"But, eh, I do not understandeh zee English!"

Today, I actually yelled (well, my version of "yelling," which is really just speaking in a serious tone) at a student for the first time. This kid was a jerk; he was a jerk last time I had him in class, and this time I just wasn't in the mood to put up with his crap. So, about halfway through the class, as he rambled off another smart-ass comment in French, I let him have it. I looked at him and said something along the lines of:

"I don't want to hear you speak French. If you don't want to be here, that's fine - I'll tell your professor not to send you next time. But, maybe the reason you don't understand English is because you sit in all your classes, speak French, and don't try. If you don't want to speak English, that's fine, but then I don't want to hear you speak at all."

I went on like this for a couple of minutes...the other students were totally backing me up, too, which was pretty awesome. I think he felt bad, because he actually shutup for the rest of the class period.

It was really strange to confront somebody like this in the middle of the class, and I was actually really scared the whole time (but I don't think it showed). It was something that was outside of my comfort zone, although necessary since I had begun to lose control of the class and he was acting as the ring-leader.

I ended up having about 10 minutes at the end of class and nothing to do, so I put this picture of Will and Joe dressed as hobbits from a beer pong tournament last year up on my computer, and asked the students to imagine and describe what was happening:

I should have been able to predict that they would say nothing - I reacted quickly when they didn't, though. I made them all take out pen and paper and write "Who? What? When? Where? Why?" on the board. I told them they had 5 minutes to make up answers to the questions, write their names on the papers, and turn them into me as they left. (Here are my favorite answers: (1) "There is two man, they drink and do the fiesta. It the party of village in winter. They do a grimaces in the picture." (2) "This is your friends in bar in your country. They drink and make a party. In winter because they have a blouson. They make a grimaces in your pictures. They dancing, they have a eyes brow, they are funny. Because it's nice. They wear the cape.") This exercise accomplished a few things -- first, it filled the last 10 minutes of class really easily. Second, it allowed me to stop talking and made them start working. Third, it showed them that, if I wanted, I could have the power to affect their grades (even though I don't think I actually do). Fourth, it allowed me to get the name of the little jerk so that I can tattle to his teacher.

Situations like this show me not only that I'm not meant to be a teacher (I guarantee I know many, many people who would handle situations like this, and far more difficult situations, with a much higher level of grace, composure, and effectiveness), but they also are good lessons in learning how to think and react both quickly and effectively. I'm not sure if I fully succeeded this time; we shall see.

Immediately following that class, I was supposed to have another group of the same age. Luckily, the group couldn't come because their professor was being observed, so I ended up with a group of 11-year olds who were absolutely adorable. They loved being in the classroom, and I had so much fun with them!

Among the reasons I love the French

I now have yet another counterexample for anyone who has ever used the phrase, “The French are a-holes”. Or, perhaps those of you who have formed another overly generalized opinion about “The French” (which, for most American, refers solely to the Parisians). Two weeks ago, I decided to buy a plant in an attempt to my “apartment” more like a home. So, I went to a local plant shop and began looking around. The girl working at the shop was close to my age; most of the conversation revolved around what kind of plant needs little to no sun, can live inside, and require little maintenance (I ended up with the sweetest-looking plant ever; it’s all spiky with white dots). However, the inevitable question of where my accent is from came up, and we began to discuss our backgrounds and travels (as she has spent time in some Anglo countries). She mentioned the fact that she’s losing her English due to the lack of opportunities to practice it; so, as I was paying for my plant, I gave her my number and e-mail address and told her to call if she ever wanted some English conversation time. She contacted me the next week, and we finally arranged a time to get some coffee tonight. She brought her boyfriend, with whom she is moving to New Zealand in September, and we spent about two and a half hours at a local café getting to know one another.

