Chapter 13: Working Nine to Five

post #14

The past couple of days have been busy, sunny, and exciting. Just the way I like 'em!

Wednesday was my last day before work, so I decided that I would, afterall, borrow a bike from the slum motel and ride forever. I packed a micmic lunch, along with my book, some writing stuff, a blankie, and bike lights JUST in case I got lost or needed to investigate something with more light. When I went to Maud to rent a bike, she took me into this sketchy room with weird things in it. She had told me there were four bikes to rent, but that two were broken. Meaning there are two bikes to rent, really, and they were both taken. I asked when they'd be back and after consulting her book, she told me one would be back Monday, and the other on October 1st. Perfect. Thanks, Maud. I'll just wait on the front step for them.

Instead, I went on an epic walk. I walked for almost two hours and ended up so far into the country that even the runners and cyclists had stopped passing me. The river becomes more and more beautiful the further you go, and I was very happy. I eventually stopped and ate my lunch and read Hemingway and then sunbathed a bit. The sun was hot. Then I took a small snooze and returned to the projects to dump my stuff back. OH! I also saw a fisherman! I was excited to talk to him to see if there were, in fact, fish in the river. He told me that he was fishing for a wife. Great, convo, man. I continued back.

Later in the afternoon I met some of the other lecteurs for coffee and then wrote a postcard. In the evening, I went to Pierre-Antoine's and we hung out. He is really great for practicing my French. He speaks quickly like young people tend to. He also doesn't speak English, and since he's never learned a second language, I don't think he thinks about using simpler words or speaking slowly. Not that that needs to be the reason to do either of those things, but just that, unlike many other people I've met, he talks to me as he'd talk to any French person. You know? Anyways.. This week-end I'm going to Saint-Malo and Dinard (the nieghbouring town) with him in his Peugeot. We'll sight-see and go swimming in the sea. Should be nice.

Yesterday I went to work to meet with everyone at the university. Sort of an orientation/training for what we'll be doing. All of us have different things to do and it's kind of hard to explain all of the different jobs we have because the system is different. But some lecteurs will give classes for the Applied Foreign Language department, which is for students studying more than one language. So any of those students, for example, would not be a part of the English department at all, even if English is one of the languages they're studying. That department uses a couple of our lecteurs though.. They asked me to be the link with the Faulkner Institute, which is downtown, and provide classes in speech giving and oral readings.. They also do some drama. Since I have a theatre background, they picked me. This posh-accented British girl will have to record some things.. Etc. It was an overwhelming afternoon. We met a dozen or so of the profs, were given our schedules, explained our positions, and then sent off. They met with us individually as well, to ask about certain extra things, like the Faulkner Institute, and to explain why we're assigned to certain things. There is also, of course, regular English department teaching as well.

My schedule is great. I work seven hours a week this semester, with Tuesdays and Fridays off. Next semester is heavier, with a whopping fifteen hours, and Monday and Friday off. With Doctor being in Amsterdam, I suspect a few 4-day week-end getaways to visit him...

Last night we had a pre-jam in the slum motel before hitting Thirsty Street. Fact: In the States, they call pre-jams, or pre-drinking (which, certain readers, is to enjoy cocktail before going out) pre-gaming. To pre-game. I like it. Anyways, we invited some other lecteurs from other departments. Hossoen (the artist formerly known as Osson) told me that Thursdays are the craziest night on Thirsty Street because most students go home for the week-end. Every night is busy, though. By midnight, it looked like Aberdeen on Homecoming. The good thing is that it is a pedestrian-only street, so activities such as car-flipping are trickier. And people are better behaved, no doubt.

Today I went back to the university to get keys to the department, classrooms and my office. Complete with wifi and a coffee maker, I'm ready to camp out there for awhile. I share it with a prof from the States who came as a lecteur many years ago, did his PhD in France, and has been at Rennes since. The office is big enough for six, and has big windows and is well-lit. It's in the building right next to the one the English Department is in, which is great.

This afternoon, I cleaned my room and started doing some lesson planning. We can have someone else do our photocopying (like the P&CC) and just have to drop it off with a couple of days for them to do it. I want to get weeks two and three done before Doc gets here so we can really relax. I'll spend my not Saint-Malo day doing that.

Yes, life in Rennes is very nice. The people say hi to one another on the street just like in the opening scene of Beauty and the Beast. Getting a coffee "to go" is unheard of, because no one is going anywhere. Just chill and drink it at the cafe. And whether they hate Americans or love Canadians, they have been more than welcoming to me, and I feel very lucky..

There's so much more I want to write, but I feel as though I should spread it out so I don't lose valued readers.

And so, happy Friday. And love sent your way.

Signing off,
Dolly Parton