VIENNA Recap

Hello again Lovers, Family, and Friends!

Today I returned from my mini-Eurotrip.  France, as you may know, is really into vacations ... and my first 10-day vacation occurred after 10 days of teaching.  Convenient.  I took the opportunity to be spontaneous (!) and join my roommate, Steph, on a trip to Vienna, Prague, and Berlin.  We spent two and a half days in each city, and each one was amazing....  I'll do one post/city, ya ?

Vienna was only a week ago but it feels like it was forever...
Steph and I practically jumped off the plane, happily accepting the for-tourists-only maps and magazines that were offered to us by stewardesses at the Vienna airport.  Woohoo! We were in a whole other city!  In a whole other country! After a flight that takes the same time for me to go DC-Boston!  We had even crossed another country (Italy!)  CRAZINESS!!

1) VIENNA'S METRO

The craziness of Vienna continued when we hopped into the airport subway station, or, maybe I should say, the shiny, clean future:

The city of Vienna also provides reading material for your trip, which I sampled:

In many of Vienna's metro stations, you can watch the news while you wait on REALLY BIG SCREENS.

2) VIENNA'S FOOD

Ok well I am a vegetarian so I could not try the famous weinershnitzl, but I did sample the delicious Fritattensuppe (basically broth with crepes in it, mmmm) :

Steph and I went to Naschmarkt, or the Snack market for lunch.  Among the many Eastern spices, dried fruits, and specialty stalls, we found the following:

Yes, that is octopus.  18 Euros/Kilo.


3) VIENNA'S ARCHITECTURE

Basically every building that we went to looked like a palace.

Here I am at Parliament:

(Can you spot me? My all-grey ensemble means I kind of blend in...)

At the Rathaus, a very ugly name for the very beautiful municipal building:

4) VIENNA'S ROYALTY
Steph and I visited the many palaces of Vienna.  Among our discoveries were the extensive cutlery collection of the Hapsburg empire:

(Literally there were rooms and rooms of silver and gold cutlery and plates. This is just a mere taste!)

This is how they would set their tables:

In the gardens at the Schonbrunn palace:

5) VIENNA'S MUSIC
Vienna is the city of music.  Aside from seeing the room where Mozart played his first concert and being harassed by men in 17th-century garb asking if I wanted to buy concert tickets, Steph and I attended the opera (standing room) for 3 Euros!  We couldn't see anything (and didn't stay the whole time) but it was beautiful.... the building cannot compare to the Opera Garnier in Paris, but that's my favorite building in the world, so we'll give Vienna some credit...

6) VIENNA IS ARTSY AND SO AM I:

7) MISC

Steph and I got lost many times in Vienna and each time followed the same few steps: wander, consult the map, consult Steph's iPhone, and consult her iPhone compass.  During our wandering and consulting, we saw signs saying "Einbahn" with an arrow and wondered what they meant.  At some point, we met some Swiss Germans, Oskar and Claudio and asked them what "Einbahn" meant... "One way!" they replied.  Steph and I burst into giggles, and O + C wanted to know why.  "We thought it was a specific place!" we told them.  "So if we had told you that it meant 'help center' you would have followed it?"  "Every time..."

Later gators, thanks for reading
xoxo
Samantha

FRANCE IS BOMB

If you are reading this blog, you know that I'm basically obsessed with France.  It's often hard for me to articulate exactly WHY, but being here has me compiling a list of some of the reasons that France is awesome.....To be updated as I think of more things.  

• Vespas everywhere.  Including pink vespas.  

• Not only is my bank account free (for the first year, convenient), because I work in the public sector they gave me a FREE DIGITAL CAMERA.  THAS.WHASSUP.  Yes friends, family, and lovers, get excited for more pictures because I HAVE A CAMERA!  
• Every single day (except Monday) there is a market in the plaza across the street from my apartment.  Yes, twenty feet away.  This week I got: a head of lettuce, a box of strawberries, a box of mushrooms, two onions, carrots, tons of green beans, a head of basil, and three avocados FOR LESS THAN NINE EUROS.  AND I made friends with the grocer who sold them to me.  YES YES YES.  
• My commute includes a ride on a boat.  YES A BOAT.  

