Mes cours particuliers

I do quite a bit of English tutoring here in Toulouse.  Mostly 1 hour lessons, but sometimes 2.  Here's a look at my schedule, so I can remember it in the future.

Tuesday:
17-18h I tutor a colleague's daughter and her 2 friends (Salomé, Tristan and Alice).  I think they are 8.  They are my faves because I can play games with them (it's difficult to play games with just 1 student), and also because they are smart, so they progress quickly.
18h30-19h30 I've just picked up a student name Brigette, from an Assistant whose contract has finished already.  I have my first lesson with her this Tuesday.
Wednesday:
14-16h I tutor 2 brothers ages 7 and 10 (Vadim et Guerlain).  I've been tutoring them for the longest, I found them through an English Assistant from last year.  The older boy is great, but the younger brother has become completely obnoxious.  He doesn't like to focus, or try, and he's in a tantrum phase, oh well.  Their mom and grandmother's are super sweet.  They give me tea and cookies when I arrive.  I am suspicious that the reason the younger brother gets so hyper half-way into the hour is because he's eaten so much sugar !
16h15-17h15 I tutor an 13 year old boy named Hugo.  He is one of my 2 students from Acadomia, a tutoring company, that hired me.  Acadomia is good because it gives me steady hours, however, they don't pay well.  For Hugo the teacher only gets 11.25/hr, whereas Acadomia gets 3x that.  For older students the teacher makes 14.25/hr.  I have no idea why teaching younger students would  equal less money, because in my opinion, it takes more effort/finesse and no less knowledge to teach younger kids, than older ones.  Anyway, Hugo is great.  He's quiet and nice and listens.
Thursday:
18h30-20h00 I tutor 2 brother's named Benjamin et Raphael (11 et 5).  Benjamin is good and focused, Raphael is a bit more difficult because he doesn't know how to write yet !  Makes things a bit tricky, but we get by.  Their mom talked me into babysitting them, as well as tutoring them.  Generally, I avoid babysitting, but I was caught off guard when she asked and so I said I would...I shouldn't really be refusing extra money at this point in my life.  So, last Thursday (it won't be every week that I babysit) I picked them up at 16h and stayed with them till 20h30.  It wasn't so bad.  I was amused however, when Benjamin saw my phone and asked "Mais, pourquoi tu n'as pas un iphone?" (But, why don't you have an iphone) Legit question I guess, all of the kids have them here.  I didn't get a cell phone till I was 13, and I was only allowed to use it for emergencies !!  Starting to feel old...
Saturday:
15-17h  Delphine (15) is my other Acadomia student.  I only have lessons with her every 2 weeks, so they are 2 hours when we do have them. She's a really good student and is mostly just looking for someone to talk with and practice so she can keep her English up.  She is apparently unimpressed with her current high school English teacher, so now she has me :)

I quite like tutoring.  It's nice to teach one-on-one, it's much easier to see the student progress.

Aussie Aussie Aussie

So I've been in Australia for 3 weeks now, I figure I should probably post something.
Thoughts so far:  Australia is a great country.

For starters, I've experienced very little of the hassle I had to deal with to get settled in France.  My visa, for example, was approved 12 hours after I applied online and somehow works electronically.  No paperwork!  So when I entered the country they just scanned my passport and I was in.  Crazy convenient, 10 points Australia.

Reread Slaughterhouse-Five for my in-flight entertainment

Check out Fiji
Australians aren't that impressed with it apparently.
Fiji  : Australia as Mexico : California

Also finished this hilarious book during my layover.
You should read it.

 When I arrived September 22nd I was lucky enough to have my awesome friend Dan (who incidentally had just been visiting me and Michelle with his friend Ant in California a week earlier) pick me up from the airport and take me to our friend Locky's house in Wollongong (it is also Jacob and Ben's house who I didn't know were living there and I had previously met in SB and Vegas, respectively.  Awesome).  I stayed there for the weekend which was cool.
On Sunday, Anne came to pick me up from Sydney and drove me up to Newcastle to my new place.  It was POURING rain.  Props to Anne's driving skills, I probably would have crashed.  So, minus the rain there was no hassle with finding housing because I already had a place to live with the lovely Miss Anne and her good friend Callan.
Newcastle is a very industrial town.  There are coal refineries everywhere and lots of small businesses.  Everyone I've met has a job.  It's very refreshing.  On my way to work I cross the train tracks and I love the view at sunset.

We three live on Darby Street, which is the 'down town' street of Newcastle.  It's full of adorable cafes and shops.  Visa, flight, housing...everything has been going really smoothly.  This is mostly because of Anne, but also helped by the fact that I am pretty much fluent in the language.

This is Anne's favorite cafe that we had 'breky' at the other morning.
Australians abbreviate everything.

Alex's Favorite Aussie Expression to date:
"tear me a new one..."  - From the Latin derivative, Rippitus Aholus, literally meaning to rip one a new asshole, according to Urbandictionary.com
How quaint.

I also like that they call stupid people 'peanuts'.

