olivier's coffee service

I love being at a school where the teachers have a comfortable place to congregate and work, and that they actually make use of. This is important in a building where teachers don't use a classroom as their base. (While I always teach in the same room, there are other teachers who use it when I'm not in class). And I appreciate being able to interact with my colleagues and learn about the joys and woes of being a teacher in a national education system.

For 5€ every 5 months, teachers at the collège can help themselves to coffee in the salle des profs. One of my colleagues has taken it upon himself to make sure there is coffee all day long. He shops for the coffee, filters, sugar, etc., and also makes sure there are clean cups. He even told me in a joking manner, "don't touch my dishes!" This morning, I watched as he placed several kilograms of grapes on the table, and finally realized that they came from his own vines. I'm not sure when he teaches, because each time I'm in the workroom, he's there sitting next to what he calls the caféteria, making sure that the rest of us are able to refuel during our breaks. I really look forward to those moments when, over a cup of strong coffee, I can visit with my colleagues about the differences in our school systems, current events and towns worth visiting. It's in the workroom that I learn the most about my adopted culture, and I want to thank Olivier for making it all the more enjoyable.