Couvertpuis

I need some sun, seriously, seriously, seriously. Vacation starts Friday and next Tuesday morning I am leaving rural France behind for Bordeaux.

they are actually my favorite class, but don't tell them

More from my class of 21-year-old boys:

Student: "Est-ce que you like us?"
Me: "No, I hate you all."
[awkward silence]
Me: "JUST KIDDING!"

Student: "I am feel very bad for you."
Me: "Why?"
Student: "Because you do not have la chance. Bar le Duc, c'est nul, et nous ..."
Me: "But I get to make fun of you, so it is okay."

Student: "What will you tell people about us when you retourner chez vous?"
Me: "That you were all the most charming, handsome, wonderful, well-behaved, disciplined group of young gentlemen I've ever seen."

Me: "Okay Maxime, you're my victim. Front of the class."
Student: "MAIS NONNNNN jsuis nul!"
Me: "BAH OUAIS and c'est pas grave. Everyone else is nul too. Front of the class. ALLEZ."
Student: "NON NON NON."
Me: "OUAIS OAUIS OAUIS."
Student: "BAH. Je peux poser des questions en français?"
Me: "Does this look like a French class? BAH NON, C'EST ANGLAIS."
Student: "BAHHH. Okay."

My boyfriend came to visit, we: cooked a lot (including a disastrous gratin on Christmas!), drank a lot of wine, mastered risotto after a seven-month long battle, walked a lot, ate Berthillon ice cream, ate a lot of Jewish food in the Marais, slept in, hung out in the snow. We celebrated our anniversary in Paris with more ice cream, delicious Indian food for lunch, and raclette for dinner in a cozy little restaurant next to Sacré Cœur that would have been an American food inspector's worst nightmare. We concluded our anniversary at the foot of the funicular, with more wine and Guns n Roses in an empty bar called No Problemo.

Now I am on nearly week three of being all alone here in the provinces again, back at work, blah blah blah. I've got a French translation of Destination Unknown (Destination Inconnue), Yeats, and Gogol to keep me company. I've also got the INTERNET, which I didn't have for about a month. Having the internet is miraculous and wonderful. I can download movies and talk to my friends and I don't have to walk ten minutes through the snow to the McDonalds.

Here is a video:

I still check Craigslist missed connections for Tucson:

Maple Syrup girl - m4w - 24
I passed you several times in the Frys grocery store, stealing a glance each time. I could tell that you were shopping just for you as if you were bored and had nothing else to do. I was in the same boat. I then headed over to the cereal aisle staring at the boxes on the shelf. You passed behind me. I took a box off the shelf and walked toward the end of the aisle. You stopped just before the end and gave the most inquisitive stare at the maple syrup. But like a fool I kept walking, lacking the ability to start up a conversation. If this works and you would like to go for waffles let me know.

Lately ...

me: "so what do you like to do in bar le duc?"
student: "walk in the street"
me: "just .... walk in the street? that's it?"
student: "yes i like to walk in the street"

me: "so what would you like to do in america?"
same student: "walk in a big street"


me: "so you are obsessed with las vegas? what do you like about it?"
student: "yes"
me: "did you understand what i said?"
student: "yes"
me: "so what do you like about it?"
student: "yes"
me: "the prostitutes?"
student: "yes"
other student: "mais non! elle a dit 'les prostituées!'"
student: (turns red) "no"

student: "who is your most beautiful star?"
me: "huh?"
student: "who is your most beautiful star?"
me: "je comprends pas"
student: "is it brade peet? tom cru-ez?"
me: "OH."

I've started crossing my arms and saying BAAHHHHHHHH OUAIS back at my students.

me: C'EST UN COURS D'ANGLAIS, DONC VOUS PARLEZ L'ANGLAIS.
students: "BAHHHH OUAIS"
me: BBAAAAHHHH OUAAAISSS. ENGLISH.


male student: "twilight is the shit"
me: "wow, so you loved it? is edward cullen cute?"
"mais non! it is the shit"
"i think you mean just ... shit"
"yes twilight is the shit"
"if you say 'the shit' it means you love it"
"BAHHHH NON! C'EST HORRIBLE, CE FILM!"
"donc tu dis, 'twilight is shit'"
"twilight is shit"
"OUI! C'EST ÇA! and yes! it is! just don't say that to your real teacher."



It costs me approximately 7,10€ to do one load of laundry. This is getting expensive.