30 janvier

Yesterday there was a general strike in all of France, so I had no uni and no school. (Although I think some schools were open in other parts of France.) I was encouraged to go to the rally, but there were no buses, so that put paid to that idea. Apparently it was huge - the largest gathering of people seen in Poitiers, so the teachers were telling me this morning. (I don't know - I've been reading about Alienor d'Aquitaine, and she seemed to have fairly large entourages hanging around. Actually, the crusade that she went on with her first husband, Louis VII, King of France, invloved thousands and thousands of people. All quite expendable it would seem, as the crusades to the holy lands were just bloodbaths really. But I digress! :-)) I'm not sure that Sarkozy will take a great deal of notice of the strike, although he has apparently pledged to talk to the unions. They just love strikes here. The kids were asking me today what some New Zealand traditions were, and the teacher laughed and said that in France there was a tradition of Strikes!
Anyway. It is a really beautiful day today. There was a very heavy frost and now the sun is shining brightly. I was going to say it is just like a Nelson winter's day, but my Auckland friends might feel miffed. So I won't say that. :-) I know there was a frost because I could see it and I had to be careful where I walked when I left for school at 25 past 7 in the pitch dark. That's about when I leave for school in Auckland so that's not a problem. But it really is much darker here. There wasn't even any sign of that slight blue-ish glow that you see when the sun is shuffling forwards and is about to put in an appearance. But no-one mugged me on the way to school so that was good.
Today I was with an English teacher called Rose for the first time. She is lovely - one of those elegant people with short grey hair that looks good. Like my daughter in law Vanessa's mother Kay. I would let my hair go grey if I thought it might look good, but I suspect it would just look old! Anyway, she mostly works in the mornings so hadn't been able to "use" me last semester. (The teachers work a set number of hours per week - about 15. Most of them manage to arrange it so they get a full day off during the week. And some can manage to just work mornings, and so on. They don't appear to have staff meetings. I think in New Zealand we would put in twice those hours!)
Anyway, I talked with Rose's class of 19 and 20 year olds about New Zealand, and then took them two at a time for conversation practice. It was a double period - two hours. They were just lovely young people and I think I will enjoy working with them each week. The 6 girls I talked with today had very French names - not - Julie, Julie, Tiffany, Caroline, Sarah, and oh, Celine. Such nice young women. Most of whom are living with their boyfriends. The school system takes a bit of getting used to, and I have to keep reminding myself that at this level it's really like a Polytech within the Lycee. Anyway, I was then due to work with teachers Nathalie and Agnes, followed by Claudine this afternoon. Agnes came to find me to say not to worry - they were having a test. That was fine. Then Nathalie didn't turn up - she obviously had forgotten about me! So Claudine said it wasn't worth hanging round till 2.00pm for her lesson, and her class needed to catch up on some things anyway. So I came home! In fact I did my shopping on the way and just about pulled my arms out of their sockets carrying the groceries home. It's like doing weights. Only I can't whinge and say, "It's too haaaaard, Cherina!" I just have to lug the stuff home and that's that! I have to mention here that time after time au supermarche I have resisted "Le chocolat de Noel -50%" , telling myself that just because they are there I don't have to buy them. I discovered today that it's not true. Because they are there I DO have to buy them. I can thoroughly recommend La Truffe, Ecorces d'Orange Confites.
I really should do something deep and meaningful this afternoon, so I will eat a baguette with mousse pur canard superieur for lunch and think about it.