Friday, January 14, 2011
Well... better late than never?!
Well, it's definitely been more than awhile since I've updated. Opps! Alright let's get to it! I'll show you what I've been up to since late- October. I want to post photos of the area where I live in France. The area is really nice for me as there are plenty of beaches around! Too bad we don't see that in the Midwest :( Below is the beach closest to where I live in Brittany. I've made many good memories at these beaches!
Oh, and here we have the infamous strikes! They really did shut the country down there for a bit in October. I found it really interesting how the French really do strike for everything they disagree with. In a way it's a good thing that they can stand up for their beliefs, however when transportation gets involved... that's just a bad situation for everyone. I had students who did not come to class because of the lack of transportation. Other students were actually on strike! Yes, yes, students go on strike! Wow, I would have liked to have tried that in the US. I even saw students in the streets burning tires! Anyway, the big deal with the strikes in October was that the French were protesting the raise in the retirement age from 60 to 62.
This is another popular destination in the Brittany region. It's a town called Concarneau. It's really small medieval town, but really pretty! It's a shame I went while raining. However, rain is a part of daily life here in Brittany. The weather here is a lot like England. It's very mild, and yes, rainy. For an example, I just got back from a vacation in Sweden... coming back here was like coming back to summer. It's amazing the difference!! It's January 14th, and 50 degrees. Ahhh I love this type of winter. Anyways, more about Concarneau- it's a town with interesting history. Here's a link with information: http://www.tourismeconcarneau.fr/en/page/dsp/59
These are typical Breton desserts! Think lotssss of butter, but all the cakes and cookies are all really nice. The traditional dessert is the gateau breton. It's really good! A teacher from last year would buy me typical desserts from the region all the time. It was a nice way to get to know the desserts of the region.
Here's another bigger town in the "Bretagne" region called Quimper. There's a lot to see here, and the town is along a really pretty river. It's really nice to see in the spring, as I did last year. Here's a photo that I took during a visit this fall. This is the "main attraction", the cathedral. I really love the old architecture here in France. Definitely won't see anything like this back home! Here's more information on Quimper http://www.quimper-tourisme.com/
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Bonjour!
Well, here I am again! Back in France... definitely didn't think I would be coming back for another year. However, I am really excited to be able to practice my French, shop in all the cute stores, meet new people, and travel more around Europe.
This first month has been quite different from the year before. There have been so many strikes, that I really haven't had a chance to really ...work! However, I only "work" 11 hours each week. During the month of October, I believe I have only worked a total of maybe 20 hours? Probably less! It's so crazy being back at the same school, however I'm working with all new teachers and much better behaved high schoolers! I feel that this year I will be able to see their English improve, as most students are at least a little bit interested in learning English. Last year, that was definitely not the case. I think my job should have been titled "babysitter". Those kids were crazy!
We are just now getting back from the "Toussaint" holiday. During this holiday I visited some towns around the area I live in Brittany. I also visited a friend in St. Malo where a boat race and festival was going on. It was called the "Route de Rhum". The boats left from St. Malo and traveled all the way to Guadeloupe! It was really interesting to see all the boats and all the people there from different countries. There was a building that had vendors from France and Guadeloupe. It was really interesting to see. There was also a parade with music and dancing in traditional Guadeloupian dress. I am now interested in visiting Guadeloupe!
I will try to keep this blog updated and write all about life in Brittany, the fashion in France, and my travels.
This first month has been quite different from the year before. There have been so many strikes, that I really haven't had a chance to really ...work! However, I only "work" 11 hours each week. During the month of October, I believe I have only worked a total of maybe 20 hours? Probably less! It's so crazy being back at the same school, however I'm working with all new teachers and much better behaved high schoolers! I feel that this year I will be able to see their English improve, as most students are at least a little bit interested in learning English. Last year, that was definitely not the case. I think my job should have been titled "babysitter". Those kids were crazy!
We are just now getting back from the "Toussaint" holiday. During this holiday I visited some towns around the area I live in Brittany. I also visited a friend in St. Malo where a boat race and festival was going on. It was called the "Route de Rhum". The boats left from St. Malo and traveled all the way to Guadeloupe! It was really interesting to see all the boats and all the people there from different countries. There was a building that had vendors from France and Guadeloupe. It was really interesting to see. There was also a parade with music and dancing in traditional Guadeloupian dress. I am now interested in visiting Guadeloupe!
I will try to keep this blog updated and write all about life in Brittany, the fashion in France, and my travels.
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