• Baguettes are 80 cents.  80 cents.  80 cents!!!!  And when we buy them they are often still warm from the oven .... Mmmmmmmmmmmm.
• Have I mentioned that my apartment is a seven minute walk from the beach?  I get really excited to go running, and even to RUN UP HILLS (Sarah come here and run with me!!!!) because at the top there's a guaranteed beautiful view.  
• 600 year old ruins a fifteen-minute bus ride away to explore... 

*Thanks to Steph and Sinead for being awesome photographers

OK NOW I'M OFF TO PRAGUE VIENNA AND BERLIN SEE YOU IN A BIT 

PEACE OUT LOVERS

XOXO

Samantha

SCHOOL FIELD TRIPS

So one of the biggest perks of being an English teaching assistant in France (besides the incredibly high salary, free shoes, and privilege to work only with the students that are members of Mensa-France) is the opportunity to chaperone field trips.

Last week I went to Thoronet Abbey, one of the Cistercian Abbeys of Provence, and today I got to go to Dignes-les-Bains on a geology field trip.  We had great weather for hiking up a mini-mountain in the Alps, it was very sunny and not too hot (!!! Yes this is really my life).  I listened to the teachers talk about geology and tectonic plates and plankton and fossils and I am proud to say that if you put me in a French high school science class, I am confident that I would ace it.

High school field trips in France are NOT the same as high school field trips in the US.  For one thing, if you live in Paris you get to go to art museums and see real Monets and Picassos.... compared with visiting a former plantation in southern Maryland, France definitely wins out.  For another thing, ON BOTH FIELD TRIPS THAT I HAVE ATTENDED, I have had the opportunity to have either an apéritif or digestif.  On Tuesday I had pastis to go with the olives that the students shared, and last week I had an apricot brandy (gross) after dessert.  Yes, as a person responsible for children's lives while on field trips HIKING IN THE MOUNTAINS I have had the opportunity to drink with my colleagues.  This is sooo un-American.

The kids that I went hiking with are a chatty; easygoing, and honest group of high school seniors.  When I asked Ophélie if she thought that the fossils were interesting, she responded "No!"  Two of my other students informed me that they wanted to go to English-speaking countries after they graduate to improve their spoken English.  "Great!" I encouraged them, adding that that is the best way to get better - immersion.  With my support, they ventured further: "We will stay at your house for two months next summer!"  I laughed, thinking it was a joke, but they were serious ... "Can we?"  Surprised, I said the first thing that came to mind: "You have to ask my mom!"  They laughed, and continued: "We will take a picture of us, and she will see that we are good-looking, and she will say yes!"  I laughed..... But they really were serious. They showed me the picture, and I told them that if they write a little paragraph about who they are and asking to come, I would forward it to my Mom.  I know she's always wanted French high-school pen pals....

Until the next time,
xoxo
SAMANTHA

Week 1 of Teaching Down...

BONJOUR TOUT LE MONDE!

Thanks for tuning in and to everyone who has emailed me - I LOVE hearing from you !!!  You can sign up for email updates by clicking the box to the right of my posts, FYI :)

So, week one of teaching is down and it has been full of surprises.  I'm going to list them because I love lists!

1) I am pretty good at lying.  Generally, lying is not in my nature but I have recently developed this skill, mostly telling those people who try to get me to join Greenpeace on the streets in DC that I don't speak English - "Je ne parle pas l'anglais".  Par contre, at my French school I have been instructed to tell the kids that I don't speak any French.  Last week, during some of my hours of observation, I introduced myself to the students and they had the opportunity to ask me questions in English.  Without fail, the question "Do you speak French?" came up.  And I had to respond with a "No", which always brought about the follow up question, "Not even a little?" And I held firm ... It was WACK since for the past 3 years I have been answering the question "Do you speak French?" with "Yeah I'm basically bilingual."  When my students asked what I studied in college and if I had been to France before, I had to omit my 5 months at La Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris in favor of, "yes I have been to Paris, only on vacation." ... LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR.  I had to be creative with the question "Why did you chose to come to France" (which I usually respond to by saying that I LOVE FRANCE and I LOVE FRENCH) with the much less exciting "I thought it would be fun."

