How can I get a job in France?

I get a lot of questions and emails from people who ask me how I was able to live and work in France. I got a job in France by applying for a position as an English language teaching assistant offered by the French Ministry of Education. Not only do they hire English language assistants, but Spanish, German and Arabic amongst others. To see if your country is open to the program, click here.

Unless you've got a European Union passport or have an existing job with a company who has overseas offices, getting a job in France is really difficult. This is why this program is so fantastic! It allows you to work in France for 7 months and lets you experience what life is like in France.

The teaching assistantship/TAPIF program is usually open to university students or recent graduates aged between 20-30 who have a good grasp of the French language and usually have some sort of interest in teaching in the future, but this is not absolutely essential. The role involves teaching your native language to students in primary schools or secondary schools, as well sharing your country's culture.

Criteria differs between countries, so please look below at your corresponding country for specific information. 

American assistants

Australian assistants

UK

New Zealand

Canada

Ireland

Jamaica/Bahamas

Applications are open RIGHT NOW but close pretty soon! So, if living and working in France sounds like something you would love to do.. apply now!

The past 10 months

It has been over 10 months since I last posted on this blog and it hasn't been for a lack of interest or love for this blog... it's just that life has gotten in the way. Since my return to Australia a year ago, I have been busy putting a life together post-TAPIF.

As anyone who has lived and worked abroad for an extended period of time will tell you, returning 'home' after you have experienced somewhere else is both very easy and very difficult. Easy because you fall back into friends and family and your home town, but difficult because you are not the same person you were. You had this whole other life on the other side of the world and now it's suddenly gone. This life almost feels like it never existed except for all the memories you have and the photos you took that prove it actually happened.

Being an 'adult' and figuring out the right choice for you has been what this past year has been about for me. It has been a lot of soul searching, a lot of hard work and a lot of decisions. For a long time, I have ruminated on the career I could see myself doing in the future. I have interests in a lot of things and feel I could do them all equally as competently... but what would make me happy? What choice would help me live the life I want?

The idea of 'happiness' means something different to everyone, but to me it is being fulfilled by the work I do rather than how much money I'm making or the security it brings me. Happiness means living the life I want rather than the life other people expect me to lead. Happiness means having a sense of purpose and direction with the choices and actions I take in my life, rather than letting life 'happen' to me. Happiness to me is not safety or comfort, it is being in love with my life.

If I am able to live up to this ideal of happiness, I will consider myself very lucky.

After a long time, I ultimately decided that teaching was it. I was accepted into a masters of teaching program in January and as the year has gone by, I know that I made the right decision. It has been a tough year and I've never worked so hard, but I have never for a second regretted it. The more I study, the more I realise how many opportunities there are that don't necessarily involve the traditional teacher-classroom career path. There is so much out there and I am so excited about what the future may hold.

I can't tell you what's going to happen next year and where I'll be, all I know is that living abroad, travelling and doing TAPIF changed my life irrevocably... if I can say that without sounding completely douchey and pretentious haha!

Thank you so much for reading,

Cora

A week in the life of an English teaching assistant in France

I really wanted to do this post just so that future assistants or applicants can get a real feel of what day to day life is like for an English assistant in France. 

MONDAY

I'm not working in my school's today, but this is usually the day I find out what topics my teacher's would like me to prepare something on for Tuesday and Thursday's classes at my main school and what I'll do for my other school on Wednesday (I get to do whatever I like with them). I brainstorm activities I think might be interesting and know exactly what I'm going to do with them before Tuesday. I prepare worksheets and slideshow presentations or find videos I think will work well. It usually takes a while to come up with activities for all your classes, but it's not an overwhelming workload and definitely gets easier as time goes on.

