No matter how much advice I seek from my colleagues here, there are just some things that I need to discuss with someone who knows exactly what I'm going through. My friend Kara, an exchange teacher from Washington, came for a visit this weekend. She got here around dinner time on Friday night, and we hashed out our frustrations over a bowl of warm vegetable soup. We stayed up until the wee hours of the morning laughing about the strange situations in which we've found ourselves, and reminiscing about the days when we taught in school culture that we understand. I think it did us both a lot of good to talk to someone who "gets it."
Saturday, we set upon a quest for ethnic food, and found a wonderful, albeit tiny Indian restaurant in Amiens. Oh, how I had been missing curry. Full and warmed by the food, we ventured out into the cold to visit the cathedral. It really is amazing, you know. Notre Dame de Paris could fit inside. Huge can't even begin to describe...
Then, the best part of the girls weekend: shopping! One of Kara's hobbies is jewelry making, so we went in to several shops with unique necklaces and bracelets. And yes, we did make a few purchases. Sephora, Galeries Lafayette, C&A... we hit them all. But our best bargains were at the market in Poix this morning - wooden puzzle maps of France for 3€ a piece, and warm furry gloves for Kara.
Walking through the market, I felt a part of the town for the first time. We ran into a student in sixième, who hurried over to give me la bise and practice her English. (If the kids learn one thing this year, it will be how to tell me how they're doing and say "it's cold today"). Then, we saw the police officer, who asked me how I was. (I really am convinced he's the only one in town). And on our way home, we ran into Aurélie, the girl who cuts my hair. Just a few smiles, bonjour and ça va? remind me how friendly the people are in this town, and give me the courage to face another Monday at school.
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