21, 22 mars 2011
This week I have a new set of teachers for both the standard and intensive courses. Alexandre, a young woman of about 25 years, is teaching us with confidence and care. She is still working on her skill to draw pictures on the board when we don’t understand a concept, but she has a good sense of humor and gives creative assignments. Marie is teaching us for the intensive course. She is experienced and keeps us talking, but tends not to engage the quietest students in the room. I am the spokes woman for the United States. To be honest, I am likely giving some wrong information: for this I apologize to all.
Yesterday afternoon I attempted to make travel plans to Paris for this coming weekend. I received lots of advice, some helpful, some not, and still had not made any reservations by the end of the day. So today after school, I set everything in place. I’m telling you first, Dear Reader, that I will not go to classes on Friday. Instead I will take the train to Paris in the morning, arriving there early in the afternoon and able to see a few nearby sites. Friday evening I will be staying near the Place d’Italie. On Saturday, I will spend the day seeing the other places on my list. Mid-afternoon, I will take the train out to Mennecy to see the Junk family.
The Junks are from Iowa. Their uncle Rocky Junk and I have known each other since Bellevue, IA days. He gave me the recommendation to visit, and I am delighted. They have two young children. I will stay with them through early Sunday afternoon. Then I will go to Paris-Orly airport and fly back to Nice. That sounds like plenty of adventures for one weekend, don’t you think?
After making my online purchases and reservations, I took my computer back to the apartment, then walked over to the train station to purchase the ticket to Paris – it was much less than reserving it online.
Then I walked down and back up Jean Medecine Avenue looking at the shoe stores. The spring and summer shoes are on display now. If I could find something reasonable, and practical, I would purchase some, but I won’t buy shoes (those with comfort and support) for nearly twice as much as they are in the States. [The dollar is NOT doing well right now.] That is why I did not buy shoes today. However, I did buy a belt and a children’s storybook in French – for the 8- or 9-year old child. I like stories, and these seem like they will be my speed.
It’s hard to keep up with the world when so much is going on. The disaster in Japan, the war in Libya, and the French elections (Thursday) dominate the news. Oh, French football (soccer) is always on the news, too, but that’s usually when Michele begins to surf the channels for the evening entertainment: sometimes she watches Cold Case or CSI: New York, with French overdubbing.
That’s all for today, Dear Reader. Have a good one yourself.
No comments:
Post a Comment