This was my Christmas letter to Santa, but I have now turned it into a list of books that I want, and what I already have.
Saturday, 24 October 2009
Santa Baby.....
0 commentsSunday, 18 October 2009
I hate showers
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The first thing I'm going to do when I get home, is have a boiling bath with the water right to the top of the bath. I have missed baths so much, and I'm being really brave putting up with this shower : )
I have compiled a list of pros and cons about showers. I am considering turning it into a poem (this is what happens to your mind when you don't have a pub to go to - it gets crazy ideas).
Went to the brocante this morning, and it was massive and really busy. We didn't buy anything though. There were big bags of walnuts for sale, but Dave didn't want them. I think he likes the novelty factor of picking them himself.
I still think I've lost weight, but I will reserve judgement until I get home, and weigh myself on the same scales I used before we left. I feel slimmer, but that might just be in my head.
I have compiled a list of pros and cons about showers. I am considering turning it into a poem (this is what happens to your mind when you don't have a pub to go to - it gets crazy ideas).
| Pros | Cons |
| My hair is much softer and cleaner because it gets rinsed in clean water. | It’s freezing. My body likes to be submerged in boiling water. Sprinkling a small amount of lukewarm water on it is just teasing it. |
| It uses less water, which now saves me money, as I'm the person that pays the water bill. | It’s not relaxing standing up. I’m lazy and I want to lie down. |
| The bathmat covers up the plughole, so the water can’t drain away, so we can’t use it. So the bottom of the shower is really slippy | |
| My feet stay freezing because I can’t hold them underneath the hot tap | |
| If the boiler’s switched off, the water sometimes goes cold. In which case you are forced to abandon showering your body, and must quickly wash the conditioner off your hair before you get pneumonia. |
Went to the brocante this morning, and it was massive and really busy. We didn't buy anything though. There were big bags of walnuts for sale, but Dave didn't want them. I think he likes the novelty factor of picking them himself.
I still think I've lost weight, but I will reserve judgement until I get home, and weigh myself on the same scales I used before we left. I feel slimmer, but that might just be in my head.
Friday, 16 October 2009
Come on France, get some toilet seats
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Sorry for the fact that I haven't posted since last week. I had a really lazy weekend, and I was meaning to post something when we got back from Rennes on Monday, but I had lessons to prepare, and I really need to go to sleep early these days. The same with Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night. Tonight, I'm finally free.
At the minute, Dave is watching Benidorm. We have just spoken to Jack, and we are sharing un bouteille de vin mousseau.
When I get back to my school, I'm going to ask one of the teachers if it's possible to change one of the lessons. At the minute, I have six for 55 minutes, and I'm supposed to practise talking with them, but it's so difficult to keep 5 interested whilst talking to someone. I think it would be easier, and better for them if I had them for 10 minutes each, because at the minute it's one girl who talks all the time (not her fault, I ask someone a question, and they give me two words as an answer, so she feels bad, and says a bit more) I think this way, they would have to talk a lot more. I'll see what she says.
This week was very uneventful. The only slightly exciting thing was, this morning the teacher of my 8.15 lesson was late, and only arrived at 9, so I had a full class of 24 on my own. I split them into four groups of six, and wrote "food and drink" on the board. I said, "In your teams, write down as many English food and drink words as you can. I gave them a point per correct answer, and wrote the scores on the board, then did the same with household items and animals. The teacher arrived, just as I was marking the last round. I put the scores on the board, and everyone cheered and groaned, and then I left and everyone shouted "bye Kim".
Rennes was lovely on Monday. It's the capital of Brittany, and during the summer it's a big touristy place, but now all the tourists have left, and the people who served us in the restaurant were confused as to why we were there! 200,000 people live there, and 60,000 are students, so when we weren't talking, we probably fit right in. There a loads of really old, pretty buildings.
Tomorrow we are going to a big second hand place. I can't wait! My Auntie Louise reckons you can get battered ping pong tables for 20 Euros, so I'm working on Dave to get one to go in the massive basement. It's in Le Mans, so we can have a look around the shops afterwards.
Sunday, we are going to a brocante (car boot sale). We're hoping to find a gas heater for cheap, (they're about 100 Euros new) so that we don't have to use our heating. We;ve got it on now though for the first time, and it's lovely!
At the minute, Dave is watching Benidorm. We have just spoken to Jack, and we are sharing un bouteille de vin mousseau.
