Sunday, October 14, 2012
Marathon Montpellier!
Today was the Montpellier marathon! It started in place de comédie, which is a great square right in the center of the city! I went to observe and ended up jumping in and running for about 10 km. I ended up quite far out in the city, but luckily I was able to take a tram to get back. There was a group of runners that started at 8:30, and then another group that started at 9:30 for a "relay" version of the race. Teams of 4-7 completed the marathon in segments. I saw the first - sixth place runners come in. Two of the men ran the last 10 meters with their children, and it was so cute :) The spanish teacher from my school ran with a group of women in the relay version of the race. Perhaps one day I'll be able to return and run in the race as a real participant!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Cultural Exchanges
Since I usually have free time during the week, I like to find little excursions :) Last week we went to Sète, a city near Montpellier on the coast to eat
at a restaurant where we had fresh seafood caught that morning. It was
beautiful, and we walked down to the beach to enjoy the weather.
Also, in Montpellier there are many festivals. Last weekend
there was a “sister cities” festival that we went to. Many cities from around
the world were represented, including Louisville! Each city had its own tent,
and the tents had a lot of information on the culture of the city. There was
also a food tent with many different delicacies to try! Throughout the day,
there were performances, music, dances and demonstrations of traditional dress
from various cultures.
This weekend we went to a festival with top wines, cheeses, jams, and other types of food from the nearby region in France. My favorite thing I tried was the honey! There were so many different types, and it was interesting to hear about the differences from the people who actually made it.
Meandering in Montpellier
I LOVE the town of Montpellier. There are two main plazas called la comédie and Antigone, with lots of fun little shops and restaurants/cafés. I live close to both areas, so it's quite fun to explore the city and discover new places. My favorite restaurant right now is called "ma première cantine" and they have the most delicious tartines. A tartine is basically a piece of bread or toast with various spreads, meats or vegetables on top. The other night I went to the cinema and saw a wonderful french film called "les saveurs du palais." It was all about a woman who was the chef for the president of France, and had tons of scenes showing French cooking. I was surprised at how much I understood, and I think my level of French has improved over the past two years!
I've also been frequenting the discotheques with other language assistants and new french friends. The nightlife in Montpellier is lots of fun, because there are a lot of students in the town due to the three nearby universities. Each bar/disco has its own personality, and some even remind me of bars at IU.
I moved into my apartment last week, and I am finally unpacked and settled. I have three other roommates, two French and one from Spain, and they are all very nice and fun to talk to. I have been speaking a lot of French lately, which I love, but it is also quite tiring by the end of the day. I am happy and content, and each day I get to meet new people. There are a lot of language assistants in Montpellier, so I have a good network of American and English friends, but I've also been meeting French friends and people from all over the world.
See some pics below of the town and my new French life!
I've also been frequenting the discotheques with other language assistants and new french friends. The nightlife in Montpellier is lots of fun, because there are a lot of students in the town due to the three nearby universities. Each bar/disco has its own personality, and some even remind me of bars at IU.
I moved into my apartment last week, and I am finally unpacked and settled. I have three other roommates, two French and one from Spain, and they are all very nice and fun to talk to. I have been speaking a lot of French lately, which I love, but it is also quite tiring by the end of the day. I am happy and content, and each day I get to meet new people. There are a lot of language assistants in Montpellier, so I have a good network of American and English friends, but I've also been meeting French friends and people from all over the world.
See some pics below of the town and my new French life!
Life at the lycée
A "lycée" is a French high school, and where I will be spending all of my working hours. I work with the older students, in an effort to help prepare them for the big test they take at the end of the year. It is a bit like the SAT or ACT, as it is required for entrance into a university, however it is more intense. For the English part of the exam, there is a new speaking section that has been added, so my job is to speak in English with the students as much as possible! I plan to incorporate American songs, video clips, and media/news into the lessons as much as possible. The broad theme I am supposed to tie my lessons to right now is "myths and heroes," so let me know if you have any ideas of things in American culture that would fall under this theme! They have been focusing on Steve Jobs, which is an interesting choice.
Last week was the first time I went to my new school and met the teachers and students that I will be working with it. I was welcomed by all, and I really like the school. It was supposed to be an observational week, but that meant that the teachers stuck me in front of the classes and had the students ask me questions in English. At first it took a little while to get them going, but by the end, we were having a fun conversation. They asked about me, where I was from, and how I liked France. They were also very interested in American politics, and many wanted to know if I ever met any famous people. One of the students came up to me at the end of the class and gave me a list of French movies she thought I should watch. I like being in a high school, because the students are connected to American culture through music and American t.v. series. All of them know about Pretty Little Liars, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, and Glee (to name a few). It is fun to have conversations with them. Although we are limited with what we can talk about due to vocabulary, they certainly have mastered the basics and some are very good at English.
High school in France is different than in the U.S. because students choose an area to specialize in, such as math, literature or science (kind of like how college students in the U.S. pick majors). Also, they are only in high school for three years. Furthermore, the school day lasts until 5 or 6pm, so it is much longer than the typical high school day of classes, but students do have breaks between classes sometimes. To me, french high school overall is more like college.
This week I will prepare my first lesson plans and start teaching!
Last week was the first time I went to my new school and met the teachers and students that I will be working with it. I was welcomed by all, and I really like the school. It was supposed to be an observational week, but that meant that the teachers stuck me in front of the classes and had the students ask me questions in English. At first it took a little while to get them going, but by the end, we were having a fun conversation. They asked about me, where I was from, and how I liked France. They were also very interested in American politics, and many wanted to know if I ever met any famous people. One of the students came up to me at the end of the class and gave me a list of French movies she thought I should watch. I like being in a high school, because the students are connected to American culture through music and American t.v. series. All of them know about Pretty Little Liars, Desperate Housewives, Dexter, and Glee (to name a few). It is fun to have conversations with them. Although we are limited with what we can talk about due to vocabulary, they certainly have mastered the basics and some are very good at English.
High school in France is different than in the U.S. because students choose an area to specialize in, such as math, literature or science (kind of like how college students in the U.S. pick majors). Also, they are only in high school for three years. Furthermore, the school day lasts until 5 or 6pm, so it is much longer than the typical high school day of classes, but students do have breaks between classes sometimes. To me, french high school overall is more like college.
This week I will prepare my first lesson plans and start teaching!
Sunday, October 7, 2012
La plage!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Salsa Dancing!
Yesterday I learned how to salsa dance at a local bar! The bar owner, from Guatemala, provides free lessons every Tuesday night. It was quite fun, and we learned 3 different types of dancing. It was a little hard to follow, because all of the explanations were in French, but I did learn a lot of new French vocabulary. Today we are going to a seafood restaurant at a nearby town, and tonight I am hosting a dinner party with two other friends. I have already met a great mix of people - some French, some American, as well as people from other cultures - so my days are always interesting no matter what I do!
After moving into my apartment on Monday, I am finally starting to feel settled. I am almost unpacked, and I can't wait to officially put away my suitcases!!
A bientôt :)
After moving into my apartment on Monday, I am finally starting to feel settled. I am almost unpacked, and I can't wait to officially put away my suitcases!!
A bientôt :)
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