waiting, waiting, waiting

Lately I feel like all I can do is tread water. I've already had to reschedule my Visa appointment once, because, while I received my placement, I have not gotten my actual contract which I have to have to apply for a Visa. I've been telling everyone that I leave September 14, but I haven't actually bought my ticket yet. That's another thing I am waiting on my contract for. Another frustrating issue is that I emailed my contact person at the Lycée who responded with a long elaborate email in French giving me tiny little bits of information and asking me a million questions. When I had not answered in a few days due to being out of town, I got another email just checking on me. So I responded this time, answering all of the questions as best as I could and trying to to ask too many myself, but now two weeks later I'm the one who hasn't heard anything back.

So right now, all I can do is Google my school and town obsessively. And scout out concerts in Paris over the next year.

Things I know:
Montargis, where I'll likely be living, has a population of 15,000. Montevallo's city population is around 4,800 and the school has about 3,000 students. According to Wikipedia, Montargis is the home of Pralines. There is also a legend about a very loyal dog resulting in a "dramatic statue". Montargis is near a large forest and contains a lot of canals and bridges.

And that's about it.
So instead I'm trying to focus more on my own preparations. I've been struggling with reading a French language version of The Alchemist that Stacey lent me. I've been trying to think of tools to use in my classroom like a map of the US or a popular English TV show, but to be honest, I'm not even sure what the format of my job is going to be and whether I'll even have my own time to spend on things. I just wish someone would give me a few more details. Particularly the contact information of the assistant before me!

And on top of everything, I've been thinking too much about adjustments and how I'm going to make friends and how, with only working 12 hours a week, I'm going to keep myself from holing up in my not-yet-existent apartment and living on the internet. I'm a people person. But an awkward one.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS.

I can finally update, because I finally have more information.

I received an email this morning informing me that I have been placed at Lycée Durzy in Villemandeur. From what I can tell, Villemandeur looks like a a suburb of the larger Montargis, or at least a small town very close to the city. I haven't found much information about Villemandeur online, but Montargis looks like a really lovely place. At this point I'm highly considering living in Montargis proper. I will be an hour drive from Orléans and an hour drive from Paris. I'm not sure the train distance, but I imagine it to be an hour or less for both. Here is an aerial view of my school:

It is a technical high school and I think that its architecture seems to display that.

I've emailed my contact person already, misspelling the name of the town and all, and I am waiting for more information about where I'll want to live, etc.

I also made my appointment with the French consulate in Atlanta. July 2 at 11:30 a.m. meaning that I'll have to leave home at the crack of dawn. I went ahead and went for that date because Mom and I are already driving to Athens that weekend for a wedding. Hopefully she won't be too against leaving a day early. Also, I'm rather terrified of the whole Visa process and the warning they give that it could take up to three months, so I figured the sooner the better. I'm riddled with anxiety over the whole process and can't wait to put it behind me.

Hopefully I'll have more interesting things to talk about soon!

the beginning

Dear Future Teaching Assistant,

Congratulations! We are very pleased to inform you of your acceptance to the Teaching Assistant Program in France for the 2010-2011 academic year, sponsored by the French Ministry of Education.

You have been placed in the Académie d'Orléans-Tours. You will be assigned to one or more schools in the region, however, please note that your school(s) will not necessarily be located in the city of “Orléans” or in the city of "Tours." Some Académies cover large regions and have many postings in smaller cities and towns. Do not assume that you will be placed in one of the the biggest cities in the region. The Académie will make specific city and school assignments this summer and will send you more details regarding your placement at that time. For now, please be patient and keep an open mind! In the meantime, you can find out more information about your Académie at: http://www.ac-orleans-tours.fr/

Your placement in this region is FINAL; we will not grant requests to change academies, nor will we place you on a waiting list for other regions.

Please confirm by e-mail whether you will accept the offered position as a Teaching Assistant in France. If your plans have changed and you are no longer able to participate in this year’s program, we ask that you let us know immediately so that we can offer the post to a candidate on the waiting list. Should you withdraw from this year’s program, we cannot guarantee your future acceptance into the program as deferment is not an option. You must send us an e-mail either confirming your acceptance or withdrawing from the program by the end of the day on Sunday, April 18. If you do not respond by April 18, we will not be able to hold your spot.

If you confirm your acceptance of the offered position, we will send you more information about your next steps after April 18.

We look forward to hearing from you and félicitations!

Carolyn COLLINS

Educational Affairs Program Officer

Teaching Assistant Program in France

Embassy of France

4101 Reservoir Road

Washington, D.C. 20007