille/blog-341367.html The train ride to Arles was very short and we soon found ourselves walking for about 40 minutes with very heavy backpacks to our somewhat secluded hostel that was much more of a real hotel. When I say secluded I just mean slightly removed from the town center because Arles is a very small town. The hotel was absolutely beautiful with a swimming pool and palm trees and a large room with refigerat http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d-Azur/Arles/blog-341355.html It has been a very long time since I've written and I've been dreading this...there's so much to write about the All Saint's VacationTo start I'll tell you about two of the most HORRIBLE days I've had since I got here the Thursday and Friday before I left for vacation. On Thursday I was supposed to leave for the metro at 650 a.m. and was instead woken up by my French mother at 7 a.m. askin http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Provence-Alpes-C-te-d-Azur/Avignon/blog-340991.html Last week I had my first REAL classes where I was alone with the groups of students and running my own lesson plans. Everything went very well and most of my students left smiling telling me they really liked the class. I had some sophomore classes where I showed them American stuff like my driver's license school ID prom pic dollars etc. and then played a game. They really like my sticke http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-336657.html I really shouldn't wait this long to write on here because I always have so much to say and I can never remember everything This past Thursday I went to Grenoble with Laurie to help her pass out flyers and posters for two big snow skiingsnowboarding events coming up. Grenoble is about one hour est and a little south of Lyon. I really wanted to go there and I'm glad I went on this trip with La http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-334655.html I had a great second weekend here in France. On Saturday morning I got up early 930 and went to the market with Thierry. It's just down the street and they have tons of fresh vegetables and fruits and it's open all year We walked back to the apartment on a walking trail that was really pretty. Then Laurie and I went to a friend's apartment to eat lunch and they wanted me to teach them an http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-331204.html Well I finally started work the real reason I'm here I went to the high school on Wednesday all dressed up and ready to go. After I got there I learned that it really is true that French teachers don't have to dress up jeans and casual pants are fine. I'm very excited about that rule I waited in the teacher's lounge for an English teacher and Cathleen was the first one in there. She was http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-330530.html I'll have been here one week tomorrow already Wow time flies. Let's see...Saturday I saw an apartment and it was very nice. It was a onestory building on the property of a residence in the south of Lyon. The family that rents it out was so nice and the apartment had not only a bed but a clicclak pull out couchfouton. The only problem is that it's pretty far from my school and the ice http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-329115.html Well I've been here three and a half days and I think I'm beginning to really settle into the rhythm here. I absolutely love it I'm so happy to be here. I'm not quite sure what I explained in the last entry since I was pretty tired so I'm sorry if I repeat something.As I've said I'm staying with a French family the mother MarieSuzanne the father Thierry the little brotheralmost 20 B http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-327999.html Well I'm finally here I left Monday the 22nd after a two hour delay at the Chicago airport and flew safely to Amsterdam where I had a short flight to Lyon on a very small plane. My friend Laurie picked me up my bags just barely fit in the car and we drove to her family's apartment. They had balloons on the door and welcomed me with kisses on both cheeks last time I backed away at this I f http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-326997.html I've received the information from the French government regarding my placement in France. I will be working for 7 months in a generaltechnical high school in the city of Lyon. I was mistaken in my first post and the work week for an assistant is only up to 12 hours. Working in the city of Lyon is a bestcasescenario since it is an actual city. My school is called Lycee Lacassagne and the st http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-298516.html Well not much more has happened there's a lot of waiting involved when dealing with the French government I have however bought a oneway plane ticket to Lyon France departing the evening of September 22nd. I'll have one week between arrival and the start of my job which I'll spend finding an appartment buying a cell phone and opening a French debit account.As I mentioned before I know http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-286342.html As you must know if you are visiting this site I have been selected for an English Teaching Assisantship in the Lyon region of France next school year 20082009. To give those of you who are not familiar with this program some insight I'll describe what it is here. Each year the French Ministry of Education offers Teaching Assistantships to about 1200 Americans and numerous other English sp http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Rh-ne-Alpes/Lyon/blog-273661.html