Checking in

In my last post I promised myself (and you, lovely readers) that I would actually achieve something this term and - most crucially - enjoy doing so. So, here's a check-in, one week on, to see how I'm doing.

• Learning German from scratch through 'tandems' three times a week with my three German friends
  This is actually going pretty well, thanks to my lovely friends. Although I've been a little slack on homework, I've had four 'tandem' sessions so far and apparently my pronunciation is pretty good (thanks, Bach, you're a dude).
• Improving my French through 'tandems' in Lyon.
  Again fairly successful with one session, albeit brief. Unfortunately it turns out my French pronunciation is pretty poor...
• Snowboarding weekends!
  Two attempts; two failures. I think this one will have to wait 'til the new year.
• Getting a head-start on my dissertation (two books already bought, and one borrowed..)
  Not sure how much I read of David Bellos' Is That a Fish in Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything* this week before I started dozing off on the train, but that still counts, right? 
• A promise to myself of more nights out!
  A resounding success with three consecutive nights of social drinking in its varying degrees: drinks with the Bourg assistants in the Quinet kitchen; the Irish pub in Bourg with teachers from my flatmate's school; an ERASMUS night in Lyon and a (not) gay (enough) club.
• Getting fit: a teacher gave us a bike for free, so no excuses!
  I managed one slightly precarious trip to Bouvent lake during which I only almost got run over three times... then the rain arrived. 
• A casual interpreting job
  Still to hear whether they need me on Wednesday. Fingers crossed!
• Observing some French literature classes
  Merde, I forgot about this one! I'll ask my flatmate about it tomorrow..
• Lots of travelling
  Only Lyon since my last post, but I did neglect to mention my quick stroll into Geneva whilst waiting for the train after my return flight:

Taking in the lakeside view in what must be one of
the most expensive cities in Europe with an alfresco
lunch of Mum's sandwiches. Capitalism can suck it.

• Volunteering as a project coordinator for UnicefCampus
  Set up a meeting for this afternoon, the guy cancelled... I'm officially signed up, though!
• Getting better at this blog thing...
  Leaving it over a week doesn't really cut it, does it? I'm truly sorry, as I'm sure you're all devastated.

*The book's actually really interesting - in fact, I recommend it - I was just ridiculously tired.

On proactivity

I like being busy. I know this might sound alien to students who conform more closely to the Young Ones stereotype, or even that of University Challenge, but I can't think of anything worse than sitting alone in my room for entire days or evenings.

In sixth form I took four A-levels (don't confuse me with a nerd; I practically failed one of them), had weekly singing lessons for my grade 8 (conveniently a day after my A-level Music practical, also my birthday...), sang in far too many choirs, became a music prefect and worked in a bar... yet I was always first to say yes to a night out ("...but the exams aren't for another week!")

Much the same in university: where others wait for 'the fear' to get an essay done, I have to plan weeks in advance of concert season around jobs, committee duties, auditions, mass, rehearsals and - of course - socialising. The lifestyle has its disadvantages: I don't take well to just sitting and reading for any considerable length of time, which could be seen as a drawback in an English degree...

Therefore, as you might imagine, I had a few concerns about moving to a different country. Language assistants only work 12 hours a week, so to do with the rest? If you read my 'Week in the life' post you might have some idea, and you might also remember that I ended on an optimistic note:

"Sunday
As you might have already known, or read here, the 'day of rest' is very restful here in France. So far - apart from that one time we went to the rugby and the cinema - it's been an opportunity for lie-ins/hangovers, lesson planning and laziness which is gratefully received by my lazy alter-ego, but I'm sure after the holidays I'll be back on form with not a moment spare - or so I hope."

Like-minded friends will be glad to hear that I have begun to fulfill my own prophecy within four days of being back.

So what am I going to take on in the remaining few weeks of term?

• Learning German from scratch through 'tandems' three times a week with my three German friends
• Improving my French through 'tandems' in Lyon.
• Snowboarding weekends!
• Getting a head-start on my dissertation (two books already bought, and one borrowed..)
• A promise to myself of more nights out!
• Getting fit: a teacher gave us a bike for free, so no excuses!
• A casual interpreting job
• Observing some French literature classes
• Lots of travelling
• Volunteering as a project coordinator for UnicefCampus
• Getting better at this blog thing...