TUESDAY

The walk home from the bus stop

This morning, I get picked up at 7:40am by a teacher who lives in the same town as me which saves me having to catch the bus or train to school! The car ride is always a bit awkward because my French isn't awesome yet and he knows no English, so we listen to the radio in silence together. Once I get to school and 'faire la bise' with everyone, I have just enough time to print of worksheets/photocopy and cut everything up before the bell rings. Depending on if it's Week A or B, I have 3 or 4 hours of classes in the morning leaving me the afternoon free. I always have lunch at school on Tuesdays because I get a nice warm meal and dessert for a couple of euros, which is unbeatable. The whole cafeteria lunch thing is a real novelty for me every week (as we don't have this in Australia), though always proves to be a bit embarrassing because I fail at knowing the french names for the more obscure vegetables and meats, so it's always kind of a mystery what I get. This is the time where I try to talk with the other teachers and the students shout my name from across the room to say " 'ello Cora!" I usually leave towards the end of lunch to catch my bus (which is always late.. it's France!) I get home, relax, have a small dinner and then make sure everything is packed and prepared for tomorrow's lessons.

WEDNESDAY

I teach 3-4 hours at my other school in the morning and have the rest of the afternoon off. I get picked up and dropped off today which is awesome. It's kind of nice finishing early because I get to have some free time before my mega busy day on Thursday. Wednesday is usually the day where I do my shopping for the week. The supermarket, which is aptly named "Cora" is about a 5 minute walk away, which is really handy. I usually stick to a pretty strict shopping list. It's usually frozen vegetables, baguette, nutella, cereal, tomatoes, avocado, eggs, pasta, rice and tuna. It's pretty basic but keeps me full and the bank balance healthy. I carry my bags home, popping my earphones in, and it's usually the moment where I realise that I'm alone leaving in France, doing all these ordinary, wonderful things. Be it crushing autumn leaves under my footsteps or keeping my balance on the slippery snow, or breathing out steam on cold days, my little french life in all its simplicity brings a smile to my face and makes me happy. 

THURSDAY

My biggest day of the week! I work 7-8 consecutive hours today, depending on the week. It starts at 7:20am when I get picked up and finishes at around 6:30pm when I take the train home. I leave when it's still dark and get home in darkness. It's the only day where I have to go between schools, which are a 25 minute walk away from each other. It's good exercise but a struggle on those ridiculously cold winter days in Northern France! I once walked in -13 and felt like I wasn't going to make it haha! Today is the day I treat myself to McDo as I spend most of my lunch break walking between schools and it's the only place where I can get food, fast. I've fallen in love with the Big Mac here and the Daim McFlurry (seriously having withdrawals from it after coming back to Australia). I'm so exhausted by the time I get home that I usually fall asleep quite early. The only thing that gets me through is that I know I'm going to have the next 4 days off... woo hoo!

FRIDAY

Even though it's only 12 hours of work a week, I look forward to Friday to just be able to relax and know I have the rest of the weekend to go out and do things. I usually Skype home on Fridays as getting the time difference right and it be a good time for me and my family is easier when I don't have to work. I wake up at around 10am to Skype and usually have breakfast while talking to them. Afterwards I'll just chill at home watching tv, planning trips or keeping busy as all my other assistant friends are unlucky and work on Fridays. Depending on what I have planned, sometimes I take a trip somewhere from Friday to Monday, but usually I don't take too many weekend trips as I save for the very generous 2-week school holidays we get every 5 weeks or so.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY
The weekend! I catch up with friends or other assistants who live in my town where we just chill at each other's places, go out to dinner or a bar, take a walk around town, go to the park, go out shopping or clubbing in Lille or go to a festival etc. Some weekends are more exciting than others, but life works the same here as it does back home.. so not every weekend is going to be filled with some magical adventure. The winter was long, which prevented a lot of outside activities, but when it snowed we built snowmen and when it finally got bearable outside, we took walks in the 'sun' and just enjoyed the change of the seasons and the coming spring. Weekends were also cool for going to the bakery or the markets and getting all that fresh bread, desserts and cheese!

Hope this little itinerary helped all of you out there! If you have any questions or would like to request a post for one of the many posts to come this December, please comment below!

A year ago today!

I really can't believe it's been a whole year since the crazy France teaching adventure began! On October 1st last year, I was entering my school for the first time not as a student but a member of staff. I remember wondering how it was all going to work out. How it would be making friends with the other teachers, how I was going to figure out where my classrooms were, what the students would be like, what kind of teacher I would be, how I would learn everything about lesson planning and making lessons interesting and overcoming the language barrier. And the hardest of all; deciphering and remembering all my student's names!

And as it always does. It all worked out. Believe me when I tell you this- it will!

