not a proper blog post

Not a proper blog post. But it is Toussaint here and I have visitors from Le Havre that have come to enjoy to beauty of the Riviera. It has unfortunately been raining here for 2 days. Tomorrow we are leaving Nice to do some more traveling in the south. Yay vacations in France!

A few pictures

These are kind of random, but just a few of the things I've seen and actually thought to take a picture of.


Went to Antibes, a neighboring town. Pretty rich area. So this is the yacht yard. There is an old fort in the background.


This is also in Antibes. The picture doesn't do justice. That coast there is actually Nice and some stuff in between. Behind it are the hills and pre-alpes that we can't really see from Nice because we are too close to them.

Socca is a local specialty. This is how they cook it. It is basically a giant tortilla made with chickpeas.
Here we have an old roman road. There are some ruins of an arena or town or something nearby. This is just up the hill from where I live.

The beach at sunset. Rocky, but still very pretty. I mean it is the Mediterranean. :)

Taken from the hill above where I live. Here you can see most of the city, the sea, and that hill in front of the sea is the the site where the ancient castle of Nice once stood. The big gray building near the center of this picture is actually the school where I work.

This is a sculpture garden in front of the library. I originally wondered why something that clearly to me says "blockhead" should represent an area of information, learning, and education. But a statue inside the library makes me believe the big square is meant to represent a book. So a suppose "bookhead" could be interpreted more positively.

History lessons

Today was a good day

I started out early by observing some classes at the school. The most interesting was one of the literature classes (supposedly this should be my class with the students at the highest level of English.) They are reading a book about a period of political terror in Nigeria. I know nothing of this history but I'm going to learn because I will be reading the book too. One of the other professors at the school is actually from Benin. (which borders Nigeria) He came into the class today to discuss Nigeria, this period of recent history (he was there) and share some cultural insights. It was fascinating. And also terrible to hear. When I got home this evening I told my Togolese (another country in west africa, bordering the other side of Benin. For those geographically challenged) roommate about the book and the class. He also has family and cousins that were in the country during this time and assured me that the things I heard the teacher talk about today "Ce n'est pas fiction. C'est vrai."
I know I'm supposed to be teaching, but truthfully, I would learn a lot if I could attend the English classes instead. Sure, my English is a bit advanced, but they learn english by studying history and culture, sometimes my own culture! And my knowledge of these things is far from perfect, and it is very interesting to hear your own culture and language taught in another country. But of course Americans are not the only people in the world who speak English. In my observations this week I've learned a little bit about immigration to America/the American dream, the relationship between Ireland and Australia, apartheid in South Africa, politics in Nigeria, the civil rights movement, more recent protests in New York, studies on technology and on the 9/11 generation. MY generation. Fascinating I tell you. (Almost makes me want to go school and study the stuff...oh wait, not gonna happen!)

After classes I went walking and errand running. I successfully ( I think) applied for housing aid. I remember being afraid or uncomfortable doing things like that in the states. You know, paperwork, applying for things, offices, talking to people. Eh. Seriously, a part of adulthood I barely accepted in English. But I did it today in the French world. I still won't make phone calls though. :) I would rather walk around the whole city and find the right person to talk to than make a phone call in French.
Also on my day out today I had a fairly lengthy conversation with a stranger who saw me with a map and wanted to know if he could help me. I wasn't really lost or looking for anything, (I hadn't yet decided which direction I wanted to go) but we talked for a good while about things to see here and in the surrounding areas. Also good food to try and a bit of a french history lesson. He informed me that the high school I work at is named after a famous french poet and if I'm going to work there I had best do some reading. :) I told him I would. I checked a book of poetry out of the library this evening and I hope he knows that I've kept my word.

