Working....

I had also planned to go to Birmingham over the summer, but couldn’t. I thought I would find the money, but I hadn’t counted on my dear boss at the supermarket... He had promised me a job for the end of June and then the whole month of July. However, everytime I called to know when I would be starting, it was something like: “I don’t have any work for you this week, but don’t worry, you’ll start next week”. After a while, I went there, and then, he actually told that they now had a new big boss who wasn’t so keen on hiring any new staff. Of course, by that time, I had refused another job. I was soo fuming! Fortunately, my mother hired me for what was left of the summer at her job.

So I spent the summer (like many summers before this one) working at Plouaret’s retirement Home (if that’s how it’s called). It was quite nice. It might sound strange, but I always enjoy working there. Some of the people living there are very nice, and I now know some of them quite well. After all, I first worked there eight years ago! Well, some of them have died, of course, and some new ones have arrived...

One of my favourites has always been Olga: she is something like 97, and she had told me about her life last summer. She (if I remember correctly) had been a dressmaker in Paris until her retirement, and told me about her family and all. Quite extraordinary! And I loved seeing her daughter visit her. Her daughter is about 76, has red hair, and extravagant clothes she fashions herself.

This summer, I mainly had to bring lunch to old people who still lived at home. I would visit about 30 of them in 2 hours. Very tiring work, but quite nice. I met my great-grand-aunt this way. My great-grand-mother died when I was two, and, believe it or not, I still remember her! Anyway, she wasn’t really my great-grand-mother, but my great-grand-father’s second wife, but she was always considered as part of the family. From what I know, she raised my grand-father, as his mother had died when he was still very young.

So, Maryvonne, my great-grand-mother, would have been 117 this year, so I hadn’t been expecting to meet her living sister! Except that Maryvonne was the eldest in a very big family. Her sister was the 13th child (and maybe not the last, I don’t know), and is 96... She is a very sweet woman, and, from what I saw, will probably live during many more years :)

I finished working there on Thursday. I had expected to start at the supermarket next week, as had been promised by Monsieur Charles (the dear boss I mentioned earlier), but it apparently wasn’t to be. I went to see him so that we could talk about it, sign the promised 10-months contract maybe, but once more, he wasn’t sure he would be able to hire me because of his new boss. Bullshit in my opinion. Fortunately, I had had a phone call two days earlier from Habitat, saying they would like to meet me for a job interview. I hadn’t called them back yet, as I had first wanted to know about the supermarket.

So I did call them back and had an interview the very same day (last Thursday). And: THEY HIRED ME!! I was so thrilled when I had the news!! Habitat is a great shop, kind of like IKEA, but much more expensive, and much better quality. Last, but not least, it’s basically round the corner from my flat! The downside is (yes, there is one), it is only for two months... However, I personally prefer working during two months there than ten months at a supermarket that is on the other side of town!

Oh, and I don’t work on Wednesdays and Saturdays, which leaves me plenty of time with my son, and I don’t work on Thursday afternoons either, which is when I have singing lessons: that job was clearly waiting for me!

Writing, Reading and Validating...

Where to begin ?!?

I know it’s been ages since I last updated but no worries, I haven’t given up my blog :)
I suppose I should start with the beginning then: July. Well, as you probably know, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was due for release on the 21st of July, my birthday’s eve (yes, believe me, that’s one of the major events of my summer). Of course, as soon as July began, I started feeling thrilled at the mere thought of finally knowing how it would all end. And I wasn’t disappointed. Our dear Jo didn’t let any of us fans down. There were many twists, a whole new unexpected plot unravelled, there were many deaths, and... No, I won’t give the end away in case you haven’t read it yet, although I suppose that, if you haven’t read it by now, you probably never will...

Anyway, back to my summer: about one week before the release, I had the pleasant (euphemism) surprise of finding myself appointed validater at HarryPotterFanFiction.com. This is quite a big thing. It means I am now a staff member, and have to make sure the (many) stories submitted every day are ToS (Terms of Service) compliant. It also gives me powers in the forums (and believe me, the forum is a beast). To give you an idea, HPFF has 21 581 authors right now, 86 142 members, and 11 944 registered forum members! That kept me (and still keeps me) very busy, as about 250 new chapters are submitted every day, and there are about 15 validaters...

It was really nice knowing that I was handpicked by the staff to assist them, and that I was trusted enough to help them!

I also added chapters 6 and 7 to my main fic: Tom Marvolo Riddle ... I am Lord Voldemort, and I wrote a chapter, entitled Toujours Pur, for a collection (Loyalty), written for the two staffers who have taken over the management of the site (Jay, the founder, retired in the summer). It is from Tonks' point of view, and shows how supportive and loyal she was to Harry. It am quite happy with it, even though I had to speed write it :)

Aline xxx

Not that down actually

Hey there!

Well, I was rereading the previous post, thinking that all that rubbish was due to the fact that I was really tired... Well, I feel better now!

