Day 5
Okay, so I’m settling into what semblance of a routine I can manage... sort of... I don’t know how long I will be processing my daily adventures, but I’ll keep at ‘em until I run out of stuff to say or get too busy to sit down at night. Here is my schedule starting next week:
Monday: I teach 12-5 with a 1hr break @ 3.
Tuesday: I teach 3-6pm
Wednesday: off
Thursday: I teach 1hr @ 10am, then back again from 4-6 (the other lectrice & I will have team planning in the middle)
Friday: I teach 1hr @ 10am & then again from 2-4.
Overall, I will be teaching 11 different groups, once a week, ranging from first years to Master’s students. I figure, if NOTHING else, I am getting a decent range of teaching practice! And ideally, I only need to create lesson plans for 5 classes, but I am sure I’ll at least start out with back-up plans, since we have been given very little re syllabus/curriculum... basically, we are supposed to help them “improve” their English, but we haven’t been told any specific objectives about what levels they should reach by end-of-term, so this should be... “interesting”.
This Uni is extremely small – smaller than UL for sure, but quite comparable with regards to resources... UL did have much nicer facilities, I must admit! I haven’t visited the library yet – that will be the true judge – but I have not heard raves about it, so my hopes aren’t high. I did learn that I have access to several other Uni libraries in the region – including some in Germany & Switzerland, which doesn’t suck...
In addition to the scheduling and meeting with profs re their “expectations”*, I also got keys to the offices, found out the Uni computers are unfun, learned that I need an adapter for my Macbook in order to use my laptop with the classroom projection, requested internet for my apartment (now that I know which apartment I am in), and was able to visit with several members of the FLSH faculty... here is an overview of some of the peeps**:
1) M – the lovely leftist Frenchie with a Brit mom; spent time in the UK as a French lectrice; takes care of everyone; only slightly high-strung, possibly due to her tendency for procrastination, possibly due to her tendency to keep too much on her plate (we’re kindred spirits, she & I); average height & weight & appearance & always wearing long flowing skirts & ballet slipper-style flats; and so paranoid re social networking sites that she’s created a separate email and a pseudonym for Facebook that she refuses to share with anyone... curious... but oh so thoughtful! Half of the domestic items in my studio are hers (borrowed until I can afford my own).
2) X*** – the toughest French accent for me to follow, I think because he uses more slang and contractions that I am familiar with (for now), but he has the most beautiful British accent ever when he speaks English!; Tall, thin, ginger, blushes very easily (for example, when he was showing us the A/V connections, went onto youtube and played the first video on the screen... which happened to be a well-endowed seductress wearing a low-cut tank top & demonstrating the difficulty of performing 10 push-ups, with the camera placed at a dramatic angle, he made a small remark about his choice of videos, but then continued his instructions with the video playing in the background as though it were invisible... and he turned the brightest shade of red I’ve ever seen); he’s also the only person who refuses to initiate conversations with me in English... always starts off French until I get lost, which is a HUGE help!; and in addition, offered to drive us anywhere (including nearby towns in other countries) for errands, if we needed a lift... I approve.
3) S – Swiss German who commutes to work 3 days/week from Switzerland (crazy-cool!); an academic through & through: 3pc suit, slightly outdated, a little spastic, but extremely generous; he was by far the most helpful re expectations – we met him & in the same breath, he gave us a run-down of how we should run the classes connected with him (English for non-English majors, to be taught in 2hr blocks once a week... FUUUN), but he threw out so many ideas and ways to prepare, in like a 30-second spiel – it was great!; he also informed us that he does not speak French, that Alsace (the region of France in which we are) is actually Low-German, and that he gets paid way too little for someone who has written 2 books and numerous publications... then he invited us to join him & M & X for lunch, haha!
4) C**** – For lunch, we got pasta from the “cybercafé” nearby (I have no place in my memory with which to compare this adventure), but we just grabbed the food & went back to the offices. Earlier, we had been introduced to C as “the man who is always 1st to arrive and last to leave” and that he “never forgets anything!”... everyone who mentioned him raved about him... and a couple hours later, we were sitting down for lunch, when C walks by and asks if we would like grapes. huh? yep, I heard correctly – he had grapes in his fridge upstairs that he would like to share... oh! and he’ll bring down some wine. FOR LUNCH. So he goes upstairs, brings out 2 bottles of wine (for 5ppl) & a bowl of grapes, sets them down, and announces that he has a meeting so he can’t join us, but he really wanted us to enjoy our meal... wild! I don’t know much about C, except that he is very well-dressed (not expensively, but stylishly & well-put together), always prepared, has many academic responsibilities, is a wine aficionado, British (I think? okay, at least speaks with an impeccable British accent & I haven’t heard him speak French yet - & his suit made me think “Brit” – I’m such a “nation”-ist, haha), and I was informed today that he is also a bachelor... okay, sign me up! KIDDING. I am pretty sure he’s gay, which covers a depressingly high statistic of “bachelors” in my age range*****
I think that’s all for today... maybe tomorrow I will start descriptions of the other people I meet... lecteur/lectrices... random crazy people on the streets... that might be a fun game to keep me from going crazy in my internet-free, Dracula-filled, moneyless existence...
ALSO: I managed to finally unpack today! I only brought 1 suitcase, but I was sincerely unsure of whether I was prepared to stay during those 1st few days... Now everything has a home & I’ve gone grocery shopping (not that I have had an appetite all week...) and I even sat down to watch a DVD this afternoon, but it won’t play. *sigh* AND I have placed my going away cards & Nantahala photos on my table, but I can’t bring myself to read them again because I cry way too easily this time around (re international moves & homesickness)... but they cheer up the place, so I will read them again when I am feeling a little stronger!
*"they have none". that’s a direct quote. sort of.
**I am using initials because I have learned that some of these people are extremely protective of their privacy - & I mean EXTREMELY! – so I am trying to be respectful... please forgive any confusion. I would just “change their names”, but I have a feeling I’ll be writing about some of them in future posts & I don’t feel like recalling their pseudonyms.
***his name starts with M too... oops...
**** Dangit! He’s an “M” too! Boo. Whatever.
*****I find it funny that I had the most to say about the person I spent with whom I spent the least amount of time.
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