2) I am better at teaching than I thought I would be.  I was sooo nervous but it turns out all of the class presentations and SPEAC/BEATBias programs that I planned and carried out have really prepared me to stand in front of small groups of teenagers and exercise my authority.

3) Outside of their English class (aka in real life), many French kids are afraid of speaking to me.  On Tuesday I accompanied a field trip to Thoronet Abbey, and I had been introduced to all the students as (of course) "The American assistant who doesn't speak French."  Few kids approached me to talk, and when I approached kids to ask what they thought of the visit, I got a lot of SCARED EYES and kids who either agreed with everything I said (even when it wasn't a question) or looked desperately at their friends, asking for help and saying that they didn't understand.  Kind of disappointing but this is just the beginning of the year, I'm sure as I get to know them, they will realize that I am not a scary American monster.

Ok dahhhhhhhhlings that's all for now as I have to go plan lessons for tomorrow.  We're going to discuss the rugby world cup.  France is going to the final....

xoxoxo
Samantha

P.S. On Saturday I'm going to Berlin, Prague, and Vienna with my roommate Steph.  If you have been to any of those places and have any recommendations, email me or leave a comment!!

Hello friends, family, and admirers,

I apologize for the delay in posting.  Last week has been quite a whirlwind!  I had my first visits to my school where I met many teachers and students, attended two days of training and met the other assistants in the region, observed many French English classes, and went to the Toulon opera!

I went to see FAUST, which is a very famous French opera, and for 9 Euros/seat (in the orchestra section, about 10 rows back...) it was a deal!!  The part of the deal that I had not bargained for was the FOUR HOURS it would last, including a 20-MINUTE intermission and seemingly random 20-minute ballet interlude.  "Samantha", you say, "perhaps it is the fact that you are NOT FLUENT IN FRENCH and you went to the OPERA" that explains why you think the ballet interlude was random.  Well, thanks for trying to help me out, but they put the lyrics to the opera on the stage and my French reading comprehension is quite good (Merci mon cher Professeur Gasarian).  I went with my roommate and two other friends and they confirmed that the ballet interlude did seem to be a bit out of place.  Almost as out of place as the fact that the baby in the play turned out to be Christ resurrected.  One of the English teachers who I work with is seeing the show on Thursday and I'm anxious to speak with her and get some much-needed clarity.  (I'll let you know...)

Enough about the (crazy) opera, Samantha, HOW IS SCHOOL?!?!  Ask and you shall receive.

Well, I finally know what it feels like to be an English teacher, and it feels like being a celebrity.  No, I'm serious.  Today I walked by some students in the courtyard.  One greeted me, saying "Hi!" and I smiled and waved back, then heard whispers of "C'est l'américaine!  Elle est américaine!" ("It's the American!  She is American!") follow me as I made my way toward the steps to the teachers lounge.  Yes, my life is now even more glamourous than it was before - people know me when I pass them by ! 15 year old high-schoolers today, papparazzi tomorrow...

No but seriously, today was my first day of official teaching and it was a blast.  I will be splitting my teachers' classes, which means that I take half the class (8-15 students) and we go to another classroom where I run the class (!!!).  Today we just introduced ourselves (Name, age, favorite food, etc.) and talked a bit about the rugby world cup and differences between American and French high schools.

Ok before I go, a few gems from last weeks' conversations.  I sat in on a myriad of classes and the students got to ask me any questions, provided that they were "discreet" and asked in English.  Some of my favorites:
"Are hamburgers really bigger in America?" (yes)
"Were you a cheerleader?"  (no)
"Do you have a boyfriend?" (way to be DISCREET!)

Until next time,
xoxo
Samantha

P.S. No I don't have a boyfriend.  Don't worry Aunt Annette, you don't need to send Uncle Bob over here...
P.P.S. I have lost my camera (coolbeans) so I'm putting a hold on posting new pictures....

Rosh Hashannah Dinner

Ok, so Rosh Hashannah dinner was a few days ago, but I really want to recap it for you all - a particularly meaningful evening for me this year.