Now comes the part related to French stereotypes. During our two and a half hour conversation, Emilie and Pascal offered the following: (a) To take me skiing and let me stay with them at her father’s place in the mountains; (b) Do drive me around to local vineyards for wine tasting; (c) To go on various local excursions to places you can only see by car; (d) To go with Emilie to visit Pascal in Montpellier, where he goes to school, and stay with them for a weekend; and (e) To go out with their French friends in Valence so that I can meet and talk to some natives. I’m not sure that they realized how generous they were or how impressionable their generosity was to me, but I was truly overwhelmed. They are some of the most generous people I’ve ever met, and I’ve known them for a grand total of two-and-a-half hours. Oh, and did I mention that Emilie paid for my coffee because I was the “invitée”?

Now, I would not tell all of you to reconsider your opinion of the French population if this was a unique circumstance – but, I can assure you, it is not. In the last two months in France, I have met some of the most generous, welcoming people I have ever met in my life. Yes, it helps that I speak the language. But, more importantly, there is a deeply rooted culture of openness and hospitality in France that can be quickly discovered by simply traveling outside of Paris and speaking a few phrases of French (even if in a pitiful accent). I have to say – as Americans, we do not give these people enough credit. There’s a lot we could learn from them.

In addition to defending my respect for the French, tonight also made me realize, once again, the impact of every seemingly insignificant decision in our lives. First of all, the fact that I even decided to buy a plant was a fluke because (1) I happened to be yearning to spend some money as I walked down the street that day, and (2) I had been passing plant stores every day for weeks without ever going in, and just had a sudden impulse to finally make the purchase. Beyond that, Emilie made the decision to open up conversation unrelated to plants by asking me where I was from; simple, but enough to open a door. Lastly, it was an impulse to leave her my contact information, thinking, “Well, maybe I could actually have a chance to make a French friend…if not, nothing lost.” This is not a though that would come into my mind at every moment of every day; I was just a little more outgoing than usual. Now, as a result of random decisions and actions, the entire landscape of my time in France may have changed; I may end up speaking better French, experiencing the country in a different way, and leaving with friendships that I would not have found otherwise – all because of simple, compulsive decisions. I may even end up being a decent skier! That’s definitely something none of us saw coming!

More than anything, this is a message to myself – an attestation to the benefits of taking chances and stepping outside of one’s box. It may seem to some of you like I am overreacting to the fact that I met just one person; but, anyone who has lived in France and attempted to meet French friends knows just how difficult this can be, and how rewarding it is when it finally happens.

Nick and Carrie: I had breakfast for dinner chez moi tonight (breakfast burritos) and missed having you guys there to share it. Hope you’re carrying on the tradition, too!

Andy: my students seemed to like Kay Kay, but said they liked Death Cab more…sorry. I’ll use the lesson on other classes and see if I can get some better results. Somehow, though, the lesson on Seattle music ended up leading to me spending the last 5 minutes of class defining the term “street cred”. How I get myself into these situations is beyond me.

On another note, I am now tutoring two people for free – clearly, I have been away from American businesses for too long (the going rate for English tutors is 10-15 euros/hour). I don’t know, I just didn’t feel right charging them because I really like them, want them to succeed, and appreciate their desire to learn. Wow, I sound like a teacher already.

Bouquet du Vin, Orange, etc.

Another week beginning after another great weekend. Friday night, I went to dinner at a teacher's house with the other American assistant, Demos. We were at the Blanc residence from 6:30pm-midnight and had a great French dinner (about 4 courses, of course) and met her daughters (both about the same age as us) and her husband, one of the funniest Frenchmen I've ever met. Also present were her older daughter's boyfriend and one of her younger daughters' friends. It was a great night, the whole family is incredibly fun to spend time with. Her younger daughter spoke English with a perfect American accent; when I asked her how long she had spoken English, she explained to me that she never learned it in school, but rather from watching episodes of 'Friends' over and over with the desire to speak like Jennifer Aniston. A girl after my own heart :).

Saturday, I headed to Valence to meet up with Molly and Patrick for the "Bouquet du Vins," a wine exposition for the wines from the Côtes-du-Rhône region. This was an amazing event; we started by walking around trying whites, then took a break in the cheese, meat, and other local food specialties area, then continued with a tour of reds. Not only did we taste some incredible wine (including a 1999 Châteauneuf du Pape, one of the most famous wines from the region that is now aged 10 years), but I also had my first taste of Foie Gras and we saw a great "fashion show" that was nothing more than guys and girls dressed up in Christmas decorations. After conversations with some vendors, we even scored some free Pogne (local bread specialty) and a free bottle of wine! I guess it pays to be social Americans. Altogether, it was a great afternoon -- however, I never realized how exhausting it can be to drink wine for 5-6 hours straight! I ended the night by going home, cooking dinner, watching "Sideways" (I guess the wine tasting put me in the mood), and going to bed.

