Ça fait longtemps...

I've been a bit laggy on my blog lately, but November has been quite a busy month. I'm going to try to sum everything up in a few sentences for each event with a picture or two as well so this doesn't run too long.

A few days after the Embassy briefing, Ali and I (and a couple British girls) went to the U.S. vs. France soccer game at Stade de France. The atmosphere was really cool and Ali and I had a few typically American moments that were quite sentimental. While the big screen was being panned, I saw a guy wearing a Badger hoodie (THEY'RE EVERYWHERE!!) and was really excited. It's really good to know that even when you're thousands of miles away from family and friends, there's always a Badger around. During the game there was a large group of people who were using the stadium as a political forum to express their views on international relations. In all my experiences at sporting events, I've never seen something like this. I felt like it got the crowd agitated, but also brought attention to the issue. At first, I didn't really understand why they would choose a soccer game for something like that, but then I realized that everyone did pay attention to them and they were expressing themselves for a large arena. They also got other fans informed and aware of their cause. Anyway, the U.S. lost 1-0 and most of the France fans found us Americans to be whimsical and amusing. They were mostly good humored about us supporting the States though there were a few exceptions.

Since then, life has been a bit of a blur. I went to a synagogue for a Shabbat service with one of my friends. It was a special service put on by some of the kids who had just gotten "mitzvah"ed. The majority of the prayers during the service were done as covers of popular songs such as "Hey Jude", "Pour Some Sugar on Me", and "Because the Night". I was thoroughly entertained and also impressed at the closeness of the community. We had an entirely Kosher meal after the service which was absolutely delicious! Also, I'm just going to throw this out there, Challah is much more delicious than communion crackers (wafers?).

The day after the service, I had my first Thanksgiving as an ex-pat. Even though we didn't get to have dinner on that Thursday (everyone had school on Friday morning), it was just as delicious and just as fun as I hoped it would be later on in the weekend. There were 5 nationalities represented at the dinner and I think most of them had a new found appreciation for Thanksgiving as a holiday.

One of the teachers from school invited me over to her home for a Sunday lunch with her family. It wasn't a typically French meal (though there was an aperitif and a cheese course), but it was delicious. Having someone else cook for you is something I must have taken for granted at home. I never realized how warming and relaxing it is to have a home cooked meal. The teacher and her family were absolutely wonderful. Her father was visiting from Marseille and once I expressed an interest in Sciences-Po for possibly doing a master's program, his ears perked up and tuned into my English as he was an alumnus there. After dinner, he offered to let me stay in his home in Marseille on a visit as long as I spoke French the entire time. French hospitality hasn't failed me yet!

In brief school news, I was instructed to help the students put on a skit about Jim Crow laws in the South. Mostly the skits were improv, but they were expected to use a few key terms and phrases. One of my students was speaking in favor of Jim Crow laws (as he was instructed) and somehow stammered out the phrase "but it will make the shit!" After regaining my composure from laughing so hard, I explained to him that I really didn't think his teacher would be impressed with his expansive English vocabulary in this instance. Not to mention that it was grammatically incorrect.

I'm hoping things will slow down so that I can post more often. Christmas break should give me some time to really focus on doing some cultural things in Paris that I've neglected thus far!

FWOTD: bosser (v.): to work

Une fois un blaireau, toujours un blaireau

It's two weeks until I officially leave for Paris. I wasn't planning on writing another blog post until I arrived, but I can't think of a good enough reason NOT to write this post. As many of you know, the Teaching Assistants in and around Paris (for the most part) are responsible for finding their own housing. This is nerve-wrecking as many of the landlords in and around Paris are not comfortable with leasing to Americans (or foreigners in general) which shrinks the available housing pool for all the assistants who are arriving around the same time as each other. So, I'm trying to exhaust all ideas in the search for an apartment.

Fortunately, this lead me to find out that there is a Wisconsin Alumni Association chapter in France (most of the members are in or near Paris). After e-mailing the provided contacts about possible tips for finding housing and standing out as a lessee, one of the alumnus very generously offered for me to stay with her for a few days until I found a place on my own. The outward hospitality and graciousness of the Badger alumni on behalf of a recent grad inspired me to write this post. I know that many people from their various universities swear up and down that theirs is the best or at least "better than yours". I respect their loyalty to their universities, but I have to say, even as an alumnus, Wisconsin continues to outdo itself and inspire me. 

Not many people would blindly take a recent college graduate into their home solely with the knowledge that this grad went to Wisconsin and is moving to Paris to be a Teaching Assistant. Even fewer people would offer to additionally pick this alumnus up from the airport so that they don't have to lug their bags around the Metro or pay for a cab on their meager income. After graduating in May, I knew my time as a Badger would never really come to an end, because as they say "Once a Badger, always a Badger", but this experience was a realization of the interconnected web that are the Wisconsin Alumni and how fortunate I am to be a part of such a widespread and proud group. I'm hoping one day I'll be able to pay it forward in as big of a way as this Badger helped me.

For those of you who aren't Badger alumni, I hope this post at least inspires you to believe that there are decent, kind, and wholehearted people left in the world and you really don't have to look too far to find them. And if that point didn't get across, well, just watch this Badger video* for laughs anyway.

FWOTD: Blaireau (n.): Badger

*-video contains vulgarity, not appropriate for children or my mom (sorry).

L'introduction

Bonjour tout le monde,


It's officially one month until my departure for France with the Teaching Assistants Program. I've decided to create a blog based on my experiences in France to keep in touch with all of you while I'm gone. I just received my Visa in the mail and am anxious to start my journey!


Here's a little background on what I'll be doing and how I got to where I am. By suggestion from one of my French professors at University of Wisconsin, I applied to the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF). The process was long and somewhat tedious (I would like to thank my brilliant friend Ross for helping me with scanning/cropping and calming my technologically illiterate nerves during the process!) but in late April, I found out I had been accepted into the program and placed in the Académie de Créteil, which borders Paris. I will be assisting in teaching high school level Economics and History for 12 hours a week at Lycée Camille Claudel in Pontault Combault. I will be teaching in English and I'll be bringing plenty of Chicago/Badger pride with me. I doubt I'll be able to persuade the French lycéens of the power of squeaky cheese curds and American football, but I hope by the end of the year, my students will have a little more knowledge of American culture and customs and realize that we're not half bad. Or at least associate Chicago with something other than Al Capone.


It was recommended to me by my lycée's contact to live in Paris, which I could not be more excited about! I'm hoping to stay for the entire year, through next September, and I'm looking forward to having visitors and introducing them to the city of lights, a city that I immediately fell in love with, and I'm hoping they will too. If you have an interest in visiting during my stretch in France, feel free to contact me and I'll do anything I can to help you out!


In this and subsequent posts I will also be introducing a "French Word (or Phrase) of the Day" in accordance with the theme of the post so you all can pick up a few words of French!


FWOTD: Lycée (n.): High School.
                  Synonym: Secondaire
                  Variation- Lycéen (n.): high school student.