First, I need to update on the concert that we gave last week: it was BRILLIANT! I so enjoyed it :) I wasn't so scared, especially once I was on-stage, surrounded by my friends, and the audience was really nice. They applauded at the right moments, and that really encouraged us. Our singing teacher, Aude, told us that she would try to find more dates for us, and that we would get paid for those too! Even if it doesn't happen, that's good news.

The next day, Marion and I went to the French Coffee Shop, and helped Aude and Régis change a few things in the café. And Aude made a cool offer: as she and Régis are going on holidays in Ibiza and won't be there in July, she wants me to kind of replace her, ie, check everything is fine, and check the employee, Jérémie, is doing ok... I'm not getting paid, but she leaves me her car, and I'll get three months of free singing lessons for my trouble. So that's really cool :) Oh, she leaves her house on the seaside to Marion for two weeks, so I'll go there too in the weekends (it's actually a castle, le "Château Rose"...

Now, I really have to start planning my trip to Birmingham and probably Holland as well. I still don't know when I can go, I just hope that I will be able to. I really miss England and my friends there, and visiting a bit of Holland would be nice as well. I wish I could speak English a bit more often... I have already forgotten a lot of it, and writing in English is not as easy as it was two or three months ago.

Yesterday, I took Jérémie to do some shopping: he was in a desperate need of a female adviser concerning his wardrobe, and we spent the whole afternoon (and quite a bit of money) in shops. I'm pretty proud of myself, as he looked quite dashing in the evening! I just hope that it will help raise his self-confidence :) He desperately needs that too...

Well, that's all for now, but I'll be back soon for more :)

Aline xxx

Ups and Downs

Right, I was lying there, thinking in my bed yesterday. No, rather like early this morning. I suddenly realized that I've been down for weeks. Well, about two of them weeks. I just can't believe how long it took me to realize that. I mean, two weeks? Maybe it took me that long because nothing really happened to make me feel down. It's more like a conjunction of mildly depressing things. Oh, I'm not depressed, don't worry!

Now, let's think: on the 16th of June, there was the PGCE ball, to which I was invited, but I couldn't go due to work; last Friday was the end of the PGCE, and yes, I still wonder sometimes if I could have gone to the end of it; then, I don't know if I'll have enough work this summer to pay the rent (let's say funds are low); I had been expecting something for this summer, and it won't happen, and I suppose that still buggers me somehow. And there are other things, rather intimate ones, that I keep thinking about. Oh, and I think my anemia is finally getting real bad. I have lost count of the number of times I thought I was going to pass out those days (the last time being this morning), but I've just called my GP, and have an appointment for tomorrow morning.

Of course, good things have happened too, and I'll be singing (one song) on stage next Thursday, for instance, although I can't really think of it as something great right now, cause I'm just freaking out real bad about it. I just hope I'll feel better once it's done. Oh, I've lost most of the weight I had put on in England as well, so that's cool too. And it's the beginning of the sales on wednesday, so I'll get some shopping done, nothing better when one's down (and when one's a girl).

Anyhoo, I'm not depressed at all, I suppose I just need to have a few good things happen, and I'm too tired those days. Really really tired.

Right, gotta go to bed to lie down a bit and then go get Abel at school...

Aline x

Fanfiction #2

I thought I should talk a bit about how the writing's going... As you may or may not know, I have been a member of HarryPotterFanFiction.com for a little over a year now and I currently have two stories on the site. They are, of course, related to Harry Potter. I find that writing fanfiction is a great way to improve as a writer, as I can have instant feedback on what I write. There are also some pretty darn good writer on the site, and being able to tell how good they are, or make suggestion is cool. Of course, most of them are just bad. Like really bad. But then, more than half of them are teenagers... I must say that I have already read stories written by 13 year-olds, and they were captivating! Some of them have a real potential :)

As for me, I don't update my story much, but I think it's quite good. By the way, it's been read by someone who owns another website: The Ultimate Storylist, and they mentioned it, and even marked it as a "Must Read"! I have to say that I was thrilled the day when I saw that :)

I realize that this post is all about me, myself and I, and how good I am, but believe when I say that I am not like that, and can't quite believe it when other people say that they like what I write!

Anyways, I have to finish my story on Tom Marvolo Riddle and how he became Lord Voldemort (very dark fic), and then, I'll write something short about Merlin and the knights of the round table, but I'll try and make it a bit lighter, although, seeing what I already wrote, I don't think it'll be that much lighter... Oh, well, you never know!

Right, I'm starving, and have to go and buy some food :) If anyone wants to read what I write (that is, if you are not allergic to Harry Potter), here is my author's page: http://www.harrypotterfanfiction.com/viewuser.php?showuid=71139.

And if you do read it and like, or even see room for improvement, please, let me know, and leave a review, that would be much appreciated!

Of course, I am not going to write fanfiction for the rest of my life, but I think I still need to improve my writing skills (a lot)... And I'll also let you know when the "real" writing is going anywhere!

New Year is in May this time

Hi folks!!

