Friday, December 21, 2007
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
We're featured on another blog! Woo! We met some fellow Northwesterners and had them stay with us for a night.
www.dylanandmariahdoeurope.blogspot.com
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Nantes Hipsters
This video briefly captures the trend among young Nantais- slick faux hawks, skinny jeans, apathetic smoking while listening to electronic music and dancing with arm spasms.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
A Typical Day in Lucon
Below is an illustration of what we have come to love about our little haven in Lucon. Little towns are underestimated for their hidden pizazz...
Saturday, October 27, 2007
They Don't Need No Education
Updates have been difficult to come by- considering I just snuck into one of my school's on a Saturday should be telling. Happens to be the school with not-so-modern 'quipment. The PC's hard drive is actually displaying all of its guts and I don't know how its working- but I know I can't download any photos- so use your imagination...
To sum up my teaching experience to date, I have cycled through various opinions of the education system in France, and reflected upon my own. The beginning of October, I was literally thrown into my job the first two days without any direction except to use a specific room to do my lessons. Not only was the language barrier an obstacle, but the fact that I literally had no prior tips or any resources on teaching. I was amazed at the trust, or apathy, the teachers had by allowing me to supervise such young pupils! I thought 12 hours was going to be an easy break- but it's 12 hours of constantly being on and trying to avoid injuries and actually teach these kids something- plus the time to prepare. No complaints, this is what I signed up for, but after the first 2 weeks of my "Emily is going to miraculously influence these kids to love and learn English in an alternative way, where they don't need rules and lame boring things because they'll love and respect me" method, I realized I should seek out helpful resources before I have an anxiety attack.
To get an idea, the first week I played "Hello, Goodbye" and made a game with it that turned into a mad peekaboo extravaganza with kids running behind curtains yelling goodbye and then slide tackling eachother as they jumped out to say hello... So my brilliant idea was to loop Max into it all the following week. He came and sang another Beatles song "All Together Now" turned into me leading all the kids around the class in a conga line as Max played guitar. Hilarious, yes. Educational? Probably not. That was the turning point when I sought help from my roomate who happened to be a valid teacher who knew what the hell she is doing.
Now I have a program to follow and it has made my life SO much better, and they are actually learning! Granted, it makes Max go crazy because both my roomate and I say the same things and gestures and repeat English words, but it's amazing to have control of the room. Moral of the story, rules are there for a reason. Otherwise, it's pure anarchy.
I bet a lot of you are getting ready for Halloween. Have fun!!!!
To sum up my teaching experience to date, I have cycled through various opinions of the education system in France, and reflected upon my own. The beginning of October, I was literally thrown into my job the first two days without any direction except to use a specific room to do my lessons. Not only was the language barrier an obstacle, but the fact that I literally had no prior tips or any resources on teaching. I was amazed at the trust, or apathy, the teachers had by allowing me to supervise such young pupils! I thought 12 hours was going to be an easy break- but it's 12 hours of constantly being on and trying to avoid injuries and actually teach these kids something- plus the time to prepare. No complaints, this is what I signed up for, but after the first 2 weeks of my "Emily is going to miraculously influence these kids to love and learn English in an alternative way, where they don't need rules and lame boring things because they'll love and respect me" method, I realized I should seek out helpful resources before I have an anxiety attack.
To get an idea, the first week I played "Hello, Goodbye" and made a game with it that turned into a mad peekaboo extravaganza with kids running behind curtains yelling goodbye and then slide tackling eachother as they jumped out to say hello... So my brilliant idea was to loop Max into it all the following week. He came and sang another Beatles song "All Together Now" turned into me leading all the kids around the class in a conga line as Max played guitar. Hilarious, yes. Educational? Probably not. That was the turning point when I sought help from my roomate who happened to be a valid teacher who knew what the hell she is doing.
Now I have a program to follow and it has made my life SO much better, and they are actually learning! Granted, it makes Max go crazy because both my roomate and I say the same things and gestures and repeat English words, but it's amazing to have control of the room. Moral of the story, rules are there for a reason. Otherwise, it's pure anarchy.
I bet a lot of you are getting ready for Halloween. Have fun!!!!
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Black Swan at the Jardin Dumaine- Luçon
This black swan was brought over from Moscow. It is a descendent of Rasputin's beloved "Angelica", his favorite pet swan. He used to have his tea every morning near her pond while he discussed politics with Tsar Nicholas II.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Proofread
Sorry for the grammar mistakes in the last entry. It was not proofread. And I also cant spell...
We are now in Paris with Shelly and Joe... they have been more than generous with their hospitality...fortunately the apartment they are residing in has a pull-out sofa so Emily and I bummed a few nights of shelter from them...also I [max] was lucky enough to show the most enthusiasm when they revealed that they had an extra ticket (billet) to The Police show so I got to go...it was extremely impressive and they [The Police] did not show the sixty years they nearly all carried...two nights were sold out at the football stadium... a capacity of 60,000...I left a bigger fan than when I arrived...
