Back Stateside Again

This post is coming a bit late, but, after 10½ months in Europe, all things had to come to an end and, a week ago, I left France and came back to the US.

However, I didn't go quietly; since I had to go to Lyon to go to the airport, I decided to make a nice trip out of it. So I spent four days in Lyon combined with a daytrip to Geneva, Switzerland. Lyon is quite pretty and easy to get around; probably as much to see as in Paris, but without the size of the French capital. And a lot of the good things in Lyon are free, so there was no need to hemorrhage money left and right. Definitely a plus.
Geneva was cute and adorable... and very expensive. I went there with the express purpose of spending money and sightseeing (I had a large number of Swiss Francs I wanted to get rid of), and both missions were accomplished, but it's amazing how much prices jump once you enter the tiny little country. Still, though, the added benefit of Switzerland is that the product selection is very different compared to that in France... seems more like a hybrid of what you'd find in Germany and what you'd find in France, all squished into a single package. In any event, I got lotsa good pictures and had a very good time before...

On the 1st of May, however, it was time to return to the US. Leaving on the first, however, was a mistake logistically... because, in France, 1 May is la fête du travail, or Labor Day. For most French public holidays, things, like public transport, still run; I arrived back in France after winter break on 1 January, and that wasn't a problem. However, Labor Day in France is special and, as a result, the Lyon public transport network was completely non-operational that day.

Fortunately, what wasn't offline was the express tram from Lyon to the airport. So, I took a taxi from my hostel to the train station and the tram from the Lyon Part-Dieu station to the Lyon St-Exupéry Airport. And, with it being a holiday (perhaps), the airport was practically deserted. Definitely a plus.

Getting checked in and through security in Lyon was fairly straightforward and painless, and the airport seemed to operate a lot like a US airport in layout. Not much airside, but still a decent amount. The flight from there to Paris was short (1 hour), so it wasn't bad at all.

Connecting in Paris, however, was... fun. I was in one terminal and had to go to another. Fortunately, there was a pedestrian route, so I started following that. First, there was exit control; guy took my passport, turned to a blank page, and stamped it in a matter-of-fact manner. I then thought, cool, the gate shouldn't be far away. That was a misjudgment... it took about 20 minutes to walk to another surprise security control. And after that was the gate.

Airside was, fortunately, a bit less deserted than the first time I went through de Gaulle airport, but still overpriced and with not a good selection. Fortunately, I didn't have too long until I got to board the plane. This plane was the largest I had been on... an Airbus 380. A fully double-decked plane... I was on the lower level, but it was still awesome. The flight was long, the food wasn't too bad, and the seat neighbors weren't too horrible... just like usual.

When we landed at JFK airport, it felt a bit like Heathrow all over again... a bit of a walk to Immigration, and the line I didn't go to was jam-packed with people waiting. Getting through immigration and customs was fast and painless (and, fortunately, not very unfriendly) and the terminal I arrived at and the one I needed to go to weren't separated by much, so it was a short walk. And more waiting once through security. The flight from JFK back into Charlotte arrived... early. By about an hour. So I needed to wait around a bit for my father to arrive and, after he got me, we made the three-hour drive back to Stedman.

It fortunately hasn't been too hard to adjust to being back in the US. I do miss France (a lot), but being nice and relaxed and having time to relax has really been good. Only really strange thing is that, now, I'm running errands on my own (driving!) and that my brother isn't yet here. In a week, though, that'll be changed. I have a few more things coming up soon, like a trip to Wisconsin and one to Colorado; I might fit a Canada trip in somewhere this summer; and... I might be headed back to France this fall. Turns out that my paperwork for the renewal wasn't rejected after all! Unfortunately, the number of posts for assistants was reduced by 20%, but there's still that glimmer of hope that I'll get to return. For that would be awesome.

So, with that, this blog shall probably lie dormant for a while until more fun adventures occur. While I didn't post as regularly as I would've liked to, I thank anyone who read this for... reading this (yeah) and, additionally, all the people in Germany and France for making my stay awesome and wonderful. It's always funny to see how things differed from what I anticipated, and it's almost always been different for the better.

Bis bald / À plus,

Larry

Tying Up the Loose Ends

These past two days have been a bit sad, in a way; they're the last days that I've worked at the lycée.

Originally, when I came to France, I was expecting a rather usual experience: most of the teaching assistants, for example, work with high school students. Instead, I got something very different, mostly with students about my age. At first, it was daunting in a way... but things got easier and, in a way, being with older students allowed me to talk more about things that they would have first-hand experience with (such as politics, cars, travel, work, etc.). So, in a way, it was a bit more rewarding and easier to relate to the students. This doesn't mean that I didn't have a good time with the seconde classes, though; I also found energetic students who were more than happy to learn and practice English, some of whom I would want to see more of if I had the chance to stick around.

I still have one day of work left at the collège before I shove off for Lyon. That, too, was great. It was disheartening to hear that previous assistants didn't like working there, and I found it hard to understand why they hated it so much: the teachers there are friendly and the students, while younger, generally less shy and less loath to speaking English and making mistakes. But maybe that's just an aspect of me being a bit of a positive person; always looking for the plus in a situation and not being discouraged by the fact that some of my students spoke not a word of English.

The hardest part of it all, though, it imagining how quickly this year's gone by. It doesn't seem like too long ago that I was getting ready for graduation from Ripon College, having my rear end handed to me by Chemical Instrumentation, and preparing to go to Germany for my BASF internship. Now, I'm looking at heading back to the US and starting graduate school in the fall. And I really wish I could get the contract renewal and spend more time here in France; with each passing day, receiving the contract renewal seems less and less likely. But the fingers are still crossed.

