I want to shower

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BONJOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope everyone is doing great! I'm finally feeling more comfortable here in Tours. I've met all my students and figured out my schedule while I'm here. Having a set routine each week will certainly help me deal with being away from home. I'm adjusting to being alone out here...but it's not easy. I miss going into town and seeing everyone and having class everyday with the same people. I'm now the "American" wherever I go...but I guess that's not necessarily a bad thing. 😊

I will be teaching at the Lycee Vaucanson on Mondays and Fridays. I believe I will have 7 classes with students ranging from 14 - 18 years old. This will most likely be my biggest challenge. I have more boy students than girl students and the French boys are definately not as discrete as the American students. I have to watch what I wear, how I speak, not make eye contact and smile at the same time..etc. I'm in the capital of PDA. Oh lord it's everywhere. I saw two students eating each other's face just outside the classroom doors. The teacher just shook her head and was like, "If it's not in the classroom I can't really say anything about it." I was shocked. However, it doesn't end there... The bathrooms have no doors. I asked why there weren't any doors and Brigitte (my cooperating teacher) said they had to take them off so they could hear what was going on in there. If you can believe it...students actually have sex in there. (I'm sorry for the inappropriate content.) I wish you could have seen my reaction to this. Unbelievable. Adide from that, everything else was great. My cooperating teacher is so sweet...she has children my age so she treats me as if I'm one of her children by always making sure I'm okay. Its really nice to have someone so caring. 😊

Aside from teaching at the high school, I will be an assistant at the IUFM (teacher training college.) I will be assisting English classes and pulling out groups of 10 students to work on their oral speech or any problem areas they have. The students I will be working with are around 20-24 years old. It's really neat working with people my own age...it's a different level of respect. 😊 I'm sure they will help me with my French just as I will help them with English. I have about 65 students I'll be working with there.

ANYWAYS...I will also be recording texts so the students can constantly listen to a native English speaker. I'm really excited to work with them! I feel important! 😊 My host mom insists that I take French classes because she said I need to drastically improve my speaking ( thanks for the encouragement host mom). ARG. I will be taking a literature class on Wednesdays and maybe another class as well. We shal see!

Things at home here are going well. They are very nice people, but I miss my host family in Besancon. I clicked better with them. On a positive note, I am acting more French and aparently look more French! Two people asked me questions at the bus stop yesterday about the city! As soon as I opened my mouth they smiled and were like "aww!" Haha, my accent will never go away!

** Showering Situation ** My host mom told me that the water here is extremely precious and I noticed they showered once in 5 days. Well, I just about died. I'm sorry, but I don't like to stink. I know water is precious....but there is no way i'm going to walk around smelling like a dirty armpit with hair plastered to my head and grease basically dripping down my face for 5 days. I already eat enough cheese to smell like a human foot...I don't need to add to that! I gave it three days ( I know i know...gross) and had to shower. Yesterday, I had the day off and woke up to an empty house. You better believe that I took a 20 minute shower!!!! AND I left the water running the whole time! I do feel bad though...maybe I'll just do that once every other week or so!

Well, it's time for me to do some work! Miss you all so much!

BISOUS!!!!!!!

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Comments

[Jennifer]

hi
wow...can't believe that about the schools. how gross!! :/ This makes me feel so good that I live in a place were the teachers are extremely strict that kinda thing! lol. Love you! Jen

[Madame]

You get used to it.
Salut, Alana, it's Madame. I understand what you mean about the shower situation. When I was there, we could only shower once a week, but we had access to a sink. So we washed out hair in the sink and kind of took a "sink bath", if you will. It wasn't so bad. Do you have access to a sink? Most of the world thinks that Americans are way too obsessed with taking showers, etc. And to a certain extent, if you talk to dermatologists, thery are right. We shower so often, that it dries the heck out of our hair and skin which damages both. So you may stink, but your skin and hair will be in the best shape ever!!!! Your job sounds so interesting. I can't wait to hear all the details when you return. I hope you are falling in love with Tours by this time. Have you been to Place Plumereau? How about the Centr-Ville which is usually very pretty? And I always enjoyed the architecture of the cathedral, plus don't forget to visit the Musee de Beaux Arts. It's one of the premier in the country (besides the Louvre, of course). Looking forward to hearing more of your adventure. Take care.