Lost in Translation

At school: La Vie en Scolaire

The students are informed of events and information via screens in the foyer.

The small, but adequate staffroom is sunny, warm and has an ambience of goodwill as each day they greet each other in the morning with three kisses and handshakes. We say good morning to each other in the staffroom at GEIS, but it was very evident to me about the touching in this staffroom. I feel very awkward as I don't want to offend anybody by not doing the three kisses thing, but I don't know anyone very well and it seems a bit strange. Also, it is important that no-one is left out as this is very impolite. When I expressed my inadequacies about social protocol, a charming english teacher of greek origin said, "If someone leans in for the three kissing thing, don't pull back."

The staffroom whiteboard is not too dissimilar to the whiteboard at GEIS.

The day began very early, as my body clock hasn't quite adjusted. I woke bright and breezy at 4:30 a.m. That was Ok because we had to be at school by 7:45 a.m. for the annual photograph ritual. It was EXACTLY the same kind of procedure as ours. The venue, the milling around beforehand, the jokes about people's heights, the jokes about wearing a tie, etc. The first two lessons were observing english being taught. The funny thing is that I learnt a lot of french vocab in these two classes.   :)

Lunchtime. This picture is the stupendous view from the canteen window.  I was entranced.   I found the lunchtime banter very difficult to follow. When people talk to me, it needs to be to my face, enunciating words with clarity. So, I ate happily gazing out the window.
In order to eat in the beautifully clean and very attractively presented canteen it goes like this:

1. by pass all the students patiently lining up 
2. wash hands thoroughly and dry them
3. by pass even more students patiently lining up
4. greet the official overseeing the process with a pen and paper... there to remind people of their code should they forget
5. tap in four digit code into computer 
6. place spread-fingered hand on sensor which scans for verification
7. a machine spits out a tray
8. take serviette and move along the production line

this is what I had for lunch today:

•  a glass of water
• a bread roll
• a pottle of pureed apple
• a ham salad
• a pottle of grated cheese
• a pear
• a bowl of delicious warm ravioli in a blanket of rich, herbed tomato sauce

I was kinda hungry and only thought of taking a photo after I had demolished this epicurian delight. So when I finished I cleared the empty dishes and took a photo of the design on the tray. He he he.

The afternoon turned into a disaster. I wasn't sure where the teacher that I was supposed to be attached to was. I went home for an hour. On my return, I sat in the sun and tried to sort out my papers, affairs, record vocabulary and make sense of my endless goals. After that I still failed to understand where I should be, so I went home for another hour. Feeling a bit guilty about not doing any "work" I went back to school and tried again. This time I arrived late to a class. It was an advanced french grammar class. The teacher welcomed me in, and presented me to the class, but I think I committed a faux pas when I sat at the back of the class. The kids snorted. I think he must have asked me a question but I didn't realise that at that the time. He was a bit taken aback. But I didn't have a clue what he had just said. All very humiliating as the class watched. I must have looked dumb. Hmmmmm. He gave me the papers that they were following for the lesson. Everything he uttered was double dutch. Let's put it this way. I was way out of my depth. I was praying that he wouldn't ask me a question to expose my inadequacies. I was starting to sweat. I wanted to escape out of the classroom, but that in itself would have been humiliating. I was saved when after 40 minutes, the class arose and exited for their class photo to be taken. I was left in the classroom by myself. Perfect. I took the opportunity to retreat without being noticed.

Here are a couple of photos of what all the classrooms look like when not occupied with a class. Different to Room 9, GEIS.

Here is a wall display in an english class.

Here are the lockers in the students' foyer. There is a cool piece of art work on top. As you can see, the school is clean and tidy. The school is only a few years old.

Here is the classroom just after everybody up and left for the class photo.

After my day of total misunderstandings of directions, conversations and information, I took a long walk around the neighbourhood. I felt miserable. All my confidence was knocked out of me well and truly. After being quite controlled about eating healthy food during my one week stay in France, I resorted to buying and eating a small packet of chocolate balls and a Snickers bar. Oh the sin! But it medicated me well.

In order to make the chocolate purchase, I had to go to a Tabac. This was my first time. The entire wall behind the counter was crammed with packets of cigarettes. My stomach lurched as I realised the commerce fed cancer to the masses.
  On the way home from this walk, after the chocolate medication, two good things happened. 
Firsty, I discovered a second hand clothing and bric a brac shop. I checked out the hours and committed its location to my memory.
Secondly, I spotted this very cool garden. It immediately picked up my spirits as the creative spirit that created it, talked to my heart.
And then, I returned to my ever gracious and kind hosts. Hervé presented me with a very cool book to read ..... ... in English! Yay!
And we dined and laughed over a couple of glasses of rich red wine, sundried tomatoes, with salted butter on fresh bread. Large slices of fresh champagne ham and pureed vegetable soup, finished off with cheese.

This is a notice on the staffroom whiteboard that invites everyone to a picnic on Saturday. That should be jolly fun, nest-ce pas?  Very difficult to interpret, don't you think?

And...... I have been invited to join the greek english teacher to dinner at her place with her husband who is a principal of another school on Friday night. LUCKY!!!!!! Note to self: be kind to visiting teachers at GEIS. i hope I don't make any faux pas.