Autumn has truly arrived in Provence. Today, from my view at the nearest
cafe with Wifi, you can see the leaves changing in the trees and beginning to
fall to the ground. It is nothing like the burning reds, firey oranges and
bright yellows that I am used to, but the tan-brown color of the foliage almost
seems to fit the nature of this small town at this time of year. Things already
move slowly in Provence, but with the change of seasons, things are moving at
an even gentler pace in the countryside. Stores and restaurants are never
guaranteed to be open*, people bundled up in bulky jackets, scarves and boots
take their time walking slowly about town (when they do decide to leave home)
and the only time you see this town bustling with people is on the Tuesday and
Saturday market. Or maybe at a local cafe, having a café noisette or une
verre du vin with friends.
The past few days, I have been acclimating myself to this change of pace as
well. Monday, I had one class which was full of more introductions and
hilarious questions or comments. The title of this post was said by one of my
students, telling me how much she loves My Little Pony. You really can't make
this stuff up. This morning I already had one class** and will have only one
more this afternoon, as one of the classes is cancelled since the teacher is
gone. That's right: when the teacher isn't there, class just gets cancelled. No
substitutes.
Yesterday, I got to spend some time with Amy's friend Georgia, who came to
Cannes for Amy's birthday and then came to visit in Apt. She is a teaching
assistant as well but right now she is placed in Germany, but also speaks
French. I can't even imagine being trilingual - I have enough trouble with just
two languages! It was nice to be able to get to know her more, and to hear
about life in Germany as well as what assisting is like there. Always great to
meet another English person as well, I feel like I am always learning so much
about English life!
While we were grabbing some Wifi yesterday, we also had a lovely chat in
French with the woman who always serves me at the restaurant I go to. I can
still never get over the fact that people here in Provence just automatically
make you feel at home. It was getting breezy so she closed the door to keep us
warm, she asked if she could sit down next to us to watch her favorite soap
opera, les feux d'amour, which I guess is an American soap that is just
dubbed in French, and proceeded to just chat with us like we were old friends.
Southern hospitality truly exists, in the United States as well as here in
France.
For these next few days, time well be spent planning a few more lessons,
teaching and enjoying a little more of Apt before we depart for the two week
vacation (post forthcoming). But for right now, on this eery, cloudy, misty day
in Provence***, I might just snuggle up and watch Harry Potter in French. I
just couldn't help but buy the third one to have a small piece of Fall on this
mid-October Tuesday.
*This posed quite a problem yesterday and today: I left my American to
French adapter in a restaurant that I use for Wifi yesterday (named Pizz'
Burger. Again, can't make this stuff up). When I realized and went back during
dinner hours last night, they were closed. I was going to go back for lunch
today to grab it, but Georgia said she saw a sign on their door saying that
they were closed today. No reason, just randomly closed on both accounts when
they should have been open. I don't understand France.
**Where the students proceeded to say "l'américaine!" when
they first saw me and said to the teacher when I wasn't in the room that they
had so much fun with me today and are excited for this year! Awesome.
*** By the way, this weather never happens. This region is known to get 300
days of sunshine a year, and when it does rain, it normally pours. Kind of
anomaly, today is.
No comments:
Post a Comment