Oh Mon Dieu. The schoolwork here is getting out of hand! Whoever told me that we don't get homework here lied big time. Let the procrastination begin.
This week I haven't felt so much like I'm drowning in class due my lack of understanding in French. My oral comprehension is definitely getting better, and I can speak with a bit more fluidity. Now the problem is trying to keep myself conscious after two weeks of flat-out work and stress. Nightly homework, added to intermittent projects and presentations, makes for late nights and tired students the next day. A guy in my class fell asleep today while our langue prof was talking.
"Ah, Ethan prend un petit sommeil maintentant."
Hearing his name, he raised a hand but continued to nod off. He hasn't been the only person to struggle to stay awake in class.
Ok, it's not allll because of homework. But we have to squish a social life in too, non? The monitrices have been organising more soirées for us. Last night was 'Chic-Choc', where you had to dress in something chic, but with one shocking detail. I wore my neon yellow safety gilet (the vest you are required to wear when biking at night) and pouffed my hair a bit. My roommate Jamie created an entire cumulonimbus cloud with her hair - taller and puffier than one would think hair could be. Melissa put her hair in pigtails - very Baby Spice. It was my monitrice's (Julia) birthday, so I couldn't not go! But just for an hour.
On our way back home, Melissa and I were speaking in English. We passed this group of people outside a bar, and one guy turns to me and yells 'Don't speak English here you f****** b****!" So I replied with a few choice mots en Francais. Having a comeback made the situation marginally better, but I still wasn't particularly impressed. I'm sure there are people like that in every country, so this isn't a complaint about the French, just this one idiot in particular. As my roommate Melissa says, "He can go kick rocks."
I did have a couple successes this week. I finally got my bank card from the French bank La Poste. There are a lot of things for which one needs a personal identity statement that comes with all French bank accounts, called a RIB, so it made sense to get an account here. For example, getting a cell phone, or even your carte de sejour, which is something else required by the bloody visa people to allow me to remain in the country.
Also, this week we had to provide a description and dialogue for a cartoon strip, and my prof liked my version enough to read it to the class. It was nice to feel a little more like I fit in that class. My classmates are great, by the way. We're always laughing.
I'm really sorry for all this whinging. Let me tell you about other great things that happened this week:
1) I got lost on the way to the post office, but it was a beautiful day, and I came across the most darling house. It had old wooden shutters, elegant lace curtains, and flowering vines growing over the front door. I also discovered a little flowery parkette.
2) I am continuing to meet lovely people from all around the world.
3) I bought my train tickets for Paris this week
4) My conversation class is toujours amusant!
5) Laura, Sergio, Monica (classmates) and I laughed solidly throughout 2 hours of langue class, over nothing in particular
6) We had a reception at the Greniers St-Jean, which is this wonderful old hall across the river. I'm not sure what it's original purpose was, but the walls are made of light stone, and the ceiling is all exposed beams. It's lit up by these tiny hanging light fixtures all throughout the hall. It struck me as the perfect place to listen to a harp/soprano concert or something. We were served a delicious dessert wine and cookies, and were greeted by the mayor of Angers.
Ok, now I've got to get back to work. I promise, next time I'll be cheerful!
Bisous!
"Ah, Ethan prend un petit sommeil maintentant."
Hearing his name, he raised a hand but continued to nod off. He hasn't been the only person to struggle to stay awake in class.
Ok, it's not allll because of homework. But we have to squish a social life in too, non? The monitrices have been organising more soirées for us. Last night was 'Chic-Choc', where you had to dress in something chic, but with one shocking detail. I wore my neon yellow safety gilet (the vest you are required to wear when biking at night) and pouffed my hair a bit. My roommate Jamie created an entire cumulonimbus cloud with her hair - taller and puffier than one would think hair could be. Melissa put her hair in pigtails - very Baby Spice. It was my monitrice's (Julia) birthday, so I couldn't not go! But just for an hour.
On our way back home, Melissa and I were speaking in English. We passed this group of people outside a bar, and one guy turns to me and yells 'Don't speak English here you f****** b****!" So I replied with a few choice mots en Francais. Having a comeback made the situation marginally better, but I still wasn't particularly impressed. I'm sure there are people like that in every country, so this isn't a complaint about the French, just this one idiot in particular. As my roommate Melissa says, "He can go kick rocks."
I did have a couple successes this week. I finally got my bank card from the French bank La Poste. There are a lot of things for which one needs a personal identity statement that comes with all French bank accounts, called a RIB, so it made sense to get an account here. For example, getting a cell phone, or even your carte de sejour, which is something else required by the bloody visa people to allow me to remain in the country.
Also, this week we had to provide a description and dialogue for a cartoon strip, and my prof liked my version enough to read it to the class. It was nice to feel a little more like I fit in that class. My classmates are great, by the way. We're always laughing.
I'm really sorry for all this whinging. Let me tell you about other great things that happened this week:
1) I got lost on the way to the post office, but it was a beautiful day, and I came across the most darling house. It had old wooden shutters, elegant lace curtains, and flowering vines growing over the front door. I also discovered a little flowery parkette.
2) I am continuing to meet lovely people from all around the world.
3) I bought my train tickets for Paris this week
4) My conversation class is toujours amusant!
5) Laura, Sergio, Monica (classmates) and I laughed solidly throughout 2 hours of langue class, over nothing in particular
6) We had a reception at the Greniers St-Jean, which is this wonderful old hall across the river. I'm not sure what it's original purpose was, but the walls are made of light stone, and the ceiling is all exposed beams. It's lit up by these tiny hanging light fixtures all throughout the hall. It struck me as the perfect place to listen to a harp/soprano concert or something. We were served a delicious dessert wine and cookies, and were greeted by the mayor of Angers.
Ok, now I've got to get back to work. I promise, next time I'll be cheerful!
Bisous!
Good to hear that you're squeezing some fun into the learning Annie.
ReplyDeleteWe're doing well here in cow-town. Liam was pointing to the computer and saying "Annie" today. It was very sweet. His vocabulary is constantly expanding. He had his first gym-tots class yesterday and he learned how to jump on a trampoline. The class was a little nutty and chaotic (think 40 or so kids under 5 in one big space, even if they were broken into classes of 8 the noise was deafening).
xoxo
Breff