Ok, I have decided that in 2007, New Year would be in May. I have actually noticed that important things always occurred in May. Thus, I thought that I should have New Year resolutions. I never do them in January (what with hangovers and all, not the best time of Year to do that kind of stuff):

I solemny swear (that I am up to no good, dixit certain Marauders) that I want:

1- to eventually, some day, maybe, stop smoking

2- to start writing for real, like, maybe some day, even do it for a living or something

3- to find (not that I am looking or anything) a not-scared-of-commitment-kind-of-guy

4- to say to myself every morning: I am good, I am the best, I even look good, and those who don't agree are selfish / wasting my time / they quite frankly don't know what they are losing

Right. Let's see how long they last. My New Year resolutions usually last long enough for me to say them aloud... Most of the time anyway. But then, this is my own personal New Year, so it might work!

Happy New Year to me! (and only to me, sorry to everyone reading this)

The French Coffee Shop

I also wanted to write about the singing lessons I now take once a week. A cool place opened in Rennes quite recently: The French Coffee Shop, which is coupled with the "Mini-Conservatoire de la Chanson", in reference with Mireille's mini-conservatoire, if you've heard of it. The teacher is Aude Brenner, singer and actress, and who knows what else. Régis Simon is the pianist. The lessons take place in the café every thursday and friday evenings (from 6 to 9). I go there on Fridays. Aude is an excellent teacher, and in two lessons, I have already improved a lot.
She is also Gilles Paquet-Brenner's sister. He is a movie director (UV, with Jacques Dutronc, will be released this month), and he also directed 'Les Jolies Choses' with Marion Cotillard (Aude played her mother in the movie). Aude wrote UV's soundtrack (and sings in it). So you see, she is a professional!
She sings in the café on Thrusday, Friday and Saturday nights, and anyone can come and sing. Marion (my friend, not Cotillard) of course sings everytime and, gosh, that girl can sing! I have sung there a few times too, with a little less success, but well, I don't really care, I sing only for my own pleasure :) I'll take a few photos and post them here.

Art Déco

Here I am again. I thought that I'd try and publish new entries a bit more often. It's not as if I had anything better to do, after all :)
I took the first pics of the flat yesterday; they are only of Abel's bedroom, but the rest will come soon. As you can see, he's got a cool bed! I wish I had had one like that when I was a kid. And, believe me, he loves it! He spends all his time on the bed, acting as though he was a pirate on his ship, looking for Treasure Island. Of course, I took the picture after cleaning the room, and putting away all the toys, because it isn't usually like that, even right now, there are Playmobils and trains all over the place (he's currently playing at "Pole Express").
As for the rest of the place, I want to try and give an Art Déco touch. The building was built in the thirties, and you can kind of see it in the flat. So, even though I have very limited financial means, I try and use that Art Déco touch, and I think it won't be too bad in the end. What I do involves mostly painting things here and there (painting furniture, I mean). But that will be done little by little. I'll post photos to show how things are going.

Living near the UMP's office

definitely isn't that much fun. As you probably all know,the second round of the French presidential elections took place on Sunday (yesterday). Nicolas Sarkozy (right wing) won. He is described by many as far-right, and it is true that he certainly took many of Le Pen's ideas. Anyway, I am not going to enter that debate, I'll just add that I didn't vote for him, and I don't like him much.
I have recently moved to the Boulevard de la Liberté, and the UMP (Sarkozy's party) is literally round the corner. Yesterday evening, after the results of the election, some people began demonstrating (wonderful French tradition). They, of course, soon arrived in my street, and things started to get pretty violent, as you can see on the pictures. They didn't make much material damage, apart from burning all the dustbins and breaking a telephone booth. Well, that was some show. I watched some of it from my balcone, until I got some tear-gas in the eyes. Not smart, I know.
The surprise came from the fact that they did it again tonight. It actually ended just now, after maybe 30 minutes, when it lasted for over 2 hours yesterday evening. Not much damage once more, and the show was quite unimpressive this time, apart from the few times when the CRS was throwing their kind of tear-gas bombs. They make very nice fireworks when they explode :)
I am of course being ironic when I say that it is nice and that I enjoy it, but, well, the people who were in the streets tonight and yesterday were only there because they were looking for trouble. I am not pleased to have Sarkozy as a president, and I can't wait to leave France again, but going in the street under that pretence when all they want is actually causing damage and fighting is still pretty lame. At least, I don't own a car anymore, because I wouldn't fancy being one of the people who had parked on the Boulevard tonight.

End of an Era

Well, well, well....
I should have updated this blog a long time ago... Lots of things happened since my last entry.
As some of you had noticed, the PGCE wasn’t heaven for me. Yes, I said “was”, because I am not part of the PGCE anymore. I decided to withdraw from the course more than a month ago, at the end of February. Let’s just say that the pressure was too much for me, and I definitely don’t want to spend the next few years staggering under the impossibly heavy workload. Being a teacher in secondary schools is not for me. I had tried ever since December not to quit, but then, I suddenly wondered why I was trying not to quit? I mean, it’s true that I don’t like failure (who does?), but in a sense, carrying on with the PGCE would have been a kind of failure: I pride myself in knowing what I want and doing all I can to achieve it, but in this case, I knew what I didn’t want, but still did it... Now, comes the hardest part: I have studied during six years and a half to be a French teacher abroad, and I have to accept that, even though it was not entirely in vain, I still need to start again from scratch. Going back to Uni is not a possibly I, for now, want to consider, as I feel like I’ve “wasted” enough time there as it is. So what now? Well, your guess is as good as mine. I am going to look for a job, any job, anything that helps pay the rent. I’ll keep you updated on that.
Of course, there is one thing I desperately want to achieve, that is writing. I haven’t had time in about two years to do much of it, and I am adamant on succeeding, even though it will need time.
Since I am back, I have found a flat (I moved in three days ago), and I have taken some time for myself. That felt good! Now I need to finish unpacking. As soon as it is done, I will put some photos on this blog.
New entries will come soon, as I have loads to tell!
Bizzzzz
Aline

