Thawing Out

This blog in meant to be a blog of my experiences in travelling abroad and the such; I started it back in May of 2011 before I went to Germany and France. Once I returned to the US, though, I stopped blogging because it didn't seem "necessary" anymore. But I always thought that, were I to go out of the country, the blog would be revived on that occasion.

And... that occasion has come. In about one month's time, I will be going to the Republic of Korea for a month-long scientific project in collaboration with some people there, the topic being electrospinning. I don't know too much about it, but I'm sure I'll get an earful/eyeful very soon. Not to mention it'll be a potentially interesting destination: I've never been to Asia. The furthest east I've been is Romania, so this'll be a very different experience altogether.

So, yeah. That's about it for now. More info to come.

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.

Écosse, Alba, Scotland...

Because spending time in France for vacation, while potentially fun, can be rather tiring after a while, I am presently in Scotland. 'Twas a long, long day of travel with about 11 hours in all on trains (including a late train into Paris and the RER D not properly functioning!), but I was surprised with much warmer temperatures here than in France. And, despite the delays, everything went surprisingly well coming here (very fast and painless passage through Immigration, very friendly staff otherwise), so that puts me in an even better mood. Joy.

In all, I'll be in Edinburgh for four nights, after which point I'll head southward to Cardiff, Wales, for a few days... then London... then back to France. In all, I'm looking forward to this being a nice, relaxing vacation with lots of pictures taken and the ability to get lots of stuff for sending to the US and for sharing with people I like in Clermont-Ferrand. Like food.

Anyways, more will come later, but I just felt like making a quick update. With that, have a good week.

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.