With regards to the election, though... some of the results were quite shocking. The second round will take place after I've returned to the US, and that also looks to be interesting. Not as interesting as 2002 was, mind you, but still a potential adventure.

Four Countries, Four Very Different Experiences

France is the fourth different country that I've lived in. Living in a place, naturally, gives you a very different view and experience compared to visiting as a tourist, and thinking about how that experience differs from those in your home country or other places you've lived can be, at minimum, somewhat different.

Not to mention that, since I don't have much longer in France, I wanted to review some of the pluses from each country that I lived in on this stay in Europe.

Germany

• Germany's public transport system is peerless in many regards: it runs on time and has very, very good coverage. Not to mention that long-distance express trains are fairly reasonably priced.
• If you don't understand something, many Germans seem more than willing to help you to understand. Or speak in English if possible. Speaking of that...
• Germans, in general, have a fairly decent level of English. It's not like in Denmark or Sweden where everybody speaks it, but finding an English speaker isn't too daunting or impossible of a task.
• Shops are generally open continuously until 8 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. Granted, they are almost all closed on Sundays, but that's workable. In comparison, shops in France normally close at 7 and sometimes close on other days, like Mondays (or Monday mornings).
• German bakeries are excellent. As are German meats. And candies. And food in general, truth be told.
• Food in Germany, generally, is quite a bit cheaper in comparison with France. Especially if you eat out. The fact that both France and Germany use the same currency make this even more visible.
• German bureaucracy, while it can be tiresome at times, generally runs efficiently and, in addition, assures that you will have an answer if you have a question. And that said answer will be correct. And it's easier to navigate than the French.

France

• Contrary to the stereotypes, the French (I've dealt with) are friendly and polite. Not rude. And they're delighted to hear a foreigner speaking French.
• There's a lot more of a regional identity in France: especially in Auvergne, where I currently live, people are proud to be Auvergnat and promote local products and culture to a very great degree.
• Public transit may not be as good between cities or once you get outside the city center, but it's workable and generally cheaper within the cities. (ex. €2.40 for a single ticket in Frankfurt am Main compared to €1.70 for one in Paris and €1.60-ish in Lyon). In any event, it's still much cheaper than Copenhagen.
• France has excellent bakeries and lots of delicious things.
• By and large, the French seem to prefer smaller shops a lot more to the larger ones. It's much easier to find farmers' markets here and, really, they're held with a lot more frequency.
• Where I live, temperatures are quite moderate and rarely ever horribly cold. Granted, it's not very warm right now, but that's minor.
• Local trains are nice and spacious... a bit more pleasant than the ones in Germany.

I mean, though, the experiences I've had are quite different from a social aspect: as my French is much better than my German, I'm able to (and willing to) communicate a lot more without needing to ask "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" (or "Parlez-vous anglais?") all the time. And I hate having to ask others to speak English, so it's a great asset to be able to communicate more easily here.

But, all in all, it's hard to say what I like more. I grew up in Germany, yeah, but I'm living on my own here in France and doing a job that I really love. So is the experience better here in France? In a way, probably. And yet asking me to choose which I like better is like asking if I like cake or pie more. I like them each in their own way, but I can't say I like one more than the other.

Ah, whatever. Anyways, I'm off to do a bit more exploring and wandering; without much time left before the 1st of May, I've quite a bit more I want to do. And that's part of why I want to return next year... really, why I'd prefer to do that rather than immediately heading off to grad school.

Coming soon (maybe): French election stuff! Yes, it's going on right now, and comparing it to the US Election allows for interesting comparisons to be made. It's great to discuss it with my students.

French Schools and French Students

Wow, it's been a long time since my last post. In fact, I completely forgot to post about my UK trip. So maybe I'll just add some pictures instead and let them describe the trip. In short, it was exactly what I needed; it gave me a chance to relax, recharge my batteries, and get lots and lots of stuff food-wise.

London and the Tower Bridge

The Palace of Westminster, where Parliament assembles

The Palace of Holyroodhouse, the Queen's official residence in Scotland

Edinburgh Castle

Cardiff Castle

Anyways, with the end of the most recent trimester (French schools operate on a trimester system, interestingly enough), I got to attend a conseil de classe for each of the seconde (10th grade) classes I work with. The conseil de classe isn't something that exists in the US system, though: as the students are generally sorted into groups and stick together in said groups for all their classes throughout their stay at a collège or lycée, they have a common group of teachers in a year. For example, at my collège, there are six groups of quatrième (eighth grade); each group remains together and has the same weekly schedule. The only time they might be split up for classes is with the second foreign language, where some will take Portuguese and others might choose German or Spanish, but, otherwise, they're stuck with each other. At the end of the marking period, all of the teachers for the group meet with an administrator, either the head of the institution or one of the assistants; two representatives of the parents; and two representatives of the students to discuss the performance of the class over the past marking period and, in the case of the seconde classes, to discuss the placement of the students for the following year. This is because, in France, after seconde, one is sorted into either a baccalauréat for university track or one for technical fields. (Vocational and professional schools are a different subject altogether.)

One of the striking things I noted, though, is the difference in behavioral expectations. The belief in France is that a student should be sage: that is, seen and not heard. They should remain quiet, take notes, and not ask questions or otherwise speak in class. And, in a way, that's an obstacle to my job as a teaching assistant and trying to get the students to speak.