When I get back to my school, I'm going to ask one of the teachers if it's possible to change one of the lessons. At the minute, I have six for 55 minutes, and I'm supposed to practise talking with them, but it's so difficult to keep 5 interested whilst talking to someone. I think it would be easier, and better for them if I had them for 10 minutes each, because at the minute it's one girl who talks all the time (not her fault, I ask someone a question, and they give me two words as an answer, so she feels bad, and says a bit more) I think this way, they would have to talk a lot more. I'll see what she says.
This week was very uneventful. The only slightly exciting thing was, this morning the teacher of my 8.15 lesson was late, and only arrived at 9, so I had a full class of 24 on my own. I split them into four groups of six, and wrote "food and drink" on the board. I said, "In your teams, write down as many English food and drink words as you can. I gave them a point per correct answer, and wrote the scores on the board, then did the same with household items and animals. The teacher arrived, just as I was marking the last round. I put the scores on the board, and everyone cheered and groaned, and then I left and everyone shouted "bye Kim".
Rennes was lovely on Monday. It's the capital of Brittany, and during the summer it's a big touristy place, but now all the tourists have left, and the people who served us in the restaurant were confused as to why we were there! 200,000 people live there, and 60,000 are students, so when we weren't talking, we probably fit right in. There a loads of really old, pretty buildings.
Tomorrow we are going to a big second hand place. I can't wait! My Auntie Louise reckons you can get battered ping pong tables for 20 Euros, so I'm working on Dave to get one to go in the massive basement. It's in Le Mans, so we can have a look around the shops afterwards.
Sunday, we are going to a brocante (car boot sale). We're hoping to find a gas heater for cheap, (they're about 100 Euros new) so that we don't have to use our heating. We;ve got it on now though for the first time, and it's lovely!
Saturday, 10 October 2009
Loosing weight... I think!
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I didn't post yesterday because I drunk too much after I'd posted the blog on Thursday night, and I felt rough as sin all day Friday. And yes, I was teaching, but I managed to scrape my way through the day.
Lessons yesterday were fine, the first class (hospitalility students) were a little difficult, they sat there and looked gormless until I physically started doing it with them.
Second class I watched, and wandered round the class and helped with pronunciation when they were practising reading a song out in groups.
Last class before dinner (the class of boys) I was still observing. Magahli the teacher wasn't happy with the way they were behaving, so she said she's meeting with the Principal about them, and I may not be teaching them next week yet, unless their behaviour improves.
The class after dinner (the one where I was dropped in the deep end last week) I was better prepared than last time. I had an article from the Daily Mail a few years ago, about the French and drinking. I was trying to stimulate a discussion on alcohol, but they weren't that interested! We watched a few anti-binge drinking adverts on Youtube which they laughed at, and they told me a few drunken stories. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but at least it got them talking in English a bit, which is the whole aim of me being there.
Today I got dressed, and I put on my purple cardigan which I haven't worn since before we left for France. And it's loose! It used to be tight and cling over my stomach, but now it hangs looser so I must have lost weight! Grandma's scales say I'm heavier than when I came, but everyone knows that Grandma's scales are always wrong, and it's the way your clothes fit that count!
I'm so glad, I'd almost given up on the idea that I was going to lose weight whilst I'm here, but now I must have. I have been eating normal, sort of healthy meals since I've been here (you can't get salt & vinegar crisps, it's pretty much ready salted or nothing, and we're an hour away from the nearest Subway!)
We've got a lasagne in the oven for tea, and we're looking forward to X-Factor. I hope those annoying twins go - everybody else has really good voices, and it's not fair that they should stay and steal someone else's place.
Lessons yesterday were fine, the first class (hospitalility students) were a little difficult, they sat there and looked gormless until I physically started doing it with them.
Second class I watched, and wandered round the class and helped with pronunciation when they were practising reading a song out in groups.
Last class before dinner (the class of boys) I was still observing. Magahli the teacher wasn't happy with the way they were behaving, so she said she's meeting with the Principal about them, and I may not be teaching them next week yet, unless their behaviour improves.
The class after dinner (the one where I was dropped in the deep end last week) I was better prepared than last time. I had an article from the Daily Mail a few years ago, about the French and drinking. I was trying to stimulate a discussion on alcohol, but they weren't that interested! We watched a few anti-binge drinking adverts on Youtube which they laughed at, and they told me a few drunken stories. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind, but at least it got them talking in English a bit, which is the whole aim of me being there.
