Aix-en-Prov; teaching asst gig cold feet

[lola]

Our 22 yo daughter-- about to graduate with a degree in French -- just found out today that she was accepted in the French Embassy's Teaching Assistant program for the fall. Seven months in the Aix-en-Provence Academie, which includes Marseille, teaching English.

So having gotten the gig, as a true daughter of mine she has cold feet about accepting. What if she's stuck in some one horse berg in the middle of nowhere? Why oh WHY didn't she ask for Paris? They don't yet tell her which town, which would have helped her decide.

Any insights?

[hwinpp]

Aix is nice and Marseille is even nicer!

Lola, try your best to convince her to take the offer.

Oh, it might be some little village in Provence?

[Deleted]

It's an excellent area in which to be based. I presume this is at least at middle school or high school level, so she would at least not be assigned to a small village. Small town life in Provence is something that a lot of people dream of... but at the same time I can imagine a young foreigner being afraid of becoming bored.

Frankly, I think that if Lola's daughter is independent enough to live alone, there are plenty of things to keep one occupied besides work now -- with the internet, satellite TV, the possibility of getting anything you need from Amazon in a few days. And of course she herself would be a star attraction in any small town, because they absolutely love Americans. One of the biggest complications might be to turn down excessive invitations without disappointing too many people.

[lagatta]

And distances are small - she can easily get away to Aix or Marseille.

I suspect Paris would mean "Paris region".

And hell, good weather!!!

[lola]

That's good to hear, hw. The closest any of us has ever been to Marseilles is Aigues-Mortes. Yes, she'd be teaching 8 - 11 yr olds somewhere in that general region. She could be placed in as many as three different schools, from say a village towards the Alps, a small or larger town, or one of the two cities.

Thank you for that, Kerouac. I would certainly jump on it given the chance, of course. (upper age limit 26 and pretty good French required.) I think her main concern is being foreign and lonely.

I read the FAQs and learned that the monthly salary is 780 euros net, which in the Ile-de-France would not go very far, even if frugal. So just as well to be in the less costly area. I was interested to see that they can be also assigned to French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion.

Thank you, Lagatta. Yes. The Paris area académie would not necessarily equal a swanky arrondissement. I know she's thinking of that salsa dance club she found near her Paris apt. last year, but I'd think those two cities would have such a place. She sent in her application in January, from Minnesota, so at that point Provence weather sounded very nice indeed.

Thank you all for you helpful words!

[Deleted]

I see the semesterly or yearly American students all over Paris every year, and they do seem to go out in groups quite a bit of the time, and I'm sure that it enhances the enjoyment of lots of things to share it with like-minded people.

Naturally, things thin out quite a bit in the provinces in terms of that. Often there might be two people of the same nationality assigned to an area, but that doesn't mean that they will automatically have sufficient affinities to hang out. But as I wrote before, the locals will be very friendly and curious. And as Lagatta pointed out, the cities will never be far away if she is not assigned to a city right from the start.

Once the exact location is revealed, it will be possible to really start examining the limitless possibilities that will be open to her.

[lola]

Going out with Americans, or even living in touristy parts of Paris, certainly cuts down on the chances of improving French. I know she was a little disappointed when in Paris last year at how difficult it was to strike up acquaintance with locals. Finally towards the end she met some young people on her own hanging out at the Fée Verte café.

Living in a town with few English speakers could really improve command of the language.

They tell her in a couple of months what her assignment will be. I like it that the email from French embassy advises her to be patient and keep an open mind. Bureaucratic letters in US rarely use such terms.