I am such a silly chicken. I'm mostly just shy about my french and looking stupid and things like that. These silly fears sometimes lead me to procrastinate a bit on usually very simple procedures. Today's simple procedure: find a doctor.
No, I'm not sick. But I have to have a doctor that agrees to be my doctor in case I do get sick so that I can be part of the social security in France, which I am obligated to be a part of. I will be happy when my life here does not involve so much paperwork.
So, I spent the morning lazily getting myself ready to go on this new endeavor. Doctor finding endeavor. I got this. I went to the nearest pharmacy. Explained my situation. I don't know why I always have it in my head that the person I talk to is going to immediately tell me in fast and confusing french that everything I am doing is wrong and that I must do this whole host of other things first. This has never actually happened. And it didn't today either. Lady at the pharmacy kindly pointed me to the nearest doctor, and just to be sure I understood she drew me a map and took me outside and pointed me down the street. I only had to travel maybe 100 yards, but she wanted to be sure. Went to the doctor's office. I had waited so long to get going that it was now lunch time and the secretary was out. Lunch time here is sooo much better than lunch time in the States. It is like 2 hours long. So I talked to a very sweet nurse who told me when someone would be available and I returned at that time. The secretary took my paper, did some stamping and writing, I signed and then we were done. Never even had to see a doctor. Then she asked me if I would be offering any English courses on the side! My first clients for a second job if I decide to do that! Yes!
And I procrastinated all day on doing that? This 10 minute procedure that took me maybe a 10th of a mile from home where everyone was really nice to me? Yep.

I go for a day of observation at my school tomorrow. This week has been a couple of training/information days and just meeting a few teachers at my school. I am supposed to start teaching on Monday but I suspect I may observe for a few more days. Fine by me. We will see what happens.

First week in Nice

Ok. Quick updates then. I keep trying to sike myself up for a decent, well thought out, and well written entry and then somehow I am always too tired to deliver it. I don't have an excuse though. I haven't really been that busy.

I have been in Nice since Tuesday. I arrived by train. My train drove right past the Mediterranean sea for several miles and it was beautiful. I was nervous to meet my landlord. Since I had stayed with Melinda, an American, in Paris I had still been speaking a lot of English. Even though she introduced me to several of her friends and gave me some great opportunities to practice, which I was really grateful for. So I was nervous for the real frenchiness of my situation of being picked up by my landlord. But she turned out to be very sweet. When I told her it was my first time in Nice she drove me down the main stretch of the beach so I could see it. Definitely out of our way. She did most of the talking, and even though I couldn't catch it all, we were able to carry the conversation so I was encouraged by that.
      I haven't had too many responsibilities this first week, which is fine by me. So I've had time to do a few logistical things, like open a french bank account and get myself a library card. Maybe library card isn't at the top of the list of "things to do when you move to a new place" for everyone. But it should be! Best free thing you can get anywhere. Including here! (Well, except perhaps maybe free food.) I was pleased to discover that it didn't cost me a thing and that this library is huge and beautiful. Very modern looking actually. There are plenty of old looking things to look at in this city but the library isn't one of them. But I'm not picky. I've also discovered a very walmart-esk shopping center not far at all from my apartment. And as my dear friend John who has traveled with me knows, I have this weird liking for supermarkets. I guess I just find it incredibly interesting to see how the rest of the world eats and shops and how much they pay for everything and so on and so forth. It's amazing how much time I can spend looking at different kinds of meat or cheese or pasta that I have no intention of actually buying. :) Yes, it's weird.
I've also spent a fair amount of time exploring the city. Since I don't have a real agenda I walk everywhere right now. I mean everywhere. Probably about 6 miles a day. I've been down to the beach a couple times. Lovely. I've acquired a rather hideous raccoon mask sunburn from my sunglasses and probably many more freckles. I climbed up to the top of the hill that sits over the old city where an ancient castle once sat. There are just a few ruins now and they've turned the place into a park. Probably some of the best views of the city and sea from up there.
My french is coming along slowly. I just worked so hard on Spanish last semester that my French was really in the backseat. I usually get to practice a little with my roommates who are both kind and patient. One is a student from another part of France. She is studying international commerce. The other is a young man from Togo, West Africa getting his doctorate. He was blown away when I told him I had been to Togo. Said I was the first person he's met here who can say that. And he has been in Europe for 10 years. Pretty cool. I don't see them too much. Just when we catch each other in the kitchen.
All in all I'm glad to be here. It is very lonely at times. I've never really been completely by myself in this way. But it is an experience I'm grateful for. Or I know I will be. 

All for now.  I've been in the country for a week come tomorrow morning!