Now, let's be honest: a well-behaved class, one which isn't violent and which listens, is always a plus (and an expectation on both sides of the pond). But the difference I notice largely comes in the participation expectations: in the US, most of the classes I was in expected students to contribute and participate actively to discussions, and I really don't see that here in France. In fact, a good number of the students that have the really good marks in my classes (or overall, for that matter) are students who don't speak at all! This is due to the fact that, in France, the written aspects are more emphasized than the spoken; while this should change in a few years, from what I hear about some of the changes being made to the baccalauréat, the emphasis will still likely remain on the pen and paper rather than opening the students' mouths and getting them to talk. There is some overlap between good marks and participatory students, but there isn't really much. One student in particular worries me a bit: he's brilliant at English and other languages, but his marks in other areas are likely to put him in a technical track. And the problem with technical tracks here in France is that the language aspect isn't emphasized. I've seen one of the LV Techno classes, a class which tries to teach a foreign language for the purposes of use in technical fields, and I really fear that, if said student is put on a technical track, he won't get the support that he should get with respect to languages and the such.

Among other reasons, this stay in France is definitely rewarding and proving to be very beneficial. I've gotten to experience a completely different education system and learn more about the inner workings of this country. Is it better than the US? Maybe, maybe not. I like to see the positive in most things, so there are definitely pluses on both ends (and, of course, drawbacks as well, like the formidable French bureaucracy). And I hope to come back next year.

But, on the other hand, regarding my job, it's a bit disheartening sometimes to see the students who want to learn being overshadowed or pushed aside by either the administration or the students who really don't care and want to be disruptive. I have a good number of really good students who I want to see more of and who I want the best for in terms of languages and the such: after all, having a second language under my belt is how I was able to come to France. In the end, though, languages aren't seen as important here, so... just like in the US with the subjects seen as less important, they're bound to suffer.

The Snow in France Falls Mainly... Somewhere

While, indeed, it is winter here in Auvergne, we haven't had any snow. That is, until this week.

On Monday, while there was a rather light dusting, it wasn't anything major; it seemed a lot like what one would have in North Carolina, if anything. Tuesday, however, brought with it a significantly greater amount: approximately 10 centimetres (4 inches). And it's still continued through today. In fact, as I type this post, snow is still coming down; not a deluge, fortunately, but still in a significant quantity. Yes, it does disrupt some things, like public transport (thus meaning students don't come to school), but, at the very least, the scenery can be very pretty.

Also, in strange things today, due to absences of many of the teachers I work with at my collège, I didn't end up working there today. Which made me sad; I really do like working there. In exchange, though, I got to meet with another group of BTS/sandwich course students who made me wish I could see them on a regular basis instead of the one class who doesn't like to open their mouths. Yeah, their level of English wasn't the best, but they tried! And that's the most important thing: being willing to try, and being open to taking chances. In fact, three of the students decided that they wanted to go to the UK for the Easter Vacation, and I'm rather happy. I'm not British, but I just love hearing about people travelling and people willing to get out and see the world, even if it is just a few hundred kilometres away from home. (Then again, here in France, a few hundred kilometres can easily put you in another country.)

The planning for the big trip to the UK is going well; I'm still trying to figure out what to do for the Wales legs, but I do have the train tickets and passes. This is a very good thing, so now I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for travelling within the UK. I certainly won't be driving, and buying the train tickets on the day of travel is really, really expensive there (unlike Germany, where, even on the day of travel, the ticket prices still don't go up too much, save for the express trains).

In between continuing the grad school applications and other fun things, I might get another post in soon on more of the behaviors of the wild Frenchmen. Though, on a positive note, I did submit my paperwork for my contract renewal, so, now, I just need to wait for the evaluation to be done and, after that, wait to hear back from them. Hopefully, I'll get a response from someone, school or CIEP, soon, because I really want to know what I'll be up to next year. I did get something from another school wanting me to apply to them, and we'll see how that works out as well.

So, with that, have a good rest of your week.

Let the Fun Continue...

The program I'm on in France allows U.S. citizens to participate twice, either in two consecutive years in the same Académie or two nonconsecutive years in either the same or different regions. Of course, for the second consecutive year, one normally gets placed towards the bottom of the queue for receiving an assignment (as the intention is to first give an opportunity to the people who applied for a first year over the people who are applying for a renewal), so it's not guaranteed. Which is why I'm applying to graduate schools (admittedly, though, not very hard... Minnesota and Florida State are the big ones for now) as a back-up plan.

However, I am applying for a second year in France. I know, I'm crazy, but there are several reasons:
1.) I like my job and I like where I'm at here in France. If I like the situation I'm in, why change it?
2.) Giving myself an extra year will allow me a bit more time to earn some cash and also to get some more experience working abroad, plus it'll also give me the chance to get the other test that many graduate schools in Physics want or require. It's a test that's only offered thrice a year, and, to be honest, it was impossible to get it done last year.
3.) Another year in France will give me more of a chance to improve my French, which desperately needs improvement.

But I'm not going to do the Germany-France two-step that I did last year. Simply put, the issue with the visas and residence permits arises again: I'd have to get an entry visa for Germany due to my stay in France, and that's a fun adventure requiring a trip to Paris or Atlanta (depending on where I'd be at the time). As much as I love Germany, it's probably not a good idea. Not to mention my passport is almost full, and I intend to do at least a bit of travelling this summer.

Speaking of this summer, I'm thinking of giving myself a self-birthday present with a trip out of the US. I'm thinking Canada, Mexico, or someplace in the Western Hemisphere this time, but definitely out of the US. But we'll see.

There and Back Again

It's been a long time since the last post, and a lot has happened in that timespan. Namely, I went to Paris, then back to the United States, and I finally came back to France ov
er the course of two weeks. And now it's back to work.

