Life's a Beach

Author's note: There's a link in the next paragraph. Usually, these are bonus material, but this entry will make a lot more sense if you watch the first 35 seconds (or more, if you like).

Andy sits speechless in front of his computer at a breakfast table. A woman's voice bids him "Au revoir" and the Skype call ends. As he sits there, he is reminded of the opening scene of the Firefly episode "Trash."

Three Days Earlier...

Planned Itinerary for Tuesday, 13 September 2011 - Wednesday, 14 September 2011:
--6:25 PM U.S. East Coast Time: Check two bags, fly from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow.
--6:25 AM London Time (12:25 AM Washington): Land at London Heathrow
--7:45 AM London Time: Fly from London Heathrow to Nice, France
--10:30 AM France Time (9:30 AM London Time): Land at Nice airport, collect bags, take bus to nearby train station
--11:45 AM France Time: Take train from Nice: St-Augustin train station (it's one of three in the city) to Grasse
--1:00 PM: B&B proprietor picks me up from the train station in their car, drives me to the B&B.
--3:00 PM: After settling in, see Grasse.


Actual Itinerary for Tuesday, 13 September 2011 - Wednesday, 14 September 2011:
--6:25 PM U.S. East Coast Time: fly from Washington Dulles to London Heathrow. Sit two rows behind a shrieking baby, but take zen approach and fall asleep intermittently while listening to jazz.
--6:25 AM London Time: Land at London Heathrow. Scramble through newly refurbished concrete labyrinth behind slowpoke fellow passengers, just to get to a surprise second security check. Smile, panicked, as the 7:10 gate closing for the flight to Nice draws closer.
--7:00 AM: clear security and blitz to gate A21.
--7:05 AM: Reach A21, board the plane.
--8:06 AM: The captain updates the cabin that something is still wrong with the plane engine.
--9:00 AM: The captain updates the cabin that this plane cannot fly and that another one is waiting for us at the other end of the tarmac.
--10:30 AM: We depart for Nice on the new plane.
--1:30 PM (France time): We land in Nice. I wait at the baggage claim for my bags.
--1:31 PM: My first bag passes into view, and I put it on my baggage cart.
--2:15 PM: I fill out a missing bag form at the baggage services desk. The pretty French woman kindly informs me that, due to the delay on my flight, my second bag wound up on the British Airways flight arriving at 2:40.
--2:20 PM: I use the terminal's free wi-fi (which is, adorably, pronounced "wee-fee" here in France) to check my email and realize the B&B owner was waiting for me at the train station. I send a quick apology email to explain. I will take the 3:45 train and be there at 5.
--2:40 PM: I check for my bag, deciding that if it doesn't show up by 3:10, I'm leaving for the train and letting baggage services drop it at the B&B sometime in the next few days.
--2:41 PM: I realize my clothes for the next two weeks are all in that missing suitcase, but stick to my decision anyway.
--3:06 PM: I pick up my second bag.
--3:20 PM: The bus to the train station arrives, and I board it.
--3:45 PM: As my train leaves for Grasse, I am stuck on the bus with two suitcases as the bus makes every single stop in Nice.
--4:10 PM: I get off the bus near a different Nice train station and find I have 30 minutes until the next train, which will start the 75-minute trip about 15 minutes before the B&B woman goes to pick me up again.
--5:55 PM: I arrive in Grasse, attempt to follow my carefully written walking directions but get confused by the side streets not mentioned on Google Maps, as well as quickly changing elevations of roads. After asking for directions, I pull all 120 pounds of stuff to my name over hills (just hills, sadly-- they don't have dales in France) about a mile and a half to the B&B.
--7:00 PM: I arrive at the B&B to a very nice, understanding French couple, who encourage me to (quite literally) take a load off.
--8:00 PM: I join the couple for dinner: tasty homemade pizza.
--8:45 PM: I tell the couple that I should be up for breakfast at 8:30, apologizing again for the mixup today and hoping they don't think my life is a total mess for it.

--9:47 AM: I wake up and see the clock, which did not sound the alarm I requested.
--9:47:02 AM: "Shit."


Thursday, 15 September 2011

Despite my concerns, I got breakfast no problem. Like I said, the couple running this B&B is very sweet and had the following waiting for me anyway: baguette, cheese and ham, croissant and pain au chocolat, as well as orange juice, hot chocolate (at my request), and jam for any of the above. I ate and then answered a few emails, several related to finding more permanent housing, almost all of them pertaining to actually running my own life.

To appease my uneasiness about, well, that, I took it slow that day and spent it simply getting a feel for the town where I'd be teaching. Much of this was putting what I'd seen last summer in a walking-around context. (Part of "what I'd seen" is - and I'm not making this up - 'The B.O. Cafe'.)

Grasse is a pretty cute town-- lots of little winding streets full of soap and perfume shops (not bad for a local souvenir industry). The town boasts three big-time perfume factories, many standard stores, a movie theater, a live theater, and a fairly steep hillside setting about 45 minutes inland from the beach. I was actually more productive than I thought I would be; I picked up a few things, got a working SIM card for my French cell phone, and even visited a few banks and got some information about opening accounts.

Fellow assistants: If you want a good introduction to opening a French bank account, I highly recommend going to an LCL branch for information. Even if you don't want an account there, ask them to go through their online simulation with you. It's free, and it gives you a good idea of the various options available (as well as their quote for monthly fees). I believe you can also find this feature on their website, although I haven't looked.


Friday, 16 September 2011

Pursuant to a suggestion from one of my very friendly contacts in the regional school system, I called my assigned elementary school to schedule a meeting with the principal this morning as I had my breakfast. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself, arrange a visit before I start working there, get a sense of my duties, and ask for advice about housing, banking, paperwork, etc. I have paraphrased and translated the exchange:

WOMAN: Hello?
ANDY: Hello, is this the Saint-Exupery Elementary School?
WOMAN: Yes, indeed!
ANDY: Oh, good! My name is Andrew Weiner, and I'm going to be the English Teaching Assistant this year.
WOMAN: Yes...!
ANDY: I'd like to schedule a meeting with the principal, if that's possible?
WOMAN: Will you hold, please?
I hold. Children are audible in the background. It sounds like a school! Oh, boy!
WOMAN: Hello?
ANDY: Yes?
WOMAN: We don't need an English teacher this year.
ANDY: Excuse me?
ANDY'S INNER MONOLOGUE: WHAT?!?!?!
ANDY: Madame, I was placed at this school as an assistant. I just want to schedule a meeting with the principal to ask a few questions -
WOMAN: I am the principal -
ANDY: Ah.
WOMAN: All of the teachers here teach English themselves.
ANDY: Right, but I'd be an assistant. I was assigned here by the French government as part of the TAPIF program -
WOMAN: I understand, sir, but we don't need an assistant this year. You should talk to someone else in the administration - I think that would be best.
ANDY: Okay, thank you.
WOMAN: Goodbye.

She hangs up. The Skype window on Andy's laptop closes. Andy sits at the breakfast table, pensive.

ANDY: Yep... That went well.