A good week, in all

College was good yesterday... dare I venture the word, 'fun'? First of all, my 9am class (for which I had only had a very scanty lesson plan) didn't happen because all the English teachers were having a meeting- awesome. The second class, who are usually little terrors, were good as gold, and I actually felt like they learnt something from me (whilst arguably not the most useful of topics in terms of English skills, their lives can no doubt have been enriched by my lessons about Scotland, haggis and hogmanay) Then my last class was cancelled because the teacher was on strike. (Love the French obsession with striking, vive la resistance I say)


Yesterday the new smoking regulations came into effect- I had seen the news report the previous day, when the newsreader had gravely informed his viewers that smoking would be banned in all public places...that is except in restaurants, bars, and discotechques. So basically it's only forbidden in the work place. I love the French. They then did a special feature on a truck driver who could no longer smoke at the wheel because his truck was considered a place of work. Poor bloke, he wasn't happy. So anyway... yesterday at the 10 am break, most probably to appease the smokers among us, the headmaster had laid out abundant baskets of mini croissants, pain aux chocolats and other tasty treats, as well as fresh orange juice. In England everybody would have been moaning about wanting a fag, but the general feeling in the salle de profs was a happy one... everyone chatting merrily away through mouthfuls of pastry. Furthermore, I actually had some proper conversations in French with some of the younger teachers and surveillants- something that doesn't really happen that often at school, because I speak English to the English teachers, and then people tend to assume I don't speak French... and I don't like to start up conversations!

Feeling quite good all in all- the tiredness I've felt for weeks seems to be lifting.