Sunday, December 18, 2011

unrealistic expectations

I thought it would be different here, I really did. I thought to myself ``ok Marseille is a big city, it has to be different right`` WRONG. Now you all might be wondering what I am talking about. I am talking about the lack of public toilets in France. I mean seriously! seriously! It is like the french have no concept of what a public toilet is. Today I went to a museum, while there I wanted to go to a toilet only to be told `non on a pas de toilet ici`` (no we don`t have toilets here). All this in a suprisecd `where does she think she is tone`. I am baffled...what I thought was just a small town quirck is actually nation wide

A dog came into a coffee shop today...it then started barking its head off. It still amazes me that they let dogs in coffee shops, but in anycase a lot of things in France amaze me...not just the lack of public toilets. Oh and for all the warnings I got about Marseille, I have yet to harrased in any form (except by people wanting to read passages of the bible to me) I find that in cases like these rattling off a string of english will get rid of them.

The museum was great, it had what I love ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome so I was in heaven, it took me a while to get there however. I was told at the tourist office that it would take half an hour max...took me about twice that,mainly due to the fact that once you get to the neighbourhood its very hard to find but I had fun walking around the quaint streets and stumbled across a cool cathedral until I found the museum.

That night I went out to dinner , I promised mum I would have bouilbasse but the weather had other ideas, due to the strong winds none of the boats had gone out. Since the restaurant I was in specialised in seafood they were only able to offer one dish to everyone, it was an entree of salad with pine nunts and then steak and chips with a very yummy pesto sauce and a creme brulee. It was I must say one of the best steaks I have ever had. I had it very rare and it was perfect...my teeth are hurting just thinking about it.

Vertigo hostel is great, I ended up in a room with a very nice girl called Fatima we went to coffee together and dinner and just walked around the port, the christmas market was on with its foire des santons and selling all christmas stuff. It still is not snowing here but I will be having a white christmas in Barcelonnette

Friday, December 16, 2011

The last few weeks

School is over for the term and now it is the Christmas Holidays and all I can say is BRING IT ON!!!!. Seriously I am so burnt out at the moment that the last week of teaching was a real struggle. One thing that I find fascinating about french kids is that their education system has managed to zap them of all independant thought or ideas

Anais- Ok Class I would like you to write this down
Kid One: In pen or pencil
Anais- (stays calm) in pen.


Anais; I would like you to colour this red
Kid: In felt or colouring in pencil
Anais (Head explodes)
Kid -holds up three types of red that have hardly any difference
Which one do I use....?
Anais- Argggggggggggggggggggg

If the french education system is guided to squah individual though then they are on the right track....

Another interesting observation is at recre(break) kids have to ask the teachers permission to go and drink (there are no fountains outside). If there is ever a problem they will go up to a teacher and go "maitresse so and so hit me...."

As an outsider all I can do is laugh and ponder at the fate of these children if they ever move overseaa and realise that, no one cares if you draw in felt tips or pencils as long as you do the right colour.

For christmas I am going to Marseille for the weekend then to Barcelonnette (where it is snowing!) and then to Avignon....

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Cooking and other things


Since living on my own (well technically there are two other people in this apartment but we hardly see each other due to our schedules). I have come to realise how much I love cooking, I don't know there is just something about being able to make what I want when I want that appeals to me. That and the fact that food here is so goooooooooood. Some of my favourite foods

Sausisson . How can we not have this in New Zealand
Jambon Cru- I have to be so careful with this because I can get carried away and eat the whole packet in one setting
yoghurt- The selection is amazing, I am trying every sort of flavour there is
Orange juice- I also tend to get carried away in this. I brought a two litre bottle of Orange juice yesterday and one litre has gone,
mushrooms- so quick to cook and you can add them to anything

Speaking of food, Claire, Kaia and I went to a crepe restaurant in Digne the other night, it seems we are infamous in this restaurant because the first thing the owner said when he saw us was "oh the girls who won't stop laughing". He was wearing a cool all blacks jersey, I did not ask him about it though....its not really the done thing, had a great night though and the waiter kept us amused .

