Nuit Blanche

Tonight was Metz's thrid annual Nuit Blanche, which is translated in sleepless night. It started at 6PM and went to 6AM (I only made it to 1AM). Basically they opened up art installations all around the city, whether it was performance art, synchronized swimming, light shows, or paintings. It was a nice way to visit the city. They also opened up buildings that are not usually open, like the Hotel de Ville.

I went with a girl, Megan, I met early in the week, her roommate Sophie (a German assistant), Ilaria (Italian assistant), and Patrick (another American assistant). It was nice to meet other assistants who live in Metz, or around Metz.

We all went to the synchronized swimming which was interesting to say the least, because sometimes it was just one person. And I ask myself if that can really be considered synchronized... But oh well. We also saw a church that was transformed into a night club. There were giant balls of light suspended from the ceiling and different DJs would come and spin for a bit. It was all pretty interesting.

Oktoberfest

Long before I went to France I knew that I wanted to go to Oktoberfest and being placed in Metz made it ideal because I am right next to the German border. I looked into train tickets and found one that wasn't too expensive, the only problem was finding housing. It was way too expensive. Some hostels wanted 80 euros a night for a 20 person room. I don't mind hostels but even I thought that was ridiculous, especially considering everyone would probably be drunk out of their mind. So I decided to take an overnight train to Munich, arriving at 7:15 AM and then leave at 10:30PM to get in to Metz at 6 AM. It was a long train ride but totally worth it!

The train to Munich was uneventful, there were only 3 people in a 8 person car so we all got a little stretching room. So I was able to sleep a little bit. When I first got into Munich I did a little sight seeing looking at the big squares, getting a little lost, you know the usual for me =) Around 10:30AM I made my way over to the fairgrounds where they have all the tents and met up with some people from couchsurfing.com As much as I love to travel alone, I didn't think it was a good (or very fun) idea to be drinking alone. So I met up with other travelers in Munich and had a great time! In all I visited 3 tents, and drank 4 liters of beer! (Don't worry it was over the whole day and not at once, so I wasn't drunk) But it was amazing to see literally thousands of people standing and dancing on tables singing songs together!

In all of the tents they play this one song it must be every 20 minutes. It's a German song, so I don't know the words, I just know that you have to drink some beer at the end of the song. But the first time I heard the German word for cheers, Proust, I thought it was everyone saying cheers to their favorite author, who just happened to be the French author Marcel Proust. Needless to say I was wrong!

First Days in Metz

I'm really glad that my teacher was able to pick me up at the train station because it made my life so much easier! Before I left I e-mailed her a picture of myself so that she would be able to find me (I thought it was a good idea) and it actually worked! After helping me carry my bags to her car she drove me the my new home (at least for the next 7 months) at the Foyer (a dorm-like place for students or young workers, mine is specifically for girls).

She then invited me to dinner at her place and I said I would love, I just wanted to unpack a bit. So she went back to school to teach, while I unpacked and then promptly passed out. Apparently I was dead to the world because she waited for me on the street, where we agreed on, but then knocked on my door many different times. So I woke up when someone came into my room, because they weren't sure if I was even there or if I was sick, speaking French. I was so confused, I didn't even realize where I was or when it was. I was SO tired. Well after we all worked out that I was alive and did want to go to dinner, we left.

I had a great time at dinner at my teacher's house, she lives out like in Montbonnot, in a house right next to her parents. Her daughter was at dinner, she works for SNCF (the national train company). My teacher then dropped me back off at my place, after she showed me a bit of Metz.

The first couple of days I just walked around Metz, trying to find a grocery store, buying a cell phone, just getting acquainted with the town and figuring out where everything is. It didn't take long though because Metz isn't very big =)

I went to school on the 27th to meet the Proviseur (the principle) and all of the administrative people to do some of the paperwork to make sure that I will get paid. It was funny because I was waiting outside the gates of the school and my teacher didn't even recognize me because she thought I was a student (I don't think this will be the last time this happens)

Arriving in Metz

My flight to Paris was via DC this time and left at 6:45 in the morning from SF. Because it was so early, I thought it would be a good idea to stay up the whole night. I thought wrong, I was exhqusted for the whole trip. And even though we left in plenty of time, we (my parents and I) waited at the wrong terminal for 45 mintues. So then we wait in line to check in, but because my trip is for so long, it won't let me, so we have to wait some more. After finally getting checked in I waited in the security line, and of corse chose the slower one ( I think i get that trait from my dad...) When I finally made it on the plane, there was no more overhead room, but I didn't want to check in my carry-on because it had my computers and everything. Luckily I finally found room at the back of the plane, despite the fact that the man in front of me put TWO suitases in the overhead compartment!!

After an uneventful layover in DC I was on the plane to CDG; which went without incident except for a man next to me literally yelling at the flight attendents, which of course woke me up, making me not a happy camper, as you can imagine. When the plane landed I was happy to get out of the airport and make sure my bags had made it safely, which they did but unfortunately they were the last ones of of the plane!

With my bags baack again in my posession, I went outside to try and meet the shuttle ( I reserved a shuttle this time because I didn't want a repeat of the Paris Metro, a year and a half ago, so I gladly paid the 15 more to not deal with all of my luggage on the metro). I had booked. After 30 minutes of wandering around with EVERYTHING I finally found the shuttle. Only to be greeted with very cranky passengers because I guess they had been waiting for 90 minutes. Oh well... The shuttle dropped me off first at the gare de l'est, where my train to Metz was departing from.

The 87 mintue train between the two cities was uneventful and I was met at the train station by a teacher who drove me to the foyer where I will be staying while in Mtz.

Nervous

I am a lot more nervous this time than the last time. It might be because I haven't spoken French in a year and a half (I really can't believe it's been that long). Or the fact that I have no idea what to expect. All I know is that I am to be teaching 12 hours a week and the rest of the time is my own. I'm also not 100% sure about the housing situation. But I hope this will all work itself out.

But the biggest worry I have is the LUGGAGE situation. For those of you who don't remember, you can reread my post about Paris. Unlucky for me is that the Paris Metro is etched in my mind because of that horrendous trip with all of our luggage. Unfortunately, this time I will be travelling alone, so I will have to handle all of my baggage on my own. So I need to strike a balance between bringing too much and not being able to carry it and not bringing enough so I have to buy a million things over here, which will get expensive.

Like the other problems I am sure that it'll all work itself out over time. Sometimes though I do wonder if I made the right choice in deciding to take a job which I am not sure what is expected of me, but I figure now, when I'm young, is the time to take risks =)

Return to France

Well I never wrote about my last vacations to Italy, Amsterdam, and Ireland....Well it's a little late for that, but I guess I get a second chance to update this blog because I am returning to France as a language assistant. My official title is an assistante de langue. I will be working in a French high school, assisting the English professors. Basically my understanding is that I am there as a native speaker and to help the students with their fluency and oral comprehension of native speakers.

This is a pretty cool program that is through the Ministry of Education in France, where they place people all throughout France and the DOM (Departments D'outre Mer, like Martinique). I was luckily placed in the Nancy - Metz Academy (another name for the region is Lorraine), specifically in Metz, in the Department Moselle. For those of you who don't know it's pronouced MESS and it's about 90 minutes by train East of Paris and 60 minutes South of Luxembourg. Nancy - Metz is actually surrounded by three different countries; Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany.

For those in the know Lorraine has been occupied by Germany for many different times and thus has a unique history and culture than the rest of France, so I am excited to explore and learn about another area of France.