It is Sunday in Paris and we are about to venture to a market...A bientot!
We are now in Paris with Shelly and Joe... they have been more than generous with their hospitality...fortunately the apartment they are residing in has a pull-out sofa so Emily and I bummed a few nights of shelter from them...also I [max] was lucky enough to show the most enthusiasm when they revealed that they had an extra ticket (billet) to The Police show so I got to go...it was extremely impressive and they [The Police] did not show the sixty years they nearly all carried...two nights were sold out at the football stadium... a capacity of 60,000...I left a bigger fan than when I arrived...
It is Sunday in Paris and we are about to venture to a market...A bientot!
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Hello all! This is a monumental moment in history because you are witnessing something very out of the ordinary for me and that is using modern technology. I must admit I have scraped the surface of such technological tools as Car or "Cellular" phones and Electronic mails. But something as grandious as a blog is a fiet that shall now where on my sleeve. I have read what my counterpart has already written and will not double-up information. Nantes was extremely welcoming and I am very impressed with the southern hospitality here in northwest France. An interesting experience has gone untold for too long. Our host JC asked us if we wanted to go dancing with his group of friends. We agreed of course because Em and I always love to cut some rug. As we were on our way I began to wonder what JC's friends were like because he is retired and retirees seem to always befriend other retirees but do not call me an age-ist. I just was not aware of the specific kind of dance we were to partake in and if for any reason, we were to switch partners I wanted to make sure I would not cause any heart attacks. So we arrived and entered a building that was full of elderly or near elderly students and an instructor who was dressed in a cowboy hat, wranglers and boots to match. We then told that we going to learn country dance. YEE HAW! It was great and boy were they spry. We line danced for nearly 2 hours to various songs by Kenny Chesney and Alan Jackson to instructions delivered in French. It was a special experience.
We are now well-aquanted with beautiful Lucon. Our Apartment is connected to a middle school so at 8:10 everyday I am brought back to my school dayz with the sound of the bell. At night an eerie silence envelopes the apartment because it is just the three of us who inhabit the entire school. Lucon is great and I am still finding my niche here but it will come to me in time. Love you all. A Bientot!
We are now well-aquanted with beautiful Lucon. Our Apartment is connected to a middle school so at 8:10 everyday I am brought back to my school dayz with the sound of the bell. At night an eerie silence envelopes the apartment because it is just the three of us who inhabit the entire school. Lucon is great and I am still finding my niche here but it will come to me in time. Love you all. A Bientot!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Lucon
So things have dramatically slowed down in the past few days, sort of. Max and I were not sure what to expect of Lucon- our new home for 9 months. Oh, you haven't heard of it? Maybe because it's the equivalent of a French Gig Harbor size wise, except everything is walkable and there is no harbor.
Our biggest challenge of lodging was immediately relieved after learning we have an apartment with the other teacher assistant from Australia. Turns out we are living in a middle school. The building used to be a boarding school, and now they rent the vacant rooms to teachers for a very good price. The place is pretty livable, and we weren't about to be picky at all. A big kitchen for cooking, furnished with makeshift pieces like old school desks, and a bidet! We even have a built in alarm, which is the school bell that goes off each morning for school. Usually the rush of kids wakes us before, because our window is right above the schoolyard. Today we were in the kitchen making lunch with the window open, and kids were waving up at us. Jessica (the roomie) went and grabbed her Australian flag and hung it out the window. One kid reacted by pinching his nose and holding his head high as if disgusted. Ha! Imagine a US flag...
We've been acquainting ourselves with the town, which despite its size is difficult because most people don't speak English. Regardless, we are trying to make friends and network as much a possible. I can only imagine what we look like with only my broken French to communicate. Probably like Jay and Silent Bob, but Jay is on crack.
Pictures to come... soon we will have internet at our place- eventually. The internet guy was off today, and yesterday, so maybe tomorrow? But probably not, since its Friday. However, you can check out their crazy website for an idea: http://www.ville-lucon.fr/
I do appreciate their laxness though, especially when it comes to school. They're allowing me to create my very own curriculum. Max is going to come and play guitar at least once a week. Any song suggestions?
love and miss you all!
em and max
oh, and Max will be contributing to this blog eventually. He was against it at first, thinking it was too cheesey and phoney and blah blah, excuses!
