This was my first week back at school after Christmas break. Though I have to say, I feel like my year abroad is turning into being more about what I do outside of school than what I do there, but c'est la vie! I mean, I don't hate it. In fact, I think that's really all I have to say about school this week. It happened. It was alright. Moving on.
This week (Wednesday to be exact) the SOLDES started. The soldes are a cultural experience, y'all. It's a month-long sale that only happens twice a year, once in July and once in January and I am here to experience it again! These are the only times sales happen in France and it is absolutely insane. Think black Friday crowds. Unfortunately, my bank account didn't like the soldes as much as my brain did, but it was still fun to (mostly) just window shop.
This weekend was the usual sortir-ing (going out) with les autres assistants, but this time for a petit joint birthday celebration! Next weekend is the grand celebration in Paris! This will my total Paris count to a total of 7, but let's be honest - Paris never gets old!
In other news, I thought it might be entertaining to list some of the funny things that the French have said since I got here. I realize I should've been keeping track of this since day one, but here are some highlights.
- By Pascale Catoire, the leader of all the English assistants in our Académie on our very first orientation day on our very first week in France: "If you go home, you will regret coming back" in reference to assistants going home for the Christmas holidays. She meant to say going back, as in going back home.
- On a bag of pretzels: "Bretzels"
- A student trying to say/spell hamburger: "Humberger" (what's scary is it's spelled the exact same way in French)
- On a storefront in Tours: "Jean's" and "Boot's"
- This one wasn't mine, but it's too good to pass up, one of Adrienne's students: "We eat a lot of coq in France." Was trying to say rooster.
- When I wished my students happy holidays before the Christmas break one replied: "I am good, thank you."
- When a student asked me what "grand" was in English and I replied "in what sense?" the student took "in what sense" as my answer.
- Not really a translation thing, but funny nonetheless. While wearing a Michigan sweatshirt in a restaurant in Tours, the waitress asked me if that was where I was from and then said she had been somewhere in Michigan but couldn't remember the name of the city. After thinking for a few minutes she replied with great enthusiasm, "Milwauke!"
- When one of my students asked what Georgia was and I told them it was a state, "What is a state?" You know, like the United STATES of America. Ugh.
- In one of my classes a student was trying to say that she likes to FEED babies. Instead, she said, and this is a direct quote, "I like eating babies."
- Discussing the difference in pronunciation between "beaches" and "bitches" about half the class said they couldn't hear a difference. Ooooh, you're going to have problems if you ever go to an English-speaking country, kid!
But, to make this entirely fair, I should point out some of the stupid things I've said in French.
"Une tasse de vin, s'il vous plaît." A cup of wine, please. On my first night out on study abroad. Surprised France didn't kick me out for this crime against wine.
That's all I can think of for now (though I've definitely said more silly things than that but surely I've just subconsciously blocked them out of my memory). Updates to follow!
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