To think that I was in all your positions this exact time last year. Ahh what you all must be feeling! The feeling of nervousness that always comes when you know you're about to do something great. That great scary feeling of knowing that you're doing something that you'll remember forever.

I wish all current assistants and the future assistants reading my blog right now all the best of luck for the school year ahead!

P.S: You're probably about to or have already started the paperwork process in France. Here's how to do it (well some of it!)

1. OFII- Get that visa validated (paperwork and medical visit!)
2. Get your birth certificated translated, verified and stamped!

The lowdown on OFII: paperwork & medical visit

So, before you even leave for France you're already thinking what is OFII and why do they want to examine me?

Well, 'OFII' is the French Immigration Office and they are the people who have to validate the visa you got before coming to declare you as a legal worker and resident of France. This is probably the most important (administrative) part of your time here and the whole process must be done within 3 months, otherwise you're going to start having some problems with the French police... and nobody wants that!

First thing to do is send off your paperwork. You'll need:

1. Le formulaire  de "Demande d'attestation OFII"- You'll already have this sheet half-filled out after your trip to the consulate in your home country when you applied for your visa. You need to fill in the second half with your French address, contact information, entry into France etc.
2. Photocopy of your passport page with your identity and personal information, as well as the page with your stamp of entry into France.

Once you've sent off this paperwork, you're playing the waiting game. About 2-3 weeks after I sent my documents, I received the "Attestation de reception du formulaire de demande d'attestation OFII" which reassured me that they had received my documents and what documents they had received.

A week or two later, I received what I'd been waiting for:

1. "convocation a la visite medicale"-This first letter tells you that you've been summoned for an x-ray and a general medical exam and when and where you need to go to do this. In bullet points it also says to bring this letter to the appointment, your passport, any lung x-rays taken in the last 3 months (if you have any), a vaccination card (if you have it, don't stress), a hospitalisation report if you've been hospitalised in the last year, information relating to your pregnancy if relevant and any other documents you think are relevant to your health and should be shared with the OFII doctor.
2. "convocation pour l'attestation par l'OFII de l'accomplissement des formalites"- this is the administrative part of the appointment: the validation of your visa by OFII. It will tell you when and where you need to go to do this (it's usually done directly after the medical visit), as well as all the documents you need to bring with you. You will need; your passport, a passport sized photo of yourself, proof of where you live, a medical certificate if you've already been examined by an OFII doctor abroad or in France and a 'timbre' to pay for the validation of your visa (as an assistant you're exempt and are sent a letter to that effect. Bring this letter with you to prove it) 

Now, it's time for the medical visit. You'll arrive and there'll be a whole group of other people there who are going through the same process. You'll usually meet other assistants there which is nice. You'll show the person at the desk your passport and the letter that says you have an appointment and they'll tell you to sit down and you'll wait to be called by the doctors. The first doctor will do the chest x-ray which is the most awkward part, especially for girls. I got a male doctor which was even more awkward. The second doctor will test your eyesight, weigh you and measure your height. The third will look at your x-ray and ask you questions about your health. If all goes well, they'll give you a medical certificate that says you've been cleared to reside in France and now you're on the home stretch, woo!

Now that you've done the medical side, it's time for the administrative side. Go back to reception and wait in line. When it's your turn, present ALL the documents they told you to bring. The person behind the desk will shuffle through it all and if you have everything, they'll present you with a vignette (sticker) in your passport that is your valid visa for the duration of your stay in France. 

After that, get out of there as fast as possible and feel relieved that you hopefully won't need to deal with OFII ever again. One french administrative body out of the way, only a few more to tackle! Good luck everyone!

How to get your birth certificate translated, verified and stamped.

In order to enrol into the French Healthcare system "Sécurité Sociale" (la Sécu), it has now become a requirement for assistants/foreigners to provide:

1. An original birth certificate that has an apostille on it, along with  
2. A birth certificate translated into French that has been verified and stamped.

This can be done by either having your birth certificate verified and stamped by your consulate, and having the translation done elsewhere or having your birth certificate translated, verified and stamped by a court-sworn translator. A translation and stamp provided by a court-sworn translator, is enough for your translated birth certificate to be legally recognized by the French government and does not require any consulate intervention.

