Bike

I'm going to get a bike from one of the teachers....then I can get to school even faster than on my two LITTLE feet!!!! Yipee!!!!

Busy busy

Well, I am just sitting in my office before going home. I realised I should probably go do my photocopying for tomorrow morning so that I don't have to come in early to do it. That would be a smart idea. The week is almost over!!! Yipee! I have a long day tomorrow, 8 hours, though I think we will watch a movie in my last class. I really need to get myself a little more organised. I have 4 hours on Thursday morning and then I will be hopping on a train to Chateauroux. I will be in La Chatre for the weekend visiting Bernard. I am so excited!!!
My classes are going fairly well, though it is surprising how things can work great for one class but not the other ones. It is actually a little annoying. Haha. Oh well, each group makes the activity a little different so it is not completely repetitive. Some of the student are really nice and some are really keen to work. There are others who show no interest in class and I would rather them not be there. It's not like they talk or anything(and this is for a participation mark).
This past weekend we went to Colmar on Saturday. There were 6 of us. It is 30minutes north of here. It was a very pretty little city. They supposedly have great Christmas markets there so I will have to go back. We also went to another little town....name....I cant write...hehe
At night we went out to a bar for drinks and then a few of us decided to go to a club. Some people have said this club is crap, but we had a good time there. Jenn and I ended up staying until about 3:30 before walking home. It cost us 9euros to get in(this included 1 drink) + 2euros for coatcheck, and you still have to check your purse. I really dont like that here.
It was a pretty decent weekend. Finally we got out and did something. I am really looking forward to this weekend though and the 1 month countdown to the holidays will start. I can't believe we are going to be on holidays in 4.5 weeks.
Work has been a huge change from last year(atleast for now). I barely have any time to myself. By the time I get home all I do is eat dinner, relax and get ready for the next day, then bed. Pretty sad. haha. It's keeping me busy.
I have been up and down lately here. It's been hard a little especially with my roomate. It's not that we don't get along, but I just feel she is not very social. I don't know. It's not like at uni when I lived with people. I miss the fun times we had just being around the house. It's almost like I would prefer to live on my own. It's almost like living on my own I feel. I just miss having someone that cares about me around me whenever I want(if that makes sense).
I am going to meet the new assistant in La Chatre this Friday. I am also going to eat lunch with Remi at the school. Hope all goes well on my little trip.
Anyway, I better get photocopying...I don't want to be here all night.
Cheers

I'm still alive

Well, I have not been very good at updating this. I still don't have internet at home, though I do now have it set up in my office with my laptop. It is 18h22 and I am finally done classes for the week. I worked 26 hours, which is very tiring when these kids are staring at you like they have no clue what you are saying and they are not saying a word. It's repetitive.
So I have only worked for 2 weeks now and it's going alright, though I am questioning how I am going to come up with enough lessons (2 hour classes) and keep the students interested. That is the biggest challenge. Doing something that interests the students. I am sure I will eventually figure it out. Hopefully that will happen sooner than later.
I went and got things sorted out for my Carte de Sejour(residence/work permit). My room is a disaster....need to get more organised. I need a bookshelf...that is what I really need to get things sorted. Maybe I will get to that this weekend. I am going to go to Colmar tomorrow which is a city not too far from here with some other English people. Yes, I know...they are English. I need to meet some Frenchies, though it's not that easy. I'm trying to work on it, but I have only been here for 2 weeks, in Mulhouse. Next weekend I will be going to see Bernard. I am leaving on Thursday after my classes on the train....yipee to long train rides(haha). Maybe I will do some work on the train....if I'm good. I can't wait to go. It will be a good weekend I hope. On Friday I will meet the new assistant in La Chatre and I will have lunch with Remi and maybe some other teachers. I am looking forward to seeing some friends that know me.
Things are different here, and maybe I am forgetting how things were at the beginning when I was in La Chatre, but I like to think of the good things. I am not used to living with someone I don't know and not hanging out with the person I live with. It's a change that I just have to get used to and maybe things will change over time. We will see.
I wanted to sign up for French classes but they are only offered on Saturday mornings and you have to sign up for 12 weeks. I can't do that....I would love to, but I know I would miss too many to make it worth my money. Shitty. I have to call a woman about tutoring her child in English. It will have to wait for a bit, but I don't see why not, I could make 20euros an hour.
I have a week holidays at the end of October(Toussaint) which will be a great break, and then after that my schedule is fairly light until Christmas. Yipee! I have tentative plans for the Toussaint holidays but they will be firmed up soon.
Anyway, I am going to go, I need to do a few things before heading home seeing as I have no internet at home. Take care, Chat soon

