La vie francaise, tu me manqueras

After posting a list of the negative of living here, I can only post a list of things that I will miss about this place. It is hard to think that this is my last night in such a wonderful place that I have made into my little French home, but reflecting on all these amazing things makes my heart happy to have had this experience rather than sad about leaving.

Things I will miss about France

FOOD. Petit Ecolier cookies, pain au chocolat, fresh baguette (specifically tradition francaise from caracteres boulangerie), muesli au chocolat, green olive tapenade, croissants, orangina, duck. These are just what I could remember - really though, food here is just amazing! Including the way people eat and appreciate food, sitting down for three course meals for several hours at a time.

Fresh fruits and vegetables easily accessible. This goes along with the food idea - I am going to miss picking up fruits and veggies and knowing they came from local producers.

The weather. Constant blue skies and sunshine and a warm climate, with 300 days of sunshine a year. Don't be surprised if I go through seasonal affective disorder coming back to Michigan...

The friendly provencal “bonjour” I receive as I walk down the street. I swear, most days I feel like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I will miss walking down the street and seeing people I know (students, teachers, etc.) but also greeting all the people I don't know. Whether you're stranger or friend, here in small town Provence, you always offer a big "bonjour!"

Hearing French everyday. Though sometimes all I wanted to hear was English, I have gotten so used to hearing this lovely language being spoken by its locals. It is rare to here in America, and I will miss it.

Being able to speak French everyday. When I arrived here, I was so scared to use the language. Unsure of myself and worried, I thought I would never improve my speaking skills, let alone enjoy speaking without huge amounts of anxiety. Now, I can say I truly enjoy speaking French, and am not worried so much about the mistakes I make when I speak - we are all human.

Provence sunrises. Opening up my blinds each morning to the sun peeking over the trees. Pure bliss. 

Hiking to a nearby village, or two, all in one day. Again, the perks of living in the Luberon.

The colors of Provencal architecture. The beautiful rusty orange, weathered taupe, musky coral buildings with periwinkle blue shutters

Street musicians constantly performing their craft. It wouldn't be a normal day if you didn't hear a lone accordion or a man strumming his guitar and singing songs.

SATURDAY MARKETS. Guys, I just really love markets. Especially Saturday markets in Apt. For a city that most times appears so dead, one would not know this on market day, where you have to shove through a seas of people to get anywhere. I will miss walking around with my straw basket, buying fresh produce and fish as well as other trinkets.

Cheap, but delicious, wine. Noone can go wrong with a 1.50 euro bottle of Cotes du Rhone!

Cheap, but delicious, seafood. Not always so cheap, but always so fresh!

French books for a euro. I have found so many great reads for so cheap, wish that the only option at home was ordering from Amazon.

Being able to hop on a train or plane and three hours later be in a different country. The ability to travel to an entire different culture in a very small amount of time. 

The ease and accessibility of train travel. America, when are you gonna step up your train game?!

History everywhere, within everything. They really know how to appreciate old things here, rather than the new always being so important in the States.

The rolling hills of the Luberon. Filled with vineyards and hillside villages

2 euro bus rides going up to 60 miles away. That's a good deal!

Ummm all boulangeries and patisseries. And all their amazing goodies. See my first item about food.

Not having a full work week. Having classes cancelled constantly, working 12 hours (but mostly less) per week.

Giving private English lessons. I really enjoyed giving private lessons this year. I feel like I have a huge strength in working with students on a one-to-one basis and plan to keep in contact with each of my students in the future!

Planning one lesson per week. Rather than the 15 to prepare a week as a French teacher in the US. Though I do admit, repeating one lesson 15 times got a little monotonous....

The people. Many of my fellow teachers, students, parents, friends have asked me what is the number one thing I will miss about living in France. My answer has always been this: the people I have met. Whether it was my French colleagues and students or the assistants I met from America and other countries, these people were so friendly and welcoming, helping me to feel at home in a place that was miles away from my comfort zone. Because of them, I was able to grow into the person I am today - more independent, self-assured, globally aware, and confident. Merci beaucoup to all of the amazing people I met here (and also to all of the amazing support I got from home!).