In terms of school it is going ok, I have the permission from the teachers to write down the names of students that are misbehaving and they then have to write lines at the recre. I have done this and it seems to be working well, now the kids are a lot better behaved as they know I have the power to punish them, and I have used it.

I have moments of real pleasure in class though when kids really get it and show me that they have understood but I know that teaching is not for me.

Shout out to Emma Hyde who is the one who inspired me to update, I was checking out her Tumblr and saw her entry about me:)

Christmas is just around the corner and in celebration I have put up a tree in my room. Two weeks left and then the holidays:)

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Les cliches ont la vie dure

Cliches have a hard life. This is the title of a piece in a local newspaper which proves a point I made in an earlier blogpost. This article is an American student discussing the cliches about french people and wether they are correct based on her experience living in France.

1) French people don't take showers. -It states that Americans smell better than French people probably due to the fact that the deoderant is so crappy in France compared to American brands, the french agree. This proves a point that I made in an earlier blog about the lack of proper deoderant in France. I am glad that I am not the only one who has come to this conclusion.

2) The French hate Americans- an American studying in France sees that as false and its more to do with a different in cluture

3) French girls do not play sports- The American student says that she has seen a lot of French girls playing sports but that more women do it in America

4)French people think that they are the best- The American thinks this is true, she mentions in the article that her host family did not eat tomato sauce or processed foods because in France "we only eat fresh ingrediants"- from my experience I do think French people have a tendancy to eat less processed food, ie with them always eating fresh bread and with the meat

5) The French are skinny even if they eat fatty foods- The American explains that this is true because of the quality of the food that they eat and the smaller quantities. I have noticed that I have lost some weight while being here, but I think that my splurge this weekend (Macaroons anyone?) probably halted that.

6( Every women goes topless at the beach. - This one is definatly false, while some women do go topless , there are just as many that do not.


Another observation I have made is that the French seem to be a lot more into politics than in New Zealand. It seems that there are political shows all the time, and the quality of the news is a lot better, although I do sometimes find it hard to understand. I spent a lot of today watching Friends. The dubbed voices were a bit strange but after 10 mins you get use to it. I also saw a documentary on the Crusades. That is another thing I have noticed, a lot more documentaries. In conclusion I think the quality of TV in France is higher than in NZ.

So there you have it 6 French cliches discussed and some unmasked.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

A picture blog







Malta was amazing, these three photos show the highlights of the trip for me, the old churches which were amazing. The St John co Cathedral was great, and it had the picture of the beheading of St John in it. We also went to the oldest temples in the world...It was amazing to see them and to wonder at why they were there and who built them. Chris the owner of the Hostel that we stayed at said that he use to have birthday parties there, before the goverment realised how historically important they were. I also went to St Pauls catacombs which were great, its basically an undergroud grotto of caves with tombs in them...very cool

Since blogger is not being very cooperative in uploading pictures you can check them out on Facebook:)

In terms of teaching, things are going well. I have my lessons planned for tomorrow so hopefully they will go well... I will be going down to see the family tomorrow night for the weekend. No school on Friday as it is a public holiday:)

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

What I miss

What I miss in New Zealand

Salt and Vinigar chips: These are my favourite kind of chips and I have only found them once, and they were not that nice either. France does not have a huge selection of flavours when it comes to chips (this is a big hint that if anyone is thinking of sending me a care package, please include salt and vinigar chips:)

toast bread. I love Vegemite and butter on toast, and while baguettes are yummy it just is not the same...

Toasters: They have them here but it is not really the same thing, its more like a bread grill.

Deodorant: Now maybe its living in a small town but I cannot find a brand that actually works...thank goodness for perfume....

Friday, October 14, 2011

Apparently my accent is wrong....

