Coucou dear family, friends and world!
Firstly, I just want to apologize for appearing to have slipped off the face of the earth this past week and a half. I haven't. I am still here, currently in my bed on this Sunday night, determined to write you all before I commence teaching tomorrow. If I left it any later to publish a new post then there wouldn't be post enough to fit all my happenings into. Go figure.
So as my title says, I have become the 'yes' Woman. For example:
New friend: "Maddie, do you want to go to an Irish bar tonight and drink this thing called a giraffe (see below) even when you're planning on getting up early to go to the market and then on a day trip to Annecy?"
Me: "Yes"
New friend no.2: "Do you want to go to a nightclub tonight even though you have to be at the school to observe classes all day from 8am onwards?"
Me: "Yes"
Me: "Do you want to go to the all night and all day market and seriously consider inquiring at the stall of the French guy selling old skis, books and Shetland ponies?"
New friend no.3: "Yes"
(OK, so it was me proposing things to do at times. I can't place the blame entirely on everyone else...)
And I still made it to the deliciously cheap market:
The beautiful Italian-like Annecy:
And stumble across this here mountain that is famous for looking like... a woman's body...?
Anyway, the beginning of this week started off with assistant training in Grenoble centre. I got to see some old faces, and meet some new ones, and find out how complicated and expensive the French health system is. <3 the NHS. After our introductory talk, we headed to the awaiting coaches that would take us to a quaint village right at the top of the nearby mountains. Sitting with my new German friend Viola at the front of the coach, I didn't think we'd make it to the top, as the driver wound up the mountain looking down at his map in reply to Viola's question of what altitude we were climbing to. Falling off the face of the Alpes more like! But again, don't worry mum, we made it.
We stayed in bunk beds in youth lodgings, Brownie camp style, and were offered Chicken curry for dinner, or the Vegetarian option of breaded fish. Being more lovingly known as a 'Pescetarian', I didn't have to go hungry. But the French's incredulity of/ unwillingness to accept the idea of people not eating any meat or fish makes me chuckle. The next day, on being presented with ideas of activities to do with the students in the classroom and seeing the 3 piercings of the male teacher training us for the day, I was prepared for what life in a French school entails.
I can't tell you all how welcoming the teachers and pupils at the school are. I've been for tea and macaroons with teachers, had my own little welcome party, and been invited for a night out on the town to the places where we shouldn't bump into any of the 'kids'! It's not that the students are so uncool that we wouldn't want to be seen with them though, they're all very sweet. Full of questions and eager to begin lessons with little ole me, and I didn't even have to give all of them a bar of bumper pack Dairy Milk chocolate!
So, a summary of the most important lessons I've learned this week that I shall share with you all:
This cheese:
The lake from last week...
And it's always better to go with a friend to avoid the pain of having to take photos of yourself. Awk.
Also, there are a large number of girls at the lycée wearing rings on their wedding finger. How many of you are really engaged/ married already?!
Things I still need to learn
How to deal with this...
????
How to warm up the custard/ crème anglaise I'm using in one of my British food classes tomorrow.
Oh, and to know when to go to bed.
So my loved ones, all that's left to say is a big bonne nuit, and that I miss you all and wish you were here.
Gros bisous and an English hug.
Grenoble Girl
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