Sunday in the Park

This weekend we spent most of our time in the two parks nearby, each on either side of where we live. One is called Parc Franck Delmas and the other is Parc Charruyer. Parc Charuyer has a sort of mini-zoo in it with ponys, goats, deer, peacocks and other exotic birds. The kids spent an extremely long time feeding leaves and sticks to the goats who apparently eat anything. This was a very absorbing activity for Mimi and Jules and just about every other kid that came through. We took a brief detour through the amusement section as you leave the park but before you reach the beach where they have bumper cars, a kid train, mini-golf and other such activities. The kids each got to pick one activity so Miette did bumper cars and Julian did the train. I had a coffee! On our way home, we stopped in to check out a sweet little chocolate shop/patisserie where they make their own chocolates and everything in house and also their gorgeous cakes (Miette noted that they had a chess cake in the cooler complete with molded chocolate chess pieces and declared that that is what she would like her birthday cake to be!)

On Saturday when we were at the other park we ran into a teacher who works at one of the school where I'll be teaching. I won't be in her class but I had eaten lunch with all the teachers and met her then. She lives in a neighborhood on the other side of the park and had come there with her husband and three girls- 8, 6, and 3 years old. We chatted for a long time and got along really well as did Miette with their 8 year old daughter. The dad was amazed because Miette spoke to him in french and he couldn't believe how capable she was! I have to say everytime french comes out of her mouth with this beautiful little accent I can't really believe it's her!

It looks and feels like autumn here now. The trees are tinged with color and there are all kinds of nuts and leaves blanketing the ground. We are finding so many varieties of acorn-like things here that resemble something you might find in the States but yet are not at all the same. There are also marrons (kind of like buckeyes) and chaitagnes (chesnuts) and then exactly like the US, stinky ginko fruits. Nature feels more present and powerful here- from the spiders coming into the house to the vines creeping out of courtyards and over walls. In many ways Chicago is a very green city too but somehow the traffic, congestion, and population density seem to overwhelm the natural elements. Now that we have a balcony, we can just open the door for the weather report too. The kids do this every morning!

This neighborhood has a very small town sense to it. Every morning we see the same people walking their kids to school and picking them up as we do. My landlord and other people I've met with dogs come walking them in the evening in the grassy spot behind our apartment on the balcony side so if I am out there I see them. The bakery (right across the street) owners' daughter is in Miette's class. Many of the teachers from her school live in the neighborhood and we cross paths on days off school. One day last weekend we joined a family whose son is in Julian's class at school in an excursion to the nearby beach. The path to get there cuts through Parc Franck Delmas and there we ran into the family who had invited us all to our first dinner party. They were playing rugby and had just had guests arrive from Norway and since they were wanting to show them the area, they joined us as well. Then when we arrived at the beach, we saw 2 girls from Miette's class at the beach with their families and with whom Miette went off to play. So if you get the idea....it's a small world here already.

So I suppose in terms of actual news, the main thing that is new is me starting to actually be in the schools. So far we've gone in only for observations of the teachers with whom we'll be working. As it turns out I am going to be in 4 different schools: La Genette (Miette's school), Valin, Puilboreau, and Paul Doumer. It has been quite opening to get to watch all these differents classes and teachers in action. It's really the insider view. So far as I can tell from my experience with Miette being in school and my past education, things are pretty different here! The teachers are very strict and everything is very exacting. The kids have meticulous handwriting at a very young age and everything they do has to done with a ruler. For example, in their "cahiers" (different notebooks for each subject) the pages are gridded (narrower spaces horizontally and wider vertically) so they can measure the height of each letter. When the teacher writes the date and a subject or lesson on the board, she specifies how many squares in and down they must count to place their title and on which line they need to create a line with their rulers to delineate the title from the subject matter. After the have done an exercise, they correct it together as a group and they have to use a different color to note their corrections which must be made (crossed out) with their ruler> EVERYTHING is with a ruler! You can tell that good work habits and neatness are high priorities. I now understand why Miette was especially stressed out about her handwriting.But I diverge.... Basically, being there watching the teachers has been fascinating and I would spend all year watching and taking notes for a comparative thesis on educational systems (then Id have to spend equal time doing the same in the States). The reality is that next week it will be me up there hoping the kids are interested in what I can offer and that I can keep the creative juices flowing for different ways of presenting the english language to these kids! So far all the kids in these classes seem to be excited to meet someone new that isn't from here, like Thierry said, we are kind of like Martians to them!

Maybe now would be a good moment to also put out a call for lots of american paraphanelia to be sent to me !!! I am supposed to be not only working with language but teaching about my culture so if I can bring in "original" stuff from the U.S. to use as props and points of departure for particular subjects it would be great. So if whoever is reading could kindly send me even just a postcard of the city where you live, a menu from a restaurant/take-out place, a local newspaper, a small flag, historical info or pop culture stuff WHATEVER it is that seems american to you- SEND IT TO ME!!! (especially for the realms in which I am totally ignorant like football and baseball- so totally american and yet I'd be at a total loss for words trying to explain any of "our" sports!) feel free to offer ideas of things to present regarding culture and history as well!