I don't know what my future has in store for me - when I look out on to the horizon, all I see is a hazy vision of a road ahead. Before this experience, that might have scared me; I was always one step ahead with planning my own life. But now, I know that it will be alright - things will fall into place as they should. All I have to do is take the next step. Merci bien, France, for leading me down this road, but now I think it's time for me to take a different path. I will be back someday and even though I don't know when that will be, I know I will come back to you, like seeing an old friend after a long time apart. Au revoir, mon amie - and thank you for everything.

France, you really suck sometimes

As tonight is my last night in France, I am really starting to reflect on my time here. Many of my friends/family know that my eight months here was no walk in the park - there were several times where I was so frustrated about living here that all I wanted to do was leave. I have kept a running list of these frustrating items of culture and am posting it below. **Please note: this is a list derived from my personal experiences living in France. I understand these items might have been due to my location in a rural town in Provence and that other people living in other regions may not have had these annoyances.**

Things I will not miss about France

PAPERWORK. Everything here requires a form, and I mean everything. Not only that, but specified documentation for each form as well. Just to open an internet contract, you need a copy of proof of identity, a RIB from your bank proving you have a bank account and a copy of your proof of housing. And then to shut down accounts, you must send a recommended letter to the company - you can't just go into a branch office and say you want to terminate your account. Lots of useless papers, all the time.

 

DISORGANIZATION. I find this to be directly connected with the laid-back attitude that the French have about life. I find it funny that so much paperwork and forms are demanded, because once your give all these items, don't be surprised when it takes two months to process them.

Strikes. Whenever they feel like it. Teachers, transportation, etc. I will be happy to get back to a place where strikes are not so commonplace.

Lack of communication. Specifically in my case, classes being cancelled without one word to me about it. I would show up and wait outside the classroom to see no students and no teacher. 

Nothing being open. Ever. It is a general European standard that everything is closed on Sunday. I can deal with that. But after much research, I have noticed many things closed Monday and Wednesday as well. And most times you can't even trust the hours they have posted on the shops. For example, today, my last day in town, I went to a resale shop to sell some DVDs. The sign said that it should have been open, but it wasn't. I guess I never figured out the schedule of all the shops here. 

NO WIFI. Ok that is an exaggeration - there are now three establishments in Apt that offer free Wifi. If it works. Again, just today I went to my favorite Wifi hole, and it didn't work. Beyond that, internet here costs a ton, and you pay by the usage!

Having to take public transportation to get anywhere/not having a car. This was just my personal experience living in small town France but relying on eight buses a day to get anywhere kind of gets old.

 

Not being to find my shoe size ANYWHERE. Any 42s up  in here? I have been told here that my shoe size is for men.

Taking 2 weeks to get something done that could have gotten done in one day. It’s France’s law.

Poop on the sidewalks. Everywhere. Is it so hard to clean up after your animal?!

The weird hairstyles of French men. Especially the weird version of the undercut hairstyle - only works for Macklemore, dudes. 

Needless to say, I won't be missing these things when I return to the U.S. Happy to say au revoir to these petites choses!

A calming stay in Cassis

This weekend literally flew by with the blink of an eye. As it was the last weekend before the end of the assistantship, back in February, Amy, Alison and I booked a hostel in Cassis, to celebrate an amazing seven months while relaxing on the beach and by the pool. As the day we booked this excursion, it had been pouring rain and quite gloomy, we were only hoping for beautiful weather along the Mediterranean for our last weekend together.