As most of you know, I went back to the US for the vacances de Noël (winter/Christmas vacation) because of the fun with my airplane ticket: it was cheaper to purchase a round-trip ticket to Germany and back from France back in May than it was to buy

a single one-way ticket. Accordingly, I decided that a quick return to the US wasn't a bad idea: I'd be able to drop some things off, grab any of the varying things I had forgotten in the US and realized would make my stay in France better. So, in all, it'd be a win-win.

So, on 16 December, I went up to Paris. After all, since I had to go to Charles de Gaulle Airport on the 19th and be there at an ungodly hour, why not arrive a few days in advance to do the sightseeing thing? And the stay in Paris was well worth it... I did most of the usual tourist activities, such as visiting Notre Dame, Sacré-Coeur, the Musée du Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée de Quai Branly, the Tour Eiffel, the Arc de Triomphe, La Défense... as expected, it was a lot of moving around, but it was also a lot of fun. The thing that made it even more fun was that most of the monuments offered free/reduced admission charges to young EU residents (of which I am one, and have been since July), the exception being the Louvre, and the cheap day-ticket available for under-25's on the weekends.

And, as they say, don't try to see all of the Louvre in one day: it won't end well. But don'

t just go straight for the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory: there are a lot of other things to see. But I still preferred the Musée d'Orsay due to it having more of the things I really liked and despite its "no photography" rule that seems to be a recent innovation (it wasn't there the last time I went to said museum...

After the fun in Paris, it was time to brave Charles de Gaulle Airport, the bane of many

travellers. Naturally, it's not in the city of Paris, but getting there involves either an expensive train ticket or a long bus ride. I chose the bus ride because the bus went right to the terminal I left from; surprisingly, though, the whole process of getting through the airport was straightforward with few long lines. Granted, the passport control officer gave me an entry stamp instead of an exit stamp, but it wasn't too grave at that point. However, the terminal in question (Terminal 1) seemed rather barren; not a lot of shops or cafés available, especially once one made it through security.

Then came the nine hour plane flight. Yes, nine hours... it was long, and me sleeping on planes is a rare feat. We finally arrived at Charlotte-Douglas Airport and, unlike my experiences clearing Customs in Toronto, the officers were actually rather friendly and polite even after getting randomly selected for extra screening (though, fortunately, no unpacking and repacking my luggage was involved). Definitely a plus. After the fun of that, rechecking my bag, and going back through security, it was time to get on airplane number 2 to Raleigh. Fortunately, the second flight was a bit shorter: 50 minutes rather than several hours. Once I got on the ground, I went out, found my father, grabbed my bags, and then we got in the car for the hour-and-a-half car ride back to Stedman.

Break was, unsurprisingly, rather calm and relaxing. I got my driver's license practically as soon as I got back, so I'm now able to torment the roads both in the US and in France (with a translation of my license, of course). But, otherwise, not much happened... lots of eating, video games, spending time with family, playing Magic the Gathering with my brother and my mother's friend, taking pictures, and working on graduate school applications. With only 12 days on the ground in the States, though, the time went by very quickly and, before we all knew it, it was time to go back to France.

So, on New Year's Eve, with my father and my evil brother, we took the three-hour trip to Charlotte again. This time, my flight plan was an hour-long flight to Atlanta, a five-hour layover, and then eight hours to Paris. This was a rather uneventful trip, if not particularly boring... the Atlanta airport at least had reasonably inexpensive places to eat, but not many. We got into Paris a bit ahead of schedule, but finding the RER station was rather confusing due to the fastest route there being blocked off for some unknown reason (while the RER to the city is expensive, quite frankly, I was tired and didn't want to have to deal with the bus again). From there, I then took the RER and Métro to the train station and, after even more waiting round, got on the train to Clermont-Ferrand, arriving there late on the first and deciding to crash pretty much immediately.

In all, the trip back to the States was a good idea despite not having much time on the ground there. I did get a lot of stuff to give out to my students and the teachers I work with, not to also mention some more stuff for show-and-tell (like a North Carolina flag). And now it's time to start planning the next trip... I'm thinking the UK. Or Turkey.

Head Wrapping

No, I did not get injured recently. But, as the year progresses, I like to report on the habits and behaviors of the (wild) Frenchman or others I notice around me, plus other stuff going on. This is one of those posts.

Let's Get Physical!

Okay, not the song, but it seems Europeans, especially the people here in France, are quite comfortable/less uncomfortable with less personal space than people in the US are. Actually, it seems like a trend in Europe in general: most people don't seem to need as much personal space. Part of it could be public transport where, a lot of times, there isn't a lot of space... sometimes, you can be crammed like a sardine (like the one time on the Metro/U-Bahn in Bonn). It's a bit hard to get used to, but I think I've gotten a lot better with it over the past 6 months. Going back to the States, though, will take some getting used to.

Frenchmen, of course, also seem rather physical and public with displays of affection. Or at least the younger ones... moreso than most of the Americans I know.

To Thou or To You, That Is the Question

In French, there are two words for you: vous, which is normally used in formal contexts and as a plural, and tu, used towards children and friends. At least it isn't like German which has three different forms (du, Sie, ihr/Ihr) or Spanish with four or five (tu, vós, Usted, Ustedes, vosotros), but, being the native speaker of a language which has all but eliminated the distinction between formal and informal you, the distinction is a bit difficult.