Le blanc manteau

Hi folks!

It's snowing!!!! Well, it's actually been snowing like mad since yesterday, and it's beautiful! :) I just hope that there won't be a problem with the plane tomorrow... The airport was closed yesterday, but I went on their website earlier, and they said that it was now open and working normally... I'm still a little worried, also about the coach I'm taking to get to Stansted. Hopefully, it will be allright, we'll see...

Well, this has been a short post, but I just thought I'd update you all on the weather situation in the UK, or more particularly in Birmingham :D

Anyways, bon vent, and all your comments are welcome! bizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Aline

PS: the photo was taken quite early yesterday... There is a lot more snow now... I'd say about 20 cms.

More photos...

Bobby Sands

The Giant's causeway
Christ Church's Dining Hall

In a French Café in Edinburgh
Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone was shot here!!! (before they enter the Great Hall)

View of one of Oxford's colleges

Publishing photos on this site is REALLY difficult, so sorry about the mess it is:) I did try.... but I then gave up.

Edinburgh, Stratford-upon-Avon, Oxford and Belfast

Oxford

Edinburgh

Stratford (Shakespeare's grave)

Edinburgh

Hey folks!!

Right... This month of January has been very busy! My boyfriend and I had decided to travel around the UK while he was there, as staying in Birmingham didn't seem to be very appealing...
During the first weekend, we went to Edinburgh, and I think it was the best weekend we had! The town is beautiful (and yes, also VERY windy and VERY rainy, but, well, that's Scotland!). The old town is clearly separate from the rest, and is the most beautiful part of the town. It is dominated by the Castle of Edinburgh, which is, for some parts, very old (I can't for the life of me remember the century), and it is where the Honours of Scotland are kept: the crown, sceptre and sword. The visit was very interesting, and I learn loads about the Scottish history... We also went to a writer's museum: very small, crooked place, where we could find everything related to Walter Scott (who seems to be a hero in this town), Burns and Stevenson... I loved it, of course!

On the second weekend, we decided to rent a car to go to Oxford. It was the first time I ever drove in England, i.e on the left side of the road, and I did it in an English car, i.e on the right side of the car! The first few miles were a bit awkward, but I got used to it in the end :)

We first stopped in Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday. As you all surely know, it was Shakespeare's birthplace (he also lived there during a long time, and is buried there). As I love Shakespeare, I wanted to see the town, and we weren't disappointed at all! It is beautiful, and the people managed to keep some very old houses in an excellent state. That's one thing I love in England (there had to be one): they are respectful of their heritage, and they take care of historical buildings, and all... Anyway, Stratford-upon-Avon is out of our time, and I wish we had stayed a bit longer...

Still, Oxford, where we arrived on Saturday evening (it is barely more than an hour from Birmingham), is equally beautiful, although in a different kind of way. Here, you won't find any little crooked old house, but rather grand imposing buildings. The University of Oxford is literally all over the place, and all the colleges are grander than the next.... (nb: that wasn't correct, was it?) We went to so many places I couldn't possibly remember them all: the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library, the School of Divinity, I don't know how many colleges, and of course, Christ Church, where some scenes from Harry Potter were shot: I couldn't miss the dining hall which served as a model for Hogwarts' Great Hall!!!
That was another great weekend, and gosh, I really didn't want to go back to ol' Brum...

The next and last weekend was spent in Belfast. I must say that the city was downright weird... There is no real city centre (or we didn't find it), and it's almost as if there is still a curfew. Most pubs are closed in the evening, and the streets are just empty. I can tell you that finding a place to eat and something to do in the evening in these circumstances is quite hard........ We of course went to see the murals in both the Protestant and the Catholic sides of the town. I have to say that I found the Catholic side more welcoming and just not as creepy as the Protestant one, although I might be a bit biased :) (on the photos, when there are any guns, it's Protestant, and when there aren't any, it's Catholic, that should give you an idea). We also went to the Giant's Causeway, which I loved! I had seen photos of it when Florie had been there, and I wanted to see for myself too. Here is the legend:

"It is called the Giant's Causeway because of a legend about the quarrel between two giant's called Finn Mac Cool and Benandonner. Benandonner is said to have built a causeway from Scotland to fight with Finn Mac Cool, Finn Mac Cool pretended to be a baby in a pram and his mother told Benandonner that the baby was Finn Mac Cool's brother Finn Gal. When Benandonner saw how strong the baby was, he thought that Finn Mac Cool would be stronger than him and he ran back across the sea to Scotland, tearing up the causeway as he went."

