Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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Hey everyone!

So today was Thanksgiving and I ended up having dinner at a family's house (I babysit for them). I cooked at their house a chicken (turkey is hard to come by/not very good from a store/very expensive to order over here) and mashed potatoes, some sweet potatoes (most of the French have never heard of this veggie!!!), and instead of pumpkin pie we had an apple tart from a bakery (most French think the idea of a pie made out of pumpkins is disgusting teehee...I always assure them it is amazing!). It was makeshift but I had friends around me and thoughts and thanks of home in my head! I wished I could be in the states to celebrate with all of you! I will however be having a traditional meal with some other American language assistants here on Saturday (although I can't cook anything since all I have is a microwave and 2 burners in my apartment!) so hopefully that will be fun!

Thanksgiving obviously isn't a part of the French tradition so I have been talking about the holiday is all of my classes this week. I get so hungry talking about all the food and I get homesick and wish I could watch football/nap after the big meal! It is really nice to see that they are having a good time learning so much about another culture even if it is as simple as a meal with family like today. They think that it is a bit silly to have 2 holidays so close together where you gorge yourself on food but every single person over here is in shape or skinny so I don't blame them.

As I said I was at this family's house for dinner tonight. They are super nice and the kids are great! (3 of them - 8 year old girl named Justine, 11 year old Hugo and 14 year old Robin) They basically want me there to speak English with the kids and also the parents too (they want to learn just as much as the kids!)! The kids go to a private bi-lingual school and speak English really well and I hope that they'll be even better after this year. I make sure they have their homework done after school and help them if they need and then cook dinner and sometimes I stay over and get them ready in the morning (its great because their pull out sofa bed is so much more comfortable than mine at home!). Their house is huge and very modern (which is rare in France) but I am feeling more and more comfortable each time I am there (usually 2x per week). They also introduced me to the mom's sister and I babysit for her 2 year old Oscar and 6 year old Mathieu every once in a while. Mathieu goes to bi-lingual school also and speaks English very well. Catherine (the mother) actually told him that I only speak English so that he can't use any French around me (I play along but it is somewhat hard sometimes!)!! The whole family has invited me down to the south of France this summer to watch the kids on a family vacation! I might go since it may only be for a little while and I will be paid! Plus they are so friendly and have really welcomed me!

I also keep busy with tutoring. The first job was through one of my students. She told her parents about me after school and they called asking for my number since they have an older daughter (in Jr. High School) who wanted extra English time. I go once a week to the girl's friends house and tutor the 2 girls for about an hour. Kathleen and Marie-Abelia are super nice and speak English pretty well too (better than me speaking French when I was their age)!!!!

The second tutoring job I have actually came from one of the teachers at my school. She also has a Jr. high schooler that wants extra help from time to time. She even lives right near the family I babysit for so she takes me there so I don't have to walk after school. I am making some good money and I hope I am helping the students! I actually got 2 calls the other day for more English courses so I am going to be making a lot of money this year!

My first job (lol) is going pretty well too. I actually gave out my first test the other week and we corrected them today. **************I was so proud!!! They did so well for having their first test being a WRITTEN English/French translation test. I felt like I was actually making a difference over here and people are actually learning from me and that's really cool!!!!!! Recently I went to the cinema on a mini-field trip with the classes. Little did I know that all the upper levels (3rd/4th/5th) from ALL 3 of my schools would be there (about 300 students). So when I walked into the theater everyone started yelling "Hello Michelle!!!!/ Bonjour Michelle" It was about the sweetest thing that had ever happened to me. I think the teachers are fond of me too (I hope!!). I try and make English fun over here so that when the kids are learning it doesn't seem like such a chore (and I don't mind making a fool my myself in front of kids....I've obviously been around them for a while with all the little cousins! I laugh and play games and sing songs and just overall make English a fun and easy language to learn). I am so happy over here that I have such a great work environment! The teachers are nice and the cleaning ladies let me do laundry at the school every week, and the principal helps me out with any trouble I encounter.....it's just great! Now I would CONSIDER doing this for good....but I am still a bit shaky sometimes with my lessons and I think I need a bit more practice before I am in a situation to teach for real (not as an assistant that is). But you need not worry about me over here...although I am homesick sometimes I have a great job, great friends (some of whom are American so I am not surrounded by French 24/7) and just an overall great atmosphere here in France. It may seem like I am never coming back but you have no idea how much I have been talking about Chicago and everybody back home. You can never get rid of me!!! 😊 **************************************
For example, I miss the snow a bit. Every time I say that it is probably snowing in Chicago right now all the little French kids say "OH LA CHANCE!" which means "how lucky!" but I always respond "if you live in it and have to scrape off a foot of snow from your car in the morning...you wouldn't be saying that!" They only get about one or two days MAX of snow a year here...it was flurrying the other day but nothing sticking. It seems cold but there isn't much wind so it's pretty nice to me!

I am planning a skiing trip to the Alps in February for our semester break (I'll at least get to see snow then!!!). I will probably be going with a friend who is also an assistant here in France. We don't know exactly where to go but if you know of any good ski resorts let me know!!!! Other than that I don't have any trips planned other than maybe a weekend in Paris or the south of France. Hopefully I'll be able to go to Morocco at some point (maybe summer) to visit my old roommate (from Paris) and her family.

Other than that nothing has really been going on. I know that's a lot going on but I plan everything out so much it seems like everything melds into one. I've been out to dinner a few times but since I am trying to save money I eat at home mostly. I really enjoy pistachios now and applesauce! I've actually lost some weight since being here so maybe France is a diet I can stick with!!!

*******I am hoping I can get some Christmas cards out this year so if I don't have your address already can you please send it to me??? And as always....send me emails/care packages filled with holiday treats/postcards/shout-outs/whatever. You can all me if you please or it may just be easier to email. I also have MSN and Skype if you would ever like to talk (webcam/mic and everything) and I am usually on either planning lessons on the computer or just surfing. Hope everyone is having an amazing time back home and I miss you all!!!! Bisous from France!!!!!!!!!!!!


And I'll leave you with some Thanksgiving humor....HAPPY TURKEY DAY!
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A young man named Victor received a parrot as a gift.

The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.

Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity.

Victor tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary.

Finally, Victor was fed up and he yelled at the parrot.

The parrot yelled back.

Victor shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even ruder.

Victor, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer.

For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed.

Then suddenly there was total quiet.

Not a peep was heard for over a minute.

Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, Victor quickly opened the door to the freezer.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto Victor's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions.

I'm sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my rude and unforgivable behavior."

Victor was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude.

As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior,the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?"

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

-Shelley 😊 😊 😊 😊 😊

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