Now I'm really French!

Just a short one. I had my French class today at 1. When we got back, we attacked the post box as there was some sort of catalogue style book stuck in it. After several minutes, we suceeded, and this is what we found...





It's a yellow pages!

And when you turn it over, it's a white pages with the residential phone numbers. Dave was adamant that our phone number wouldn't be in it, but voilà....



So now I feel like a fully integrated part of the community!

Come on France, get some toilet seats

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!

Back to civilisation

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.







 

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!

Oh dear, I think I wanna quit French : P (Only kidding!)

Today I went to the lycee at 10 to meet with my responsable, I met with the headteacher, the people in the office, and some of the other teachers. I got my own whiteboard pen, and a key which I think is for the photocopying room (I say I think, because the second time she explained it in French, I still didn't understand so I didn't dare ask again!) I also have my own pigeon hole, and the English teacher chuckles every time she says it - it sounds normal to us, but it must sound like a strange thing to call it.

I've been shown a timetable, but I had it taken off me so that they could find out the room numbers and give it to me on Thursday when I start work. It looks like I will have Monday and Wednesdays off work, and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I will be in from 8 until 5 (only 4 or so hours teaching, but with gaps in between which means I'm there for the full day)

They said most of the classes are very good, but there is one class who have caused problems in the past for other assistants. They have said if this happens, don't try to deal with it, just walk into the room next door and get the teacher to sort it out.

There is a picture of me in front of the lycee looking grumpy and nervous, but I've left my camera at home so I can't put it on yet. I'll update with the picture tomorrow. (Here we go, I have now added this picture. My hair was being awful and wouldn't look normal, so I had to tie it back, AND a massive spot appeared, which magically disappeared as soon as I got home)



My Mum has requested more pictures of the house from different angles, so I'll put some more of those up tomorrow.

Bank appointment tomorrow at half 10, then we have do drop off the bank details to Julie so she can get the Internet and phone line set up, and then nip in the insurance place and give them the bank details and fill in a form for house insurance (it's compulsary, and it covers you for public liability as well - I think that's the right word!)

Moving into our house tomorrow morning!

Again, we didn't do much today. We played on the Internet for a few hours, and then I signed a few forms and we nipped to the post office to send them. In the Post Office, there were phones for sale, that included a Pay As You Go Sim Card with 15 Euros worth of credit on, for 35 Euros. We are considering this, but we haven't decided whether we need one phone or two.

We could probably share one for contacting friends and family. And when I'm working, I can take it with me, in case of an emergency, in which case I can ring Dave's English phone.

Then we nipped to a place where they sell house stuff, but we came out almost empty handed, with just a recycling bag. They recycle everything here, and you have to drive to the recycling banks and drop it off yourself.

The only mildly interesting that happened was that I found and bought a massive Babybel.





So sorry for another boring day, but tomorrow we'll have moved into our house, so I'll take loads of pictures to put up (then sneak back to Grandma's to use their Internet!)