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.

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

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!!!!!

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.

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......

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!!!!

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.