Hopefully this ain't no honeymoon

I figured it's about time I write a little excerpt about my job.  If you didn't know, which I hope you do, I came to live in Paris to teach English in primary schools and...I love it!  I actually can't believe how much I like it, it's kind of revolting in that 'Ew, how can anyone be that excited about their job kind of way'.  The kids are so adorable and so excited!  "Regarde! C'est le prof d'anglais!'  They try so hard to say things that seem almost impossible for them to say.  Par exemple:  three, Thursday, this, frog, gorilla, purple...see the patterns?  lol.
Anyways, I love them and I love their enthusiasm.  I feel sure that the hardest part of teaching must be to get your kids excited about what they're learning.  I seem to have lucked out and been handed classes full of les enfants surexcités.  Et j'aime bien. 
It also helps that the teachers are awesome and involved and make the lessons work.  I work at 3 schools in the banlieu (the suburbs...except suburbs in french doesn't have the same connotation as in the states...It's interesting, rich people here live in the cities and the poor live on the outskirts, quite the opposite from the word's meaning in America).  I digress.  Je veux dire that in the poorest school I have the most problems because the teachers are not as involved in the lessons.  I teach moi-même.  It's cool to know that I can.  Keeping kids focused is definitely a skill I have not mastered, I have enough difficulty keeping myself focused.  Clearly.
My main school however is awesome, all my colleagues are great.  La chance.
So, today I am thankful for my job, oddly enough.  Didn't see that one coming.

The dancer

So, I'm intrigued. What do you see? When I was a kid I was 'left-brained' but, now I can only see this girl spin clockwise. I wanna make her spin both ways!

Right brain Left brain

So I took a test and voilà. Cool.

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life.  Realizing your right brain/left brain tendency will help you interact with and understand others. Left Brain Dominance: (16) Right Brain Dominance: (16) Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

LoL - ça veut dire - Lots of Love and giggles

thomas mccolgan to me

Hey, where are you? We have not heard from you in a while. We do not even know your address. How do we know that you are ok if you do not email? If you can't skype at least send us an email everyday. Mom thinks you've been kidnapped and sold into white slavery; I think you are probably in the hospital on life support after being run over by a truck. luvdad

The Temper Trap - Sweet Disposition (RAC mix)

Introversion

I've realized I am too content just laying in bed all day.  It annoys me, but I can't say I don't enjoy it...and I can't say I have the motivation to change it.
So yesterday, I talked myself into going to the grocery store the lady I live with recommended.  It was a little out of the way and my housemate said she didn't find it when she looked, so I checked the map twice and set off.  I was on my merry way with my -oh so american- Jansport backpack, enjoying exploring my little town outside of Paris (Montreuil) for the first time.  It was about ten minutes into my stroll when I realized: 1 There were barely any people in the streets and 2:  Everything was closed.
Alas, it was Sunday.  Merde une fois!  I find it hard to keep track of the days here.  I decided I would continue, as I was half way there.  I could at least see if I could find the place.  There was also the possibility that it would be open because it's a chain.  I found it!  But no dice, it had closed at 12:45, and it was currently 2.  Any other day, the store would have been closed from 12-2 and ready for me at that time; however, any other day is not Sunday.  Sunday Funday!  I guess it is for the people who would have been working at the store otherwise.  Good thing I got out of bed.

Italia!

Italy:  Arrived at midnight and needed to take a taxi to the drag party I was about to join Justine (fellow teaching assistant in Paris) and her gay Italian friend Valerio & Co at.  I had exactly 10 euros that Danny so graciously loaned me for this purpose, and I was stoked when the put the the taxi driver put the counter to 10euros.  However, I was shocked when after 5 minutes the counter started going up.  Oh no.  I asked if it was far...euh, je veux dire 'pantomimed how far' and he said 'cinque minuti'.  I was fucked.  But, I was not about to have him drop me off in the middle of nowhere, at midnight, in a city I've never been to so I just said OK.
When we arrived at the club (Cassero) and I was missing 5 euros Mr. Taximan was unamused.  He explained to me in Italian pantomime 10x that I was missing 5 euros.  And I explained back to him 5x in pantomime English, that I didn't have any more money and my phone wasn't working (of course it wasn't) so I could go find my friends if he really needed the 5 euros.  It was only a putain de 7 minute ride!  But I wasn't really in a position to argue the price.  He didn't speak a word of English and I only knew numbers in Italian.
I got out of the car to go find Justine and Valerio closely followed by a yelling taxi man who was most likely rallying to have me burned at the stake.  There were quite a few people in line and the bouncer said I was not allowed in until I paid the taxi.  Balls.  Luckily, Justine heard the commotion and saved me!  The taxi man got paid and we went in through the - devoid of evil lines - VIP section.  Quite entrance.
And what a party!  I didn't take any pictures, but I felt like I was in Rocky Horror; it was awesome.  The GenderBender party was quite the success and Justine and I fully enjoyed our free long-islands from the lesbian bartenders.  Grazie

After Bologna it was off to my old stomping grounds.  Firenze!

My favorite place in the world :)

After Florence, we visited Lucca.  I will add more photos once Justine posts them.  Her camera captured it better.  There is also a photo for Lila she has and this is my reminder to post it!

Fall is so pretty!

We spent the night in Pisa (bc Justine had never been) and experienced my least favorite couchsurfing to date.  There was a mosquito in my ear the whole night!  And the guy was smoking in the room.  Torture, I didn't sleep.  The next day however, was fantastic.  Justine is an avid horse rider/professional so we decided to ride horses through the Tuscan hills to a castle in Chianti.  How romantic!  It was beautiful and I will post pictures when I get them from her.

After Chianti, it was back to Bologna et puis Paris.  Quick little vacation from the work that still hasn't started for me in France !

Italia:  The land of cappuccinos...

...naked men...

...and praying little girls. 

La Fête de Dictators

 

Danny était le Disco Hitler et moi j'étais La Mort.  Il était aussi Stalin, Mao et Indira Ghandi entre autres.  J'aime bien les fête déguisé, surtout en France!  C'était une soirée juste avant le Halloween.  Le trajet toute seule dans le metro était amusant.  Les parents ont disait "wow!  tu m'as fait peur!" en riant et les enfants ont disait "mais maman!  Halloween est demain!"  Mais les enfants s'ont trompé.  À Santa Barbara, c'est vachement une fête qui dure toute la semaine.  Et quelle grande fête!  Ohhh SB

Les Affiches

Long live Fascisme

Adolf Hitler was a good piano player.

Tasers are good; Machetes are better!

Je m'appelle Alexandra la Commandante, et j'approuve ce message.

However, I do not approve of the mid-term election results.