The first option seems to be one of those circumstances where the consulate either does or doesn't know what you're asking for and even then you need to go an extra step and track down your own translator. I know a lot of American assistants have found it difficult to get their certificates verified and stamped through their consulates. In Australia, the Sydney Consulate does provide this service for $20. You can get it done at the same time as your visa appointment.

In my opinion, court-sworn translators are the easiest way to go. They can be found in every académie in France, so assistants should have no trouble finding one. It saves you having to track down consulates in your home country, asking them if they provide the service, how much it costs etc.

Clicking here will take you to a website that lists court-sworn translators in every region of France. Once you open the pdf. file that links to your region, look at the contents page for Section H- INTERPRETARIAT- TRADUCTION. Under this heading you should find the page numbers that list the court-sworn translators in your area. Always confirm with them first that they indeed provide this service.

If you need any help, please leave a comment below and I'll try my best to help you out!

Accepted to TAPIF... now what?!

Most of you should know by now if you've been accepted. CONGRATULATIONS to all those that have! I'm sure you've been spending most of your time daydreaming about your life in France... baguettes and cheese and wine. But, there's a few things you have to do before you get there. I've written a post already about the timeline and the administrative steps of the program, but I wanted to go into a bit more detail about the little things that didn't make it in that post. 

An interview with me!

Hi everyone!

If you've ever wanted to know more about how and why I moved to France and my experience there and much more, please head over to ExpatFocus. I was recently interviewed by them after receiving their top blog award! 

I also wanted to take this opportunity to say a BIG thank you to everyone who reads this blog and to all the really nice emails I receive from people who say the blog has helped them. You don't know how happy that makes me! 

Love,

Cora

Cora: I'm famous in France!

Before arriving in France, my brother and I were chilling one night and I was playing around with Siri on my iPhone asking it silly questions. In anticipation of my departure, I had changed my phone language to French so I could immerse myself in it as much as I could before I left. After telling me to leave him alone, "French" Siri pronounced my name with a French accent which included some heavy 'r' action that is notoriously hard for English speakers. Hating the way French sounds, my brother proceeded to mock me for the next two weeks, mimicking Siri.

It was on this particular night that I realised something:

"When I introduce myself do I have to say it the "French way?Omg! I'm not going to be able to say my own name properly because I suck at doing the French 'r'."

When I finally got to France, I was in for one big surprise! Not only did everyone say it Siri's way (while I struggled...) but the name "Cora" is known everywhere across Northern France because it is a big supermarket chain. For the first time in my life everyone knew my name. Back home most conversations go like this:

"Did you say your name was Laura... Cara?" 

"No, Cora."

"Cora? Wow, that's unusual! How do you spell that? K-O-R-A?"

"Nah, with a C."

Despite being teased by students and other people I met for being named after a supermarket, I must admit that it has been pretty cool seeing my name plastered on food, ads and billboards. I've taken a private satisfaction in buying my 'own' brand in yoghurt, cereal and rice. One day, I was out grocery shopping with my friend Sue (who you've seen in previous vlogs here and here) and she was trying to find good coffee. As part of an ongoing joke, I offered her 'my' brand with a flourish and she was like "Haha, no way! Your coffee sucks!" All I could do was laugh and say "sorry about that." Just us being silly!

Have any of you had funny moments with the French language or with your name in France? Let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear them!

The end of my TAPIF journey

Last week I left my schools for the last time. After 7 months of teaching it is all over. My time in France has come to a close and trying to describe the mixed emotions I've been feeling is hard. I've had my moments in the past few weeks where I was glad to be finished teaching, happy to be moving on to what I really love doing which is travelling. But, I've really come to like teaching too and living in France.

My whole French life packed into one little suitcase

The only way I can describe my time here is that it's felt really fast and really slow at the same time, which I know will probably make no sense at all. I look back to when I first arrived in September- when I started the administrative process, found an apartment and settled into my job- and it feels like an eternity ago. I think back to when I was last at home in Australia and my memory is a little fuzzy. At the same time though, I can still picture myself in my bedroom back in Australia before I left, spending long hours reading about anything to do with TAPIF, imagining what it would be like for me. What would my French life be like? My time here has absolutely flown by.

