Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Weekend In Paris






Kyle is here! Its so cool to have someone come visit from back home. Ok, well he wasn’t really back in Cali, but he is from there. When he called me, I was surprised he really was coming since I thought that he had only said that and that he wasn’t really going to go through with it. Either way, I knew that it we would have a good time.

I figured out a housing situation for him so that he wouldn’t have to pay for a place to stay. Maggie and Megan found an apartment together and I asked them if I could have Kyle stay with them. They had no problem with doing that for me.

So as soon as I picked up Kyle from the airport, we took the bus back into the city. From there we dropped off his bag at Guillaume’s and started to make our way to Bellecour to buy our tickets to Paris. There was no way that Kyle would come to France without going to the city of lights! I knew that it was going to be expensive, but I tried to use my traveling expertise as much as I could.

After buying our tickets for the next day (Friday) we went to an internet place to book our hostel for 2 nights. Everything is sooo expensive in Paris. For 2 nights at Aloha hostel, we both paid about 50 euro for two nights! I paid half of that when I went to Portugal and stayed at a hotel for 2 nights and had breakfast included! But I was just happy that we were able to find a place on such a short notice.

Then, night fell and after preparing dinner at Guillaume’s we started our journey over to Megan and Maggie’s place in Villeurbanne, a suburb of Lyon about 20 mins by metro. But, it took us a little longer to get there because they wanted us to bring over some beer. Since I wasn’t too familiar with the area at night, we stopped at the stop after Jean Macé (our starting point) and I left Kyle waiting in the metr
o while I walked out to find any store open that sold beer. So after almost 10 mins of searching I finally found a place in a very shady alleyway – not a surprise! I don’t know why I didn’t look there before…

So after getting beer finally, we made it to Maggie and Megan’s and I made my way back to Guillaume’s. We had our train the next morning at 7:46am.

The next morning I woke up early to have enough time to get to Villeurbanne and then come back to Lyon to catch out train. I made it there in less than 15 minutes. But, when I got there, I woke up Kyle! His alarm had not gone off because it was still on UK time – which is an hour behind. When he fina
lly came out, I tried to be as optimistic as possible and kept thinking that we would make our train. We made it to the train station a minute after the train had left! We missed our train! I had never missed a train before so I had no idea what to do. But, I was able to ask the people working at the station and they were able to exchange our tickets for the next train an hour later. But, we had to pay a little bit more in order to make the difference since the prices change from one hour to the next. Despite the fact that we were already an hour behind schedule, we made it to Paris in no time! It takes only 2 hours on the TGV, the high speed trains.

At the train station, we were able to get city maps, our metro passes, and our museum pass. With that in hand, we made our way to the hostel and hoped to make it there safely and quickly as to n
ot loose anymore time. For being my second time in Paris, I felt pretty comfortable. Yet, I was still in shock when I opened the metro map to see…


It looks intimidating but its relatively easy to navigate

Once we stepped out of the metro, I immediately looked up and was able to see the top of the Eiffel Tower. I looked over at Kyle and pointed it out – he was amazed! I remem
ber feeling the same feeling of shock and disbelief. He could not believe that he was in Paris. His face was priceless. After checking into the hostel, we went to a grocery store to buy some food to carry with us so that we could avoid buying expensive food at the tourist locations.

I asked Kyle what he wanted to do first – his response: Walk to the Eiffel Tower. So we started our trek over. It didn’t seem far at the map, which it wasn’t, but the map failed to mention how many forks we could encounter on the way and we almost started going in the wrong direction but we were able to catch our mistake and eventually made it to the tower.

We walked along the Champs de Mars and had lunch on the grass below
the tower. It was great! We made sandwiches with some cheese and Bayonne ham – cheap and filling! After taking 100s of pictures of the tower, we continued to Trocadero, a square from which you can see the tower and then headed over to the Arc de Triomphe. The view from the top was awesome! Since we had the pass, we went back later that night to see the city at night. From there, we went to Place de la Concorde and walked through the Tuileries Garden before ending up at the Louvre. I think we set a record since we went to the Louvre on a mission – to see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo and whatever else I thought was worthy. It still took us about an hour or two because of how huge this place is, but we did it!

Like I said earlier, we went back to the Arc and saw the city by night. After taking some pictures, we went back to the hostel to call it a night.

We got back pretty late, about 11pm. We were hoping that our dorm mates would still be awake – but they were knocked out! Thank goodness for cheap cell phone with a built in flashlight (lol) because without it, we would have had to walk around in the dark. Granted, we could have turned on the light, but we didn’t want to be assholes.