I work at a school. Or, rather, several schools. So I work with teachers. The normal rule with dealing with teachers, at least as a student, is that one always uses vous and polite language. I'm still younger than all the teachers here, so, when I originally came here, I just used the default vous. One teacher, however, insists that I use the tu form of address with her and said that, indeed, one can tutoie (use tu to refer to a person) the teachers here... simply put, it feels strange. Yeah, I'm not a student anymore, I'm a teacher of sorts, but I'm still so much younger than practically everyone else here, so it doesn't feel right to. In any event, it's just one of the interesting things that arise from using a language other than my own native language. Maybe I'll be more comfortable with using tu as the year progresses.

Rolling Out, Shipping Off

Tomorrow, I leave for Paris and, a few days after that, I'll be off to the US. It's going to be an interesting time, to say the least: I've not been to Paris in about 9 years (okay, I passed through earlier this year, but just for an hour) and never at Christmastime. Clermont-Ferrand is certainly pretty at this time of year, and I definitely don't expect any less from the "City of Lights".

I'm not sure where exactly I want to go while I'm there. Probably a few museums, lots of wandering and roaming around... maybe not up the Eiffel Tower, but, hey, that could change. Plus, pretty pictures are important.

As for the US, I'll be there 12 days. It'll be a good chance to buy stuff, recharge, get a lot of rest, maybe a driver's license, and pick up things that I should have originally brought with me (flags, money, literature, etc.). Since I'm a native from an Anglophone country, it's somewhat expected that I bring some of that country with me to my lessons, but I also like talking about other countries and places I've visited. To me, it's just surprising to see/hear how little people travel outside France and to other countries in Europe... then again, they live here and I'm only here for a very limited time, so I feel a bit more pressed.

French Sports: Manifestations and Grèves

Unlike in the US, the French are used to having a lot of benefits with work. One of the things about working here is, generally speaking, job security. One is entitled to a lot as a worker: at minimum, four weeks of vacation, general protection from termination at will, pay increases and promotions for good work, and the such. Naturally, if something threatens this security, one is very vocal. And that's where the strikes (grèves) come into play. Today, for example, there's a grève des professeurs where a lot of teachers decided to go on strike. Apparently, this happens several times a year. And it's a part of being in France... and I should expect more as the elections approach. Fortunately, the grèves are rather peaceful and don't involve too much violence, but they're certainly inconvenient. Especially for public transport!

While I'm not one for striking, though, it is something one can appreciate: the fact that the people here are very vocal and committed to preserving their quality of life and jobs or fighting for what they believe. I've seen several demonstrations outside the Préfecture for a wide variety of topics and, really, it's that, along with other cultural bits, which make this stay in France completely unlike my other stays in foreign countries.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

The month of December has arrived, and with it come all the fun things that Christmas in France entails. All throughout Clermont-Ferrand, once can see workers busily setting up lights galore, a pretty Christmas tree, a Ferris Wheel, a Christmas Market near the Place de la Victoire... the season officially starts on 3 December, so there'll probably be some pictures then. Also, over in Lyon, the Fête des Lumières will be next weekend (note to self: avoid Lyon on those days. Go earlier in the week, maybe next Wednesday, or right before I head up to Paris). Students are getting eager and anxious to go on vacation.

And I'm getting ready to head back to the US for the break... which means I have a few more things to do. Like book my return ticket to France... oh, wait, I have! I fly back to France on the 31st of December and back to North Carolina on the 1st of May, but plans are subject to change. At the very least, though, my stay in the US has the added benefit of allowing me to go on a bit of a shopping spree and acquire some things both the teachers and the students might like. So that's definitely a bonus.

However, today also marks the day when I'm now a French resident! Or at least until 1 May. After 56 days of headaches, waiting around, teeth gnashing, and lots of phone calls, I was able to run to the OFII (Office Français de l'Intégration et de l'Immigration) here in Clermont-Ferrand, give them my medical certificate and a few other papers, and walk out of the préfecture building with a nice, shiny sticker to validate my visa and allow me to stay in France until the 1st of May. I might be able to get permission to stay a bit longer, but, right now, that's the date I'm working with.

In all, work is generally going very well here. Other than the one class I have who doesn't seem to talk, either out of fear, volition, or a dislike for the assistant (hopefully not the last of them), all of my classes are great. Of course, there are always the students who don't seem to want to talk, but one group seems to be opening up a lot more and I'm now getting everyone to talk, whether it be in French mixed with English, English mixed with French, or English outright. That makes me really happy. And, of course, the teachers are also great, especially the ones at the collège: there are fewer of them, but they're almost all very friendly and very willing to put up with me butchering the French language.

So, with that, have a good rest of your week and a good start to your Christmas/holiday season.

Moving House

So, I'm taking a break from moving all of my stuff into my new apartment. It's not that I have a lot of stuff (I moved it all in one day from Germany to France), but my transportation options to get the stuff to the new place are a smidge limited. Namely, I have to use the tram, and the people here give you unhappy looks if you use up too much space on the public transport. So it's a load here, a load there, and everything should be so that I'm completely cleared out of the place at the high school by Wednesday at the latest.

I know, I was staying at the lycée for free, but I really prefer having my own space with implements for cooking, I'll be a bit closer to the collège (so no more hour-long trips!), and I'm right near the city center. Plus, if there happens to be a grève (strike), then the train station isn't too far away for me to be able to catch a train to either school.

Also, with Christmas fast approaching, things are now being decked out in colors and lights, shopping hours are being extended, and stuff is now going on sale. Plus I leave for the US in... a month. Whee. I still have a few things to plan for Paris, namely a place to stay and what all I want to visit... I mean, since I'm flying from Charles de Gaulle Airport, I might as well take the chance to visit Paris and do the sightseeing thing. I've never been to Paris in the winter, though, so it'll be a bit of a treat. I'll see about hopping over to Lyon as well before I return to NC. And I do need to buy my return plane ticket... but I'm still waiting on the visa validation, and I don't want to buy the ticket until I know when I need to return to France. And when I need to leave as well. (sigh)

But things are generally well here, and more updates will be to come. Soon-ish.