On Friday, we went into Avignon and spent the afternoon with many of Alison’s Erasmus friends who are studying in Avignon. With a lovely afternoon lounging on the Ile de Barthelesse, soaking up the sunshine, it was wonderful to meet so many different people from so many different places around the world. After a wonderful dinner made by my British chefs here*, we went to one of Alison’s friends’ apartments to enjoy some wine and franglais conversation. That is one of the things that this weekend made me realize – I am going to miss being able to talk in a mélange of French and English whenever I want, with everyone I know being able to understand me.  

When we woke up early on Saturday to start traveling, it was quite cloudy and mild in Avignon, leading us to think that maybe our wonderful beach weekend wasn’t going to be all what we were expecting. But while we were on the train heading further and further south to Marseille, the clouds disappated, leaving clear blue skies and sunshine washing over the sea. We walked through Marseille to Place Castellane – where the bus left for Cassis. Now, I have taken a lot of bus rides through my time in France and Europe this year. This was by far one of the scariest ones I had been on, with windy roads followed by steep drops, only a small guard rail protecting you from certain death. If I didn’t have la vertige**, it would have been a wonderful ride, filled with spectacular view of les Garrigues and the sea. Either way, after a short 30 minute bus ride and 10 minute walk, we arrived at our hostel. This hostel was one of the best I have been to. It offered an infinity pool with lawn chairs, breakfast on the terrace, a beautiful garden and friendly staff. The building itself was just a villa that had been split up and put into dorms. When I return to Cassis, I would definitely stay at Cassis Hostel – was a great value for a great location. 

After dropping things off, we headed down to the beach and met up with other assistant friends Liz and Cary. It was a perfect afternoon, the sun shining intensely with the cool sea breeze making it a perfect temperature. We spent the afternoon relaxing, talking, dipping our feet in the ridiculously cold sea water and indulging in gelato from Amorino. With the stunning views of Cap Canaille in the background, I could not imagine a better way to spend my last Saturday as an assistant in the South of France, at my favorite place in France with my favorite people. 

Once the breeze proved to be a little too chilly, we said final goodbyes to Liz and Cary and went back to the hostel to enjoy some poolside sunshine. Another great thing about staying in a hostel is the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life. One of the workers there, Christian, told us about his life and gave us advice about what he has found nice in Cassis. After our lounging, we said bye to Fran, washed up and collected items for a nice picnic dinner on the beach. Even though we had to move shortly into our meal and relocate to the port, it was the best way I could have imagined spending my last Saturday night – with great food, wine, and two of the best assistants to share it with. We were drawn to reflecting that night, about the experience, about travels, and about growth within ourselves. It was wonderful to take the time with these wonderful friends to be a little melancholic – although we are excited to get home and see everyone we love, we each realize it will be hard to leave this place.

After a good night’s sleep and a wonderful breakfast on the terrace overlooking Cassis, we suited up and spent Sunday morning by the pool. The sun did get a little intense, meaning I might have the burns to prove it, but it was the end cap of a great weekend. As we headed back to Marseille then Avignon via train, all of us in a minor sun daze and thinking of the amazing place we were leaving behind us, we couldn’t help but feel a bit sad. When we all said goodbye to each other once and for all while Amy and I boarded our bus for Apt, I couldn’t help but have tears in my eyes. This experience as an assistant may have had its rough times. But above it all, you always knew that there were people here going through those same types of struggles. It is hard to say goodbye, knowing you might never see those people again, but you have to say au revoir instead of adieu, leaving it optimistic and positive for future meetings. I will never forget this weekend with my favorite people here in France. Now, my last week of teaching - c'est parti!

*Guys, they just make my cooking look bad. I thought I was pretty good at cooking/baking before coming here, but these girls are on a whole different level!

**Translation: If I wasn’t scared of heights.

Differences between American and French schools

As I am nearly done with my job as an English teaching assistant in France, I want to share some cultural differences between American and French education that I have noticed while I have been working at a French high school (lycée). These are all generalizations and they are all from my personal experiences and perspective. I am not saying that these are the 'end all be all', and some are my opinions. Either way, have a look at my view of l'education française!