[gabriele]

I follow English language blogs from places I've stayed (primarily in the Languedoc) in visits to France. It keeps me in touch with what friends are doing, what favorite areas are doing and just to get a sense of what is happening in France.
A woman who lives in Provence has a blog where she posts reviews on books, worth reading, but she also recently posted on Is English a Friendly Language which might offer insight into language usage..
clairemca.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/teaching-friendly-language/
She might also want to check out lestuffblog.com/
and the venerable
www.beyond.fr/index.html
More than a blog but good reading:
www.provencepost.com/
and most of the sites have links to other blogs (and so on).
If I had any advice to give about getting along in France (if one speaks French, esp) it is to have a generous spirit. One cannot go wrong by confirming to a French person(s) what they already know: They are most fortunate to live in France, most fortunate indeed. Whatever problems the French nation may have at (whatever time), to be French in France is worthy of respect and admiration. And for the non-native, how fortunate they feel to be able to visit/live there...and for me, as a visiter, it was and always will be true. My life is fuller and richer and for the most part in ways I can't describe.
Which is in part why I come to the French board to revisit places, get to know new ones,
On one travel advice forum it is often suggested to travel less, live life more slowly, and see more. I think that could apply to the daughter as well.
I hope it's a wonderful time for her..

[mich64]

Goodness, I hope she accepts this because I am sure there are many of us who would like to learn about the process, the experiences she encounters and the outcome of this opportunity.

Cheers

[lola]

Thanks so much, Gabriele and Mich. I'll forward those links.

She spent fall 2010 in Paris, semester abroad from college, so that gave her a feeling for the French way. Paris is so international, though.

Several years ago we spent a week in a Touraine gite a mile from a small village, where the only public buildings were a post office and the church, and 6 miles further still a small town with one grocery store and two cafes, traveling market weekly . Though we loved staying there, we had a car to get out and about. I think an overly small village is the sort of situation she wants to avoid.

She has discovered a forum at assistantsinfrance.com where people can discuss their joys and tribulations (Sample from last year: "I want to go home two weeks early and my head teacher won't let me!") The Aix-Marseille academie area I guess is pricey, but that's because it's desirable.

Anyway I'm starting to position myself to get a few weeks off at Christmas so we can all go over.

[alanseago]

She will get a friendlier welcome in Provence than she would in the North. I lived in Picardy for 30+ years before moving to the Pyrenees. It was like coming home, smiles, waves, handshakes and bonjours everywhere.
I live in the market place of Oloron Ste Marie, my wife spends 30minutes shopping and 2hours chatting on market day, She is Phillipina and hardly spoke a word of French when we came here.

[lola]

Alanseago, thank you for that!

I had to look for Oloron Ste. Marie on a map. Sigh. Chatting all morning sounds like a wonderful way to market.

I'd love to hear more about your town and your life there when you get a chance.

[lola]

So I got the time off from work promised. Now we just wait for daughter's decision and hope there are still BA rewards seats left in a few weeks. (Not that she should do it so the rest of us can go visit her, exactly, but...)

Looking at airbnb.com vacations rentals in Avignon, Marseille, and Aix. Lots of attractive looking and affordable options.

[alanseago]

Hello Lola, I assembled some pics of Oloron but Firefox decided to sulk and refuse to accept them. I shall try again tomorrow.

[alanseago]

We live in the town hall square. Looking straight out from our window is the market hall and at the far side is a small restaurant. We often have lunch there on the terrace and chat to passing friends. To our right is a junior school, I never get tired of the sound of their laughter. The entry road is lined with small shops where Madame goes to buy bread, pausing for a hot chocolate and a croissant on the way.

[Deleted]

The description is wonderful, Alan, but the photos would be better!

[alanseago]

I would be happy to post photos but my add logo has been hijacked by a Spoiler from photobucket.
I am still working on it.

[Jazz]

Fabulous news, Lola! I think that this is a remarkable opportunity for your daughter( Marie-Claire?) You’ve been given some great input by those on the forum who really know and understand life in France. I’m not that knowledgable, but would love to have had this chance.

