Well Christmas Break has begun! Finally… this is how every teacher everywhere must feel. It is actually impossible to do anything with children before break (did anyone else know this??). I am soooo getting what I deserve for talking all the time (I’m sure) in school. That said, I can’t complain too much since there have been many joyous moments in all this chaos as well. I made “reindeer antlers” with my 6/7 year olds and taught them about Rudolph. This led to one boy, ironically his name is Angel, going around shooting all the reindeers because he was hunting them and of course all the other kids are joining in, falling on the floor, crawling in the last gasping moments of life. Quite dramatic and unruly. Also, I received a Santa Claus clothesline pin from one class (um… cute!), taught “We wish you a Merry Christmas” and made paper snowflakes, plus explained, or at least tried explaining, eggnog (its eggs, milk, cinnamon and some alcohol… delicious right?? They asked if I was going to make it by hand… right). Plus I had the occasional student asking if I’m going back to England for the holidays. For the last time, I am not from England. We have covered the main Anglo-countries but I still get entertaining responses about the US and Canada, and what the heck is Alaska?? Still they are just so adorable – my Chloés, Manons, and Enzos… Coralies, Théos, and Hugos. I am obsessed with (most) all of them. It’s a little hard to describe. But really, what’s better than students running up saying “eelloo Sarra, fait calin” (aka give me a hug).
I’ve also started volunteering at the Anglo library, channeling a little Gma and Aunt Nancy while in France. They love us naturally because we are native English speakers. There is Game Night (playing Scattegories AND free pizza for volunteers… fantastic) and a coffee hour, where we just meet and greet. It’s a great way to meet a range of people and “network” a little (ohhhhhh the job search starts again!).
My friends and I had a mini-cheap-extra-limited gift exchange, while enjoying Breakfast for Dinner (my Canadian friend Alex has REAL maple syrup to share). I’m lucky to have three such wonderful friends here (who are all as equally obsessed with Christmas). Then it’s packing for Morocco! Christmas Day I shall be on the train between Marrakech and Casablanca. Its not home, but at least I’ll be on the train ☺ Thinking of Dad, Mom and maybe even Ben. Then New Year’s in Fez, it will certainly be my most adventurous Christmas holiday so far.
Christmas markets. The best.
I just thought this picture was funny...
And of course, a Madmen themed holiday party. My friend and I decided our outfits didn't really fit the whole "Madmen" attire so instead we were Andy Warhol's factory girls... much more our style :)
Joyeux Noël, bonnes fêtes et bonne année!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Oh so many good holiday treats to write about. And I don’t just mean the vin chaud (hot wine) and churros (not sure why we’re having churros??) at the Christmas market.
Quick intro into some differences between the French and American Christmas:
-Santa does not say “Ho Ho Ho” … I think this probably because the French “h” is silent. As my friend put it, “So what creepy silent Santa just sneaks down your chimney??”
-Rudolph is not really a big deal, no red nose or anything. Basically the song “Must Be Santa” which my Grandma plays every year at Christmas is becoming totally irrelevant
-They do not do stockings, and are mildly confused by why we leave our socks for Santa (though they do sometimes leave wooden shoes)
-Ummmm sandess, they do not leave milk and cookies for Santa!
My American friends and I have been totally confused because, since there is no Thanksgiving, Christmas celebrations don’t start until December 1st. I’ve been listening to Christmas music like crack and waiting for them to turn on all the lights. That being said yesterday was December 1st and … goodness, it was magical. The city was invited to the main square to see Santa turn on the Christmas lights with the Mayor (fancy!). Oh right, I forgot to mention the whole reason I knew that Santa was coming to Angers was because Remi, this adorable 10 year old in one of my classes, invited me to go see Santa with him. Heck yeah, you know you’re liked when the kids invite you to see Santa! And so yes, we arrived to see Santa (pulled by sleigh dogs!) giving the “key” to the Mayor to turn on all the Christmas lights. It was awesome, with snow falling (which is a rarity in Angers), skinny French Santa working alongside the mayor and a few lucky kids. All the lights illuminated including a 35-foot Christmas tree, then Santa and the Mayor naturally threw out candy. It was really everything I could have hoped for from my French town at Christmas, and now it all stays around until the end of the year.
Last week I was lucky enough to celebrate not just one, but TWO, American Thanksgivings. My friend Sean came up from Grenoble and we enjoyed a potluck Thanksgiving with other assistants which was rockin’. Its amazing how the food alone can make you feel so at home (and so homesick). I mean I had to work all day but I brought the joyous event of making hand turkeys to French schools, so all is well. Then over the weekend, my friends and I made a delicious gourmet Thanksgiving to show our French friends how America does cooking (gravy with two sticks of butter, duh!). All in all, it was impressive considering French supermarkets don’t really sell turkeys, or cranberries (my cranberry sauce was shockingly delicious and consisted of dried cranberries, Ocean Spray cranberry cocktail [found in the foreign section of course], raisins, and oranges all boiled together… thank you Mommy Niemann for teaching me how to improvise!). We had four small chickens, mashed potatoes, veggies, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mushroom gravy, pecan and pumpkin pie. ALL FROM SCRATCH, from four girls who mostly didn’t cook for themselves before this year. And we got to introduce our Australian friend to sweet pumpkin pie. Culture all around! Our friends were surprised that we served everything at once and naturally the Americans thought … well duh that way you can mix it all together, eat way too quickly, and feel ridiculsouly full all afternoon… isn’t that Thanksgiving? And we also made them hold hands and say the things they were thankful for. Really, I couldn’t have pictured it any better.
That’s it for me now! Time to get some real work done – aka drawing pictures for our classroom advent calendar, sometimes being a teacher is FUN!
