Getting On

I met Denis, the children's father this morning. We all took the kids to school and I met their teachers. I am about to go with the grandparents to pick them up. After dropping them off, Anne-Marie and I went to take care of my school registration and my temporary visa stuff. What a bureaucratic mess! So, the school that I was originally supposed to be going to won't actually let me start until April because all the beginner classes have been going since September and I would not be able to catch up. The agency sent me to another school who's classes have started three weeks ago. It will also be hard to catch up, but that was the only option. I start Thursday, so tomorrow I will relish my last day of having no homework! I really like Anne-Marie and think that this placement is going to be a very good one.

Connexion

After a very long couple of days I finally arrived in Paris yesterday. I received the documents from the French Department of Labor, then made my way to San Fran to get my visa. After staying the night in SF, I flew back to Portland, then left that night to fly to New York. I got to NY at 8am and hung out with my aunt and uncle and kate for the day already starting to feel a bit jet lagged. I took the red eye to Paris that night and arrived in Paris yesterday (Sunday) afternoon. It is amazingly easy to go through customes here. All you do is give them your entry ticket and they tell you to go ahead in. Perhaps it's harder to leave. I am already starting to get over my jet lag I think. It really sucks being sick and feeling like you have constant car sickness.

Pablo is helping me type this part. In his perfect Australian accent, he is telling me to write about the wasp eating the spider. Referring to the picture I showed him from Peru yesterday. The wasp was smaller, but was still eating the spider anyway.

My goal for this blog is to write what is going on with me as I am experiencing living and working in another culture. It is already pretty confronting and I find myself feeling very awkward and not confident. Anne-Marie seems very willing to help get things set up for me, but she is working and I am working for her. I feel like I should be able to do things for myself, unfortunatley though I don't speak French.

On that note, apparently the school I am supposed to attend does not have a spot available for me until April. I'm being called away to play, so more later...

Game On!!

Here we go kids. I got my papers in the mail last Monday and am set to fly down to San Fran on Thursday to get my visa. I fly to New York on Friday and on to Paris Saturday night! Holy crap, I am really going! I know this is a bit cliche', but one of my dreams (to live in Europe) is coming true. I've been working on this project for at 6 months easy and changed my plans several times. I mean, I started out thinking I was going to go be a ski instructor in the Alps and ended up in Paris. Anyway, I am filled with both excitement and anxiety. Right now I'll just focus on moving all my stuff out of my apartment by tomorrow afternoon cause it still hasn't sunk in all the way yet.

Holding Pattern

So, I'm still waiting to hear back from the French authorities about my visa status. Man, they know how to take vacations over there. I know that nothing really gets done over the holiday season, but that still does not keep me from my impatience. I guess I'll just have to find some way to keep myself occupied in the mean time. Somehow, I don't think this will be a problem. Any ideas?