Fakesgiving

I have officially survived my first Thanksgiving away from my family! Luckily for me, I was still surrounded by loved ones...

As I said in my last blog, I have been teaching about Thanksgiving in my classes these past two weeks. First, I must say that I love how no two classes are the same. The exercise I had my students do where they had to write three things that they're thankful for was so insightful. The range of serious to funny statements was staggering-- "I am thankful for my parents because they give me money," "I am thankful for my bed because it is always there for me," etc. On the other hand, I had some students who wrote full paragraphs saying how appreciative they were for their friends who are so welcoming and kind... Things like this elicited class-wide "aww"s and hugs all around. I wanted to cry.

One of the tables at our Fakesgiving

Last night (Friday), I got to participate in my own Fakesgiving with the other assistants. It was so fun being able to help introduce my new British / French / etc. friends (aka Thanksgiving virgins) to this beloved American holiday. Everyone brought a dish and we ended up with a HUGE feast-- mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, parsnip mash, turkey breast, parsnip soup, green beat casserole, carrots, stuffing, gravy, pumpkin pie, banoffee pie, ooey gooey pumpkin cake, and so much more (sorry, didn't get a picture of the spread.. was too busy eating). Before we ate, one of the hostesses had us go around the room and say what we were thankful for. For so long, I have been making others reflect on what they are grateful for, I had almost forgotten to do this for myself and my life. I'm so thankful for this opportunity to teach in France because the culture and lifestyle here is so different and rewarding. I'm so thankful for my family and friends back at home who support me and my passions. Lastly, I'm so thankful for my students and new friends that I've met in France because I have already learned so much from them--not only about the world in general but also about myself.

Now, enough of this mushy nonsense... We all know that once Thanksgiving is over, it is officially socially acceptable to get lost in the Christmas spirit-- cue the holiday tunes.. except not the new British ones I've learned that talk about drunk tanks and call people bad names. We can skip those ones.

The Angers Christmas market officially starts today along with the ceremonial turning on of the Christmas lights that have been hanging up throughout the streets of the city for the past month, just taunting me. It's going to be beautiful and I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning.

Chillin' at a local bar surrounded by good company

Homemade dinner cooked by my buddy Rhys. Delicious.

Update from Angers

A couple of weeks ago, my program (Teaching Assistant Program in France or TAPIF) posted a status on Facebook that said, "In a survey done by the Consulat général de la France, university students were asked why they decided to continue studying the French language. The majority responded that it was because they had a great teacher in high school." I immediately thought of my middle school and high school teacher, Mme Gallaspie and my university professor, Mme Armstrong. They both made learning the French language educational and fun through movies, games, songs, grammar, stories, conversations, etc. I would love to be my students' Mme Gallaspie or Mme Armstrong and inspire and cultivate a passion for the English language. Easier said than done.

Every Monday night, I stay up until the wee hours of the morning trying to think of activities that will get my students to participate. Lesson plans for one class will go swimmingly but then the next hour, it'll fall flat with deafening silence. Last week, it was teaching about Cincinnati and other tourist attractions in the USA. This week and next week, it's Thanksgiving including vocabulary lessons and bingo. Today, we did an activity where they had to write 3 things that they are thankful for. Several of them wrote, "I am thankful for my teacher." I believe they were talking about their normal teacher or maybe they just didn't know what else to put, but I'd like to think that they were referring to me :] In a couple of weeks, I will also be accompanying my youngest group to see Hunger Games in English (French subtitles). I can say that right now, I don't see myself being a teacher in the future, however, I also know that there is very little that trumps the feeling of a successful class.

French culture: the reason why I'm really here! Side note-- I know, I know, this is probably bad to admit since my job is teaching, but whatever. Since my last post, so much has happened!

-Ate a delicious home cooked Russian meal and then proceeded to roll home. Well actually, my landlady picked me up afterwards because she is an absolute sweetheart and worries about my safety.
-Visit to the Cointreau factory with the other assistants. Had a tour which included fascinating information about the history, fabrication, advertising, etc. of this yummy liqueur. Ended with a dégustation which meant that we were all pretty tipsy by 1 pm in the afternoon.
-Went to the movies to see a cheesy chick flick
-Celebrated a friend's birthday
-Got to dance away the night and experience what it is like to work a full day after a solid 4-hour night of sleep.
-Attended a salon du chocolat at a huge convention center-esque place. Free samples anyone?
-Played games and ate pizza at the second pizza and board game night at the bibliotheque anglophone.

Time has never gone by so slow, yet at the same time, it's speeding by.

Aix-ellent.. Good luck with your burgers

It's amazing how quickly a new place can feel like home. Even though I've only been in Angers for a little over a month, when I'm away, I find myself missing the routine and comfort of what has become my life. However, that is not to say that I did not love my week traveling around the South of France!

le Vieux-Port

Marseille, oh Marseille. I have always had a general dislike for this city... too big, reputation of being dirty and violent, etc. After spending a couple days here with an awesome tour guide, I suppose my opinions have changed a bit. While I wouldn't rush and pack my bags and move there, I can admit that the Vieux Port de Marseille is a sight not to be missed.





The color of the water is absolutely stunning with its various shades of blue and green. Mix that with the pale beige rocks and the historical monuments and you can get some incredible pictures. A dash of sunshine never hurt anyone either... So, I was a complete tourist--taking pictures of anything and everything. My friend, Jérémy took me to the best places in Marseille such as le Palais Longchamp, le Panier, et plus. He was so hospitable and awesome. Gros bisous xx.

Place d'Albertas 

It was so weird being back in Aix. I spent the first couple hours walking around the city and thinking about all of the glorious memories. Instead of typing everything out, I'll highlight some of the best moments with some fun bullet points..

Amy et moi

• Putting fake blood all over my face for a fun Zombie Night Halloween party
• "Breaking in" to the American Center (the gate wasn't actually locked, so it's okay) and taking pictures in the back garden
• My good deed of the day-- translating for an English speaker who couldn't communicate with the Frenchies. He just didn't understand that his burger had too many extras and couldn't fit in the to-go box. (BURGER BAR)
• Partying with some Aixois and seeing how excited they got when Nickelback came on over the speakers (no joke...)
• Seeing my friends and how much they have changed & how much they also haven't changed
• Being reunited with Maman Nanda, my mère d'accueil and having a conversation about the need to buy and use a fanny pack and being asked if I have a French boyfriend yet... love her.
• Comparing jokes in French and English and using the verb "to staple" as much as possible

What a beautiful, wonderful, fantastic city. I was surprised by how many places I hadn't explored though. I was constantly seeing new things while walking around. It was actually a little unnerving.

BUT, I'm back in Angers now. Home sweet home. So happy to no longer be on the train. Especially because there was an old man whose feet kept touching mine. Disgusting. Work started back up today. Woo.

Last update- apparently, my stolen purse was found. I went to go pick it up, body shaking while reliving the horrible moment. As the police gave it back to me, they just kept repeating: "pas propre, pas propre" (not clean). When I unzipped the purse, there was a horrible stench and a couple of slugs. I almost puked. However, all of my stuff was in there (except my cash and my iPhone). Good thing I spent so much time canceling cards, getting a new bus pass, a new train pass, etc. All in all, I guess I'm pretty lucky.