Back to the Beginning

So what am I really doing here?  Most of you reading this know the answer to that question, but for completeness' sake, this post is dedicated to filling you in.

I'm technically here to teach English through the French Ministry of Education, with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (lovingly known as TAPIF).  Check this out for more details.

Through this fantastic little program, I've been placed in Blois.  A cute town between Orleans and Tours, about an hour and a half outside of Paris.

There is a wonderful castle here and it proudly claims the purest spoken form of the French language, woo!

And the real reason that I picked this place:  Joan of Arc.  She used Blois as a base of operations.  I'm kind of obsessed with her. 

I began "observation" this week to prepare for official teaching next week.  I'm teaching at Lycee Francois Philibert Dessaignes, about a 20 minute walk from my (future) apartment.

 My new school.

The students are wonderfully curious.  The girls uber fashionable and chic.  And the boys, well they will be boys.

Two of my 12 classes.

 As I introduced myself this week, I was asked some of the following questions, try to answer them...

• Why are Americans so obese?
• What do Americans think of Sarkozy?
• I replied, they probably have no idea who you're talking about...
• What was the reaction to Michael Jackson's death?
• FYI the French are in LOVE with MJ.
• Does everyone love Lebron James?
• Do you know Chuck Norris?  Do you love him?
• Usually asked following the "I'm from Texas" comment.
• And my personal favorite, do you live in the ghetto?
• Shout out HP and SMU.

Oh, American stereotypes.