Christmas in France

Hello my favorite readers!!!  I know that Christmas is over, but bear with me...

I’ve been to France many times, but this year is the first time that I have witnessed the holiday season.  And let me tell you, the French are OBSESSED with Christmas!!  Before it was even Thanksgiving, I was hearing about all of the Christmas markets that I would have the opportunity to attend.  I had never even heard of a Christmas market and all of a sudden they were to be popping up everywhere: in the main square downtown, the three neighboring towns (including where I work), even a mini Christmas market on my street!

I was also surprised that Christmas was discussed so openly in schools.  French schools pride themselves on being secular, and while religion is allowed to be taught in a historical context, no personal opinions may be discussed.  You also may have heard that the French have banned headscarves, and all other religious insignia (kippot, crosses, jewelry, etc) from all public institutions.  (But notably headscarves, because as mentioned before, there is a lot of racism in France). 

I have seen my school’s proviseur, or principal, twice.  Once was the day that I met him, and the other time was when I saw him and his entire staff setting up a large (15 foot) Christmas tree in the entrance hall to the school.  What happened to secularism?!  When I asked my students about it, they told me that Christmas isn’t considered a religious holiday and thus can be discussed and celebrated openly in schools.  Hmmm…

Not only are the schools decorated, the streets are decorated too.  If there is no Christmas market, one can count on walking past a light display that says “Happy Holidays in (Neighborhood)!”  Stores paint their windows with messages of “Happy Holidays!”, and pictures of snowflakes and Santa Claus.  It’s funny that leaving America and coming to France really convinced me that Christmas is a secular, Hallmark holiday. 

Anyway, that’s all for now, folks.  Thank you, as ever for reading!

City-sponsored holiday decorations on my street

At a Christmas market

One of the market booths on my street - notice the trees covered in fake snow!  It's in the 50s in Toulon so we don't have a hope for real snow.... Also, those trees are nailed into the ground, so don't get any ideas about trying to "borrow" one...

Happy new year!

xoxo

Lurrrve,

Samantha

Cassis

A few weekends ago, I took a day trip to Cassis with some French friends.  Cassis is a small coastal town, in between Toulon and Marseille, and home to some beautiful calanques, or fjord-like water inlets.  I hope to get back soon, as we didn't get to explore as much as I would have liked! 

The port of Cassis

Calanques!

Basking in the light of the sunset

Sunset

Constance, one of my French sisters!

Love y'all, and happy holidays!

xoxo

Samantha

PS I'm back in the US, so hope to see you soon!

Discrimination in France

Racism in France is more upfront than racism in America - the idea of political correctness doesn't really exist here.  The word "racist" doesn't carry the same stigma as it does in America, and many people are unapologetic about their beliefs.

For someone who spent much of her time at Tufts interning for a team that worked to promote awareness and understanding of racism and racial inequality (among other issues), as well as to combat it, learning to consider the racism in France has been hard to brush off as a "cultural thing".  It's wrong.

One of the things I learned at Tufts was the importance in picking your battles.  If you decide to start a discussion with someone who is unprepared to listen to you, you are most likely wasting your time.  Unfortunately, that's how I feel about many of my students.

A few weeks ago, we were playing "Never Have I Ever" - and one of the questions was if anyone had stolen something.  Most of my classes are small groups of 6 to 10 students who know each other pretty well, and they often joke around with each other.  When we got to this particular question, my students pointed out their classmate - and said that he liked money because he was Jewish.  When I clarified that I wasn't misunderstanding their accents, I pointed out that the idea that Jews like money is actually a stereotype.  "Not in France!" was the response.  "In France, it is real." .... How to respond?!?!

Today in a different class we did a lesson on the Kanye West and Jay-Z song, "New Day", in which the rappers discuss hopes for their future children (not having an ego, staying true to your word, etc).  So to follow up the listening activity, as a class we made a list of rules for our own future children.  I was pretty surprised, the class is a rowdy bunch and based on their reactions to Kanye's rules for his children, I was expecting the list to be interesting (the first thing they added to it was "he will go to the strip club" - a response to Kanye banning his child from going).  But after that answer, they switched and the answers I got were "no drinking alcohol", "no smoking cigarettes or drugs", "do schoolwork".  I wasn't sure if they were just giving me answers they thought that I would want to hear or what... until Cyril said "for a girl - no sex before marriage" and the rest of them agreed.  "Why just for girls?" I asked.  "I don't know" was the response.  Before we could really talk about it further, the next rule came - "He will be racist."  "Excuse me?!" I responded, looking disparagingly at my room full of giggling 19 year olds.  "That is unacceptable, I need a different rule" I told them.  They came up with "Eat fruits and vegetables" and I dismissed them early...

xoxo
Samantha

I like school

Hello family, lovers, and friends!

Thanks for taking a quick second to check out my blog, I know some big holidays are coming up (obviously the most important of which is Dec. 14, my birthday) so I really appreciate your taking time out of your busy schedule (planning the best party for me ever) to pop on over to my little corner of the internetz!

