Soleil, you can stay

It is already the weekend here in Apt! Though I am excited for it to be here, the past week has almost been like a vacation for me. With sunny skies every day and the temperatures reaching 80 degrees, I was wearing dresses and sandals all week – not bad for middle of March! Not to mention, because of oral exams given during many of my classes, I only worked 5 hours this week at school. My schedule reads that normally I have 13 hours this week, already not many when you compare to an American teaching timetable. Nonetheless, I was happy to have the time to lay in the sun, read and relax. After this week, I look as if I went to the beach on holiday, with a few shades darker on my skin.

On my walk to private lesson in Gargas

Although I only worked 5 hours at school, I did manage to work 5 hours of private lessons too. When I was walking back Monday evening from one of these lessons, I heard someone behind me shout out a hesitant “excusez-moi?” I thought she was not talking to me but still out of politeness I turned my head. She looked at me familiarly and asked “tu parles francais?” Recognizing that this was a teacher from the collège, I responded and she began to tell me that she spoke to one of the teachers I work with and was wondering if I could give her daughter private lesson. I said of course, she instantly called her daughter and took me to her home (which also happens to be here at the school) to meet her. Although we did not meet that day, we called each other and set up a lesson for Thursday. I used to be quite intimidated on the first day of a new lesson client, but now that I have had so many, I was not nervous at all! It is all about recognizing the level of the student and what their interests are. For all the private lessons I do, my focus is to just get them to SPEAK and have a conversation with me, as speaking is always the hardest skill to master in a foreign language. This new client is very enthusiastic and fun-loving, I know that I am going to enjoy giving lessons to her for the next month while I am still here.

With a month left of teaching, I have begun to do what I have been dreading since the beginning: closing everything down. From internet service, to phone service, to my bank account to my apartment, discussions about les resiliations* have been an everyday occurrence here. Though many are making the processes very easy, I just have a feeling that the second I go to them on the day I need to leave, they are going to say, “mais non!” and tell me I have to pay a fee. I am not paranoid for thinking of this, I have read about closing accounts in France online, and numerous people have had finicky situations. Here’s hoping that me doing my homework this far in advance will help!

I still can’t believe that I now have only four weeks left, time is just flying by! This week was spent booking all the hostels for my little European vacation. I have to admit I breathed a sigh of relief when that was done! I am happy that I get to spend a few more relaxing weekends around here, as looking towards this whirlwind travel extravaganza, though I know it will be amazing, makes me realize how much energy I will need to do 18 straight days of travel. Gotta get ready for what I know will be the best trip yet!

*Translation: the cancellations, the closings

Singing in the Rain

From this gloomy, lazy Saturday afternoon in Apt, I am happy to be cuddled warm in a blanket, reading David Sedaris' book Me Talk Pretty One Day. This might sound like completely different weather than my last post, where the abundant sunshine was shining in my eyes constantly. The entire week since, it has rained. One day, it even got cold enough that a couple snowflakes were blowing around outside. All I can say about this: thanks Polar Vortex!

Literally, one day after laying out in the sunshine.

Although the rain did make this week quite gloomy, I was still in high spirits after such a relaxing weekend. Monday, after teaching my business English classes, as my boss Alain was driving me home, he promised me that from now on, each week he is going to try to teach me at least one new French word or phrase. I appreciate this, as I find it hard here to get the opportunity to learn a lot of new words with teaching English all the time. He tends to teach me a lot of phrases that are commonly used in conversation, not formal French but more like slang. A couple of this week's words? De sous, meaning money (though I never had heard of this word to describe it) and le nec plus ultra, meaning the best thing.

In honor of my good mood and rain, my love for Gene Kelly continues...

Along with the less than fantastic weather, sickness riddled my work-week. With all the students bringing kleenex with them to class, it was hard to get them motivated to speak a lot of English. After discussing pedagogy with my teachers, I learned a few new techniques that help with the lack of motivation, like the difference between creators and imitators. It proved helpful in later lessons during the week! That is, the lessons that did not get cancelled - on Thursday, my normal 6 lessons turned into 2 as all others had been cancelled due to teachers being sick.

Friday brought a busy day teaching. Actually it was the busiest day of this past week teaching-wise! Even though I do not teach at the lycée on Fridays, I taught 3 hours of private lessons. It was my third week working with a boy from the collège, and I think that we are really starting to make some progress. He really tries to use as much English as possible, rather than before he would spout off in French if he didn't know what to say. Also, he was brave enough to voluntarily show me his last quiz score, which was less than stellar. As he handed it to me, he said "yeah, this is a sad contrôle*". I said that it is fine to make mistakes, we just have to learn from it and try harder next time. I took notes of what we could work on for next week, and he left feeling accomplished.

My other lesson yesterday was with a girl that is one of my students at the lycée. It was our first lesson together, and we spoke constantly for two hours in English. I am extremely impressed at how well she speaks English, telling me how she went to an international school in Holland where they spoke English in every class. It was quite enjoyable to just sit and talk to a young person in English and for us to understand each other so well. I have found that for every 5 students that are uninterested in English here, there is one that is so incredibly passionate and curious about the language that the other unmotivated, impolite students seem to not bother me as much. I am so blessed that I have gotten the opportunity to teach in a classroom setting here in France but also to have had such a variety of private lesson clients. From middle age Business associates talking about technology to a thirteen year-old boy having difficulty being able to introduce himself, I have really broadened my abilities in teaching for different levels and with different goals in mind.**

Although this past week has been great, I did feel quite a bit homesick. I think this was due to a combination of my birthday being so soon*** and the gross weather, neither of which improved my mood. I know that I will have an amazing birthday here in France, but there is nothing like having your family and friends around to celebrate another year of life. Even though my birthday is on Wednesday, we are going to celebrate on Saturday by climbing the Mont Sainte-Victoire, just outside of Aix-en-Provence. It was something I really wanted to do when I studied in Aix but never got around to it. Now, in honor of 24, and weather providing, I am finally going to climb that mountain and I can't be more excited about it. Until then, a relaxing weekend and week will be just what I need to welcome another year in my life. And maybe a little bit of the Pinot Noir I just bought too.

*Translation: test
**Not to mention, it is REALLY nice to have some extra money around here. Makes saving up for my April-May travels that much easier!
***Countdown to 24: 4 days. Oh god, I feel the wrinkles setting in now!