Look and Move Along

Like Germans, Frenchmen have their own quirks regarding clothes, fashion, and the such as well as stores, where things are sold, opening hours, and the such. And it's always fun to make all sorts of observations about their habits.

• I'm sleeping, you're eating: Here in France, dinner/supper time is much, much later than I'm used to, but lunches are, likewise, normally longer. Lunch here in France is often from 12-ish to 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon. Accordingly, many restaurants close by three and don't re-open normally until 7. This is in contrast to most other countries I've visited in recent memory, but a part of it also arises from lunch being a much larger meal here than dinner. In any event, if I want to go out to a non-fast food place to eat, my options are a bit limited unless I wait until late in the evening, the time when I'm normally in using my computer, playing video games, or otherwise. It's not like Spain, though, where dinner usually starts at 9 in the evening... so that's a plus.
• Metal galore: While some Germans, it seemed, had an affinity for piercings galore, the French also do, though it seems like more French men have piercings than German men. The ears and eyebrows seem rather popular. But I don't think I've seen anyone here with particularly wild hairstyles... seems a bit like the French prefer to blend in a bit more.
• Clothing makes the Frenchman: The sense of style here in France (and also in Germany) is quite a bit different from in the US. Trousers/pants, for example, rarely ride low, scarves are very popular accessories, and darker colors seem to be the norm, particularly with jackets. Also, I've very rarely, at least in France, seen any of the rather... daring things many younger women in the US seem to be fond of as of late. While clothing, in general, seems to be a bit slimmer and closer-fitting, it's very rarely revealing.
• Sorry, no smokes here: In Germany, cigarettes were available everywhere- vending machines, convenience stores, grocery stores, and the such. In France, however, that's not the case! You can only purchase cigarettes and tobacco products at a tobacconist (tabac). Tobacconists are very much like newsstands in Germany, as they often sell things such as lottery tickets, post cards, magazines, candies, newspapers, and important things called timbres fiscaux, stamps which are used to pay taxes, fines, fees for French bureaucracy, and the such. But that still doesn't seem to stop people here from smoking (a lot), even though cigarettes are about 50% more expensive than in Germany... (must avoid rant)

So, yeah, that's about it for the "observations of France" part of this post.

In interesting news, I think I may have found a more permanent place to live! It's not open until next week (the 6th), but I'll see if I can sign the rent agreement tomorrow or at some point this week. It's about average price-wise and more expensive (in all) than what I had in Germany, but the fact that it'd be my own place in the city center is all worth it. So, fingers are crossed...

Also, hopefully at the end of the break, I'll be able to get the paperwork for validating my visa going. Due to the schools being closed until the 2nd, I'm unable to check my mail, so I'm hoping that the OFII paperwork's waiting for me. As well as the last paperwork to close out my stay in Germany...

And, with that, have a good weekend.

The outsider looking in

Being taught in schools in one country definitely gives one an interesting framework through which one views the system in another country. And, having worked here for two weeks now, I've been paying a lot of attention to how the schools here work, some of the aspects of the system here in France stand out more prominently than others.

• Bell rings for a game of musical rooms- at least in the US, with most primary and secondary schools that I've seen, the usual is that the teacher remains in the same room while the students move from one room to another as needed. There are some teachers who were "nomadic", at least at my high school, who changed rooms, but those were infrequent and the rule was that teachers had their own rooms.
  Here, not so. None of the rooms are permanent, so it's a bit more like university in the US and UK: both the students and the teachers switch rooms frequently. Therefore, the "room" for the teachers is the salle des professeurs, analogous to the teacher's lounge in the US. And at both my collège and lycée, it's a rather nice little room: coffee/beverage vending machines, some snacks, computers, and the mailboxes. So, naturally, most of the teachers are in here when they don't otherwise have classes. (Or if they're not smoking a cigarette.)
• University-like scheduling- Unlike the standard in the US, where one meets for fixed periods at fixed times throughout the week, that's not what happens here. Most students will see a teacher for two to three hours per week for a total of about 30 hours of classes per week, and the teachers, accordingly, are assigned to work not the same hours. Not to mention there's a nice two-hour lunch break and several pauses de récréation throughout the day, so the students, unlike in US middle and high schools, aren't running from 8:30 to 3:30 with only a 30 minute break. In a way, it's also nice for the teachers.
• Wine for the teachers- How else would they get through the day? Okay, I know, not all of them drink it, but teachers can have wine with their meals here at the lycée. As I explained to one of the teachers I'm working with, that'd be a huge no-no in the States. Part of it, of course, comes in that most teachers drive to and from work, and the other part is that people in the US are very strict about enforcing the drinking age and prohibiting access to alcohol by people under 21, so it's slightly illegal (at least) to bring alcohol to a high school.
• Stuck together like glue- In the States, the same group of students doesn't take the same classes after elementary school: you pick your schedule and you move around. Here in France, though, it seems like the same groups of students, all chosen based on the classes they take and their degree program, move together throughout the school day for their classes.

As the year progresses, I'll have more observations to add. Probably.

What's great is that the teachers here are very friendly, and it makes me want to spend more time with them. Especially at the collège, since I'm only there for one day each week... and not at all this upcoming week, as it's vacation time! Oh, yeah, and the French are serious about vacations: the normal rhythm here is 6 weeks on and 2 weeks off, it feels, with two months instead for the vacances d'été. Next week are the vacances de Toussaint, and they last until the 3rd of November (well, in any event, I go back to work on the 4th).

