I arrived in France on Friday, September 24th to begin my new job as an English teacher in a French high school. Other than a few delays, my flights to Paris were rather uneventful. Once I arrived in France, I soon realized that 5 bags for one person may have been a bit excessive. I had to carry the bags all the way across the airport to the train station, and by the time I made it I looked like I had just ran a marathon because I was so drenched in sweat. How embarrassing. I then proceeded to eat two pastries with nutella and then fell asleep at 3:30 in the afternoon and didn't wake up until 8am the next day.
I went out in Lille, the big university town, on Saturday night. I met up with a few other assistants for dinner. Until that point, I had been subsisting entirely on bread. I did not really understand the menu at the restaurant, but there was a certain dish that boasted in English, "with plenty of cheese," so I ordered that. The menu did not lie. I was basically served a pie tin with a layer of bread on the bottom, "rarebit" (whatever that is) on top of that , and about three inches of baked cheese on top of that. It was one of the heartiest meals I have ever had. I only managed to eat about a fourth of it before I felt like the waist on my jeans might burst.
I also quickly realized how poor my French skills are. More often than not, my French words were met with "Ah, American, eh?" with the slight hint of a condescending smile afterward. I cannot really defend myself unfortunately, because honestly I probably deserve it. I met the principal of my school, and he asked me how I spent my weekend in Lille, and I replied, "Oui!" with a huge dumb smile on my face. He is probably really impressed with my language skills.
I moved into my apartment in Douai, France on Monday. I have 5 roommates who come from Italy, India, Germany, and Nicaragua. I have not met everyone yet, but so far we are getting along really well. It is incredible how talented they are with languages--often switching between 3 different languages to accommodate everyone. They have been so helpful and kind though. Today, we went to open bank accounts and purchase cell phones, and unfortunately my French vocabulary does not include banking or contract terms, so most of the conversations had to be translated to accommodate me. I am very motivated to start improving my French conversation skills so I don't have to be so dependent on others for translation purposes.
Anyway, I miss and love all my friends and family in the US!! I hope you are all doing well and are taking care :)
Oh--and I just got my address in Douai! It is as follows:
Mademoiselle Christy Cahil
c/o Lycee Albert Chatalet
400 Rue des Wetz
59500 Douai, France