Day 2 in Paris

We went down to breakfast and headed out for the Eiffel Tower. Our goal was to go the top! We had to wait in line for about an hour and while we were waiting, the top floor was closed. So we made do, and went to the second floor and waited in line again to go to the top. But, our luck with the weather hit its highest point when we were up there. It had been drizzling before, but only in 5 minute intervals. But, at the top, it started to rain and it felt much colder and harder since we were up soo high. The sad thing was that as soon as we came back to the ground, the sun was out and shining. Oh well. At least we made it to the top.

Since that took almost half of the day, we decided to see as much as we could in what time was left. So we decided to head towards the Rodin museum to see the statue of The Thinker. We literally walked in to see it and walked out – why not? The museum was included in our pass so we took advantage of the fact that we had already paid to get in and could do what we want. After checking it out and the Gates of Hell, we walked over to the Invalides – the place that has the Army Museum and Napoleon’s tomb.

From there, we went over to Notre Dame. The line to walk in was ridiculous. So, we went around and sat at the park behind it. After doing that, we decided to walk about a block over to see Saint
e Chapelle – an old Gothic church from the 1300’s and the Conciergerie – a prison where Marie Antoinette and other French people were held. When we finished with that, we went back to Notre Dame and were able to go in and walk around despite the fact that a mass was taking place. I loved being able to witness a mass going on while tourists are going around snapping pictures. At first, I didn’t want to, since I wanted to be a little respectful, but I couldn’t resist. It was cool that the mass was also being said in Spanish because for the most part, I could understand what was being said.

Since it was already late and most of the museums were closed, we headed to Montmartre and the Basilique de Sacre Coeur, one of my favorite places to go to. The church is amazing and the view from it is captivating. The decorations inside the church are also impressive but you can’t take pictures- so you’ll just have to go to see it yourself!

Since it was our last night, we went back to Trocadero Square to eat a crepe and watch the Eiffel Tower twinkle on the hour. It was great way to end out trip to Paris. It was cold out but we managed to suck it up and enjoy the view. Even with the guys selling the keychains and plastic Eiffel Towers, the feeling of being in Paris was a surprise to me again. It was also at this moment that I realized, yet again, that I was back in France even though I had just been here a year before!

Sunday

Our lazy day, we slept in, had breakfast and then headed back to the train station. This time we made it to our train on time and made it back to Lyon by 1pm. We left our stuff at Guillaume’s again and then went over to the Parc de la Tête d’Or to walk around for a bit. We sat by the lake an admired the park – its too bad that there isn’t anything like that in the States. Yes, we do have national parks, but city parks are soo small and have really nothing to offer. People here enjoy the parks because they do not have yards of there own so they feel free at these places – or at least that is why I think parks are so important to people here.

Since I had work Monday through Thursday, I had to leave Kyle alone, but by the time I got back to Lyon, we would manage to do some sight seeing. Overall, I think that he had a great time….or at least I hope he did. It was too bad that our breaks didn’t coincide because we would have been able to do much more. The day that he left, I started my break.

I don’t have any plans for the break since I need to focus on finding a place to live. I hope I can find one before I start classes again so that I can finally settle in. I’ve felt more homesick this time because I still don’t feel at ease knowing that my bags are still full of clothes. I appreciate everything that Guillaume has done for me, letting me stay at his place, taking me with him to his parents’ house, but I don’t want to overstay my welcome and start to bother him.

While I was with Kyle just before leaving for Paris, I got a call from the lady who had shown me a studio in Villefranche – the town I work at. It is fully furnished and only about 350 euros. The day after she showed me, it was already taken by someone that the landlord had found. So, I gave up.

But when she called me back, she told me that it was available again because the person who was set to move in had lost their job and could no longer take it. Too bad for that person, but yay for me! I signed my lease and can move in on the 1st or before if I would like. Now, I just need to fill out some paperwork and then I’ll be set. I’m glad that I will be able to finally finish unpacking and be in my own “home”.

Plus, it will be a lot cheaper and more convenient. Living in Lyon would have been awesome, but I need to think about what I came here to do. I came to work and earn some money so that I can save up. I’m out of school now so I need to start thinking about the future. I didn’t want this day to come, but no one can stop time. I’m out in the real world and need to take advantage of all the opportunities that I have. Just the idea that I am in a different country and working in a field that corresponds to my studies is more than enough. But, with the money I am saving by living in the small town will help out a lot. I will be able to pay my parents back and pay my own bills, and maybe even pocket some money to use for traveling. I know that I will need to spend money on going out and buying some clothes, but I hope to do so responsibly.

Life is a learning experience and I am ready for it to take me along for the ride. I think I am in the right mindset and that I am ready for anything. But, only time will tell. My life is great right now and I want to savor the moment.

From the 9th to the 15th


Just a quick recap:

Continued with my introduction through the 2nd week of classes (for me). Now, I guess I just have to start preparing for my lessons for after the 2-week break that is coming up- got to love the French school system calendar. For every 6 to 7 weeks of class, we get 2 weeks off!



