Busy busy busy

Hey all,

This past couple weeks have been really busy for me. I started school last friday, went to lille for a day of teacher training, and continue my search for an apartment. I've also spent considerable time in Lens, the city where I'll be living given that the bus there only runs a few times a day out to the burbs where I'm staying.

Well, starting school has been an interesting and fun experience. It's been a long time since I've thought critically about my high school days and it's taken quite alot of brian prodding to bring some of those memories back. Ok, it hasn't been that long...but still. In the academie of Lille, every assistant has to do two weeks of observation before beginning to teach. So, for the most part, I've just been introducing myself, answering a few questions in English and then watching for the rest of the class. I've had some really random questions, including whether or not Lady Gaga was a man or a woman and one kid asked me for my phone number. All of the English teachers at my school are wonderful. They all have awesome senses of humor, so I'm laughing alot when I'm with them. They're also eager to help me with whatever they can, so I've hit the jackpot there.

Wednesday, I went to Lille for orientation, met alot of other assistants and got to catch up with my friend with whom I studied in Grenoble, Julia. It was awesome to see her and catch up and to hear about her experiences, which includes living 20 minutes away from a train station with the principal of her school. She's basically stuck in this little town with no mode of transportation. I don't feel so bad about my homeless situation when I talk to her.  :)   Orientation was pretty much just a review of all of the paperwork I have to get done as quickly as possible so that I can be legal here. But I go back to Lille next Thursday for more training. However, there's going to be a transportation strike starting on Tuesday and no one knows how much longer it's going to last. So hopefully I can get there!

Other than that, my time is completely consumed with finding a place to live (no, after 2 weeks here, I still haven't found a place.) I generally hit dead end after dead end and it's extremely frustrating. I do have two visits later today though so hopefully one of those situations work out. Otherwise, my family here is really nice and the little 8 year old Elvira is soooo cute and I hang with her all the time.

Well, that's all for now. Hopefully the next time I post will be from a new apartment somewhere!
Take care.