Today I got dressed, and I put on my purple cardigan which I haven't worn since before we left for France. And it's loose! It used to be tight and cling over my stomach, but now it hangs looser so I must have lost weight! Grandma's scales say I'm heavier than when I came, but everyone knows that Grandma's scales are always wrong, and it's the way your clothes fit that count!
I'm so glad, I'd almost given up on the idea that I was going to lose weight whilst I'm here, but now I must have. I have been eating normal, sort of healthy meals since I've been here (you can't get salt & vinegar crisps, it's pretty much ready salted or nothing, and we're an hour away from the nearest Subway!)
We've got a lasagne in the oven for tea, and we're looking forward to X-Factor. I hope those annoying twins go - everybody else has really good voices, and it's not fair that they should stay and steal someone else's place.
Thursday, 8 October 2009
Back to civilisation
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WE HAVE INTERNET AND PHONE! I am typing this sat on my own couch, whilst Dave is hogging the phone (the picture underneath of Dave on the phone was taken 2 minutes before I wrote this! What a great journalist I would make!). We have spent the whole day playing on the Internet. I have missed unlimited Internet access so much!
We set the Internet up with great team work - I translated the instructions for Dave, and he did all the technical part. Please excuse the horrible wallpaper in the hall in the first picture - I don't know why somebody would choose to have that paper.
We set the Internet up with great team work - I translated the instructions for Dave, and he did all the technical part. Please excuse the horrible wallpaper in the hall in the first picture - I don't know why somebody would choose to have that paper.
Today we also picked up my back card. I had to pay the French bank 20 Euros to actually have a card. I now have a Mastercard with a Mozaic account, which is an under 25 account I think. Now I can pay for petrol after the petrol station has closed without paying a fortune for it on my English card.
In school tomorrow from 8 until half 2. Then I might make some cakes as we worked so hard to find icing sugar (we looked in 3 shops before we found it!). I would like to buy a wicker basked lined with gingham that I've seen in Super-U (the equivalent of Tesco) for Dave's walnuts that he has picked, and a pretty cake tin. I;ve got to persuade Dave first though!
Wednesday, 7 October 2009
Getting easier
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I had a class today, but there were only two boys. We just practised using airport words. Next week the student who was absent today will be there, and another three, and I'm planing on practising greetings and introductions with them - i.e. how to be polite when they meet the family who they will be staying with.
I have managed to blag tomorrow off, but I feel a bit bad! All of my lessons were cancelled except the 8.15 to 9.10 lesson, which the teacher (Magali) wasn't sure whether or not it was going ahead last time I spoke to her. I went to find her today to ask her whether she needed me or not, but she wasn't in today. I found the other English teacher in the vocational department (Nicole) and asked her if she knew. She didn't but she said she would ring Magali and ask her. She did, and when she had finished the phone conversation, she said "no you don't need to come in tomorrow, she says it's unfair to make you come in just for that lesson". Now I feel mean for not helping Magali, and I feel like they think I'm a bit of a skiver, when all I wanted to do was check. Ah well, at least I get a lie in.
But not too much of one, because we need to pick up our Livebox tomorrow. We need to plug it in, and then the phone line will be working in a few days wahey!
I have managed to blag tomorrow off, but I feel a bit bad! All of my lessons were cancelled except the 8.15 to 9.10 lesson, which the teacher (Magali) wasn't sure whether or not it was going ahead last time I spoke to her. I went to find her today to ask her whether she needed me or not, but she wasn't in today. I found the other English teacher in the vocational department (Nicole) and asked her if she knew. She didn't but she said she would ring Magali and ask her. She did, and when she had finished the phone conversation, she said "no you don't need to come in tomorrow, she says it's unfair to make you come in just for that lesson". Now I feel mean for not helping Magali, and I feel like they think I'm a bit of a skiver, when all I wanted to do was check. Ah well, at least I get a lie in.
But not too much of one, because we need to pick up our Livebox tomorrow. We need to plug it in, and then the phone line will be working in a few days wahey!
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
I'm a teacher!
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I got up this morning at 7. My lesson was at 9, but I wanted to get there earlier because I had some photocopying to do. I tried enter my four digit code, but it just ignored me. I had to grab a teacher who was walking past, and ask him to help me. No wonder I couldn't make it work, you need to press cancel twice, press zero, and then enter your four digit number.
In the first class, it was a group of 5 girls, and we did some sentences, "if stones were money, if i were invisible" etc, and then we played the game where you have a sticker on your head with the name of a famous person on it, and you ask questions to try and figure out who you are. They loved it, and it was great because they spoke loads of English.