So, yeah, have a good week/weekend, and more stuff will probably materialize over break.

Qu'un sang impur abreuve nos sillons!

I've been here in the beautiful Auvergne region for about two weeks now, and I must say that I'm impressed. It's been a bit of an adventure, especially with a public transportation strike the first few days I was here, but it's otherwise been great so far.

Part of why I waited a bit to write some more is because I wanted to actually work with my students for the first time and see what I was working with. As I mentioned before, I'm working at a collège in a suburb of Clermont-Ferrand for 3 hours per week and the remaining 9 hours are at a lycée in the southeastern part of the city. I did meet the teachers (or most of them, at least) and many of the students, and it's going to be fun. The teachers are all incredibly nice, always willing to help (it seems) and friendly in general. In all, I'm working with six different teachers and a total of twelve different classes, each class for one hour per week and generally up to about 15 people in a class (so the sometimes large classes are split up).

At the collège, I'm right now working with students in troisième (3e), so they're all from 13 to 16 years old and preparing for the brevet, an examination given at the end of the year that determines what school they're best suited for at the lycée level. As for the lycée, I'm working with both students in seconde (2e) and post-baccalauréat students who are completing a technical program before licensure rather than immediately going to university. The system here in France is, needless to say, a bit different than that in the US, and one of the lessons I do have planned is a discussion about the differences between the educational systems and, really, how the US high-school experience is different from that in France. And, as I'm working a lot with the speaking skills of the students, talking about more "interesting" topics should help with sparking their interests and, really, getting them to speak.

As for the speaking, well... most of the students are very timid, it seems. I hope to get them to speak more, and it'll hopefully get better as time passes.

So, that's it really in a nutshell. Now for some quick tidbits/observations:

• Beer is sold in fast food restaurants, like McDonald's. Conversely, it's sold very rarely at those in Germany, from what I remember.
• Prices here in France are hit-or-miss compared to Germany. Sometimes, they're quite a bit cheaper (especially for food), but most of the time it's roughly the same price or a bit more. What's interesting, though, is that more food is taxed at the lower VAT rate here in France than in Germany (so, here, soft drinks are taxed at 5.5% rather than 19.6%, whereas they're subject to the full 19% in Germany).
• Getting around Clermont-Ferrand is a bit different: it's mostly bus-based, but there is a tram line that, conveniently, is right near where I'm currently staying. And tickets are a bit cheaper here compared to in Germany (and the UK, for that matter).
• House hunting is... well, different. The terminology is rather different, rules for renting are stricter for both ends, and the prices may or may not have charges (utilities) included. So it's really a case of looking very carefully at the fine print.

So, yeah, it'll be a good seven months, I don't doubt. And, with that, have a good rest of your week.

Bis Bald, Deutschland

Today, I will be bidding Germany farewell yet again as I leave for the environs of France at just shy of 10 in the morning. A longer update will be posted once I'm situated in my new country.

Farewell, Germany; good-bye, BASF. It's been fun. When will I be back? Who knows. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

Two Day Service

About a month ago, I went through the process of acquiring a German residence permit (Aufenthaltstitel). It was, in a way, a bit hair-pulling considering I needed that permit to apply for a French visa but also because I really didn't hear any feedback on my application until I got the notice of approval, and it took about three weeks to accomplish. So, naturally, since the visa I'll have to travel to France serves as a residence permit, I was expecting similar processing times. As stated in the previous post, I specifically went to Switzerland because, normally speaking, the visa process takes several weeks.

I was wrong with what I had assumed. For me, it took two days.

Yesterday, I headed up to Frankfurt am Main rather early in the morning and got to the consulate well in advance of my appointment. I had directions, but I really didn't know where I was going. Surprisingly for me, the U-Bahn put me out on Zeppelinallee, the road that the consulate was situated on. And it was a very quick walk up the road to my destination, a rather unassuming building distinguished by the French flag and the emblem of the French Republic.

I headed in, greeted the guard in French and, after a quick bag search, I went back to the visa section, a small office. I was served rather quickly by a lady who spoke some English (which helped out a bit) and, after being fingerprinted and photographed and all the papers I had were sorted through and sorted, I was given a receipt and told to return the next day with my passport. This isn't what I thought would happen...

I otherwise accomplished quite a bit of sightseeing and exploring in Frankfurt, despite the rain, and headed back to Ludwigshafen, still confused. What just happened... did she really say I could return tomorrow? Adding to the fun was that I had only taken a day off work for the visa appointment, expecting a much longer turnaround. So, I formulated a plan.

Today, I headed into work and explained to one of my coworkers that I needed to run to Frankfurt. He, fortunately, understood, so I headed almost immediately to the train station. About an hour later, I was in Frankfurt. I made my way back to the consulate and the person who had served me the day before, upon recognizing me, indicated that she would help me after she was done with the person ahead of me. Once she was finished, I walked up, gave her my passport, and, after printing off the visa sticker and getting it signed by the Consul, I walked out of the visa office with a shiny visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour. Score.

So, yeah. A process that takes a lot of people several weeks took me two days here at Frankfurt. And I have no idea why it got approved so quickly. But, ultimately, you just take it with a smile and walk on.

Swiss Vacation... and French Paperwork Hell

Last week, I decided that I really wanted to go to Switzerland. And here I am, writing this from Zürich.