Yesterday, I took a day trip to Orange, a town a bit south in Provence, with Molly, Patrick, Marie (German assistant) and Demos. The town was beautiful, as was the weather (finally some blue skies and sun!). The one downside was that we definitely caught some of the Mistral, the well-known wind of Southern France. I don't think I've ever even experienced wind this intense in Wyoming, which is saying something. In the midst of our fight against the Mistral, we saw a Roman theatre (the only Roman theatre wall still standing in Europe), had a picnic at the top of a hill overlooking the town, and attempted to see a Roman Arc de Triomphe through the scaffolding and construction that surrounded it. It made for a great day-trip, although we all spend the train ride back exhausted (a combination of a long day in the wind plus the previous day of wine tasting).

Classes lately have been going really well, too. Most of my lessons have focused on either (a) Obama, (b) American businesses (notably Microsoft), or (c) American sports. All of them have made for incredibly interesting conversations. It's amazing how being an American in France has changed in the last week and a half (since Obama's election), on a couple of levels. With the younger people (students), things have gone multiple ways. I've had students passing me in the halls proclaiming, "Yes we can!" I've also had some tell me that they are certain Obama will be assassinated since Americans are all racist (this provided enough material to fill an entire class period, and some time outside of it, last week). More serious conversations with professors have been more significant and more telling of the French view of Americans. Essentially, most have said that the election of Obama is proof to the world that America is a nation of change, and that this choice proves that the "American Dream" is still alive. This is emotional for them, because they have spent years doubting it. Additionally, many have said that in electing Obama, the Americans have done something that the French would never have the courage or ability to do -- to rise above a history of racial differences and choose, as a people, to pursue a future of change. No matter what one's political persuasion is, it is powerful to hear educated French adults speak about the respect and admiration they have for the American population after this election. They see us differently, and it's clear everywhere I go. Vendors even treat me differently when they learn that I'm American, consistently expressing their pride in our decision. At the market, Patrick, Molly and I even got a discount on chicken because the vendor was so happy about Obama! Through it all, I have found France to be a fascinating place to be living after such an historic election, especially considering French/American relations in recent years. I'm looking forward to the conversations that will continue to develop on the subject.

Get ready...

There are only a few days left before the big fête of Beaujolais Nouveau! If there isn't an event going on where you live, make one! The French are starting to get really excited about this, and you should be, too! Beaujolais Nouveau is one of very few wines that you are supposed to drink without ageing...so, the third Thursday of November every year, the release of this wine serves as a celebration of the year's wine harvests. You should be able to find it at most liquor/wine stores in the US...for those of you in Littleton, I'm sure that Tipsy's will have it. For some info, see below:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122661278424225851.html
http://gofrance.about.com/cs/festivals/a/beaujolais.htm

So, be sure to plan on celebrating Thursday night...I know I will be!

Do they work here?

So, get this: I have been back at work for 3 days since our 10-day vacance, and apparently tomorrow (Armistice Day) is another day off of work. For the school I'm working at this week, I don't have classes on Wednesdays...so, after today I'm looking at another 2-day break. In the words of one of my students this morning, "c'est la France."

This weekend was very relaxing with perfect Autumn weather. Saturday, I went to Valence to spend the afternoon with Molly and Patrick. We went to one of the coolest markets I have ever seen, which was in a lesser-known part of town with a mostly immigrant population. The people there were incredibly friendly, and the food was incredibly cheap. I didn't buy any (holding out for the Romans Sunday morning market), but I did enjoy a fantastic dinner cooked by Patrick and Molly with the ingredients they bought there. I'm way too spoiled when it comes to cheap, high-quality fruits and vegetables here...hopefully Pike Place market will live up to the expectations set by French markets when I move back!

