le printemps

SALUT!

It has been about a week since I’ve written, and it has been a one of those weeks full of little random activities here and there.  So here’s my update:

1) I am starting to give the CM2 (5^th graders) their national English exam.  Apparently for the past few years, the 5^th graders have needed to pass this exam (which also includes math, French, etc) to get into Middle School.  I think it is more of a proficiency report than an actual exam in terms of the English portion, but regardless they put a lot of emphasis on the results.  I’m helping with the spoken portion of this exam.

2) I went to a movie with one of the English teachers, Beatrice, from Michelet.  Beatrice asked me if I wanted to join her, her friend (who is an English professor), and their two daughters at the movie theater, so of course I said yes because it was very nice of Beatrice to think of inviting me.  We saw “Cloclo” which is one of those typical “French” movies, but it wasn’t bad!

Here is the trailer.

Here is the real Claude François.  He's quite a character and was quite a star in France.

3) Spring is springing, and I’ve been enjoying the nice weather.  It’s been in the low 70’s which has been WONDERFUL.   It’s hard to believe that it was just a little over a month ago that I was freezing my rear off, and now it’s such great weather.  The daffodils are coming out and the trees are just starting to bloom.  People are starting to come out of their hibernation, and so the streets of Issoudun are starting to hum with people.   

Yellow flowers outside of Ecole St. Exupery.

A little flower that I thought was pretty.

These flowers smell like home.  It's probably the smell of pollen that's familiar.  

Poofy Spring things.  

Claire, here is the donkey!

4) While being out and about on my runs, I’ve seen the French working in their gardens.  It is typical of the French to have plots of land in “undesirable areas” like along railroad tracks or in flood planes that people can rent/own and cultivate.  Now that the weather is nice, people are starting to put on their blue clothes (literally blue overalls that are issued in France for manual labor) and be outdoors. 

Some gardens are like this with trees and flowers.

Others are like this and will grow food.

For the record, those are chicken coops in the back.

Also, for the record, the railroad tracks run behind the chicken coops.

A French man planting seeds in his garden.

The flood plane with the gardens, a field for the cows (which unfortunately were hiding behind trees), and the city in the background (that is the steeple of l'Eglise St. Cyr).  

5) Also due to the good weather, I’ve started to figure out what living in a small town is like.  When the weather was good last fall, I didn’t know enough people to recognize faces on the street.  But now that I’ve met people and gotten to know my students, I’m seeing people that I know left and right, on the sidewalks and in the centre ville.  Almost everyday at school I have either a teacher or a student (or both!) tell me “I saw you running yesterday.”  Oh great, I’m so glad you got to see me huffing and puffing around town.  I guess that’s what it’s like living in a small town!

6) Here is yet another update, although it is unrelated to my past week- I will be returning to the metropolis of Atlanta on May 10, going to work in Chautuauqua for the summer, and then returning to school in August.  For those of you that haven’t heard one way or another, my big news is that I’ll be participating in UVA’s Masters of Public Policy program.  While I’ve enjoyed teaching this year, I’m ready to see how the world of public policy intrigues me!

That being said, I’m not counting down the time until I leave Issoudun…I’m opting not to think about it.  Denial has always worked well for me.  Plus, I have a few upcoming weekend trips planned and so many more fun things to do in Issoudun, in France, and in Europe!  So if I’m hard to track down in April, that’s why!

Here is a map that lists what types of food are well known in each part of France.  

I'm in the "tarte tatin"section (apple pie).

Couldn't have picked a better place to be!

Keep in touch!