Week Two is Through!

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Well, week 2 at school is over. It felt like a funny week. We had school with the students Monday and Tuesday and then we had our customary Wednesday off. Thursday was also a day off because of the Jeûne genevois. Friday felt weird. I kept thinking that it was a Monday and I got mixed up a few times with the students. All in all, it was another good week with the students. There is still a lot to learn and sometimes I feel like I am just keeping my head above water - kind of like my first year teaching!

Anyways, last Thursday we made another trek and drove into France to see le Lac d'Annecy. It was a very pretty area, with the lake, the Alps in the background and the old town made me think of Venice. We did some swimming in the lake, walked around old town and then bought some delicious ice cream before returning home.

Friday at school, one of my colleagues came into my classroom asking for what sounded like (in French), "Que terre." When she asked for the specific item, that's what is sounded like. Anyways, she then explained that it was used for cutting in circles, instead of using scissors. We searched around Denis' class and found utility knives. She was asking for "cutters." She was asking for something that had an English word with a French accent. Anyways, we had a good laugh about that.

Today has been a great day. We took it easy. We didn't really feel compelled to go anywhere. So we went to a local shop that sells fruit, veggies, wine, beer, honey, flowers, among other things. It was a neat place to see. Afterwards, we had to go to Centre Lancy to buy some milk for Myles. It turns out the last time we bought milk that we bought milk that was only 1.5% milk fat. He needs at least 3.5% milk fat. Over here, that would be lait entier (whole milk). Sometimes it's hard to know the type of milk that you're buying because the milk fat percentage is not always clearly marked on the cartons. After a little research on the web, we have the milk situation figured out.

Lastly, over the last month and a bit that we have been here, we have adopted 3 theme songs so far. They are, "La vie est belle," by MC Solaar, "No me moleste mosquito," by Joe Dassin and "Aux Champs-Élysées," by Joe Dassin. Isabelle likes to listen to the mosquito song and do a hula dance. We made her a little grass skirt out of the newspaper "Le courrier," after I read it of course. That is a good paper with interesting articles.

Tomorrow we are going to church again. But before church we are going to stop at a market in Geneva in the Plainpalais area. I officially got my first mail package that was addressed to me. After my hair clippers smoking and then finally dying, I ordered a new set of hair clippers online from pixmania. They arrived quickly, and I gave myself a proper haircut today so that I don't look like a mushroom top.

Jarod

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Photos

Lac d'Annecy.
Walking along the promenade of the lake.

Old Town.
The town reminded me of what I would picture Venice to be.

Cell Phone.
This is my very first cell phone. We got an emergency phone through Lebara Mobile so that we will no longer be stranded.