It was very windy, and I thought several times I would just be blown away! But then, the storm meant that the sea was incredibly beautiful...
Right... Enough about that... I had a great month with Ralf, but he went back on his trip last Wednesday. He should be back in August. These next six months are going to be VERY long........
Oh, and my second school placement starts on Monday. :( ( I'll try and give you all regular news.
But the good news: I'm going to be in Rennes next weekend!!! I can't wait to see Abel again! I miss him so much..... At least, I'll get to spend two days with him!
Right.... Sorry about the length, that was a really long post, and I refrained myself from writing loads more, of course ;)

Bizzzzzzzzzz
Aline

I'm not dead, just very busy :)

Hey, just in case anyone wondered, I am NOT dead, but just busy with the uni. Me and my housemate also didn't pay the internet bill over the Xmas holidays, so the internet was not working anymore. This has been solved today, and the internet should be back tomorrow. My laptop also stopped working, just when I had to write a 3000 word-long assignment on the use of target language :( Brilliant. Well, it decided after a while that it would work again (one hour after I finished the assignment on the uni computers), so all's fine in the end!
I'll send a new post very soon, telling about my weekend in Edinburgh... Let me just tell you that it was great! Scotland is as beautiful as I thought it would be! I'll also tell a bit more about my holidays in France... Gosh, I really didn't want to come back to England...
Bizzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Aline :)
(come back soon, I've got loads to tell!)

Warning! This is not an original idea!

Thanks for the idea, bro ;)
Ok, my favourite films... Anyone who knows me well will know how much of a torture this is... Deciding which films are my all-time favourites is almost impossible, as I change my mind nearly every single time I watch a new one. Not to mention that it also depends on my current mood... So, the best I can do is: at the present moment, my favourite films are........



First Category: (yes, I divided them into categories...)
Romantic comedies / drama:
Garden State (humm, Zach Braff :D)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Love Actually
and I can’t help adding Brokeback Mountain which I saw yesterday... and I’m struggling not to add The Last Kiss)

Second Category:
Funny stuff:
Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre
Kaamelot (I know, it is not a film, but it cracks me up)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Third Category:
Scary stuff:
I don’t watch scary movies (well, I did see Scary Movie, but you got my meaning), because I have nightmares if I do...

Fourth Category:
Fantasy:
The Return of the King (there had to be one of these...)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban (and one of these too...)
Willow (not as much anymore, but I did love as a kid)

Fifth Category:
Animation:
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Corpse Bride
Wallace and Gromit (no, sorry, I just can’t choose just one)

Sixth (and last) Category:
Action:
Matrix (the first one)
De Battre mon coeur s’est arrêté
Sin City

Phew, this was hard. And I’ll change my mind about half of these in about ten minutes, but well, I did say “right now”, so, there you go... what is your list, folks?

seven more days...

Today, I was observed in my school, and I "finished" my assignment. Now what? I have two possibilities right now: I can either decide that being a teacher is not worth all the trouble it takes, and buy an ice-cream van (Carmen's daydream when she began teaching), or struggle on, and keep wondering if this is the right decision. I honestly don't know. Right now, both solutions have their appeal... Well, come to think of it, I might not have a choice very soon, for instance when Carmen reads my rubbish of an assignment!
Seven more days in that school. Eleven more days before I go back to France. I suppose it IS coming nearer. It is, isn't it?
And, no, I don't really have a light note for today's post. Let me think... hummm.. no, there isn't any, I'm afraid.
Aline

News From Abroad

Lots of things have happened since my last update...

First, the Christmas holidays don't seem to be coming any nearer. I know that it's in less than a month, but wow, that month is long! I miss Abel an awful lot, of course, and it's hard sometimes to hear him on the phone, asking me to come back, knowing that I still have a month to go before seeing him again... And I also miss everyone else, I can't wait to go and do some shopping with Marion, chat with Florie, and moan with the FLE girls about Mrs Schuwer & co.

My school placement is ok, I suppose, but there are times when I wonder what on Earth I am doing there! There are some very nice class, with model pupils who do their work and actually WANT to learn some French (or German), and then, there are the others... I still struggle with my Y10 bottom set: the girls certainly don't give a shit about French, and classroom management with them quickly become a trench war... So, all in all, it's ok, I suppose, but the lesson planning is a real pain, honestly! And I sometimes feel that it's quite pointless.

Enough about work... As some of you already know, there's been some change in other areas of my life. I now have a boyfriend:) His name is Ralf, and I met him during my last trip to London, over a year ago. He is 31, he is Dutch, and well, blond-haired and blue-eyed of course, but then, what else do you expect? ;) So he is currently in London, working to get enough money so that he can go back on his trip (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Tibet and China, if I remember correctly), and after spending Christmas in Holland, he will be back in B'ham until the 1st of February...

