House-mates

It's been a long week. I did a lot of observations, mostly of non-English classes for some reason, because the people want us to get to know the French student before we are actually teaching the French students. And it is different from America: the kids all stay together for all their classes, they stand when the teacher comes in, stuff like that. It's been really interesting to watch. I'm excited to start teaching on Tuesday. I get to talk about America all week! It'll be easy. I plan to make the kids listen to Simon and Garfunkel. Some of the sassier boys have started calling me "Mary Christmas" for some reason. They think they're quite clever, but I find it amusing. Unfortunately, I have my smartest kids during their classtime, so I won't be able to sit in and get asked over and over for my phone number and whether I have a boyfriend. But I'm sure it will be rewarding to work with the level twos, who actually want to learn English.

Otherwise, all is well. I went to Lille for my obligatory medical visit (for my staying-in-France permit) and now have a lovely souvenir x-ray that I plan to hang in the bathroom at the other assistants' apartment with their x-rays. We have taken over the bathroom with girliness and it is possibly the best decorated room in the house. Bathroom is misleading - what it is is a closet with a toilet and a sink, and the tub is is another room, but now it's a very cheery closet, full of colorful posters, some Mardi Gras type beads that were in there before that I rearranged to look better, and the back of the door is covered in x-rays. Oh, the things that amuse us.

It's getting a little chilly, and then it warms up, and then it gets chilly again. We're all waiting for our first paychecks so we can buy sweaters (I have sweaters, including the lovely one Granny just sent, but French sweater fashions are good this fall). I am overdressed at school compared to the teachers and underdressed compared to the students, which is amusing. Been cooking a lot. Last night I made stuffed mushrooms with chèvre, and they were really good. This morning we went on a tour of a buried castle in Cambrai and saw a lot of medieval graffiti.

I've gotten my housemates hooked on House, which seems to be the only American tv program not showing on French tv. And we have internet at the house now! So if you download Skype (http://www.skype.com), then you can call me for free as long as you've got a microphone for your computer. And that would be pleasant, because I like hearing from people.

More photos soon, but not today. I've got to start taking more pictures: I have a lot of the decorations for the Bollywood festival that's going on in Lille for the next couple of months (of all things! A Bollywood festival!) but I need to take photos of our little girly house.