January so far!

Once again I am experiencing keen, keen times in my life so here's what's happened since Wednesday night!


Last Thursday was my first day back at school and it began at 8am with my favourite class, which was a nice start to the term! Shortly afterwards, there was a FIRE ALARM! It was well exciting! I think something exploded in the science building that the collège behind us use, cos there was bareeeee fire engines and a van for chemical and radioactive emergencies. DRAMA! Haha not really but, let's face it, it was probably the talk of the town. So that broke the morning up nicely. And, outside, while we were waiting, I saw some other English teachers and was priveleged enough to recieve my first cheeky kisses from HRH The Résponsable! It was truely an honour, and I think this means that she loves me, now. And that she missed me very, very much over the Christmas break.

However, my favourite Pierre (there are a few to choose from in the staffroom) was being a bit funny with me :( maybe he's like a cat, you know when you leave your cat for a week or so and they get pissed off and ignore you when you first get back? Maybe this is like that. Hopefully, if I make him coffee and find videos of Canadian Ice Hockey players/clips of 'Murdoch Mysteries' on YouTube for him, he will be my friend, again. I can only hope for that much...

In my second lesson, some of the guys brought a friend along! I teach this dude in another class so I know him already, he's a laugh and talks loads which is good. He had a free period and clearly just wanted to join in the BANTER that is my classes. What can I say? Fair play to the guy haha. A classic line from the same class which must be acknowledged and appreciated was -whilst describing a night out- '... then I go for fight with my bad boys and after I go back in party for drink and sleep'. Solid gold LAD material, right there!!!

Pauline's weekly soirée was beautiful! It was great to see and catch up with our crazy Frenchies! I kinda missed them, ya know?! I think we managed to track down some of the only French students in Clermont who don't hold back on a night out. Good work on our part, I think!

So, Thursday was good. Apart from waking up with a very conspicuous rash RIGHT on my forehead??? Not a good look. It did make Jemima laugh at breakfast, though, and when I woke up and saw it in the mirror for myself I have to admit I did a bit of a Hollywood mirror scream in my bathroom, which made me laugh a bit later, too. So I suppose that the rash did have some redeeming qualities in serving a vaguely happy purpose!

In other news, I am definitely going to Disneyland with Vicky in 3 weeks! SEHR excited. Haven't been to Paris in YEARS so we're gonna be proper tourists :) like, the kind that even annoy other tourists! We are already both tragic girls in our very early 20s who genuinely enjoy 'exhibitions' and 'walks' lolllll - Vicky's bringing her camera and I'm bringing my rucksack, so we will blatently look the part, if nothing else! If anyone's around Paris Friday 28th-Sunday 30th (aka Sam and co.), let us know and we'll make time for a goold old English piss-up! Sorry Marge :p

In more boring news, the electricity hasn't tripped in my studio, yet, but we do have no heating and no hot water. Cold shower at 5.30am = not ideal and very saddening. Also, Jemima aka The Fountain of All Knowledge, somehow knew my pin code (she's basically Buddha cotching in the body of a Warwick alumni student from the Dulwich area), so the French mobile thing was actually sorted! Cheers again, Mike! However, I am now experiencing problems trying to buy more credit for it online. Wank. And I can't pay my Orange bill online as there's a 'page error'. This is, perhaps, even less ideal than the cold water situation! My bloody loan's through on time and everything (I think..)

Anyway, this week I am MAKING my students choose between watching either a clip from the latest Haj Potter film or from 'Inception' and then creating their own scenarios to follow from this clip and performing them to the rest of the class. Everything I've seen so far has involved Ron dying (proof, at last, that the French are proper racist against gingers), so I'll let you know if anything more interesting is thought up!

Bye for now!