Thursday 2 October 2014

French Beginnings

Ah, France! Land of cheese and wine..

Just over a week ago, I was still in the land of scones and tea, packing as many possessions as I could in my two suitcases and backpacks, happily saying my goodbyes as the excitement mounted.
Today, I feel fairly well settled - in the few days I've been here, I opened a bank account, filled in the paperwork for the securité sociale and mutuelle, went to my two formation days.. I have been a little busy, and have had a lot of paperwork to do. France loves paperwork.

Yesterday, Wednesday, was the first training day for assistants. We all got up early and boarded a train to Orléans, where we had breakfast in the café opposite the Lycée Benjamin Franklin, where we were meeting at 9am.

Language Assistants at the Lycée Benjamin Franklin
We were able to pick up various leaflets, and then sat through some presentations and introductions. Shortly before lunch, a small number of French students took us in groups to go and visit the town.

Statue Jeanne d'Arc, Orléans

Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans

We had lunch at the Lycée cafeteria, then had another small meeting but finished a little early. We were free to roam around the city, killing time before our rather late train back. Shortly before taking the train, we stopped for a dinner/snack combination, and admired these lovely cakes.

Cakes displayed in a French café

Orléans is an interesting town with lots of history, and I quite enjoyed seeing bits of it, but the day itself was very tiring and I was glad when it was over.

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Today we did not have to leave Châteauroux, which allowed me to stay a little longer in bed. We had our meeting, which of course involved lots of paperwork, did a mini tour of Châteauroux, and received our schedules. I was still suffering from yesterday's lack of sleep, so was quite tired, but it was a much shorter and less intensive day, which was a relief. Next week I start working in the schools I have been allocated to - I look forward to experiencing these next months in a French classroom!

A house window in Châteauroux