Un week-end des Châteaux
The more time that passes, the better it gets! I now know my students well and I am able to have conversations with them and help them more. They are a very talkative class, but they have also been very welcoming and have challenged me to continue to practice my discipline. In addition, I have been able to engage in more conversations with the other teachers as well and I can understand more now than I could in the beginning.
One aspect of schooling in France that has become very clear to me is the emphasis on memorization and handwriting. There is very little room for error in these areas and students are “trained" to complete their work a certain way starting in maternelle (preschool). I find it fascinating to talk with the other teachers about their reasoning for these decisions as well and I have discovered that education is viewed here in a completely different way. Students are not expected to enjoy school or work with others on work; it is much more individual-based and intensive. Although it aligns with the cultural values, it is definitely taking me some time to adjust.
Even though there are some clear differences between the methods of teaching, I have been able to establish great relationships with the students. This was clear to me last week when one student said with a very sincere look on his face, "C'est dommage que vous ne pouviez pas venir avec le deuxième groupe parce que j'ai voulu travailler avec vous", which translates to "It's a shame that you weren't able to come with the second group because I wanted to work with you". I work with this class Tuesday afternoons with their "ateliers", or "workshops", and although I was not able to join the second group due to another obligation that I had with my own class at the school, this simple comment made me realize that the kids do enjoy and appreciate my presence and engagement.
As for this weekend, there was a major strike across France on Saturday by the “gilets jaunes”, which literally means yellow vests; however, these people are simply people who are angry about the raise in gas prices by 50 cents. As a result, they blocked the majority of highways and major roads across France so that no one could pass. That being said, I planned on just staying local for the day in order to avoid the craziness in Paris. However, the day turned out to be much better than anticipated because my host parents took me to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which is only about 20 minutes away and the roads were clear to get there. It is an extremely historical and cute town that is a hidden treasure! We visited the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which was built by François 1 and where Louis XIV was born. There is a beautiful garden and overview of Paris next to the castle, which just added to its magnificence!
The town of Saint-Germain-en-Laye is filled with cafés, boutiques, and beautiful architecture. Since it is not as well known by tourists, it truly had a French local feel, which I loved! We also spent a while wandering through a bookstore, which I have been looking forward to because I absolutely love looking at French children’s books! That being said, I definitely did take advantage of the opportunity and bought some books at a reasonable price with the “livres d’occasion”, which is second-hand books that look like new! After that, we went to a cute café for some hot chocolate and headed back to Villennes for evening mass at a local church.
On Sunday, I met up with two of my friends from Irish dancing, Katie and Kiley, in Versailles. Katie is studying abroad in Madrid right now and Kiley came to visit her, so it was great to be able to meet up with them for the day! The château weekend continued as we explored the popular tourist destination of the Château de Versailles. While we were walking through, I couldn’t help but think how small I felt in comparison to this castle and I couldn’t imagine ever living somewhere that big! However, it was absolutely beautiful and it was great to learn a little about the history as well. My favorite part of the castle though was the garden because that is where you truly have a beautiful view of the castle and the many trails and fountains that surround it. We also loved observing how the trees are perfectly trimmed in odd shapes, which I have found that to be pretty common in France. After visiting the Versailles, we took the metro to Montmartre, which is an artsy neighborhood known for the famous white church on the top of a hill, Sacre Coeur. As we arrived, the sun was just beginning to set, so we had the perfect view of Paris. We then visited the church and wandered around the streets while enjoying the musicians and artists along the way. We had a delicious dinner together (even though our waiter was very rude) and enjoyed catching up! It was a wonderful weekend with great views and friends!