Our biggest challenge of lodging was immediately relieved after learning we have an apartment with the other teacher assistant from Australia. Turns out we are living in a middle school. The building used to be a boarding school, and now they rent the vacant rooms to teachers for a very good price. The place is pretty livable, and we weren't about to be picky at all. A big kitchen for cooking, furnished with makeshift pieces like old school desks, and a bidet! We even have a built in alarm, which is the school bell that goes off each morning for school. Usually the rush of kids wakes us before, because our window is right above the schoolyard. Today we were in the kitchen making lunch with the window open, and kids were waving up at us. Jessica (the roomie) went and grabbed her Australian flag and hung it out the window. One kid reacted by pinching his nose and holding his head high as if disgusted. Ha! Imagine a US flag...
We've been acquainting ourselves with the town, which despite its size is difficult because most people don't speak English. Regardless, we are trying to make friends and network as much a possible. I can only imagine what we look like with only my broken French to communicate. Probably like Jay and Silent Bob, but Jay is on crack.
Pictures to come... soon we will have internet at our place- eventually. The internet guy was off today, and yesterday, so maybe tomorrow? But probably not, since its Friday. However, you can check out their crazy website for an idea: http://www.ville-lucon.fr/
I do appreciate their laxness though, especially when it comes to school. They're allowing me to create my very own curriculum. Max is going to come and play guitar at least once a week. Any song suggestions?
love and miss you all!
em and max
oh, and Max will be contributing to this blog eventually. He was against it at first, thinking it was too cheesey and phoney and blah blah, excuses!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
French Cuisine
Max and I arrived in Nantes last Thursday to be welcomed by Jean Claude- nicknamed JC because he has been our savior. JC has a B&B and it doesn't etb.
JC has introduced us to Nantes in a traditional fashion. On top of breakfast- which is simply baguette or croissant and coffee- JC and his wife Annick have fed us lunch every single day. We start with an aperitif and mini laughing cow cheese squares, then the main dish along with red wine from Bordeaux, always followed by Camembert and goat cheese with more wine, then a pudding dessert and lastly a cup of espresso with a piece of dark chocolate. Merci!
So, how do the French stay thin? Well, they don't snack for one. A little breakfast loaded with carbs starts the day, then they have the leisure to take two hours to eat a meal without gorging, and this satisfies for the rest of the day and they end with a light dinner so their bellies aren't full while they sleep.
Since we are on the subject of food, I have a confession to make. So JC speaks broken English, and yesterday he was going to the market to pick up food for lunch. He asked Max and I if we liked what sounded like "house meat". Having no clue what he meant, we thought maybe it was like house wine or a bad grade. After much effort, we realized he meant horse meat! Instantly I froze. I looked at Max with horror, and not wanting to be rude we sheepishly agreed to try. And I hate to even admit, but it was actually really tender. The only thing I could do was drink lots of wine and pretend it was not it was-although it is what it is. Tiffany and Hasa forgive me! And all the other horses I love... Tiniki, Mia, Blue Willow, Tonto...
Today we had black pudding. Again, I had to guzzle some wine to stomach the thought. I only tasted it, but Max was raving. A true Irishman!
Tomorrow we leave for Lucon, the town where I will be teaching. I heard the delicacies there are sweetbread and frog legs- more palate adventures to come...
Stay tuned for more updates and photos.
with love, max and em
JC has introduced us to Nantes in a traditional fashion. On top of breakfast- which is simply baguette or croissant and coffee- JC and his wife Annick have fed us lunch every single day. We start with an aperitif and mini laughing cow cheese squares, then the main dish along with red wine from Bordeaux, always followed by Camembert and goat cheese with more wine, then a pudding dessert and lastly a cup of espresso with a piece of dark chocolate. Merci!
So, how do the French stay thin? Well, they don't snack for one. A little breakfast loaded with carbs starts the day, then they have the leisure to take two hours to eat a meal without gorging, and this satisfies for the rest of the day and they end with a light dinner so their bellies aren't full while they sleep.
Since we are on the subject of food, I have a confession to make. So JC speaks broken English, and yesterday he was going to the market to pick up food for lunch. He asked Max and I if we liked what sounded like "house meat". Having no clue what he meant, we thought maybe it was like house wine or a bad grade. After much effort, we realized he meant horse meat! Instantly I froze. I looked at Max with horror, and not wanting to be rude we sheepishly agreed to try. And I hate to even admit, but it was actually really tender. The only thing I could do was drink lots of wine and pretend it was not it was-although it is what it is. Tiffany and Hasa forgive me! And all the other horses I love... Tiniki, Mia, Blue Willow, Tonto...
Today we had black pudding. Again, I had to guzzle some wine to stomach the thought. I only tasted it, but Max was raving. A true Irishman!
Tomorrow we leave for Lucon, the town where I will be teaching. I heard the delicacies there are sweetbread and frog legs- more palate adventures to come...
Stay tuned for more updates and photos.
with love, max and em
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