Now, I feel like I have two places that exist in my heart but neither of them is really, perfectly 'home' anymore. The thought of going back to Australia is actually a little scary. I'm scared I'll get there and not connect to it all, but I know I'll have my family and friends. But here in France, I've put together a life. I love that I work and pay for everything myself. I have my own apartment and my friends. I love my freedom and independence. And being able to travel at the drop of a hat. I love day to day life. But, it will never be home because it's not Australia, it's not family, it's not English.

I never really thought I would feel as French as I do, but while writing this in Ireland, there's this connection with the place that I don't think will ever leave me. Like the homely feeling you get when you hear French spoken on the street, or cravings for baguette, or wearing all black and thinking nothing of it. I feel like it's changed me in ways I don't fully know yet. The hardest part has been saying good bye to my closest friends and doing all the 'lasts'...taking my last walk around town, having that last delicious daim mcflurry at McDonalds, taking that last look at my empty apartment, having that last dinner at your favourite restaurant... all the little things. I'm really going to miss it here. As much as I hated it at times, there's never been even a second where I've regretted coming. 

Au revoir, France! Thank you for letting me be part of your history for the past 7 and a half amazing months! 

Spring break in Ibiza!

Hi again everyone! I've just gotten back from an amazing two weeks of holidays! After being in the North for the past 7 months, this girl finally got some sun and is glad to report that she looks a little less like Casper the Ghost.

Today, I'm posting a vlog of me and my friend Sue spending spring break in Ibiza! It was an amazing 5 days! I hope you enjoy it!

Bisous,

Cora

What to pack when moving overseas

I've never been an over-packer. Practicality has always been my motto. What I've learnt in the time I've been here is that packing for travel and packing for living overseas are two completely different things. If I could give you one piece of advice it's bring a few home comforts because these things make you feel right at home in a place that isn't yet. And don't pack too many "just in case" things. If you really do need it you can get it here.. and 99% of the time you realise you never would've needed/used it.

Here are some items I think are worth bringing and other essentials you shouldn't leave home without:

1. Favourite bed sheets/pillow case/bedding: Because your bed is were you want to feel the most comfortable. And there's nothing better than feeling like you're in your bed at home, when you've just arrived somewhere new.
2. Small snacks/food you won't find abroad: To eat when you feel home sick or to share with new people you've met. I brought Vegemite and Tim Tams and it felt nice to have Australia in a small way in my kitchen. Another plus is once you eat it, it's gone. No more weight/space in your suitcase.
3. Mementos: Whether you bring photos to stick up or a poster or whatever, bring something with you that makes your new home feel like its yours.
4. Slippers: Nice warm fluffy shoes you can walk around in without having to worry about how dirty the floor of your new apartment is because you haven't had a chance to clean it yet. Plus, who doesn't like slipping into slippers after a long day at work?
5. Laptop//Tablet: You'll need it. All the time. Don't leave home without it.
6. Clothes: Based on my experience in the North, the French wear a lot of black, especially during the winter. The winter wardrobe consists of boots, dark blue/black jeans, a top and a dark jacket/coat and scarf- colours are not something you see a lot. I've gotten a few questions from people asking if wearing bright clothing will make them stand out. I say perhaps a little bit, but I always think that you should dress in what you're comfortable in. In general, I think the french dress more classically, with trendy pieces reserved for teenagers. In terms of what to wear to work, follow the lead of your colleagues. My school was neat casual so I wore what I would wear in everyday life, which was easy. Most days I wore jeans and a nice top.
7. Souvenirs from home: Bring cheap magnets, key rings or postcards from home to give to your school, teachers, friends or as prizes to your students. Bring examples of your home currency too, the students usually find this kind of stuff pretty interesting. Also, it's cool to have a few coins on you when you meet new people, especially if you come from somewhere that they rarely come into contact with. If I had a dollar for every time I've been asked for Australian money...

What things can't you live without when you're packing your suitcase? Let me know in the comments below!

A vlog of my life in France!

Hey guys! So, I did something a little different for this post. I thought it might be fun for you to see what I get up to as an assistant in France. I hope that I can do videos more often and show you what I do day to day as well as bring you along on the trips I take too!

If you like the idea of this please comment below and like the video too, so I know I'm doing something you like and want to see! This blog is as much yours as it is mine!