Yes you read that right, apparently I do not speak proper english...and that is putting aside my speech problem. At first I thought that is what they meant ie that I don't say words properly but nope its all because of my pesky new zealand accent. The tapes and music that they have to accompany their english are spoken by british people so its going to be a lot different to how I pronounce the words as I do not have a british accent I was conversing with my friend Claire just to make sure that it was not a speech problem thing and we said the words the same.

I'm kind of suprised that they are suprised at this. I think they really thought that all english people spoke it the same way...so they want me to learn the vocab I am going to teach for each lesson in the british way...they are going to give me a website to go on where you type in a word and the computer chants it back to in a very british accent

I am kind of bemused of what to do now....Cute moment of the day. Going to one of my schools and having the whole class clamour around me and speaking to me in english with what I had taught them earlier in the week. I also got a hug from one of the girls

I guess I must be more patriotic than I thought seeing as I am kind of annoyed that they think my NZ accent is "a problem"

well at least the kids don't seem to have a problem with it....

Thursday, October 13, 2011

it's illegal to have swings in schools

Yes you read that right apparently it is illegal for french primary schools to have swings unless they have the proper safety equipment. I was talking to one of my teachers at the school and explaining how in New Zealand primary schools have swings, climbing walls, slides ect while in a French primary school the kids (except for the maternelle) just get a big slab of concrete with a hopscotch on it. The teacher explained to me that France is so safety conscience that they are not allowed to have swings ect unless there is the proper safety equipment, such as a gate ect all of which cost money...

I was talking to another school who told me that its only the little kids that need things such as a slide....I didn't tell her that at my primary school and intermediate (college) there were huge playgrouds

The school system is vastly different between France and New Zealand, the kids do a lot more work and are yelled at if they don't do the work properly. There is a dictee every morning and if you have not done your homework of the night before you have to do in in your break. I can see the advantages of this, it installs a good work ethic but I can also see problems, they seem to have too much work sometimes.

In terms of my experience of teaching two of my schools are great, the other one I am researving judgement on but I think it will be good. Questions I got asked

"what are your houses made of"
"do you like rugby"
does it rain a lot in nz
does it snow
are there apartments
why have you got a french name
have you been to a rugby game
was the earthquake scary

little kids are cute....

Monday, October 10, 2011

The first couple of weeks.

So I have been in France for about three weeks now, How time flies. Digne les Bains is a nice little town, if not a bit small...it's weird having nothing open after 6 on a Monday night, and irritating that the French think its a good idea to close banks on a Monday. Today I had my first day of observation at two of my schools. It was nervewracking. One of the classes was scary....the teacher just yelled at the students the entire time, stuff you would never hear in NZ...makes me wonder how I am going to be able to lossen the reins a bit when it comes to english...I mean part of learning a language is speaking it....

The other school however was great, the students were attentive, they listned they answered the questions. they seemed to really like english. Probably because the english teacher himself is really enthusiastic so they were great and they seemed to really enjoy what I made them do...hopefully it will last

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Cultural differences I have observed

I have been in France for a week now, how time flies. I have just moved into what will be my home for the next few months. Its in an apartment building, with an intercom and everything and the apartment is on the top floor which made it quite difficult to drag my things up. Here I thought I would list some cultural differences between France and NZ that I have seen

1) The vous business. When you first meet someone that is seniour to you say vous, we don't have that in NZ. I have eered on the side of caution so have vouved nearly everyone I have met that I don't know...most of the time they saw "why are you vouing me...."

2) Ordering food- You know how in NZ you would enter a starbucks/ coffee culture ect and order at the counter and then sit down...not in France, in France the times I have gone out for coffee and lunch the server will come to you and take your order and you pay at the same time.

3)The supermaket. There are so many things I could say about this. I went shopping today and the supermarket I went to was massive and it sold clothes, so aswell as buying some groceries I brought two t shirts FROM A SUPERMARKET!!!! They are really pretty but its quite strange to see isles of clothing next to packaged cereal and the like. There is also the fruit and veges thing. What you do is that you put them on a scale, select from the picture what you have and then a ticket comes out- its quite clever actually.