Now that I'm back in high school, I've undergone some surprising changes.  Most importantly, I REALLY LOVE MONDAYS.  And I don't particularly like Fridays.  This is 100% because my students on Mondays are mega-fun and at the very least, mildly interested in learning English, whereas my Friday students couldn't care less about my existence.

In my attempts to keep everything as fun as possible for everyone, my most recent lesson plans have been based on music - specifically pop/rap music.  So far, I've done a lesson on Daylight by matt and kim, Never Forget You by Lupe Fiasco, and tomorrrow is New Day by Kanye West and Jay-Z.

Last week I got to go to a new class and do a lesson on slang.  The teacher has studied in London and asked me -the day before- if  I could pronounce things in British vs. American accents, so that her students could hear the difference.  I politely informed her that this idea was unfortunately impossible because I am TERRIBLE at accents, and proposed an alternative activity (students guessing which terms were American and which were british - chips/crisps, fries/chips, etc.). She agreed enthusiastically to this alternative....Yet when I got to class, she asked me again in front of everyone to demonstrate the different accents.  HOMEGIRL TEACHER I'm not British!!  I've never even been to the UK!  You've spent more time there than I have!  Whatever, it was fun anyways.  Since I had never met the class before, they got to ask me any and every question that they had about me or America or Americans.  One student asked me, "Do you own a gun?"

Also, some of my students choose American names for my class.  Which means on Thursday I have class with both Usher and Denzel Washington.

More later, lovers!!!
xoxo
Samantha

Trip to Marseille

Last week, I had the good luck to go to Marseille - twice!  I went one day with some of my fellow assistants for our mandatory medical visits and the day after with my school to learn a bit about the history of Marseille.  Here are a few snapshots of the days (click on the photos for bigger versions) - 

Holler to Nicole for this photo - she somehow managed to make our walk through highway underpasses and construction site en route to the health office look beautiful

Again, thanks to Nicole - me + assistants with our chest x-rays - we don't have TB!

Fisherwoman with the catch of the day!

And a fisherman with his octopus

Reading at the book giraffes (yeah, I don't know either...)

Longchamp palace 

Cooks placing navettes - a Marseille specialty cookie - in a 200+ year old oven

With school, we got to visit a workshop where santons- Christmas nativity figurines - are made

My students talking with an artist

An artist at work

Inside the Notre Dame de la Garde church - Dad and I were here a few months ago

View of Marseille from Notre Dame de la Garde

That's all for now lovers!!!

xoxo

Samantha

Doctors in France

Ok y'all, before I start the body of this blog post, I'd like to get some business out of the way. My birthday is coming up, next Wednesday, December 14, which means that if you want to send me a card then you should get on that so I receive it in time.  Email me for my address (because I'm not going to put my address on the WORLD WIDE WEBZ).  ;) (Or just send it to my home address because I'll be home Dec. 18)  Thanks LOVERS!!  :D

Anywhoooo, in order to get social security in France, (obligatory for my work visa), I needed to declare a Primary Care Practitioner.  Which means that I need to FIND a PCP.  Luckily, I live right near a medical lab, so I just walked in and asked and they pointed me to the nearest doctor's office.

So, I walked around the corner and down the alley and sure enough, the first door had the names of three doctors right beside it, as well as a sign that said "Ring the bell, then enter".  I thought it was odd that you ring the bell for an unlocked door, but figured that it was probably just a French thing.  So I rang the bell and then .... couldn't open the door.  After a few moments of struggling, an older man came and opened the door for me, and then explained that it was a finicky doorknob.  I thanked him and tried to figure out who he was - the receptionist maybe? (Despite definitely being retirement age?)  I followed him inside- through the entry hall consisting of a sink and a box to leave papers for each of the three doctors, (what about patient privacy?!) then down the hall to a room where 4 other people were sitting.

Seeing no receptionist, and realizing that the kindly older man was here to see the doctor himself, I addressed the people in the room, who informed me that this windowless chamber was in fact the waiting room.  I figured that maybe the administrative part of the doctors office was separate, so I left and went down the alley to look at the other doorways.  It's truly amazing how I try to rationalize things in France that I don't understand.  Of course the other doorways in the alleys were to peoples' houses and not to the receptionist.  Because my new doctor has no receptionist.  Duh.

So I returned (successfully opening the door this time) and sat down in the room with the other people - who magically seemed to know who was seeing which doctor next.  Through sheer luck, I figured that I had a place in line and eventually met my doctor.  She explained that her practice did not have a receptionist (no need when your insurance system is single-payer, thanks French government) and that she and the doctors switched off who took drop-in and who took appointments, depending on the day of the week.  I suppose that's logical...she did fill out my paperwork herself, and pretty efficiently too.

Now all I have to do is wait for my social security number to arrive!  I'll be checking my mailbox ;)

Ok, thanks for reading and I PROMISE that the next post will include pictures!!!

Love always,
Samantha-mybirthdayisnextweek-Frank
xoxo