Yesterday morning, I decided to go to church. I didn't know exactly where the Protestant church was and, after a little confusion, found myself wandering into a church that I figured was some sort of Protestant church (the sign said "Eglise something," and I didn't really have time to think about it before I was welcomed and shuffled in by a very nice older gentleman. About 30 minutes into the service, I realized what the sign outside said: "Eglise Pentecôt," as in Pentecostal Church. Only at that moment did I remember what I knew about Pentecostal churches, a realization that occured at approximately the same moment that people in the congregation were speaking in tongues, crying profusely, and calling out to Jesus their Savior. I became pretty anxious as I sat there, realizing that I was in for quite the church experience. After another hour and a half, during which people continued crying and babbling and the pastor jumped around while delivering his message, I decided I needed to leave (this is about 2 hours and 10 minutes into the service). I'm usually not one to be too judgmental on churches, but this was one of the most frightening experiences of my life and I had to get out of there. Unfortunately, I also drank the communion wine, and spent most of the service hoping it wasn't a "don't drink the kool aid" situation. I told the girl next to me that I had to leave and asked her if it is okay for me to just walk out. She said yes, but not before asking me to give her my phone number and e-mail address, which I actually gave her (I know...the phrase "what was I thinking" has entered my head many times since). In an attempt to be stealth, I snuck out while people were on their way up to the altar to be blessed. Fresh air has never felt so good.

After readjusting to the outside world, I met Marie, a German assistant from Valence, to walk through the market, have some coffee, and show her around Romans. It ended up being a pleasant Sunday (after I got over the church shock).

Tonight I'm going to Valence to have dinner with a bunch of assistants at Abi's apartment (an assistant from Seattle). Should be a fun way to celebrate not having classes tomorrow.

I'm having picture uploading issues, but I will get all of my Vacances pictures up as soon as possible. À bientôt!

So underground

So, I've been back from Vacance for a few days and really wish I was still traveling. It started off well with a day trip to Grenoble to meet another assistant, Grace. We started the day by "monté'ing" (climbing) a hill that takes you up to the Bastille, an old fortress overlooking the city of Grenoble. However, it was too foggy to see anything at the top so we "descendu'ed" and spent the day in town. Ended up being a sunny, clear day after that...we clearly have great timing. I stayed with her in Chambéry that night and hung out with her "colocs," the French people she shares an apartment with. She even welcomed me there with a home-cooked, Southern-style dinner. It was a great time, and I decided that Chambéry is somewhere I will start going more often.

Monday and Tuesday of Vacances were spent in Lyon with Grace and Sarah Nickel, a friend from Puget Sound who was passing through France at the end of her 2-month Euro Trip. We were also joined by Patrick, an assistant from Colorado and his girlfriend, Molly, for a day. We had a great time despite the never-ending rain. We met French people, shopped, and had a traditional Lyonnais dinner at a "bouchon," which is the name for a traditional Lyonnais restaurant. Lyon is the gastronomic capital of France, and now we all know why!

Then there was Prague, which inspired the title for this post. Prague was, hands down, one of the coolest cities I have ever seen. I went there by bus with an assistant from Montana, Bryan. The bus trip was about 17 hours and, although I was dreading it, it wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. There's too much to say about Prague and too little time, so I'll touch on some highlights and elaborate later:
-AMAZING beer everywhere for a little more than a dollar...favorite being the beer garden.
-Tons of places that are, literally, underground...cafés, bars, restaurants, etc.
-A great Czech tour guide who said everything as if she was telling a ghost story
-An intense customs stop at the German/Czech border
-Honey cake and wine at the 'underground' literary café across from our hostel
-Our hostel roommates, Richard and Aaron, who were both super entertaining in really different ways. Richard was about 65 yrs old and never stopped talking, and Aaron was a typical New Yorker who introduced himself by offering us bread that he stole from a restaurant whose service he "didn't like".
Okay, gotta run and catch a bus to Valence, but I will definitely elaborate when I get a chance.

Hope you're all doing well and I'll talk to you soon!