All of this along with my two choirs, never forgetting, of course, my actual job.

Two weeks off for some dead saints? I'll take it...

I've missed half term. As a British student you're hardly aware it's happening until you go into town and it's full of kids "who should be in sch—! Oh..." Despite having a holiday in October for the first time in ages, this year's half term actually started off as normal: my parents came to visit. 

We only paused for two nights in Bourg as it doesn't have a huge amount to offer for a holiday. Nevertheless, two nights was enough to pack in a fair amount of excitement:

Early Christmas present.. :)

First try of Poulet de Bresse
(actually quite boring..)

Then to Lyon! We did all the normal tourist-y things but the highlights for me were:

The marionette museum

and a fantastic big band at the famous 'Hot' jazz club.

We flew back together, then parted ways as I headed to Exeter to spend a wonderful week-and-a-half invading my boyfriend's house (sorry!) and seeing my lovely uni friends. I miss student life, and it was difficult being there almost as an outsider, with new freshers I didn't know and changes I hadn't registered (the Long Lounge is now the Kitchen Café?!) Seeing my friends running around with heads full of deadlines, concerts, committee responsibilities and society drama I ruefully said "I miss being busy".

Now, though, as I sit here listening to The Swell Season after a morning at the market, a lovely shared lunch with the girls in the Quinet kitchen followed by a movie (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, if anyone's interested) I'm starting to think it's a good thing that my year out is just that: a year out.

C'est la vie... of an English Assistant

I've realised that my blog posts are a little detached, and don't really give much of a real idea of what I normally do here. So here is a 'week in the life' of the only red-head in Bourg:

Monday
Only 3 hours of lessons, but unfortunately, working at 11, 2 and 4 doesn't leave much room for doing anything interesting in between. I usually use the time to plan lessons to free up bigger blocks of time later in the week. No early start on Tuesday to me means a night out on Monday, but some of the others have shown to be a little disinclined to go out in general. The two other Brits, my Russian flatmate and I have usually ended up in the same bar in Bourg, but a few issues involving some mecs a little too insistent on chatting me up (and there's really nowhere to hide in this tiny place..), a guy who described himself as racist (!) and the fact that my idea of a good night out doesn't really involve playing back-to-back games of pool with this kind of clientele have left me reluctant to continue the habit. Keep reading to see what the future holds for nights out in Bourg... but I don't have high hopes.


Tuesday
My day off! This week I went into Lyon to find out if I could take a course in the university; no luck, but I met up with a girl who was a French assistant last year for coffee and she gave me loads of great advice about France, the job and Lyon. I would advise any assistants past or present to send an e-mail out to all the addresses of past assistants that the British Council send out as I've met and spoken to some really lovely and helpful people (in French!) this way. It's called 'FLA Buddy Scheme', and I received the e-mail around mid-October. I did it because I was worried I wasn't talking enough French with French people, and it's really paid off!

Passarelle Saint-Georges, Lyon

I ended up doing a lot of aimless wandering after the girls I met went back to class, as the train I had planned to take was cancelled due to strike action with no replacement service... No idea how the French get to work on time in the morning!

Wednesday
Every other week I start work at 7.45am in town half an hour's walk away. Give me an Exeter 9am any day; walking to school when it's still dark is miserable! It's also my youngest class, so I really can't be tired, hungover or look like I just rolled out of bed (although sometimes the wind on the way there will do that for me anyway..) The flipside to this is that I'm free from 11am onwards, and that every other week I have another day off. This week I went to the Parc de la Tête d'Or in Lyon with a few of the other assistants:

When we got back we had a meal planned with another French girl I met through the FLA Buddy Scheme in Bourg. We had booked for nine but it ended up being only four! It's occasions like this that I wonder whether it's a case of the individual or the culture; I've certainly never been in the situation where someone cancels on a dinner which has been booked for anything other than unforeseen circumstances, but luckily the restaurant didn't mind and the four of us had a lovely evening speaking almost entirely in French.