1. Schedule. In France, school runs from 8-5, Monday-Friday (and sometimes Saturdays), but has Wednesdays off (in most schools, but in mine Wednesday morning classes still happen). There is a 1.5 hour break in the middle of the day for lunch, and two 15 minute coffee breaks (called récreation) during the morning and afternoon as well. Also, classes rotate every other week; they operate on a semaine A and semaine B format.
  
2. Vacation. There are lots of vacations throughout the year: around every 6 weeks, there is a two week vacation. However, school runs until the first week of July and starts again the first week of September, only a 2 month summer vacation.

3. Food. No food in class. Period. Only exception I saw of this is when they are celebrating an assistant leaving. ("Rebecca, est-ce qu'on peut avoir un 'tit gôuter?!?"* = the response of all of my students when I said I would be leaving)

4. Politesse. In many of my classes, I have noticed that there is no seating chart for the class. However, everyone must stand until being told to sit at the beginning of class. It is to show la politesse, politeness. Also, classes must wait until a teacher asks them to enter the classroom, they stand in the hallway and wait between classes until the teacher is ready and says so.

5. Substitutes. When a teacher is sick/absent, there are rarely substitutes. Class is normally just cancelled. Exception: when a teacher is gone for maternity/paternity leave, a remplacant is found. However, sometimes there is a delay to find this teacher, and during the delay class does not meet. In my case, it took them two weeks to find a replacement teacher for one of my colleagues and during those two weeks, class didn't meet. What did students do you ask? Hang out in the courtyard. Or go to a nearby cafe and enjoy a drink. They can do whatever, no one watches them.

6. Lessons. Lesson plans are not as organized persay: no anticipatory set, presentation of information, guided practice, individual practice. Sometimes, I found them quite hard to follow. Whether that means that they are more/less effective, who’s to say! French students are known for being very intelligent, but I have found that to be because of self-led intrinsic motivation mostly.

8. Conversations during class: Students are generally louder, talk over teachers and carry on conversations during class. Even when told to be quiet or given punishment, I have seen that in general, students will continue to talk to one another.

9. Le Provencal quart d'heure: Being late to class is not a big deal, either if you are a student or teacher. This might be just an aspect of Provence culture seeping in, I have heard it is different in other regions. But here, expect le Provençal quart d'heure - the fact that anyone or anything might be at least 15 minutes late.

10. Utenstils ready. Every student carries pencil cases and graph paper - lined paper doesn’t really exist here (at least I haven't found it anywhere). Students are extremely organized in this realm.
  
11. PDA. Everywhere. And no one controls it. Once one of my colleagues pointed at two young ones going at it and said "This is disgusting! Does this happen in America?" When I explained no, she seemed even more upset, yet didn't go up to the students and tell them to stop.

12. Strikes. Teachers decide to strike. A lot. And when they strike, there is no class.

13. Professional Dress. Most teachers wear jeans and sweaters to class, rarely do they “dress up” persay. There are some that wear skirts and dresses, but I have never seen a man in a tie. Maybe a button up shirt, once.

14. Classrooms. In France, teachers don't have their own classrooms. Since teachers schedules vary, they do not have a set classroom and must switch between several rooms between classes. It kind of operates like a university in this sense. I am not a fan of this difference - I would miss having my own classroom! I think it really makes a difference in making a comfortable and inviting place to learn, filled with useful tools to help with teaching. Or just cool pictures, French posters and French flags hanging everywhere.

15. Mock exams. I have never experienced so many practice exams for a standardized test in my life. Here in France, they have an exam called the BAC that terminale (senior-aged students in America) students take at the end of the year. The BAC exam is extremely important, if they don't pass the BAC they don't get their diploma and can't go to university.