4) Banking. Banking in France seems a lot more complicated than in NZ. At my appointment to open an account I got shoved all this paperwork, and they don't really have bank tellers. If you want to deposit money into your account there are machines for that, and you have to ask for an eftpost card you are not automatically given one.

5) Driving. France seems to be the land for road rage. Its dam scary crossing the road in Barcelonnette. First I have to contend with the different way the traffic flows and then there is the fact that drivers don't seem to care about zebra crossing, they will not stop!!!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

One week to go

It is hard to believe that in one week I will be on a plane to France. My grandparents came down for four days and it was great to see them and I am very sad that I won't be seeing them for a long long time. Today I caught up with Aline, Julia and Adrien which was great and tomorrow I have a dinner with my friends to look forward too. I also brought a new camera:) its red and very very cool.
.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Packing adventures

I started my packing today, and I know what you are thinking "what a twit she leaves in two weeks, there is plenty of time" but anyone who knows me knows that I do not perform that well under pressure so with the help of my mum we set about the task of sorting out what to take to France with me











23 kgs check in and 7kgs carry one is not a lot so some tough descisions had to be made... like what books to bring



as you can see by the amount of boxes (one bookcase is also yet to be boxed up. I have a lot of books. I managed to narrow it down to three books however:







Harry Potter et le Prisonnier D'Azkaban
Angelique et le Noveau Monde
Christchurch: An enchanted journey through the garden city. ( given to me by my workmate Michelle )

and since I have packed away most of my clothes do not be alarmed if I wear variations of the same outfit. The packing hell adventure is not over. I still need to buy another jacket, gloves and some more leggings and will probably repack again before I go

Bold

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

The stuff of life.

Ok, I will admit that I took this title from another blog...but I think it is appropriate title for this entry. The thought hit me as I was walking down to Lyttelton in order to go to the library to print out my TGV train ticket and photocopy my visa that earthquakes have become the stuff of life for me in Christchurch. I barely flinched as I felt the concrete shift beneath my feet, infact the thought crossed my mind that I finally knew what it felt like to experience an aftershock while walking.

The fact that earthquakes have become the stuff of life was reconfirmed once I got to the library and found the information professionals (no they are not librarians) and library patrons all in a discussion over the aftershock and looking at geonet to see the size of the latest one. So having established that earthquakes for me have become the stuff of life in Christchurch the question for me remains....when will earthquakes stop feeling like the stuff of life.

Also in terms of stuff... my packing has barely started, all it consists of at the moment is of me having put glassons/ farmers/ warehouse bags fill of stuff I have brought into my suitcase. I guess I should get onto actually starting to pack properly...although that would make everything seem more real and since there are still moments were the thought of leaving fills me with terror I might put it off a bit longer....

Sunday, August 28, 2011

What I have done and what I have yet to do.

So seeing as I am now counting down the weeks (less than a month!) it might be a good ides to write a list of what I have done and what I have yet to do:


Things I have done

  • I have got my visa( recieved in the mail today- valid for 9 months!)
  • Got enough medication to last me my trip
  • My plane tickets
  • Contacted the schools
  • Contacted the conseillère pédagogique
  • My accomodation
  • Started packing
  • My TGV tickets for going to Aix
Things I have yet to do:
  • Go to the dentist (dreading this with a passion)
  • Print out my TGV ticket
  • Finish packing
  • Sort out which books I am bringing to France
  • Change my money into Euros
  • Create more lesson plans
  • Brush up on my New Zealand facts
The next few weeks are going to be hectic and a bit stressful I think but I feel that I am definatly on my way. Having the visa, plane tickets, train tickets and accomodation sorted out is a weight off my mind.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

the visa appointment and a weekend away.