On my days off I also usually like to take a walk around Bouvent lake, which is a good hike away but well worth it for the calmness. (I'm slowly but surely turning into my mother, aren't I...)

Thursday

Usually I have lessons 8am-5pm on Thursdays but this week my six hours were reduced to one due to various tests and absences, giving me time to... sleep and do nothing. Good one, Fiona.

In the evening, though, we went Bowling with the Lycée Quinet 'Amicale' (a kind of social society for teachers). I'm not the best bowler in the world (two strikes and two zeros.. what's wrong with me?) but it was good to get to know the teachers in a more social context, and I'm already noticing the difference in the staffroom; no more awkward break-times, I hope.


Friday
A busy but enjoyable one: every other week I have to make two separate journeys to Péronnas (the other school) with a class and a choir rehearsal in Quinet in-between. Technically I shouldn't really have time to go to choir, but if I leave ten minutes early and eat a sandwich en-route it works.

In the evening I have a rehearsal with L'Ensemble Vocal de l'Ain in town (Bourg inexplicably being the capital of its region). I auditioned just to fill some spare time but luckily for me they're a really good choir with a busy schedule which suits me to a T.
(If anyone was interested: the chorus parts of Mozart's Don Giovanni, Gounod's Requiem, Duruflé's Requiem, Fauré's Cantique de Jean Racine, César Franck's Les Sept Paroles du Christ sur la Croix and Duruflé's Notre Père.)

Friday is also, of course, an opportunity to go out, but so far early starts for travelling have put paid to anything particularly exciting.

Saturday

So far we've used our Saturdays to go to Annecy and Lyon, with more plans for travelling in the pipe-line (including a festive Paris trip in December). Again, Saturday night is for going out, and we've managed to have one successful night out in Bourg on a Saturday (following a disastrous one in Lyon) involving the almost authentic Irish 'Pub', flaming shots and great company. Hopefully more like that to follow!

Sunday

As you might have already known, or read here, the 'day of rest' is very restful here in France. So far - apart from that one time we went to the rugby and the cinema - it's been an opportunity for lie-ins/hangovers, lesson planning and laziness which is gratefully received by my lazy alter-ego, but I'm sure after the holidays I'll be back on form with not a moment spare - or so I hope.

France does have some good music..

..and you know you're in a fantastic mood when you have this in your head.

Perks of the job; kids are hilarious

Even though most of my pupils are 15+ they still come out with some funny and brilliant things. Here are the highlights of my teaching career (lol) so far:

1. My usually sullen TSTG class getting seriously competitive over a game of articulate.

2. The kids in the collège playground playing three-player ping pong. (It involves running round the table, if you can try to picture it.) Brilliant idea.

3. The two girls who still always say hello to me even though I only take them once every four weeks.

4. The boy who didn't know how to say "I'm supposed to go back and send someone else in after 20 minutes" in English so instead laboured on alone, telling me about immigrant communities in Britain, for the whole hour-long lesson.

5. The looks on my 4ème's faces when I told them about Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

6. The boy who asked if I'd ever been to Aberystwyth, and the fact that the teacher didn't know where that was.

7. Doing pronunciation exercises when the teacher doesn't tell me what topic to cover: 'TH TH TH TH TH' 'H H H H H H'. Just like choral warm-ups, but they find it hilarious. 

8. The girl who, after much deliberation, replied 'Wales' when I asked her to name any country in the UK.

9. The trouble-maker in 3ème who shocked everyone by saying he wanted to join Homework Club. It later transpired that he didn't know what 'homework' meant.

10. The super smart sixteen year old in my Terminale Science who brought up punk rock in my 'What's Great about Great Britain?' class. Ten points to Gryffindor.

Annwyl i mi

Photography from Andrea Paz

This week I'm hoping I started a trend with my three course traditional Welsh meal of Glamorgan sausages, lamb and mint sauce, and Welshcakes followed by drinking games (non Brits absolutely horrified by the dirty pint in ring of fire) and general merriment. A few people have asked me for recipes, so here goes:

SELSIG MORGANNWG / GLAMORGAN SAUSAGES

Not actually sausages at all, but more like a slightly lighter, cheesy version of stuffing.