That was quite short, but I might send something a bit longer soon... Right, I have to plan a lesson for the 10K3, the Class From Hell, and one for the 8K1 (sweet kids)... Oh, and I had parents' evening tonight: another pain, but hey, I did choose to be a teacher, didn't I?

Bizzzzzzzzzzzz
Aline

Stand-up Comedy!

Yup, last Friday, after a week of hard work, I went to a club called the Glee Club with friends to see some Stand-up comedy. The week had been long and painful, I had been a lot at the back of classrooms, observing dreadful teachers and fearless pupils, knowing fully that I would have the pleasure of teaching them myself very soon... Ok, the pupils weren’t that bad, nor were most of the teachers. Actually, I started teaching my worst class long ago. They are the 10K3, and they hate teachers, they hate French, and all they want to do during a French class is talk among themselves, plan some great fun for the weekend, and certainly not listen to a word we say. But, fortunately, I have Great Scott. Scott is great: he is a fellow PGCE student, and he is also at Hillcrest for his first placement. This means that we spend a LOT of time together, especially doing nothing in the staffroom, like right now. We team-teach two classes: the 9K1 and the 10K3. Well, we will, at some point in the future, teach the 9K1, but they are in the middle of their assessment or something at the moment.

Whatever. On Thursday (yes, I will eventually talk about Stand-up Comedy, bear with me), we went (well, Scott wasn’t there, I’m talking about the other PGCE students) to the pub, at the Bristol Pear, near my place, and then, we went to have some curry at the Shamon, which is one of the best curry in Brum. I haven’t been to any other curry, but I believe it. Oh. My. God. This was so good! I couldn’t of course finish my plate, let alone the nan, but it was brilliant! If anyone comes to visit me in Brum, I’ll take you there! Then, we had planned to go to see the fireworks (Bonfire, folks!). So, Catherine (who had planned all this), Anna, Alex and me went to that place, quite far away, frankly (and yes, we were walking in the cold), and we could see the fireworks in the distance. Catherine had checked on the internet, and it was supposed to begin at 9 and finish at 10. We left the restaurant a bit after 9pm, and when we almost got to the place, we met this crowd going the other way: it actually finished at 9! Arghhh, we walked a long way just to see a few fireworks in the distance... Whatever, the restaurant was great.

Back to Friday and the stand-up comedy. The week hadn’t been terrific, and Friday was the biggest day: I was to solo-teach for the first time ever, and it was for a German lesson! Since the beginning of the year, I really didn’t feel confident at all about my level of German, because I haven’t spoken a word in 8 years, and honestly, I thought it would all come back quite quickly, but it didn’t at all! So, I was terrified. Fortunately, my German housemates helped me a bit with the planning of the use of the Target Language. Still, I felt quite nervous, especially as the teacher had told me to do the whole classroom routine at the beginning, like calling the register, checking if they all had their equipment, and all. But it all went well! I loved it, and the teacher told at the end of the day, when we met in the staffroom to talk about it, that, this was the first time it ever happened to her with a student teacher, she had absolutely NO suggestion to make, that my lesson was perfect, exactly how she would have done it! I love that woman! And, after that, I had a lesson of French too, and I also was a bit nervous, but it went so well too! So, by the end of the day, I was in a great mood, and I knew that I was going to see some stand-up comedy with some great friends. How cool is that?

So, I met with Nirvana (she was the one inviting me) and her friends at a bar called Las Iguanas (latino, as you will have guessed). We had a sangria before heading to the club. It is quite a small club, although I can’t really compare with any other. The stage is small, and in front of it are the tables: they are arranged in a semi-circle. We were sitting almost at the front (but not quite, because that is the worst possible place at a stand-up comedy show, because then you are always picked up by the comedian). The line-up was excellent: even Nirvana, who goes quite often, said that she had never seen such a great show. My favourites were the last two artists, especially the last one: Michael McIntyre. He was just Brilliant. He improvised a lot, and was never boring, or even banal. Really, I loved it! Then (the show lasted about 3 hours), we went for a last drink at a club near by. We had apparently just missed Chris Barrett there. No idea who he is, personally, but he is apparently famous on my side of the Channel, and last but not least, he is gorgeous. I’ll have to check that, I think.

So, yeah, that was a bloody good evening!

One last thing: I heard it was cold in France, but here, it is OMG so cold! Look at the picture: that’s the front garden (at my place), and, yes, it’s like that every morning. And the worst thing: the sunset is now at about 4:30pm, and it’s only the beginning of November! Bouh.....

The Brothel on the Hill

Right. Last week, I began my first School Placement (induction week). The school is Hillcrest Girls School and (mixed) Sixth Form College. Fortunately, it is not too far from home (and, yes, it is on a hill), so not far, actually, that I can even walk there! Of course, it does take at least half an hour, but hey, at least, I am fully awake when I get there. This week is half term, meaning that the kids are on holiday, but we, oh so lucky PGCE students, aren’t. So, instead of wandering aimlessly in the streets in B’ham, we just go back to the University, and see our dear tutor, Carmen D’Arcy. (Who, by the way, was in a foul mood yesterday morning... Ooooh, scary)

So, on the 30th of October, we begin our school placement “for real”. The timetable is ok: I’ve got about ten hours a week of teaching, but the evil English thing is: we can’t leave the school even though we are not teaching. This means that even when I don’t work on Mondays (every other week), I still can’t plan a long weekend. Arghh. Stupid English people.

