January 24, 2005

See, this is exactly what I was trying to avoid when I was crying out for work three months (actually, four months) ago. This whole get up, go to the IUFM, work all day, go home, do some more work, go to sleep. I do not like this. This is quite tiring—especially after four months of inactivity. Other people can do long days like this—I can, but I prefer not to. I prefer to do my work early and have time off at the end of it all. But some organizations just don’t have their shit together. Do you know, the director of the IUFM doesn’t know 1. Which students are focusing in languages and 2. Which students are focusing in which languages. WTF, I ask you all? One might think that this language focus thing is completely new. It’s not.

Ah, but I have reached a point of acceptance. It is not complete acceptance; there is still annoyance mixed with the acceptance (evidently, given the previous paragraph). But most of the time now I just shrug my shoulders, do the little French blowing out quickly with lips pursed thing that I’ve picked up, and do what I can to cover my ass. Really, my main goal now is to get out of the IUFM without getting anyone too pissed at me or wrecking any future job opportunities in France.

So, anyway, different topic, I think I may have a problem. I never steal anything, per say, but I do have a tendency to nick a thing here and there. Or, as I explained to the other assistants tonight, I relocate things. For example, I needed a desk. Well, I live in a bloody school, for crying out loud. So I “relocated” an unused desk from a classroom to my room. When I leave the school, I will put it back. What else… oh yeah. Someone left a mostly used roll of masking tape in the stairway. I waited for a few days, and when no one retrieved it, I nicked it. Then, tonight, I went to a Franco-Allemand (French and German) presentation that took place in the school where I live. After the presentation there were food and drinks. The drinks were served in actual glass glasses. Since we, the assistants, never have enough glasses in our kitchen (which is in the school), I “relocated” five of the glasses. I’m sure the other assistants must consider it typically American behavior. I’m not sure if it is or not. I don’t think so. I think it is more “poor student” behavior. Remember, our Universities cost loads more than the European ones. Anyway, yeah, I guess I’m going to hell. For sure, this time.

(Did you know that, in French, the words for the cities of Berlin and Bethlehem sound exactly the same? I was telling Natalia that I wanted to go and visit my friend in Berlin and she got all excited. I didn’t see that it was a big deal until she [ever the good Catholic girl] explained to me that Bethlehem was the birthplace of Christ. Boy, was I surprised to hear that Christ was born in Berlin. I mean, I’ve never read the Bible, but I always thought that I had the basics down.)