1 week down

September 16, 2006 00h47
Well once again in my bed. I am going to head to bed but I thought I would write a quick blog because I want to go to use the internet tomorrow. Hopefully it will not be too long till we get it at home. I got Bernard to help me set it up the other night so I am really hoping it only takes about a week, but you never know here. I am going to try at the school on Monday so atleast I will have a little bit of something, though I really wish I had it this weekend because I need to prep for some lessons this weekend for Monday. I am feeling a little better tonight. I was feeling really crap last night. Sad and depressed and alone. Talking to my mom last night was great though. Nice to have some home. This morning I was still feeling down, but tonight I am feeling better. Bernard is such a sweetheart and really knows how to put a smile on my face.
Tonight I really needed to get out and Jennifer wanted to go to this thing for the 100th anniversary of the Dreyfus Affair, so I went with her and though I can’t say I really paid much attention as my mind was elsewhere for the most part, it was good to get out. Tomorrow I have some errands to run and I have to prep for my classes.
Today I had only 3 kids show up for my class from 16h00 - 18h00. That sucks….what usually takes 2 hours only took about 50 minutes. That made for a challenge. Oh well.
Anyway, I think I will crash now. Cheers


September 16, 2006 16h51
Well, I am just about to head out to use the net and run a few errands. I am feeling quite a bit better today. This morning I was still feeling a little down, but I am feeling good now. Things are going to all be alright. Tonight I think we are having the other lectrices over and then maybe heading out, we’ll see how the night goes though. I need to pick up some drink on my way back from town. I still need to get some things for my room as there is some stuff just scattered all over the floor, but it is coming together and will all be great. Anyway, talk to you all soon.

Finally an update

Monday September 11th 1:21am
Well, as I have been sitting on my computer for quite some time now rearranging photos I thought that I would start typing a quick blog before my battery dies.
There is a storm right now so I get to see a bit of a lightening show. I should be sleeping now. I have a busy day tomorrow including grocery shopping first thing in the morning. It better not be raining.
I got to Mulhouse last, after a long journey from La Chatre. It wasn’t as long as it could have been as Bernard drove me to Riom (near Clermont Ferrand)…lucky for me I have a sweetie boyfriend.
Anyway, what I have been doing the past two weeks….
I arrived on the 29th of August and Bernard was waiting for me at the airport. I was so happy to see him. We went out for lunch and wanted to do a little walk in Paris but the weather was crappy and it was raining, so it ended up being a car tour. Can’t win’em all I guess.
We got back to La Chatre that night….I was exhausted. The next morning I was feeling a little sick and stayed in bed till about 14h30, then got my ass in gear to run a few errands. We were leaving the following day for holidays. Stopped in at the London’s Club (local bar I frequented often) said hello to Francky and Rod.
Thursday morning….off to the “Pays Basque”

Thursday September 14th 16h29
Well, my battery died and therefore I had to stop writing, plus I was tired.
I really need to get on the internet, I hate not having it at home. Hopefully we will have it soon enough.
Anyway, back to my holidays…We went to Capbreton in the Pays Basque. We stayed at an upscale camping place. There were brick bases and the tents over them with beds. I’ll try and post a picture.
We were there for a week. Our tent was about 5minutes walk to the beach. We just had to cross the parking lot and go over the dune. At night all you would hear was the waves. It was very relaxing.
I got a nice sunburn one day….not unlike me. I was sure to pile on the sun cream after that. We did go up a couple mountains. One day we went up the Rhune (spelling….I’m to lazy to verify) on a little train. It was 905metres high. Wild horses and sheep all over. We also went hiking around another. We found a neat little lake between them. We went to San Sebastian(Spain) for an evening as it wasn’t very far. We also saw Biarritz. It was a great week.
We went back to La Chatre on the Thursday. I got to see a few friends and went to the school to see all the teachers. Saturday I headed out to Mulhouse. Nice long train ride….Bernard drove me to Riom which is just outside Clermont Ferrand.

My arrival here was alright. Heather picked me up from the station and brought me here which was very nice and appreciated a lot. Sunday I didn’t get up to too much especially since most things aren’t open. I met with Claude(prof) on Monday and I started my classes on Tuesday. I have taught 3 of my own classes (2hours each) and 1 class at the Chemistry school for extra hours. I have one more at the Chem school tomorrow and more of my own. I have my schedule all the way till Christmas almost. I work a lot between now and the first of November but after that it’s fairly light. There is also someone that is looking for a English tutor so that would be good, make about 20 euros / hour. Who knows.

I am pretty exhausted right now. I have been feeling a little lonely here in Mulhouse. Sure there are other lectrices, but I just don’t feel like it is the same as it was with the other assistants last year. I don’t know. I just feel down and a little sad. I hope that will change soon.

Well, I miss everyone at home. I am going to go use the internet and hopefully post this message. As well, I need to go to the grocery store.
I’m off, cheers!