Some background:  I was very sad to leave California this summer for obvious reasons.  It was a beautiful summer.  I was able to see all the amazing people I had missed so much while I was abroad in France.  I was working at Native Foods making money, sleeping in the cloud every night!  Drinking Irish Car Bombs with the Mikes.  Visiting Katie and John and going to gay bars in San Diego.  Going out in LA at Lila's new 'west-side story apartment'.  Being in my sister's wedding!  Visiting Becca and Kirsten in SB.  Going to Gio's with Lindsay!  Sushi.  Waking up in the cloud every morning.  Yum, what an awesome summer.  I would be much more upset about leaving if I didn't know that our friendship (love just sounds trite here) doesn't weaken even when we are apart.  I know everything will be just as awesome the next time we are together again.  Look at how mushy this is getting.  Gross!  It's also great that I can still talk to people every day.

I heart technology.


And I look forward to future teleportation :p

And time travel.  I'd love to go back to this 4th :)

LA ladies

Mimosa breakfasts

SBeezys

SD...I think

 ♥

Anyways, Australia has been great so far, minus missing the loves of my life.  I have Anne here who is amazing.  I've also had 2 'blog-worthy' adventures so far.  Last Sunday, Callan, my other flatmate, took me out in his work car to the sand dunes with his friends (biggest dunes in the southern hemisphere).  Basically you get a permit to visit the reserve and then drive around in huge cars, flying dangerously down steep dunes.  It was awesome!  4-wheel drive was meant for this, not the suburbs of Orange County.

Callan

The second event was Oakdale Farm!   Anne and I went there on the 13th to feed the kangaroos and pet koalas.  I got to pet a koala!  They are the cutest, furriest cuddle-balls ever and half the reason I came to Australia.  We also got to see 149 other species.  Such as:  goats, yaks, emus and huge, poisonous snakes.

KOALA!

Peacock

Woah Peacock

ALBINO PEACOCK!

It was totally worth the $18.  Especially seeing Anne being chased up the playground castle by a goat.

lol

In regards to work, which remember is the reason I wound up living in Newcastle, it has been a bit of a roller-coaster.  It was really exciting to get my first paycheck of $365 for working 17.5 hours!  Win.  It's great to actually make money after working a few hours.  I make the same amount in 3 hours here that I made for working 8 hours in the states.  Hey hey!
However, work is way more stressful than I would like it to be ie the boss is a screamer and I hate that.  Don't yell at me, hey!  (Australians say 'hey' after everything.  I think it's cute, hey).  He just likes to assert his authority and put people down and I don't like that.  Not really my style, but hopefully I'll become immune soon.  As long as I can save up money, which it's looking like I will, it will be worth it.  I really like most of my co-workers which is nice and the restaurant is beautiful, right on the water.  It's just too stressful.

Lol that picture makes my last paragraph look extremely ironic.
But that isn't a picture I took!  I couldn't have because the weather has been shit so far.  I keep reminding myself that it's only Spring!  It'll be summer soon!  But, despite the weather I have been pretty active.  Everyone is a power-walker here (very few runners), including myself and Anne recently.

View from our walks

Quite lovely

Even without the sun

And to keep things in perspective, the weather is nowhere near as awful as the weather was in Paris.  (For as much as I talk shit on Paris, I do miss it:  I miss my friends there, I miss speaking French, I miss throwing things on the ground with Danny and I miss picnics!) But when I really think about it, I am so much happier that I am in Australia this year :)  And I'm pretty sure things are only going to get better.

I FORGOT THE POTATOES!!!

Quick update:

• Tonight is my first night completely moved in to my new studio!  (Dannys old place)  Justine helped me bring over ma grande et ma petite valise and we metro-ed on over to Passy.  La classe, vraiment.  I'm right next to the Eiffel Tower!  I'm extremely happy because it means I can walk home at night, I can make noise, I can sing, I can use my very own kitchen, and I have my very own mini-fridge, huge bed.  Definitely moved up in the world, although it sucks that DK is gone, asshole.

• Went to Grenoble last weekend with Kristen to visit Antoine (my old colloc).  So fun!  I'll have to post pictures later.  Climbed the Bastille, went to Bukana (the exchange student bar) and Vieux Manoir (the club run by these huge biker Mafia men).  In the words of our other dirty Irish roommate, Mike, from when I lived in Grenoble:  Good Times.

• I started Bikram 2 days ago and am so sore!  And happy, let's hope I can actually do the full 10 days (the first 10 days are 30euro).  That would be quite an accomplishment.

• Today I met with a lady from MIIS (the Grad school I'm applying for) and I'm feeling inspired.  Maybe I actually could be a translator.  That would be so awesome, I think the work would really fit me because it would allow me to travel, among many other factors.  It would stay interesting...because I'd be translating news articles etc and I could work from wherever.  My French needs some drastic help though if that's what I'm going to do.  I'm going to try.

• I've been wearing my retainer every night for about a week and my teeth are almost straight again :)

• I have not been studying for the GRE as much as I hoped, however I have been studying and progressing.

• I've so far watched only 2 movies in French (Pauline à la Plage, et L'effet Papillon) both really good, but 2 means I'm 2 behind from my resolutions goal, so I'll have to get on that.

• I've been reading a lot, currently The Sun Also Rises.  Really into it.

• Overall things are goin well...got duped out of 200euro from my former landlady, but it's OK because I will enjoy Paris so much more living here.  I've been really enjoying it since I've been back.

• Paris has been freezing the past week!  I tried to peel a banana yesterday and I couldn't bc my fingers were too cold!  Today was nice though :)

• And last but not least, I've rediscovered hype machine and it's oh so goood.

And about the potatoes...I forgot my potatoes in the move!  Triste.  Not lookin' back.

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.