In the second lesson, I had a group of 8. I gave them 20 minutes/half an hour to create an American personna for themselves remembering everything they have seen in American sitcoms, i.e. name, job, friends, car, holidays etc. (I picked American because there's so many great American sterotypes!) This went down really well and they wrote some really good stuff. There was a rich girl from Los Angeles, a computer hacker from New York, and an FBI agent from Chicago. For the last 20 or so minutes we played the sticker game, which again went down well. I didn't want to leave my comfort zone too much right now!
This afternoon, I watched two lessons, that I will be taking half of each next week (and the other half the week after, and so on...)
Now we have come to my Grandma's to use the Internet, and also to have a look at Adam and Danny's car. Adam managed to drive off a 14ft drop today with him and Danny in the car! (It was really wet and the car skidded on a tight bend) I have put their pictures up, because I don't have any interesting pictures. The first picture is showing how far the car fell (and then rolled), and the second is showing the damage at the back of the car.
Tomorrow I have a lesson with the 3 pupils who are going to Dennmark soon, so I am teaching them 9 until 10 (and for the two weeks after that as well), and Thursday just 8 until 9 (the English teachers are doing something for drama from 9, so the rest are cancelled, just not 8 until 9!)
So I must go, I need to type up some airport words for tomorrow. Ciao!
In the first class, it was a group of 5 girls, and we did some sentences, "if stones were money, if i were invisible" etc, and then we played the game where you have a sticker on your head with the name of a famous person on it, and you ask questions to try and figure out who you are. They loved it, and it was great because they spoke loads of English.
In the second lesson, I had a group of 8. I gave them 20 minutes/half an hour to create an American personna for themselves remembering everything they have seen in American sitcoms, i.e. name, job, friends, car, holidays etc. (I picked American because there's so many great American sterotypes!) This went down really well and they wrote some really good stuff. There was a rich girl from Los Angeles, a computer hacker from New York, and an FBI agent from Chicago. For the last 20 or so minutes we played the sticker game, which again went down well. I didn't want to leave my comfort zone too much right now!
This afternoon, I watched two lessons, that I will be taking half of each next week (and the other half the week after, and so on...)
Now we have come to my Grandma's to use the Internet, and also to have a look at Adam and Danny's car. Adam managed to drive off a 14ft drop today with him and Danny in the car! (It was really wet and the car skidded on a tight bend) I have put their pictures up, because I don't have any interesting pictures. The first picture is showing how far the car fell (and then rolled), and the second is showing the damage at the back of the car.
Tomorrow I have a lesson with the 3 pupils who are going to Dennmark soon, so I am teaching them 9 until 10 (and for the two weeks after that as well), and Thursday just 8 until 9 (the English teachers are doing something for drama from 9, so the rest are cancelled, just not 8 until 9!)
So I must go, I need to type up some airport words for tomorrow. Ciao!
Monday, 5 October 2009
Yawn
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We set off at 6.20am and we would have been perfectly on time were it not for the rush hour traffic in the last 5 km. I got there at twenty past 9, but nothing had started yet, everyone was sat around drinking coffee.
I was sat listening for 5 hours in total, but the usefulness could have been condensed into 20 minutes. Or it could have been online, which would have saved us the trouble of getting there. It was alright for everyone else there, the majority of them lived in Nantes, and had walked or cycled there!
I did get some useful worksheets which I may use in a lesson tomorrow, and an address to send my Social Security number to, but it really was a useless day. All it succeeded in doing was making me feel bad about myself, because most of the people there were so much better than me at French.
But the journey home was much better. The sun had come out and we managed it in 2 hours 15 minutes. Dave made us a nice chilli for tea, and we watched Hollyoaks.
Tomorrow is mine and Dave's 2 year anniversary. We weren't really sure we to go, we really wanted to go to Paris, but it's a weekday and we're trying to not waste too much money this first month, just in case. So instead, Dave's going to make us a nice Italian meal, with starter, main and dessert, and we're going to get dressed up and eat it in our nice dining room.
I'm worried about tomorrow's lessons. I'm sure I'm not supposed to have got lumbered with actual lessons, I don't know how to explain the grammar or anything. But ah well, I'll just have to grin and bear it. I might start enjoying it in a few weeks.
I was sat listening for 5 hours in total, but the usefulness could have been condensed into 20 minutes. Or it could have been online, which would have saved us the trouble of getting there. It was alright for everyone else there, the majority of them lived in Nantes, and had walked or cycled there!
