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!

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?!"

The Beginning of the End

With another school week completed in Apt and just one left week left in the classroom until the end of my contract, it has become more apparent to me how fast this experience has gone by! It seems like just yesterday I was anxiously taking my first steps into a French classroom. Because I have a teaching school that rotates every other week, I have already had quite a few 'goodbye' classes this week. To see the students’ reactions to me leaving, always sad and wishing I could stay until the end of their school year, makes me realize that I have made quite a difference by being here. It is both encouraging and heartbreaking to hear them say "sniff sniff" with a frown - knowing that they will miss me and that I will probably never see them again. For my "goodbye lesson", I have been having students tell me what they are planning on doing in the future and then they can ask me the same, along with any other questions they may have for me before I leave. This has led to some hilarious requests, my favorite being "What do you think of French men?" I have had quite a few students ask about how I got the job as assistant, saying that I have made them want to consider doing this for year (going to a foreign country to teach French). I cannot explain the pride this makes me feel, knowing that I did make some type of an impact on them. Some have even come up after class and asked for my e-mail to stay in contact. I feel like I really made a rapport with several of the students here, making it hard to leave. I have to say that when one of the students left my classroom on Monday and said "goodbye forever", it really hit me that I won't ever see them again or be here again. It is just extremely weird to think about - I will miss this place!

With Easter vacation coming up (vacances de Pâques), in one of my classes, we talked about what everyone is doing for the holiday. Of course, some didn't know the meaning of Easter at first, leaving some bewildered looks. To try to be clearer, I asked "What do you think Easter means?". One female student who knew the answer excitedly yelled out "chocolate!" I mean, let's be honest - she IS right! Monday I received a surprise Easter package from my parents filled with just that: chocolate (and other assorted goodies too). With so much support from home during this entire experience that I have been here in France, it has really made me realize how blessed I am to have such amazing parents. As this was my first true experience living away from home* in my life, venturing to live and work in a foreign country, knowing no one coming in, I cannot thank them enough for the many times I called them, wrote messages on Facebook, skyped them, etc saying how much I missed home. They were and are always nothing but supportive and passionate about my goals and dreams, not letting me give up and making me see that everything will not always be bright and cheery - those are the moments where we truly find ourselves.

How the French do Easter chocolate

Merci Maman et Papa!

The weather continues to be blue skies every day, with the sun getting stronger each day. Jeans and jackets are being swapped with skirts and sandals; Spring is really starting to arrive around here! Not only are flowers starting to bloom, but the buds on the trees are starting to turn into leaves too. Today, as I was walking around the school grounds in a light cardigan and sundress, I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply the smell of Provence. I instantly opened my eyes to realize I had been caught in a memory; the smell had brought me back to my summer studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, with my long sunny walks to and from school. It is funny how this weather is bringing back so many memories of this beautiful region. I can't help but remember myself arriving in September, sweating and panting while falling down the ramp at Avignon TGV with my too-heavy baggage, not used to the Provencal climate or laid-back nature of the culture. Wednesday afternoon, though I had some work to do, Amy and I went to the park to relax, read and soak up the sun. I think that I might be getting a little habitué to this way of life, at long last.

Monsieur Potter and sunlight.

This week also brought the visit from the primary assistant from last year, Cece! Though I had never spoken to her until she arrived, she was so lovely to have around, extremely friendly and we all spent hours telling stories of our experiences in Apt and beyond. On Monday, we all went to dinner at a new place in town called l'Auberge Espagnole. Again, because Apt is so small, new places don't happen very often - I was pleased to see it quite busy on a Monday night! We enjoyed a leisurely dinner of tapas and sangria, coupled by great conversation and a friendly waiter. We welcomed her to a simple dinner at the apartment on Tuesday and after a quick two days, we said our goodbyes. Doing the assistantship brings people together but having been placed in Apt automatically made the three of us instant friends. It is hard to explain to other people, even assistants, what it is like to live and be in assistant in this small village. We all had a universal understanding and bond between us from the beginning. I am so glad that she had the opportunity to come and visit - it was so great to meet her!

She even brought us some American spoils - my favorite girl scout cookies! Thanks Cece!

 This morning, I officially paid my last rent bills and gave the office my lettre de résiliation, my letter explaining when I would be leaving the apartment and when to schedule a contrôle de chambre (room inspection). This required me to go and see my least favorite French person here: the gestionnaire (secretary) of the school. Every time that I have had to talk to her, it has resulted in her rolling her eyes and getting frustrated that I did not understand or could not say something. Needless to say, I always brace myself for a conversation with her. When I saw her and presented her with the letter, explaining we needed to schedule a time for the inspection, she looked at me, wide-eyed and the biggest smile on her face, and said “Mais tu parles bien le français!”** I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy or smile that big. As we continued our conversation she kept repeating her compliment and while making a photocopy, even remarked to another office worker how well I speak now. As I was leaving, she reiterated this by saying, “Tu as fait bien du progrès pendant ton année ici ! C’est bien !“  I can safely say that her kind words meant and still mean a lot to me, as I spent the year avoiding her judgmental glares. With her compliment, it really allowed me to finally say to myself “Yes, you have gotten better. A lot better.” That feeling is wonderful – I am proud of myself and what this experience has given me even beyond French language learning: a stronger sense of self.

With one more weekend and week until my job as an assistant is done, I have to say that I am a bit melancholic and triste. After so much time spent here, it is hard not to be! As always, I will continue to enjoy the last few dregs of this experience, like savoring the last sip of a glass of magnificent rosé. Chin chin!

*Yeah, I know most people have this moment when they are 18 and go off to college. For me, it was at 23 when I moved to a foreign country. Cheers to attending college in my hometown!

**Translation: But you speak French very well!

***Translation: You made good progress during your year here! That’s great!