Ireland

Highlights from the trip so far...

1. Reuniting with old friends and doing proper in Dublin for the first night together.

2. Pints of Guiness and traditional Gaelic music.

3. Dinner with Glen's grandma, beautiful old woman who just wanted to feed us.

4. Watching over little kids who are all experts at Gaelic football.

5. Beautiful hotel overlooking the bay!

6. This weekend we are going to two compromised rules football matches. Its Gaelic rules and Aussie rules combined which means I won't have any idea what the hell is going on! I can't wait.

Lalinde

Me, Kim, Aline. Mel is taking the Picture.

One week from certified...

Its been a good few weeks here in Mauzac, I've learnt a thing or two about teaching English and met some really great people. The fours of us girls went to Pau this past weekend and I saw Alice, my old roommate from Avignon. It was a great reunion, we picked up right where we left off...she speaking French a mile a minute and me stuttering in a phrase or two now and then.

I have plans for November now. Im flying to Dublin on the 28th of October. We start working for Glenns camp on Tuesday until Friday. Im going to visit Dublin and Ireland a bit before taking off for Johnny's house in Belfast (this way I can spend those heavy 2 pound coins I've been lugging around). From Belfast, I'm heading back to Paris via Dublin on the 13th of November. Im staying with my friend Sebastien and his parents until the 21st. I might try to take a day or overnight trip to Normandy. From Paris, I fly to Rome to see Annie, and sleep on her couch and let her hold me. It will be just like old times...

From Rome, I have no idea. Italy will be my 6th country! My roommate gave me a Prague guide book, so now all I need is a plane ticket, and a job. Well, class is starting soon...

By the way, I died my hair red. And it looks awesome.

Ca va bien en France

Hi all, not much new stuff to write about. Classes are going fine, we learn stuff in the morning and then spend all afternoon preparing for our teaching sessions in the afternoon, then prepare more after dinner. Last weekend I went canoeing on the Verre, a small tributary to the Dordogne. It was very relaxing. I spoke to Annie last night, no big deal. I'm also in touch with all my other Europe friends so I have places to stay and or look for a job after the first week of November. I'm getting great french practice with Aline, my french roommate from Pau. She's the second french roommate from Pau that i've had, which is really bizarre. Well, anyway, it's clear that I dont have much to say so I will stop rambling. Quick note: the Yankees are bums. All hope now lies in the Giants winning the Super Bowl.

By the way, that picture above...that's the view from my bedroom window. No big deal. I think I might jump off that bridge before I leave this place.

MAUZAC

The journey here:
I left Leysin at about 12, a late start but I was relying on a ride to Aigle from some of my friends. Aigle to Geneva to Lyon. It wasn't until Lyon that anyone had Mauzac in their computers let alone had heard of it. So it wasn't until then that I realized I wasn't going to make it that day. In fact I didn't make it to Bordeaux until 11:47 at night. I was exhausted and had made up my mind on the train to spend up to 150 euros on a hotel. Luckily there were 10 right outside the train station and the first one I went to offered me a douche tv for 31 euros. Amazing! I slept great and took the train to Bergerac the next day and from there a bus to Lalinde. There was no pay phone at the station so I was about to lug my bags into town to call the Hotel where I was supposed to go. Luckily I noticed a girl who looked as confused as me, she struggling with a phone number and me struggling without a phone. I had the right number so together we were able to make the call and arrange the pick-up. Gabe comes hustling along in the van and we climb in. Of course he is from Hickory, North Carolina. Why wouldn't he be?

The Village:

Let me try and describe to you what this is like. This is the kind of a place you come to if you enjoy taking long walks and sitting by a river reading books and drinking coffee. Luckily I'm in the mood to retire from the face of the planet for a month, stare at the Dordogne river, read tons of books, ride a bike 15 minutes to mail a letter, and learn a thing or two about teaching english.

I thought Anzere was small. Mauzac has a population of 200. I live at the Hotel de la Poste which is kind of like living at home, except its bigger, and the people dont care what I do, but they do care if I will be eating dinner or not. I help myself to whatever I want and write it all down in a book. Every so often I settle up for the beer, laundry, candybar, dinner, or whatever else I helped myself too. Today was the first day of class. It is right downstairs and I can wear my slippers. I am one of four students. We do 9-12 with Esme, the teacher, and then break for a two hour lunch. From 2-4 we do our lesson plans and then from 5-6:30 we teach locals for free. It is a great system. A few silly old french women get to giggle and cut-up trying to speak english and I get to learn how to teach by doing just that. It's brilliant.