I did get some useful worksheets which I may use in a lesson tomorrow, and an address to send my Social Security number to, but it really was a useless day. All it succeeded in doing was making me feel bad about myself, because most of the people there were so much better than me at French.
But the journey home was much better. The sun had come out and we managed it in 2 hours 15 minutes. Dave made us a nice chilli for tea, and we watched Hollyoaks.
Tomorrow is mine and Dave's 2 year anniversary. We weren't really sure we to go, we really wanted to go to Paris, but it's a weekday and we're trying to not waste too much money this first month, just in case. So instead, Dave's going to make us a nice Italian meal, with starter, main and dessert, and we're going to get dressed up and eat it in our nice dining room.
I'm worried about tomorrow's lessons. I'm sure I'm not supposed to have got lumbered with actual lessons, I don't know how to explain the grammar or anything. But ah well, I'll just have to grin and bear it. I might start enjoying it in a few weeks.
Sunday, 4 October 2009
Some funny things that made me chuckle
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We didn't do much yesterday or today. Yesterday we just played on the Internet, went to the supermarket then watched X-Factor. Today we just watched the Hollyoaks omnibus, then played on the Internet (by playing, I don't mean it was fun, I was trying to prepare lessons for Tuesday).
So I'm going to put up some funny pictures I found instead. The first two are in the supermarket yesterday, and the third was taken just ten minutes ago, and I was waiting with my camera ready for twenty minutes until it happened again!
Tomorrow from 9 until 5, I need to be in Nantes. Seeing as none of the other assistants have responded to my e-mail, I shall assume they have all dropped off the face of the Earth, and make my own way to Nantes. Dave has decided to drive me (rather than risk letting me catch the train on my own, loosing myself, and leaving him alone in a strange country!), which means we shall have to set of driving at about 6am tomorrow, and we shall be home hopefully before 8pm. So that means X-Factor and then bed.
Out Livebox should arrive any day now, which means Internet and phone wahey!
So I'm going to put up some funny pictures I found instead. The first two are in the supermarket yesterday, and the third was taken just ten minutes ago, and I was waiting with my camera ready for twenty minutes until it happened again!
Tomorrow from 9 until 5, I need to be in Nantes. Seeing as none of the other assistants have responded to my e-mail, I shall assume they have all dropped off the face of the Earth, and make my own way to Nantes. Dave has decided to drive me (rather than risk letting me catch the train on my own, loosing myself, and leaving him alone in a strange country!), which means we shall have to set of driving at about 6am tomorrow, and we shall be home hopefully before 8pm. So that means X-Factor and then bed.
Out Livebox should arrive any day now, which means Internet and phone wahey!
Friday, 2 October 2009
Dropped in the deep end
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This morning went fine, I went to my first lesson which was about 20 girls and 3 boys who were about 15/16. I don't think they understood very much of what I said, and they didn't seem very interested in English until the end when the teacher played a silly song and they all joined in. That's worth bearing in mind for future reference!I arrived at my second lesson, but she said I didn't need to be there this week, so I went on the computer in the staff room for a bit. I went to my third lesson, which was a group of about fifteen 17-19 year old lads, and one girl. These were electrotechnic students (that's what the teacher called it in English, I'm not quite sure what else to call it). Then I had a free lesson, until it was dinner time.
I went to the staffroom and found the teacher of the class in the afternoon. She had given me some books yesterday, and mentioned preparing lessons. I had started worrying last night in case she wanted me to start immediately. I said I had a 3 hour break, did I need to prepare something for the class this afternoon? This was in English (and I quote) "Oh no", she said, "you can just introduce yourself this afternoon."
That's fine then I thought, the same as the rest of the classes so far. I spent the dinner hour looking at exercises and word games on the Internet, as I was planning to eat with Dave at half 2 when I finished. I arrived a minute early, and waited outside the room with the students (six 17-19 year olds, these guys are specialised in English, so they are the same level as I was before I started uni.)
We waited for five minutes, and the teacher didn't arrive. By this point I hads started worrying. I took my key out of my bag, and let the students in. We sat down, and I introduced myself, and asked their names, and about themselves (in English of course!) Ten minutes had passed, and still no teacher. My neck had gone really red, and I felt boiling! Oh my God, I was going to have to do something off the top of my head!
