So I'm at work and can't seem to find anything to do. Working at public park - as peaceful and relaxing as it may sound - is nothing but stimulating and it's very uneventful most of the time. But the sunset is nice to contemplate and the heat is no more. At least it's peaceful.
I've decided to make a blog. For a long time I've avoided any sort of activity that would involve writing. More specifically, writing that would be read by people other than myself. I don't really know how to express this fear, but I think it's mostly due to the lack of confidence I've had in my writing abilities. My style, I admit, is not very fluid, but rather rigid and often dry. But at this point, I don't really care about how bad of a writer I am. I've given up trying to write like Orwell.
It was just two years ago that I made my way down the Loire Valley for the first time. In the city of Tours I tried soaking up what I considered authetic French culture and learning the beautiful - yet efficient - French language in the process. I was in a study abroad program sponsored by the university. The experience I had there was nothing short of inspiring, surreal in a certain way. It was the first time in years that I lived outside the US for a period longer than a month - I had left Japan, where I live for 5 years, almost 7 years prior. I was so happy to have gone and have wanted to return ever since.
Anyway in less than three weeks I depart for France once again. But this time around, I'm going for reason of employment. Once I get my paperwork taken care of, a subject to which I shall return, I will be off to Orléans, France for 7 to 9 months to be an assistant de langue at the primaire level - roughly equivalent to elementary school. I find this a bit daunting because I've never taught before. But for 780 euros a month and 5 weeks of paid vacation, I'll live with it. I just graduated with degrees in Film and French, which don't really make me the most marketable person to hire. I've had a few internships and freelance opportunities here and there, but nothing that I seriously considered committing to. And I think even if I did find a job, I would still be afraid about not being able to escape from the powerful gravitity that is the pressure to remain in the work force. As such, the temporary nature of this teaching job doesn't seem too bad and I'll have the option of renewing my contract for a second year. Ce n'est pas mal, ça.
Before leaveing, I need to take care of two things. One: to obtain what the French call arrêté de nomination. This is essentially my work contract that will serve as proof of employment in France. I am still waiting for this to arrive in the mail. I absolutely need this document because without it I cannot apply for my long stay visa (my second thing), for which I need to apply very, very soon (it takes 2 weeks to process a visa) and without which I cannot leave the country. It seems every assistant assigned to my region have received theirs except me. There's still no news as to the whereabouts of my arrêté. There's nothing I can do but kill time and wait for the mail to come. I feel my life is in limbo.
To make myself feel better, I have decided to put the blame on President Sarkozy for my troubles. It's not working so far.
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