16. Free (or really cheap) University. To add an incentive for students to do well on the BAC, as long as they pass the BAC, they can go to university for free, or nearly free. That's pretty good, ouias?! When I told my students that 12,000 dollars per year is not extravagant for university in America, their jaws dropped. They said that 12,000 euros pays the tuition for the highest institutions in France. Quelle difference!

17.  Grading. Grades here are given out of 20, and it is EXTREMELY rare that someone will get a 20. Or 17-19. It is considered a great grade if you got a 13 and a 15 is exceptional. As an American, this shocks me 13/20 = 65%, which is a D. That's considered a good grade?! Teachers are very particular and don't give high grades for anything. Also, grades are sometimes announced in front of the class, so everyone hears each other’s grades. The first time I experienced this was during my study abroad, when our presentation grades were listed off for everyone to know. I guess there is no sensitivity or privacy in this manner here.

 I am sure there are many more things that I did not cover, but these are the ones that struck me the most. Though there are positives and negatives to both systems, I am happy to be returning to the American education system, where I feel more at home. Though there will be less breaks and vacations, I think somehow I can manage. 

*Translation: Rebecca, can we have a little snack?! It's like our version of, "Can we have a party?!"

A Nice weekend (and Monaco morning)

This past weekend, Liz (a fellow assistant and Michigander that lives in Avignon) and I had a weekend getaway to the Cote d’Azur. We visited Nice, a place that has been on my ‘to see’ list for a long time, and I was anxious for a weekend by the beautiful blue water of the Mediterranean. Meeting at Avignon TGV at 11am on Friday, we jumped on the 3 hour train to Nice. This train ride boasts stunning views of the coast, going from the suburbs of Marseille through Cannes and Antibes before reaching the terminus of Nice. I had taken this train before, when we visited Cannes for Amy’s birthday. This time it was quite gloomy, with dark clouds threatening rain the entire way.

Once we arrived in the city and dropped off our things at our hostel, it was off to exploring the city. As Liz had been to Nice twice in the past, she toured me around the city but also left room to wander through the narrow streets and massive places that closely resemble the piazzas that I experienced in Rome and other cities in Italy. With Nice being so close to the border of Italy and quite a bit of its history being tied to the Romans and the Savoy house, I noticed many similarities between Nice and the country to the East, in architecture, colors, and food. In Place Rosetti, we stopped and grabbed a gelato at a highly recommended shop: Fenocchio Glacier. And with good reason – we were amazed by the amount and range of flavors they offered from 8 different types of chocolate to fruit flavors as rare as passion fruit and lychee. There was even a savory selections, including avocado, tomato basil and  black olive. Needless to say, I went with two scoops of the sweeter options: bounty bar and rocher. Sitting and enjoying this gelato in this petite square of Vieux Nice (Old Town) made me feel like I was in Italy again, and I have to say it was a great feeling!

After this rest, we continued on, though the dark clouds continued to spit droplets down at us. We explored most of Nice on this day, but taking pictures was not really ideal with the weather so we planned to return the next day to each of the big sights. As we walked back from the port as the sun was setting and all the lights in the city were beginning to turn on, I remember thinking “okay Nice, I guess you’re pretty nice!” It is a beautiful city during the day, but arguably even more beautiful at night. While walking back down the Promenade des Anglais, gaping at the lit up palm trees lined up next to me, I couldn’t help but feel content to be in such an exquisite place.

Saturday morning, we woke up early and got ready for a full day exploring the town. Today, the weather was in our favor and the sun shined on us brightly all day long. We went back to all the major sights again, including Promenade des Anglais, the Negresco Hotel, Place Massena, Promenade du Paillon, a wander through Vieux Nice and Place Rosetti. We did wander to a few fairly unknown places though – one of my favorites was the little garden in the courtyard of the Musée Massena. It was a wonderful time to visit Nice, as spring has just started to blossom and all the foliage is starting to burst forth all its magnificent colors. With a little shopping and a little sandwich lunch in Place Massena, the first half of the day was well spent. Oh, and with another stop at Fenocchio Glacier. I just couldn’t get enough!

