Lorry, torch, plaster-stick vs. Truck, flashlight, band-aid: Does anyone have an English-English dictionary?

So it took a little over a week but I finally spent an entire day out and about in the city!  Through the Facebook group for teaching assistants in Dijon a pot luck picnic was organized.  We met at Place Wilson (named after our very own Woodrow!) and walked down to Parc de la Colombière for the picnic.  There was an array of baguettes, wines, desserts, and various other snacks! (My 19 apples came in handy after all!)  The weather was gorgeous and it was so nice to just sit outside and chat with a bunch of people from all over the States and England.  The main organizer of our picnic is actually from Poland and a student at the Université de Bourgogne but she got to know the assistants from previous years and wanted to welcome us newbies to Dijon.  (How nice is that?!)  Once we settled on a place in the parc, we introduced ourselves in French but quickly slipped back into English-- but it was English with a twist as there were both Americans and British people present. It was a lot of fun (or “loads of fun” as the Brits would say) to talk about our different accents, words, and phrases. (Hence the post title)   After finishing up ‘round one’ of the picnic, we walked from Parc de la Colombière all the way up to a small parc in Place Darcy. 

The walk from parc to parc was really great because we got to see the street markets that are only out on Tuesdays and Saturdays as well as get a better feel for the city center lay out.  When we got to Place Darcy a live band was playing a free concert so we found a nice spot to sit, got more wine and snacks, and just hung out again.  Here we really began to discuss cultural differences, similarities, and stereotypes between England and the States. (Hate to break it you but they only have afternoon tea for very special occasions.)  It was also interesting to hear that they don’t have a problem with the Royal Family and think that although they may not have a direct role in politics they do so much for tourism, charity, and other social aspects of life in England.  They do think that after Prince William the monarchy will die out and that Kate will never technically be queen because she is not blue-blooded.  Theories of Prince Charles abdicating were also thrown around. (My mom would have had a field day!) I told them how I got my name and they think it’s cool that so many Americans are interested in the Royal Family, too. They were so intrigued by how large our country is and how as Americans we keep up with three different times zones, numerous regional differences, and so on.  When I said the drive from MA to MD for my “university” was 8-10 hours they exclaimed that you could drive through all of England in 8 hours!  They asked about Obama and wondered if we thought he’d be elected again.  (They were surprised to hear his public approval rating had been going down since he is still very much loved and admired in Europe.)  The conversations were plentiful and there was never a dull moment! Finally, the day ended in a café at Place de la Libération, with, you guessed it, more wine and discussions.  Hey, we’re in the Burgundy region so we have every right to take advantage of its wine production!  It was really great to meet many of the other assistants in the city (and even some placed outside the city came in for the day!) because while we are all very different, we do have a similar kind of adventure-seeking spirit.  One girl is also from MA so it was great to have another Sox fan to commiserate with for a bit.  (We are both sad that Tito is no longer with the team!) 

I got home at 10:30pm, just in time to catch a phone call from Jamie!  It was so nice to hear from her and discuss exciting things going on in our lives.  (Promise to be back in the States before May 9^th (just in case!), Jamie!) After I spoke with Jamie I briefly chatted with my Mom and then got ready for bed.  Being out and about for 10 ½ hours definitely made falling asleep easier, so that was just the cherry on top of a fabulous Saturday!

It’s Sunday and I am happy to see that most shops and businesses still close for the day en France.  I think it’s lovely that the French take a day to spend time at home, with family and/or friends, and actually just relax for a bit.  It made for a tranquil “first run” this morning as I have been “out of commission” for quite some time now (thanks, Mono). I was a little nervous to start up again but I ran an entire mile!  Mind you, I ran it slowly, but it still felt really nice to run again. 1 mile down, 12.1 to go!  If I really pace myself in the beginning I think I’ll be ready for the half-marathon in March.  I’m not so worried about how fast I finish the 13.1 miles (21,1 km) but more focused on simply celebrating a successful completion of the race.

Tomorrow is my first day at work!  I’m meeting up with the other assistant placed in my lycée for lunch and then we are to be at our school at 2pm (14h) to meet with an English professor to find out more about what we will be doing!  I also need to meet with the school secretary to fill out more paperwork and get started on filing for reimbursements from the government for rent and such. Fingers crossed it goes smoothly as I’ve heard the admin process here for these things is long and tedious.

Word of the Post: courir -- to run (153 days til the half marathon!)