Yes, Paris would have been great, but this will also be special, however tiny the village. Given the salary, it's probably best that she is in a smaller centre. (it wouldn’t go far in Paris!) She will be working each day, preparing lessons at night and may not have all that much spare time. Seven months goes by almost in a moment… only 28 weeks…

I like what Gabriele said, ‘it is often suggested to travel less, live life more slowly, and see more.’

Yes. And, as Kerouac points out, she will be fascinating to the locals, and be fully capable of being in touch via internet, if indeed she has the time to do this. Every few weeks, the French train site sends me emails on inexpensive train deals in France. This, and an in-depth look at AirBnb, or Couchsurfing for accommodation, could lead to a remarkable and cheap weekend for her. The place that I would most love to visit in France (other than Paris) is Marseille.


There is a book that you may want to read, Two Towns in Provence, by M.F.K. Fisher. The two towns are Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. Perhaps dated, but beautifully written. She visits with her two young daughters.

www.amazon.com/Two-Towns-Provence-Another-Considerable/dp/0394716310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1336622088&sr=1-1

Looking forward to hearing more about M.C.’s adventure.

(would love it if Alanseago could put up his photos!)

[lola]

Thank you, Jazz! I've ordered the book from our library. I'll bet Mary Clare would like it, too. I've always enjoyed Fisher's work.

We'll keep you posted, and thank you all for your kind interest.

[lola]

So, from what I can make out, MC's assignments are three elementary schools in Gap Buëch, St Bonnet and Embrun, 20 miles apart. At first glance appears to be her worst case scenario.

So far, our hearts are sinking. In the mountains, 110 miles from Marseille and 5 hr by train.

[Deleted]

So then, this is the area. I'm sure that further investigation might indicate that it is more interesting than you think, but yes, you would have to say goodbye to big city life for a certain amount of time.

[lola]

Thanks, K.

Yes. I'm sure there is much there that is lovely and interesting. I think the difficulty of getting around is especially daunting.

[Deleted]

French village people (once you get to know them) are always willing to drop people off and pick them up when public transportation is inconvenient or unavailable. Also, quite a few municipalities have shuttle services on market days.

Naturally, one does get a bit tired of visiting markets after awhile if groceries are not required. That's why there are always cafés next to the market, where a lot of people immediately take refuge while their companions/parents/children buy all of the stuff.

[Jazz]

Courage! Well. At first I went online to research the three towns and found a sparse amount of information. One site led me to see that the region is naturally beautiful and that it wouldn’t at all be a hardship to live in any of these towns! The area, Haute-Alpes, is stunning!

Gap: www.provenceweb.fr/e/hautalpe/gap/gap.htm

Saint Bonnet: www.provenceweb.fr/e/hautalpe/stbonnet-champsaur/stbonnet-champsaur.htm

Embrun: www.provenceweb.fr/e/hautalpe/embrun/embrun.htm

I can understand the fear of isolation, especially if staying for 7 months. The site, Provence Beyond (mentioned by Gabriele) is superb, with excellent details for transportation.
www.beyond.fr/villages/index.html

Embrun: www.beyond.fr/villages/embrun.excellenthtml

Gap: www.beyond.fr/villages/gap.html

When I was growing up, I lived my first 16 years in the country, on 20 acres of land on a river, 4 miles (6.4K) away from the nearest ‘big’ town of 3,000 people. Toronto was 150 miles away (250K). The only transport to the town was twice a day, 9AM and 6PM. Nothing else. At that time, no one thought of bicycles. This was my life for my first 16 years, not 7 months.

My first thought for your daughter was that she should think of buying or renting a bicycle, for a little bit of physical autonomy other than walking. I'm thinking budget, but of course, she can take a train or bus. If you examine Provence Beyond, you will see that she will not be that far from other towns and villages.

What to do? Her workdays will be 8:30-4:30, longer than in North American. (in Toronto, a teacher's official workday is 9AM-3:15) Then, marking, lesson plans, dinner, and bed. Not all that much extra time throughout the Monday to Friday week. But, any luxurious hours can easily be used creatively.