The Negresco and the Promenade des Anglais

Garden in front of Musée Massena

Getting a little wet at the Promenade du Paillon (sidenote: was not posed, the water jetted up right when the picture was taken!)

Place Massena

Just can't get enough! This time, I went for fruit flavors: mango and blackberry. YUM

In the afternoon, we continued on to a part of town I had not seen yet – Cours Saleya. With tourist shops and busy restaurants on either side, this was a bustling quarter of the city. Also, they hold the marché des fleurs here, and on Saturdays another market full of Provençal goods were lined up in the stalls. We wandered through this and then continued on to the chateau on the hill, the major panoramic viewpoint over Nice. After many steps, with some heavy breathing maybe mixed in, we reached the top and gazed at the magnificent view of the Mediterranean Sea and the city of Nice. It was absolutely breathtaking, and not just from the climb up the stairs!

Flower market

Baie des Anges

After we had taken in the view, we descended the steps and walked along the Promenade des Anglais down to the pebble beach on the Baie des Anges. It was my first time on a pebble beach and I have got to say, it is pretty uncomfortable! As I had left my bathing suit at the hostel, we just laid in the sun in our dresses and soaked in the rays and the calming sound of the waves. It was a relaxing way to spend the end of the afternoon – I will never tire of staring at that blue water.

Pebbles... which felt more like stones

That night, we went out to dinner with the two other people that were in our hostel room: Ryan from New Zealand and Veronica from Germany. We met up with Veronica’s friend Utah (which might have lead to an embarrassing moment when he introduced himself… I didn’t know whether to say my state or name…) and went to eat a nice seafood three course meal in Cours Saleya. Since this was the only real meal we had during the weekend, we enjoyed course after course with wine and champagne. I chose the mussels as a starter, a skewer of fish, scallops and jumbo shrimp with vegetables and rice as an entrée and dark chocolate mousse as a dessert. Needless to say, we spent a nice three hours eating and sharing our experiences traveling and working with each other. That is one wonderful thing about staying in hostels – you get to meet wonderful people from all over the world.

Sunday morning, we woke up extremely early. Before going to bed, we consulted bus times that go to Monaco, the chic principality of France that is extremely close to Nice. Many people in the hostel had been there before and it is always been on my travel bucket list to see this city. After seeing that the bus ride was just 30 minutes, we decided quite spontaneously to spend Sunday morning in Monaco before our afternoon train back to Provence. And what a wonderful idea that was! The bus ride itself was exceptional, passing through seaside village after seaside village, through Villefranche-sur-la-Mer to Èze. After taking in more stunning views of the coast, we arrived in Monaco, got off the bus with all of our bags and sat down in a garden to eat breakfast. It was another beautiful day, and although we only had a short hour and a half to explore, it was amazing to say that we had seen some of the sights. We saw the Casino Monte Carlo, the big pier with all the decadent, huge yachts, and even saw many Ferraris from people staying in the swanky hotels. We even managed to have a conversation with a local, an old man from a nearby village who told us lots of information about France and Monaco. He explained to us that Monaco is incredibly safe; women our age can walk around town at 2am after grabbing a drink and will have no problems like getting hassled by men. Though our time in Monaco was short, as we were taking the bus back to Nice, I was smiling from ear to ear, knowing we set out and saw something new.*

Casino Monte Carlo

Monaco

After a quick walk to the train station, we were back on our way to Provence after a lovely weekend on the French Riviera. I have to admit, I was a sad to see the beautiful blue water fade away in the distance. While sitting in the sun at Avignon TGV, waiting for the bus to Apt to arrive, I closed my eyes and imagined I was sitting in front of the Mediterranean’s clear water. It’s official: that city was just too Nice to me – I know I will be back!

*PS: I really want to go back here, guys! I have got to explore it a little more :)