So I find myself in the teachers' computer lab trying to eek out what will be as close to a satisfying blog post as I'll get until I a) get a working power cord for my recently out-of-service laptop and b) get a flash drive through which I can zap pre-written blog posts, statements of purpose and other savory delights from one computer to another.
So please be patient - I'm doing what I can!
Things are going very well here in Angers - I hesitate to expound too much on the developments as I've got a sizeable post typed and ready for publishing on my quiet little laptop, but I'll try to do what justice I can with the events which have yet to be recorded.
Finding a bike to rent has been a bit of an ordeal, and it doesn't look as if it's going to get any better - in France, it is quite common in smaller cities (aka anything but the all-imposing Paris) to find a city service which lends bikes for FREE. This is a service I took advantage of last year in Bordeaux, and I have every intention to do the same here in Angers. The problem here is that there are not enough bikes. Racing out of class and setting out on a half-hour walk to the rental place, I found several people waiting outside. They, apparently, had beaten me to the chase. Arriving at 4am to wait until 10 was the key, they said. Speaking with the clerk, he suggested doing either that or coming later in the afternoon, in the hopes of a return. I will go some day later in the afternoon.
I will start teaching next Thursday - until then I'm observing classes, introducing myself and trying to scrum up some semblance of a lesson plan. (see below)
That isn't blood, mind you: it's the latest in runny ink cartridges that loves nothing better than explode all over my hand and incite fear among the more innocent French. Any input is appreciated! Especially if they're in the form of tongue twisters. Oh if only I could capture a film of French highschoolers trying to wrap their mouths around those shells that she sells up on the seashore... You would surely receive a copy of it, neatly wrapped, as a birthday present.
I am very happy with my room. Earlier today I made a small investment in pillows for a wicker chair and a throw for the floor, promising myself that making oneself comfortable is well worth a bit of money. Even if that money is in the form of Euros...
I got a card at the Anglophone Library yesterday, which should be a cool resource! My friend Welly, who just happens to be doing her master's here in Angers (we met in Bordeaux), said that they feed English speakers pizza and drinks once a month... aren't we special?? In any case, I checked out Five Plays by Oscar Wilde and a collection of Mark Twain's works. I'm hoping to make up for lost time, familiarizing myself a bit with the English/American canon so that I'm not put to shame every time I talk to a French student.
One of the professors I'm working with is quite interested in the US, and I've been able to have some really engaging conversations with her. I'm looking forward to working with her and her students, who are in their second year of preparatoire. Preparatoire is a program in which the best students from high school undergo extremely condensed lessons in just about everything - it is the hardest part of a student's career, and entirely optional. At the end of two years of what must be either Heaven or Hell, they must pass a national exam, a concours, and will then proceed to attend the most prestidgious universities in the country, depending on their scores. These kids are sharp, and I'll be able to have fun tossing them poetry and literature, as well as discussing politics and philosophy.
The classes I'll be teaching will resemble sections, with no more than 15 students in a class. I'll be teaching 12 hours a week, Wednesday - Friday. I'm thrilled.
I will be sure to send pictures as soon as my computer starts working again!
Hope you see me soon!
Ben
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