Spent the weekend at Guillaume’s place in the countryside. Went out with some of his friends and made a fool of myself – threw up in his parents’ car on the way to the club. I have no idea how it happened – well, besides the fact that I had drank too much hard liquor too fast – by the time I realized I was going to throw up it was too late to give any warning. I felt ashamed for the rest of the weekend and embarrassed, but its not like it’s the first time something like that has happened to me. I felt bad for putting Guillaume in that situation since he was pretty pissed off at the fact that I had done that. No matter how many times I said sorry, I know there was a little bit of fury lingering. But, it happens to everyone…I hope. Tant pis!




Saw some motorbike races out in the fields – France was the last place I would think of seeing something like this. I know France is a big country but I’m still surprised by what goes on here – It’s really not that different from the US! Lol


Got a call from Kyle, who is studying in London with EAP. Turns out he really is coming to visit! And, I don’t have any place to host him…. Need to find out what to do!

October 5th to the 9th

So after showing up my first day for work on Thursday, I was told that I did not have to go back until Monday since I have Fridays off. Sweet!

This week was pretty interesting. It was my week of observation and introduction. I noticed right away how different the French high school system is from the US. I learned more about at the orientation we had on the 9th, but even before then, I knew that there was almost nothing similar between the two.

The students and teacher follow a completely different code of conduct. There is a lot more politeness in French school. For example, the students greet the teacher when they come in and always say goodbye before leaving. But, unlike high school the US, there seems to be no relationships established. I know that sometimes it’s difficult to befriend a teacher, but at my high school, it felt like the teachers were our friends. We respected them, but they were a little more laid back.

Also, the way that things are done in France is a little funny. For example, the paper looks like graph paper but with lines going in every direction. If you ever need to underline something or just draw any line, make sure you take out your ruler from your pencil pouch because doing it freehand is a big no no! When finishing a test, don’t forget to glue your prompt to the end of your exam. I didn’t really understand what the purpose of that was, but it was interesting nonetheless.

During the first class I went to, I was terrified to have to go up to the front of the class and introduce myself to all these high school students. For some reason, the fact that the students were in high school had always scared me because I think of how bad some high school students can be. But, I sucked it up and went to the front. It could not have been any easier. After the first class, I realized that it was going to be an easy week because I pretty took the whole class period just explaining to the students where I came from, why I had a Spanish name, and answering questions that they had.

Some of the questions they asked me were pretty memorable. At one point, I was asked if I was in a gang or if I knew anyone who has been in a gang since that’s the first thing they though of when I mentioned LA. I liked to see or hear there reaction when I told them that I could get to the beach in an hour and how hot it gets over the summer. It was also fun to ask them what cities where in California – they knew of LA and SF for the most part, but I also got a lot of wrong answers – like Seattle, Washington, DC and Las Vegas.

After our orientation, I understood the how the school system works. My high school is a lycée professionel, meaning that students go there to prepare for and take their BAC, kind of like the high school exit exam, or to learn a specific trade. I asked the student what they wanted to do after high school but many of them had no idea.

I also took the time to explain to them how different high school was in the States and showed them my high school yearbook from senior year. I loved seeing how excited they were to be able to go through the book and see it firsthand instead of on TV or in a movie.

Overall, I have a feeling that it will be easy to find subjects to discuss with the students. I’m hoping that I will not only help them with their English, but also give them an idea as to how different the American culture is.

Saturday, October 3rd




I woke up early despite the late night before to meet up with Sam, Lesley, Megan, Erin, and Dan at Bellecour at 10 am.

Once we all got there, we started our journey to the Parc de la Tête d’Or (Park of the Golden Head). We managed to find our way there with the metro. The park is huge! It has a zoo, lake, and botanical gardens! The 1st animals we saw were some deer – which were only separated from us by a ditch and a high wall.

At first, I thought that the deer would be the most interesting thing there, but I was wrong. As we kept walking, we saw lemurs, monkeys, and giraffes, some buffalo looking things, a lion, and even a crocodile! And elephants too! The zoo was nothing like the San Diego Zoo, but it was still pretty cool – and free!


After seeing the animals and walking through one of the green houses at the botanical gardens, Dan and Erin headed off and the rest of us went to a small kebab place nearby – I really missed kebabs in the States.

Friday, October 2nd



Not much happened during the day. I pretty much just worked on making to-do lists and waited for it to be 8pm. Thanks to Facebook, all of the English assistants, even some Spanish, German, and Arabic assistants, have been able to communicate with each other. Since the majority of us had our first day on Thursday, October 1st, someone planned a get together for that night.



The common meeting place for the Lyonnais (the Lyon natives) is under the horse’s tail (statue in the center) at Place Bellecour. And, since it’s pretty easy to locate, the group decided to meet there. By the time I arrived to the statue, there was already a group of about 20-25 people! Besides the size of the group, it was also easy to recognize that I had found the group because of all the English that I could hear coming from it.