I opened up the book for their level of English, and the first page had a picture of various American sitcoms - Friends, Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, Lost, NYPD and 24. So I asked if they had seen any of these. We talked about these programmes for a while, as most of them had seen these with French voice-overs, why they liked them, favourite characters, storylines etc. I asked them to describe their favourite French TV shows to me. Then we moved onto English-speaking actors and musicians. And somehow this managed to fill up the remaining 45 minutes.
It wasn't quite the mentally challenging conversations I've been told I must practise with them, but it wasn't bad for spur of the moment, and like everbody's said, at least now it can't get any worse.
I presume the same teacher's other lessons are going to be the same, so I need to prepare to lessons for Tuesday. I can't do it on Monday because I'm in Nantes 9-5 for my orientation course (which means setting off at 6am and getting in at 8pm)
Tomorrow is my first lie-in since last Sunday, so tonight I'm going to stay up late (not what used to be late for me, my new late is 12 or 1), chill out and drink lots of alcohol!
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Le travaille
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Today was my first day at work. I'm not teaching anybody yet, for the first week or so I'm just observing the lessons, and sussing out the levels the students are at. Dave was taking secret pictures of me as I was walking in at 8 (you can tell which ones are Dave's pictures because they all look a bit rubbish!)
I had a lesson 8 til 9, then I played on the Internet until my next lesson at about 11 until 12. Then I got taken to the canteen by one of the English teachers, which was a mad experience. It's a set rate of 3.10 Euros, and for that you get a salad from the salad bar or a plate of ham or cheese, a dessert, as much bread as you want, a hot meal and there is a bowl of fruit at the end.
I ate in the teachers' bit, and some of the non-English teachers chatted to me a bit, but I struggled hearing them, the people to my left and right were both talking to other people as well, so I had trouble tuning them out. I got there in the end though.
I met the "problem class" and whereas they don't seem as difficult as some of the idiots I went to school with, they do seem like a handful. I will be taking half the class for the first half hour, and the other half of the class for the second half of the hour. (So 15 at a time!) But Magalie, the teacher told them that if somebody causes problems for me once, then they will stay with her the whole time for the rest of the year. So if that happens, then I'll only have to deal with them once.
One weird thing that I've noticed though, is that all the teachers have given or will be giving me a page with a picture and name of every student in the class. This way, I can pick out the trouble makers. This is common practise, from what I can tell, as there is a word for the sheet of pictures.
Here is some more pictures of our house, one taken from the couch, and the other of the garden the other day, when Dave's first wash had just been hung out. Look at all the polo shirts! They are fruit trees in the garden, but it's too late for fruit now, it's all shriveled up and bad. And that's a tray of Grandma's tomatoes on the plastic table, that we were lying in the sun trying to make them go red!
Oh and Mother Dearest, I have also added a picture of me, just for you. If you go down the page, you will see the picture of me before I went into the school on Monday. I'm warning you, I don't look too happy at Dave making me pose for a picture!)
I had a lesson 8 til 9, then I played on the Internet until my next lesson at about 11 until 12. Then I got taken to the canteen by one of the English teachers, which was a mad experience. It's a set rate of 3.10 Euros, and for that you get a salad from the salad bar or a plate of ham or cheese, a dessert, as much bread as you want, a hot meal and there is a bowl of fruit at the end.
I ate in the teachers' bit, and some of the non-English teachers chatted to me a bit, but I struggled hearing them, the people to my left and right were both talking to other people as well, so I had trouble tuning them out. I got there in the end though.
I met the "problem class" and whereas they don't seem as difficult as some of the idiots I went to school with, they do seem like a handful. I will be taking half the class for the first half hour, and the other half of the class for the second half of the hour. (So 15 at a time!) But Magalie, the teacher told them that if somebody causes problems for me once, then they will stay with her the whole time for the rest of the year. So if that happens, then I'll only have to deal with them once.
One weird thing that I've noticed though, is that all the teachers have given or will be giving me a page with a picture and name of every student in the class. This way, I can pick out the trouble makers. This is common practise, from what I can tell, as there is a word for the sheet of pictures.
Here is some more pictures of our house, one taken from the couch, and the other of the garden the other day, when Dave's first wash had just been hung out. Look at all the polo shirts! They are fruit trees in the garden, but it's too late for fruit now, it's all shriveled up and bad. And that's a tray of Grandma's tomatoes on the plastic table, that we were lying in the sun trying to make them go red!
Oh and Mother Dearest, I have also added a picture of me, just for you. If you go down the page, you will see the picture of me before I went into the school on Monday. I'm warning you, I don't look too happy at Dave making me pose for a picture!)
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