I've always spent at least one of the High Holidays at home with my family, attending services with our community, Kehila Chadasha, and when I wasn't at home, there was a warm and welcoming Jewish community for me (Thanks, Hillel!).  I had known for awhile that this year was going to be different: I was likely to be abroad and far from anything familiar.

I decided to go to Finland before I began my trip in France and figured that if I couldn't be home or with other Jews, I should at least try to be with one of my best friends!  So I planned my trip to Finland to include Rosh Hashannah, telling Leevi that we'd have to eat apples and honey to celebrate.  I figured that apples and honey was the least-prosthelytizing and least-aggressive ritual that we could do together.  Leevi was already hosting me for about a week and I didn't want to be too demanding, but Rosh Hashannah is important to me.

As Leevi and I figured out our plans, I realized that we would be spending Erev Rosh Hashanah with his friend Mikko, who I had never met.  I was apprehensive because while I didn't want to give up on the little bit of Rosh Hashanah that I had, I really really didn't want to impose, especially because I find people who try to impose their religion on me (hello people handing out pamphlets in the street) quite unpleasant.

Leevi assured me that Mikko was really open and "into this kind of stuff" and after a long day of touring around Helsinki, Leevi and I met up with Mikko at a coffeeshop.  We began discussing our evening plans.  "What are we doing?" Mikko asked.  "Uhh... we have to go buy apples and honey?" I ventured, continuing to explain that I wanted to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

I know that I am the first Jew that Leevi has ever met (even though he's ALMOST named Levi! ahahaha) and I'm pretty sure that I'm Mikko's first Jew too.  They immediately put me at ease, posing questions and offering me the opportunity to explain what Rosh Hashanah is, the symbolism of apples and honey and round bread, and what I personally love about Rosh Hashanah and Judaism.

Mikko knew that there was a Jewish community in Helsinki, and asked why I didn't chose to celebrate in a temple with them.  Having done my homework, I knew that the community of Jews in Helsinki was Orthodox, and I didn't think it would be the best fit, I explained.

We set off to gather our materials and once back at Mikko's apartment, we began to get the table ready. I sliced apples, Leevi poured wine, and Mikko assembled the table (and brought his taxidermied crocodile, Tauno).  Just as we turned out the lights, we noticed fireworks out the window!  Mikko and Leevi proclaimed that it was in celebration of the Jewish New Year, but we soon learned that it was just Circus Finlandia.

They respectfully listened as I chanted the prayers for the candles and wine, and even learned the prayer for bread, which we then said all together.  After the rituals, we enjoyed the apples and honey and I taught them to say "L'Shana Tovah Tikateivu".  We finished our Rosh Hashanah dinner with smiles all around.

Fireworks from the window

Leevi, Mikko and I, with wine, honey, round bread, and apples :) 

With Tauno!

So, kiitos, todah rabba, תדה רבה, thank you, to Leevi and Mikko for a Rosh Hashanah that I'll never forget!!

xoxo
Samantha

More pictures from Finland

Municipal Hall in Tampere

Pretty building in Tampere

Finland has a lot of lakes...

My curly haired Finnish twin, Piia

Commandeering my own boat, duhhh

Discussing nature with Leila, Leevi's mom

Near Swan Lake with Leevi (note the swans!)

In a park in Hameenlinna, overlooking more LAKES and FORESTS!

Climbing down to the bear cave !!

With the bear family ...

Learning about picking wild mushrooms

Showing off our bounty !

Inside, enjoying some hot tea and coffee and AMAZING apple cake. AMAZING cake.  Leila you are a cooking goddess!!!!!!!!!!!

In a tunnel at Suomenlinna, a fortress on an island outside of Helsinki

Don't fall off the cliff Leevi! You're so close to the edge on both sides!

More shots from Suomenlinna...

In a cafe in Helsinki, getting ready for Rosh Hashanah by eating "round bread"

Leevi's snack...really big cinnamon roll

Leevi, Mikko and I celebrating Rosh Hashannah, with candles, round bread, apples and honey, and also a CROCODILE!  When in Finland...

THANKS and BIG HUGS to Leevi, Leila, and Mikko for being SUCH AMAZING hosts!!!!!!!  I can't overstate that enough ....

xoxoxoxox
Samantha