Still, the school is nice. There are about 700 pupils (I think), and the staff is quite ok on average. Well, the language teachers are mostly cool and supportive. There is even a handsome German assistant...

But the most important thing that has happened during the last message is: Abel came to Birmingham for a weekend! And, you know what? He’s coming again next weekend!!! Of course, then I won’t see him again in seven weeks, which is WAY too long, but well, don’t really have a choice there, unfortunately. I still haven’t found a decent birthday present for him too, but I am still looking, and I will be going to the city centre tomorrow again: somebody told me about a toy shop, and I’ve got to see if they could possibly have nice things for Abel. Still, I already got a T-shirt and two little puzzles, but that’s not nearly enough for my little angel (wow, I’m going sentimental there). Got to compensate for the absence, right?

Whatever. You know what? I should have the internet next weekend. Isn’t that BRILLIANT!? I just can’t wait! Of course, I assume there will be a problem which will probably mean that it won’t work until another week or two, but hey, it’s still an improvement, isn’t it?

Ok, enough rambling! See you at Christmas! I’ll be in France from the 17th of December to the 7th of January, and I just can’t wait...

Bizzzzzzzz ... Aline
By the way, abel also has his own blog:http://abel.rmcinfo.fr/
How cool is that???? (sorry, no idea how to make a shorcut)

Message from the Brummie!

Hiya!
Wow, it’s already been a month since I arrived in Birmingham!! I know, I should have written before, but I still don’t have an internet access at home, and I usually only use the University computers to check and answer my emails... So: where to begin?

Well, I live in a residential area near the University of Birmingham (which is only one of the Universities in Birmingham) in a nice house. I have four housemates: Fatma and Abdul are German and Stacey and Tina are English. I get along very well with Fatma and Abdul, they are really great housemates and we help each other a lot: I help them with their English, and they help me with my German.

Term really began on the 11th of September for me. I had to spend a week in a primary school to get familiar with the British educational system. Believe me; it truly is different from the French one. Actually, I struggle to find anything in common between both systems. Right, ok, there are little midgets and teachers in schools in both countries. But honestly, apart from that, nothing much in common...

Then, I began the University on the 18th of September. Carmen D’Arcy, with whom I had the interview back in May, is the tutor in French and Spanish, and Carol Gray is the German tutor. Most students have two languages (mine are French, of course, and German). There are about 25 students in the PGCE course in MFL (Modern Foreign Languages), and everyone is very nice and friendly. We all know each other now, and we go to the pub together at least once a week. Actually, I didn’t need to be worried about making friends, as only very few students in the PGCE course come from Birmingham (or were at the University of Birmingham for their studies), and most people are foreigners like me, which means that everyone is eager to meet people. The University is great, and I was pleased to know that it is one of the best in England! It is so huge that it would be quite easy to get lost in there! Fortunately, the Clocktower (see photo) in the centre can be seen from the distance, acting as a lighthouse.

Right, the people that I see the most are Nadine (French, from Moselle, moved in Birmingham 3 years ago), Mounir (French, from Paris, moved in England 2 years ago, married with an Englishwoman), François (French, I just can’t remember where he’s from at the moment, has been in Birmingham for 2 years), Nirvana (English, from London, lived in France during a year), Alex (German, from Munich, trilingual in German, French and English). There are others, of course, but I suppose I’ll talk about them later...

Gosh... There are just SO many things I want to say... But if I did, this message would be at the very least 3 pages long, so I’ll stop now, and if there are precise things you want me to tell you about, please, tell me, and I will, I promise, and you won’t have to wait for a month or so. Promis, juré, croix de bois, croix de fer, et tout le tralala!!!

Bizzzzzzzzz
Aline
PS : je pense beaucoup à vous tous, et je vous embrasse tous TRES fort !!!

L'été est bientôt terminé...

L'été avance à une allure folle... Je suis chez mes parents, à Plouaret, jusqu'au 1er Septembre, et ensuite, je m'envole enfin vers Birmingham! Les nombreux papiers demandés par l'Université de Birmingham sont remplis et envoyés: stage d'observation en école primaire, check; casier judiciaire et traduction certifiée, check; trouver une chambre pas chère proche de l'Université et ayant un accès internet, check; acheter le billet d'avion, check.

Je finis de travailler au Foyer Logement des Personnes Agées de Plouaret le 22 Août, dans moins d'une semaine, vivement que les vacances commencent! D'ailleurs, pour ceux qui ne sont pas au courant, j'ai obtenu mon année de Master 1 Didactique et Linguistique des langues, mention français Langue Etrangère, avec 12.9 de moyenne! Pas mal, non? Ok, je sais, très modeste, mais un peu d'auto-congratulations ne font pas de mal, des fois...