Last Friday I went to Wellington in order to get my visa done at the french embassey,I killed two birds with one stone by also making it into a trip to see my amazing Wellington friends. First observation. The building that the french embassey is in is very fancy on the outside but I was suprised that the office itself consisted only of one room. The visa appointment basically consisted of me handing over the documentation I had brought and then we talked about me becoming a french citizen and she gave me these forms to fill out, I don't know if I will have time to do that before I go to France which will mean I will not be able to get french citizenship as you have to apply for it from your own country.

The rest of the weekend consisted of going to strawberry fare!!!!!!!!! and walking around Wellington. Today I went to the doctor to get my prescription meds. I have been given enough to last me the whole trip aswell as a letter from my doctor for customs....just in case anyone thinks they are illegal lol.

I saw Emma today which was great and she gave me some amazing tips of what to do with the kids:) making me a little bit less nervous about the whole teaching aspect of this experience....I can't believe that in less than a month I will be on a plane to France

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Flights, Accomodation and the Visa

I have just payed for my flights to France. For anyone who is interested I leave on the 23rd of September at 6am (which means I will be at the airport at 4am!!!!). Having dealt with the tickets is a huge weight off my mind. I have also got accomodation sorted. I am going to be bording with a women in Digne, I will have a tv in my room, wifi internet and use of the bathroom/ toilet/cooking facilities so that is a load off my mind as I was worried that with a town as small as Digne it migt be a bit harder to find accomodation.

I fly to Wellington next Thursday for my visa appointment which is on the Friday and will spend the weekend there. Yesterday I went to the Alliance Francaise to observe some French classes to see how they teach language it was a good leaning experience in terms of seeing how to teach a language.

With the tickets and visa booked there is really no going back now....in little more than a month I will be on a plane to France!!!!!

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Digne and other matters

Knowing that I am to be placed in Digne I thought it only appropriate that I provide a picture of the town I will be living in.



Travel nerves are settling in already as last night I had a dream that my passport expired in three months and that I had to get a new one....I can only imagine what I am going to be like when I actually leave .Today I am going to get a translation of my birth certificate in french certified, as I need it in France. The amount of documents needed is actually quite a lot and I am glad i was warned beforehand and that I have people like my mum who are helping me.

I have been communicating with Hannah (the previous primary assistant in Digne) which has been great as she has given me a lot of great advice on teaching and the town.

I think the fact that I have not got my plane ticket (a task for this weekend) and my visa is kind of freaking me out a bit. I think everything will become a bit more real when that is all sorted out.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Update

I have just confirmed that I will be accepting the position of Assistante de Langue in Digne and have just now recieved the email saying they have recieved my email of acceptance. They probably think I am crazy as I sent the email about 8 times as it always bounced back to me. I am in the middle of looking at flights at the moment and I think I have found the tickets. Gerald (a frequent customer at the Napier City Library) gave me some websites and they turned out to have the cheapest fares out of everything I have looked at so thanks Gerald:)

Tomorrow I have a long list of things to do which include, going to a flight shop to see what options they can give me in terms of ticket prices, just to check. Getting a translation of my birth certificate, passport photos and filling out the visa forms. Then it is off to Wellington to get the visa done, I am hoping to go on a Friday so I can make a long weekend out of it.

Things are starting to get real......

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Digne!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got the long awaited email today. I have been placed in three primary schools and I will be living in Digne. Digne is a city of 16,087 and is the capital of the commune of the Alpes of Haute Provence. It is around 1 and a half hours from Barcelonnette which is going to be cool and I think I might learn how to Ski. Still have a descision to make on if I am going or not, all depends on the job situation here but at this point I am pretty certain that I will be going. Next step is going to Wellington to get my visa!!!!

Friday, May 6, 2011

I have made it!



Big news everyone I have been accepted.


I will be in the Aix-Marseille region. For everyone here is a picture of Marseille. In an epic fail they called me Zoe lol so I will have to remedy that.



This region is close to where all my family is which is going to be great. Another update will come when I will get the next emails.