I met a lot of the assistants but only remember a few names. I knew I was bad with names, but for some reason, it was worse! I do recall some people: Megan, from Canada, Maggie, from California, Zara, also from California and friends with a friend from high school (SMALL WORLD), Dan, facebook acquaintance from Illinois, Sam, from England, Albert, from England and studying at Oxford, Jack from England, Fiona and Catherine from New Zealand….and the list could have gone on, but I forgot. But, you can see how diverse the group is – crazy!

After waiting for some stragglers, we walked from Bellecour towards Vieux Lyon (the Old quarter of Lyon – known for being one of the most preserved Renaissance areas in Europe). We all sat down at a bar right next to the Cathedral St. Jean. It was an ideal spot, despite the cold, because we had St. Jean looming over us, and the Basilique de Fourvière above us overlooking the square.


After being there for about an hour, the bartender decided to put Lesley, another assistant, in charge of collecting the money from everyone that was there. She was a little annoyed and upset because the bartender was being so difficult so I decided to help her by holding the coins and helping her with change. At one point I had about 50 euros in 1, 2, .50, and .20 euro coins. After collecting the money (we ended up with more that we needed instead of being short) one of the Australian assistants suggested we go to an Australian bar/club.



He led us all to Ayers Rock about a 15/20 minute walk from where we were. At this time, I thought that I was pretty close to Guillaume’s, so I wasn’t worried about being home late.




The club was packed! We eventually were able to get in and have a drink. All of us (Dan, Jack, Matt, Megan, Maggie and I) just stood in a small circle since we couldn’t really move, but enjoyed ourselves by listening to the music (which consisted of Black Eyed Peas, Pitbull, Nirvana…etc) and the French people singing along to the songs without knowing what they were saying (probably). I’m guilty of doing the same since I don’t always understand what is being said when I listen to Italian or French music. Plus, I now know that I need to know what it is that I am listening to or what I am told to say because it can get me into to trouble, or can be embarrassing – 2 weeks ago at the soirée Guillaume’s friend, Maxime, told me to start singing “Bois tes regles” which I later found out meant, “drink your periods”…Opps!





Since the transportation strike was still going on, most of the group had to leave early. But, as we were saying goodbye, Jack bought another beer because he didn’t think that everyone was leaving. I wanted to go home, but I would have felt bad for leaving him there alone. So, I bought another beer and drank it with him. Once we finished, we started our journey back – which ended up taking me almost an hour!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

1st Day at Work

6 am - My alarm goes off. I get up still half asleep and start to get ready.

6:40 am - I leave the apartment and start my journey to the train station. I forgot how I am not used to wearing dress shoes so now, I have blisters to take care of :/

7:10 am - The train leaves for Villefranche.

7:45 am - I arrive in Villefranche and walk over to the bus stop.

8: 05 am - Step off the bus and realize that I had made a good guess because the school was just across the street.

8: 10 am - Walk into the Teachers' Lounge and wait for someone to come get me.

9 am - and still waiting, so I go to the office and ask what's up. They then look up the schedule and find out where I need to go.

9:10 am - I walk to room A301 to meet one of the English professors - M. Bonnet. I walk in and we chat briefly and he tells me to meet him in the lounge at 9:50, during the break.

9:15 am - I'm back in the lounge waiting.

10 am - Fool didn't show and I was starting to get a little frustrated. I go back to the office hoping that the secretaries aren't annoyed because I don't know what to do. They tell me that M. Bonnet has classes til noon.

10:55 am - I wait outside his classroom so that I can talk to him real quick between classes.

11 am - Finally! I talk to him only to have him present me to another English teacher, Anissa. She then takes me all around the building looking for other English teachers - turns out that they don't know each others' schedule because we found no one - only the Spanish teacher who for some reason, had been expecting me.

I guess I was known of before I showed up in person because the Spanish teacher in French says 'oh! you are the English assistant of Mexican descent that can speak Spanish too!'

The only thing I could think of was: If I work for Spanish also, does that mean double the pay?! But, probably not.

Noon - 1pm - I finish at the school and make my way to the train station to head back to Lyon, with my new Lycée Louis Armand keycard and a set of keys for the classrooms. I get back to Lyon at 1 and head to the apartment to change.

And I'm here. Day one is done and besides all the waiting and confusion, it was a lot easier than I had imagined. I don't have to go back tomorrow so I have a 3 day weekend. I think I might have a 3 day weekend all year because I was asked which day I did not want to work - the job has its perks.

Now, all I have to do is fill out some paperwork I have to turn in on Monday to get my French social security number and open a bank account. I also might have found a placed to live that is FULLY furnished - with cups, plates, spoons, and all for only 340€ a month!

Let the weekend begin!