Touring Hotel

Carrefour de Blvd. Jean Jaures et Alsace-Lorraine

Mignon was back in town for a dentist appointment. She had work done here last year before moving to Berlin. It needed to be redone, and the airfare to Grenoble was cheaper than the dental charges in Germany. Sarah was visiting from La Tour de Pin.

I grabbed a small coffe while Sarah nursed a sore throat on mint tea and Mignon had a cappacino.

At the end of our stay we met M. Gregoire Vartagnian, a 94 year old maquis member (he even showed us his veteran card). Charming man. Born in Turkey. He says he's there every week, but I haven't bumped into him again.

Lycee Vaucanson

My first meeting with the chair of the Languages Department was enlightening. "The students aren't that bad," she said. This of course made me assume that they were, in fact, that bad. "And if you need to send one to the office, always send two - one as escort." I sat their calmly. All the screaming was inside my head. 'Why is she going over security rules and regulations with me before even discussing what sort of ENGLISH things she needs from me?'

It's now the end of the semester and it's true that "the students aren't that bad". Except of course for the few who are.

Last week I had the first fight in my classroom. Every Monday I have a group of twelve 17 year olds. They're a lively group. And by "lively" i mean "loud, inattentive, and rotten". I do have a softspot for one of these lively kids though. In my head I call him "Unibrow".

Unibrow was absent from my first month at the lycee. He had been suspended for fighting with "Frank Reed" on a school trip. He lives north of Lyon and boards at the school during the week. He has a full class load, works on the weekends, and travels over an hour by train twice a week. Typical of the North African students, his English is better than his classmates and he's more willing to make mistakes.

Unfortunately those mistakes are often physical.

Last Monday, after a backpack was bumped off a desk, he and "Matrix" postured, cursed, and eventually struck one another. Repeatedly.

It was over in about 30 seconds. Two other students pulled them off each other.

What did I do? Nothing. I'm not paid enough to get clobbered. Initially I thought 'They didn't cover this in our orientation.' Then I thought 'is there a bell or whistle I should ring/blow? should I run next door and get the real teacher?' Then I thought 'so this is what a fight looks like. Interesting that no one's pulling hair or kicking.' And then it was over.

And we resumed reading the material on "Michael, Arden, and Erika" for the remaining 20 minutes.

I spoke with Unibrow after class. He threw the first punch. I asked him why. "He looked at me with crazy eye" he said. Fully believeable. Matrix wears a floor length leather coat and has expressed interest in vampires. Now that I've seen him fight I might start calling him "Columbine". "Yeah, he's crazy," I said, (probably not smart to tell a student about another student) "but why'd you hit him? You've been in trouble before. Do you think after this the headmistress is going to let you stay?"

He digested this and finally said "I should try harder."

Which was warming for me simply because verbs like should, could, and would are difficult for them.

"No," I said, "you will try harder."

"Yes, I will try harder," he said, probably lying.

A week earlier, another student mooned one of the teachers I work with. He was suspended for three days. Three days seems to be the going rate. Unibrow and Matrix/Columbine will be out the first three days after vacation. And then, Monday afternoon, back in my classroom. Along with Frank Reed.

Happy Birthday Uncle Chuck

THE CHANGE
by Sharon Duggan (nee Lunt)
- written 50 years ago, on the birth of her brother.

A change came to our house the other day
A change that moved in and plans to stay
The change isn't big, in fact it's quite small
But you sure wouldn't think so when it starts to bawl.

We really do think that we're quite lucky
For this baby boy that we call Chucky!

Le Local

Rue Brocherie

Taking a break from studying, we went Christmas shopping. Taking a break from shopping, we had coffee at this store/cafe known for organic foods and hand made trucs. I had a petit noir, Douglas took his with milk. Douglas is on a one coffee per day diet. This was his second of the day.

He's not very good at refraining from coffee.

Oh My Chickens!

I just paid 10€ for a bottle of saline solution. I will henceforth only wear my contacts on truly necessary days. And once they're in, they'll stay in.

Availability of saline solution, like toilet seats, are a symptom of civilization. Both are frustratingly rare in France. Why? I have no idea. Toilets here frequently have the little holes where a seat should be screwed in. Why there isn't a seat is beyond me.

Likewise, saline solution is not a mix of complex ingredients. Primarily salt and water. It's available in the same bottles and packaging as in the US, just at 5-6 times the price. The 10€ bottle I just bought was hard to find too. None at the supermarket. I asked at a pharmacy this afternoon and got zip. Then I stumbled into a beauty products store staffed by overly made women in perma-hold hairstyles. They didn't understand what I was looking for. First one of the helmet haired team members brought me a box full of some sort of salted injection bottles. I think the intended use is to "erase" unsightly wrinkles around the eyes. It's presentation to me actually gave me a few more and some grey hairs too. Finally, the team captain suggested I visit the optician up the street.

Which I did. Which is where I discovered the 10€ bottle of Alcon Opti-Free Express®. The saleswoman told me it was a special promotion. I wonder what the regular price is.

So, where are the toilet seats? and why is salt water so expensive?

I don't know.