To elaborate further, the main reason for this trip, other than wanting to go to Switzerland and take lots of pretty pictures, actually arises from the fact that I go to apply for my French visa on Tuesday. While my application is being processed, however, the consulate probably will have my passport. The processing could take a few days or a few weeks. And, while they have my passport, I won't legally be able to leave Germany to go elsewhere in the Schengen zone, even though there aren't any immigration checks. Accordingly, I figured that getting a quick trip in before I lose my passport is probably not a bad idea, in the long run.

Like the last time I visited, Switzerland is very pretty. And the number of Swiss flags in the streets and wherever you go is pretty impressive, particularly since German flags are not very common where I've lived in Germany. Only drawback to the trip, though, is that everything is expensive... and even moreso now with the much stronger Swiss Franc. As a comparison, when I went to Basel in 2009, it was CHF 1.50 per euro (CHF 1.06 per dollar) and, now, it's CHF 1.07 per euro ($1.30 per Franc). For example, McDonald's meals run about CHF 15 (EUR 13, USD 20), a 1.5 litre bottle of soda is about CHF 2 (EUR 1.90, USD 2.50) at its cheapest... regardless, though, while I'll take my usual travel "precautions" (avoiding restaurants and taxis as much as possible), I'll do my best to avoid letting the rather high prices get to me.

Today was mostly reserved for getting here and lots of wandering around (yes, lots of pictures). Tomorrow will probably feature more wandering, a trip to the Zoo (Zürich Zoo is very renowned) and possibly a few museums, and acquiring souvenirs that people I know might want. Like chocolate. And I'll be out of here on Sunday morning.

So, yeah, that's it from here. Another post might be coming soon-ish. And have a good weekend.

Falling into Place

Everything's all falling into place with the paperwork and such. Which makes me happy.

For one, I'll hopefully have my Aufenthaltstitel (residence permit) on Thursday. All I have to do is go to the Foreigner's Office, pay them € 50 (~$70), and I'll have a pretty sticker in my passport.

The other thing is that some of the paperwork I'll need for my stay in France is coming! In order to work as a language assistant in France, I need a visa, and this visa requires a work contract. The work contract is on its way to me right now, and I'm aiming to apply for my visa in the middle of August. The visa's free of charge, but I have to personally go to Frankfurt to apply for it (they don't accept applications by mail). Accordingly, I'll just turn my consular visit into a day of sightseeing in Frankfurt, a city that I'm not too familiar with save the airport. But, regardless, I'll be working at both a lycée (high school) in the city of Clermont-Ferrand and at a collège (middle school) in a suburb called Gerzat. I presume I'll find out more later, probably after I contact the people in charge of the schools. Also, this means I should probably start looking for housing and accommodation (but not too hard yet, as one of the schools might have arrangements... and I don't yet have my visa).

Also, I figure a few pictures are in order. Clockwise from the bottom, we have scenes of the Speyer Dom, a very large cathedral in Speyer (30 minutes from Ludwigshafen) and the resting place of several German kings of old; a random church along the Rhein; and the Wasserturm in Mannheim, a rather prominent landmark with pretty gardens. (Yes, I like flowers.)

And... that's pretty much it for now. Have a good remainder of your week.

Paperwork Hell

With about 10 days left before my departure, one of the things I've been working on taking care of, other than the various things that I want to do on this end, is getting some of the paperwork ready for the stay(s) abroad. Unsurprisingly, it seems both the German and French governments love inordinate amounts of paperwork. At least in Germany, though, the paperwork doesn't seem to prevent things from being accomplished with the usual level of German efficiency.

Most of the stuff that needs to be taken care of in Germany has to be done in that first week before I begin work. And it's not a small amount of stuff, either:

1.) Resident registration: That has to be practically the first thing before I can take care of anything else, and that's because most places require a document called a Meldebestätigung, a document certifying that I completed registration formalities. To do this, I have to find an Einwohnermeldeamt, an office where I can complete this registration.

2.) Residence permit: Since I decided that staying in Germany for about 4 months was what I wanted, I have to get a residence permit, or Aufenthaltstitel. Legally, since what I'm doing isn't classified as work, I have to have it within 90 days of entry. Functionally, however, I have to have it before I can even begin work because my internship is longer than 90 days! Hence, that has to be gotten before my first day on the 16th.

3.) Bank Account. This probably requires the former two to be accomplished so I can receive the stipends from all relevant sources.

Oh, and I also need to start preparing for going to France. Whee! But the reward once all of the paperwork has been taken care of will make it all worth it, I'd imagine.

And maybe getting my driver's license is somewhere in there.

And, with that, enjoy the rest of your weekends.

Zdraveyte

And welcome, one and all, to this, a blog about my misadventures in travelling. Especially to Europe, where I will be in less than a month. Whee!

Europe is one of the many places that I've been familiar with, being a child of a soldier in the US Army. I lived in Germany for 6 years as a result of him being stationed there and in a little town called Ansbach. I got to return to Germany, but this time to Leipzig (a much larger city) almost two years ago on a chemistry internship, and that was a blast. I also went to Swansea in the UK for a semester of study, and that, especially the month of travelling over spring break, was a blast.

Right now, I'm finishing up here at my university, Ripon College, and will be graduating tomorrow. It's not fun having to pack everything up and say goodbye to a place that I've grown to know and somewhat like over the past three years. But, of course, there are bigger and better adventures that await, and the first one is to Ludwigshafen, Germany, as an intern for BASF SE. Afterwards, if all goes as planned with the visa, it'll be off to France to teach English for about 7 months. Then grad school, wherever that may be.

More will probably be posted as it gets closer to the departure date, so stay tuned!