Advertisement
Published: January 23rd 2009
Edit Blog Post
Photo 1
Leslie (from Canada) and I at our favorite little bar, the Corneille Well it's been a while. Other than being incredibly excited to get Bush out and Obama in, nothing much has happened.
Work has been the same minus starting some new classes this week and losing some old ones. I really love my new students, they are so much more receptive to me (it could be perhaps that I've learned from some mistakes! oh well!) and I'm really excited to see what all they can accomplish this semester. My school still continues to forget to tell me about cancellations and what not, I'm starting to be desensitized to their apologies.... oh well. Last week I met a Pakastani woman who is subbing for another English teacher and she and I have clicked really well. She speaks incredible English and French, so she's really good for me to hang out with to practice my French. She's going through a really bad divorce and has somewhat turned to me for understanding and friendship, as she doesn't really have any outside of work...long story. I'm really happy to be her friend and be someone she can talk to. I've learned a lot about her culture and I'm sad to report most Pakistanis kinda, well, hate
Photo 2
Leslie, me, Carolyn (another Canadian), April, Josh (from New York), and Phillipe (French) America. She doesn't, but I'm still happy to be an example of an American that's not a Bush lover that she care share with friends and family whenever she goes back.
Still waiting on my welfare, I was supposed to hear about that on Wednesday and I called them today and apparently their waiting for some agency to talk to my landlord or something along those lines. My comprehension of French goes down when talking on the phone. No matter how many times I tell people to speak slowly because I'm foreign, they continue at the same pace and I think it has to do with the fact that they can't see my confused face through the phone line...That would be France for ya. Yet, I'm in better spirits than when I wrote last, thanks to the weather. It's as if winter decided to go away early! Though it still rains a lot, the sun has been coming out a lot and today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining, the sky is clear, and the temperature is in the upper 50's. Not sure if I can ever spend another winter in the midwest after being blessed with the
Photo 3
Iowa and Illinois together in France weather here, especially after hearing all these horror stories of minus 40 with windchill. I hope you all will have melted all the ice off by the time you read this...
I've been keeping busy with going to the gym and not spending money. (thank you new years in Paris and xmas in strasbourg...) I can definitely tell how my college weight is starting to slowly shed away, I suppose I can thank that more to the signficantly lower alcohol intake and the less frequent napping. Lauren recently joined the gym and now her and I joke about the hobbit like weirdo that out right stares at me all the time. Last night before going into our cycling class, he came over and stood by me and just made a loud sound while looking at me. I was so uncomfotable and just shifted my eyes away... So weird... Lauren always teases me when he's there because she doesn't have to deal with him since she doesn't go to cycling class. I've made some acquantences at the gym since I go to all the cycling classes and can confidently call myself a regular. I even found a potential student for
Photo 4
Lauren and my's attempt to cover up our xmas tree before taking it back on the tram to Ikea. It looks horrific private English lessons!
My friends and coworkers and I continually to get closer and we're already talking about visiting each other in the U.S. after we get back. Believe it or not, I get back in 3 1/2 months! Time has flown, yet this month seems to be so hellishly slow. Nick will be here in a couple weeks, really looking forward to that and then Margaret and Andy arrive in March, so I'm ready for January to be over!
I've also been busy with discovering the libraries here and reading. They have fairly decent English sections, even for children, so I was really excited to use those books for my lessons. I've read more in this period in France than I have in probably 3 years put together in college. (really sad I know) So far, I've read (not sure if you really care, but hey):
Animal Farm
Bloodsucking Fiends
Glass Castle
The Great Gatsby
Three Cups of Tea
Da Vinci Code
Catcher in the Rye
House of Sand and Fog
Currently I'm working on Gulliver's Travels and A Clockwork Orange. I got a little excited at the library and rented the 5th Harry Potter, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Confessions of a Shopoholic, so I'm a little pressed for time to read these books! Well ok, enough about my literary habits in France 😊
Tonight I think I'm going to the karaoke bar with friends, it's starting to become our little tradition... I tend to have that effect on people. 😊 Which reminds, for my friends in Iowa CIty, you better be ready for Wednesday wing and sing at Sam's Pizza in May when I get back!!!!
I don't think there's much else to tell you about. Oscar season is upon us, thank goodness Revolutionary Road and the Benjamin Button movie and Slumdog Millionaire finally came out so I can catch up on the big films. Going to try and see those some time next week.
I miss everyone very much, don't freeze please, I want to know people when I get back.
XOXO
Cara
Advertisement
Tot: 0.103s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 9; qc: 48; dbt: 0.0681s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
anonymous
non-member comment
Nope, the snow has not melted. Not. at. all. Fuckin' Iowa. Miss you, dear! -helen =)