Donc, d'ici au 1er septembre, je vais peut-être essayer de voir des amis, je dois aussi aller quelques jours à Rennes, histoire d'être là, quand même, pour assister à la rentrée d'Abel et rencontrer sa nouvelle maîtresse, et puis, il me reste bien évidemment des choses à acheter avant de partir.

Dernière chose... J'ai commencé une nouvelle histoire sur HPFF, intitulée Tom Marvolo Riddle ... I Am Lord Voldemort. Si le coeur vous en dit, le lien vers my page d'auteur est dans le titre du post intitulé "First Fic", mais je vous préviens, c'est en anglais!

Allez, bizzzz à tous, et surtout, n'hésitez pas à m'envoyer de vos nouvelles! Je suis désolée, mais je n'ai pas été en contact avec grand monde cet été, mais je pense à vous, soyez-en sûrs!

Holidays.. Humm...

I've been on holidays for a few days now... Humm... Well, I've mostly just been resting, so no big news today. I'm trying to write at the moment, both my novel and fanfiction, but it's mostly research. I have a few new ideas that could be quite good, I'm not sure yet, I'll just have to test them I suppose, write them out of my system, and see what they become!

I've recently had some news from Birmingham too, filled a few forms, and everything is on its way. I swear, they really make it difficult for people to register at their University, I even wonder sometimes if they actually want any students!

I'm also about to start packing, as I'm moving out from Rennes on the 1st of July. I'm heading to my parents' place in Plouaret first, as I'll spend the summer there, before going to Birmingham at last, which will be as soon as I find a flat to rent, though probably not before the end of August. We'll just see. And of course I'll keep you posted on everything that happens in the meantime :)

Aline

PS: Here is a pic taken at Abel's school yesterday, as there was the end-of-year show :) Aren't they cute? :D

First Fic!!!!!

I've just finished my first fanfic ever!!!!! I'm just SO thrilled!!!! It is published on harrypotterfanfiction.com, and as you might imagine, it is a fic that takes place in the Harry Potter world, which means that if you fools haven't read the HP books, this might be of little interest to you :) And it is in English of course...
Please, go and have a look, and tell me what you thought about it! And, if you leave a review, it would be best I think you didn't say that we're friends, or that you haven't read the books! There are only HP fans in there, you might be lynched, and then me too :D

Linebelle (by the way, for those who had been wondering, Linebelle is my author's name out there!)

(BTW, the title of this post is a link to my author's page at HPFF.com)

Damn you Liz!!!

Argghhh!!!!! J'y crois pas!! Ces p***** de profs ont casé ma p***** de soutenance MERCREDI prochain!!!! En gros, un nouveau week-end de travail en perspective... Et moi qui pensait naïvement être plus ou moins tranquille ce week-end, ou alors pouvoir me concentrer sur les dossiers un peu moins importants, genre celui de cinéma, ce qui voulait dire re-mater "De battre mon coeur s'est arrêté"... Ben non, je vais devoir le bâcler celui-là aussi!
Bon, pensons à autre chose: Birmingham, par exemple. Je viens de recevoir un super gros dossier contenant genre tout ce qui concerne l'inscription à l'Université là-bas... Déjà, il y a un milliard de pages à lire, des formulaires à remplir. Très simple: adresse au Royaume-Uni (on fait comment quand on n'a pas encore?), formulaire à faire remplir par son médecin (on fait comment quand on n'a pas de médecin en Angleterre et que notre médecin ne parle pas anglais?), et pour couronner le tout, il y a ces p***** de frais d'inscription!!! Oui, je sais, "watch your language, Aline", mais je trouve ça légèrement difficile de garder mon calme aujourd'hui! Bref, £3000 de "tuition fees". Alors, normalement il y a une aide quelque part à laquelle je devrais avoir droit, mais où! Je viens de passer je ne sais combien de temps sur les différents sites (ben non, les anglais ne savent manifestement pas concentrer les informations en un point stratégique), et pas trace d'un formulaire que je pourrais remplir en tant que EU-national, dans un post-graduate teaching course, alors qu'ils disent partout qu'il y en a un. Un formulaire fantôme, peut-être, oui, ça doit être ça... Et les vacances, c'est no-go.
Bon, c'est pas grave, c'est juste une mauvaise journée, ça ira mieux demain, il faut espérer... Et pourtant, ça avait bien commencé, avec l'oral d'anglais... Un petit 18, genre, coeff 5, ça va au moins remonter le reste... Oh, et le point positif pour ma soutenance, c'est qu'au moins, je suis définitivement en vacances le 13 juin!!!! Donc, damn you Liz, mais bon, dans le fond, c'est pas si pire... :)

Creation of a blog

This had been on my mind for some time... I'm not sure how often I'll be sending new posts, or what they will be about... As I am about to move abroad, I guess it will allow me to keep in touch with some of my friends, tell them of my life in Birmingham, and I might publish some stories here as well. Might. Some day. But definitely not now! I'm pretty busy at the moment with the University as some of you know and I still have to figure out how I'm going to get to the end of the semester unscathed!
Bizz to all!
Aline
Oh, and here are a few pics I took in Birmingham this week... (The Bullring and, ... drumrolls: a church...)