      

Photography from Andrea Paz

Photography from Andrea Paz

Makes 8

175g breadcrumbs (I just used a packet and that worked out fine)
150g Caerphilly cheese (obviously doesn't exist in France; I used feta)

Half a leek, finely chopped (or a third if you're using enormous French poireaux!)

Small handful chopped parsley 

½ tsp of thyme

2 eggs, beaten

1½ tsp Dijon mustard (you can get it very cheap out here, but English mustard is fine too)

Milk as required (no more than a few tbsp)
Oil
Black pepper to season (the cheese will already be quite salty so no need for more, to my taste)

1. Mix together 150g of the breadcrumbs in a bowl with the cheese, leek or spring onion, parsley, thyme and freshly ground pepper, blending well. 

2. Beat the eggs with the mustard. Set aside 2 tablespoons of this mixture and stir the remaining egg mixture into the breadcrumb mixture. If it seems a little dry add a touch of milk to help bind it together without making it sloppy. 

3. Divide the mixture into eight and shape each portion into a sausage about 2.5cm thick. Put the reserved egg and mustard mixture into a shallow bowl and spread the remaining breadcrumbs onto a plate. One by one dip the sausages into the egg mixture and coat in the crumbs. If you have time, chill the sausages in the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up. 

4. Heat the butter or oil in a frying pan and fry the sausages briskly for about 5 minutes until brown, then reduce the heat and fry for a further 3-4 minutes.

(based on recipe from uktv.co.uk/food)

CIG OEN GYDA SAWS MINT / LAMB AND MINT SAUCE

A.K.A how to make a traditional British Sunday dinner on Tuesday, in France, with only two electric hob spaces and what we like to call the 'easy-bake' oven (cf. right hand picture of the starter).

Photography from Andrea Paz

Serves 8 (as part of a three course meal; bigger appetites might want more!)

8 lamb cutlets

16 small new potatoes

500ml cider or white wine vinegar

85g sugar

10g chopped mint leaves

Vegetables as desired (I used frozen petits pois and the left-over leek)

Salt, pepper and garlic to season (I used garlic granules as we had nothing else, but you might prefer to use the real thing!)

1. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to boil. Allow to simmer at a fairly high temperature until syrupy. (This took a fair while on the electric hob!) 

2. Meanwhile, par-boil the potatoes (until you can stick a fork in). I cooked the peas in the same pan due to lack of space.

3. Prick the potatoes with a fork, season with lots of salt, pepper and garlic, then place in the oven at about 200°C/180°C for fan oven ('9' for not so easy-bake...). Roast for about 20 minutes or until golden-brown. 

4. Leave the sauce  to cool for 5 minutes before adding the mint, mixing, and allowing to cool further to room temperature.

5. Fry the lamb to taste - three minutes each side will do for a good medium rare, but a little while longer is needed if you want it "vraiment mort" as my flatmates requested!

6. Decant the sauce into a jug (or in the absence of which, a small bowl) and serve the meat and potatoes with vegetables. 

PICAU AR Y MAEN / WELSHCAKES

Classic and well-loved Welsh delicacy. Eat plain as a snack or with raspberry jam and cream (I mixed some sugar into crème fraîche) for dessert.

Makes 16

225g plain flour

85g caster sugar

½ tsp mixed spice

100g butter cut into small pieces (plus extra for frying)

50g currants

1 egg, beaten

splash milk

1. Mix the flour, sugar, mixed spice, baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. 

2. With your fingers, rub in the butter until crumbly. Mix in the currants. 

3. Work the egg into the mixture until you have soft dough, adding a splash of milk if it seems a little dry.

4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to the thickness of your little finger. Cut out rounds using a 6cm cutter, re-rolling any trimmings. (Lacking a rolling pin or cutters, I just formed them in my hands: worked fine, and less mess!)

5. Grease a flat griddle pan or heavy frying pan with lard, and place over a medium heat. Cook the Welsh cakes in batches, for about 3 mins each side, until golden brown, crisp and cooked through.

(based on a recipe from bbcgoodfood.com)



Here's looking forward to the Spanish, Bavarian, Turkish, English, Scottish, American, Russian and Chilean offerings!