Three towns in seven months could well be a remarkable experience, even if she never ventured from the towns! Most of all, I would gently try to become a small part of daily village life. Simply, begin to get to know the people and the day to day rituals of the town. Then, who knows?… a cooking course with the landlady or a neighbor? Begin to write a history of the town, thus needing to have a regular coffee or dinner with the locals? etc. etc.

… walking, markets, coffee with the locals, photography, art exhibits, study the architecture and history, reading, writing, painting, go online, biking, skiing…etc.

The blog, The Provence Post, is worth a look. www.provencepost.com/

Simply, the greatest gift is the day to day experience. At minimum, (and I use ‘at minimum’ very loosely), it will be full and rich. Each day she will be with her young French students, perhaps their parents. She will experience teaching in another culture. She will grow and evolve. Anything after this is a pure and sensual luxury, even if it seems uncomfortable and difficult at the time.

[lola]

Thank you, Kerouac. That is helpful. At first blush, commuting between three villages, from what I could make out between 12-20 miles apart, seemed impossible without a car. However, taking time to read the official email, they say: " Vous pouvez demander à l’ancien assistant des renseignements à ce sujet." This must mean the guy who did the same thing last year. He has an Irish name and an email address that ends in "live.ie" So MC has emailed him for what I hope is the inside scoop.

That is beautiful, Jazz. Thank you so much. I agree it could be a wonderful opportunity. For one thing, her French language skills would improve so much more than they would have in Paris last year surrounded by Americans much of the time.

Also, while living in an alpine town, if she had a way to get to the lifts and if the price weren't prohibitive she could learn to ski. (not so many opportunities growing up in Missouri or even going to a college in MN where they had a ski team.

I'll show her this thread and we'll see what happens. Thank you both for your moral support!

[lola]

PS: I think it was all this time thinking she'd be in or near Aix-en-Provence or Marseille, or say Avignon or Arles, and within easyjet distance of anywhere, that was a bit of a shock. Not to mention the famous Marseille salsa dance scene.

[lola]

A year does zip by, and MC got back home a few days ago, preperatory to looking for a real job in the land of e pluribus unum. As it turned out, our fears and hesitations were groundless, and all of your positive predictions came true. Gap was perfect for her.

She wouldn't have been able to go jetting around on her salary, so she didn't need to be near an airport. She didn't want to go much of anywhere else, but snow boarding up in the mountains, into the countryside with her new friends, and hanging around Place Jean Marcellin on a fine evening.

She's so glad she wasn't posted in Marseille or Aix. This size town was just right, with a market, bakeries, a good gym and a favorite dance club. She loved the friendliness of the south, as alanseago predicted, and would love to live there sometime. The climate, the views. She got to know the cheese man, and the best stall for apples. Her "worst case scenario" turned out to be ideal. Funny how that works sometime.

Thank you all so much for your kind moral support and encouragement to venture forth.

Jazz, Kerouac, Lagatta, Alanseago, Gabriele, Mich, dear departed hw, thank you.

[mich64]

How wonderful that she is home having experienced a wonderful year.

This will be something she looks back on for the rest of her life with the fondest of memories and with the knowledge that she had courage, she gained independence and she is assured she can take on any new challenge.

Congratulations and welcome home although I am sure it was a sad farewell.

[mossie]

So pleased to hear it worked out right for her, life has a habit of doing that, so long as one takes a positive attitude.

I am off to the very south of Provence next week to visit my American niece who is married to a Frenchman. They have 3 girls, 11, 10 and 5, so I am in for a hard time ;D. I have met the elder two when they lived in Paris, but they have been in America for several years and have only recently returned to France. They live in Le Beausset, between Marseille and Toulon, so I hope the Mistral has died down

[Deleted]

I think that Gap was the perfect size for a city in which to settle for one school year. Perhaps the spring weather should have been considerably better, though.