Bisous,

Cora

A TAPIF timeline: my journey to France!

I know before I started TAPIF, I used to spend hours scouring the internet for any piece of information I could find. Because of this, I wanted to put together a quick timeline for you all just so know what the process was like for me and the different steps there were before I got to France. Of course, this timeline varies between assistants, but you can still get a rough idea of what it's like.

Acceptance email: My acceptance email was sent to me on the 23rd May 2012 a lot later than Americans who had already found out in early to mid-April. In the email, I found out what academie I was placed in and what level I was teaching. In my case, it was the Academie de Lille and high school level. In this email they'll tell you what to do next and if you need to formally accept the position.

Sent documents to France: In order for you academie to issue your work contract (arrêté de nomination) and have it approved, you need to send them some documents. The faster you do this, the better. A few days after my acceptance email, I sent 4 pink CERFA forms and a photocopy of my passport and birth certificate. This was sent to the Rectorat de Lille, but it depends on where you're placed.

The waiting game: From the end of May up until early July, I heard absolutely nothing. I waited by the mailbox for my arrêté de nomination to come and anxiously checked my emails. I used this time to book my visa appointment far enough in advance that I would have likely received the arrêté de nomination by then. I also gathered all the documents I would need for the visa application/appointment.

Email detailing exact school placement: I received an email on July 6th 2012 that told me the schools I had been placed at. It tells you where exactly you'll be in your academie, if you have more than one school and how many hours you'll be teaching at each. It also gives an email, so you can try and get into contact with someone at your school and track down your 'responsable' (if they haven't already contacted you).

Emailed my main school: If you are placed in more than one school, you'll have a 'main' one that takes care of all the administrative stuff for you. It's usually at this school where the teacher looking after you (the 'responsable') will work. I sent them an email and received a reply shortly after telling me who my 'responsable' was and their email address. Something to be aware of is that by this point most teachers are on summer holidays, so you may hear nothing from them until late August- early September. 

Emailed my responsable: Sent an email introducing myself and asked her different questions about housing, arrival etc. Ask them anything you would like to know.

Arrêté de nomination arrived: I finally received my arrêté de nomination in the mail on August 6th 2012 along with other important information.

Attended my visa appointment: With all the documents I needed, I went to the French consulate in Sydney on August 20th 2012, where they shuffled and checked all my documents. I had everything they needed, so they took my passport and said that I should get my visa in around 10 days.

Received passport and visa: Only 5 days later I received my passport with my new visa sticker inside. This is the last administrative thing you need to take care of before you leave for France.

Left for France: On September 18 2012, I left Australia and gave myself 2 weeks before the start of the program to settle in France and go apartment hunting.

STARTED TAPIF: October 1st 2012!

Pieces of wisdom for future assistants!

I can't believe I'm saying this already but there's only 2 weeks left of my contract here in France! It's crept up out of nowhere.... where has the time gone?! Naturally, being so close to the end, I've spent some time thinking over the journey. Was it how I had imagined? Would I do anything differently if I had the chance? 

So, this post is for you guys. These are things I've learnt that I hope will help you when you come in October and start this amazing journey! So, here goes!

You will feel comfortable, free, foreign, confused and a million other things all at the same time. 

Especially in the beginning, you feel like you're on a giant emotional roller coaster, not knowing from one day to the next how you feel about being here. There were days I felt completely comfortable and others where I felt so foreign, and it would take something little to trigger both feelings. Don't worry because there are many more highs than lows, and the lows are what remind you that you're doing something out of your comfort zone.

The program is all about luck. 

It starts with where your placed and then if you’re offered housing. Then it’s what your ‘responsable’ is like. Then it's your colleagues, school and students. It’s the other assistants around you. It’s who’s looking at your papers at CAF, MGEN or OFII. Everything is up to chance, so be prepared to not always be in control.

Stop trying to fit in with the teachers at your school. 

The people you work with won’t necessarily care about you. Before I came I thought the teachers I worked with would be more welcoming and take more of an interest. For me, this only happened with a few. For a long time I tried really hard to talk to them and be friendly, but it got to the point where I realised I should just stop caring so much. I accepted that I was an outsider and would never be one of them. Be prepared to feel alone and ignored when you’re at work, but don't let it get to you.

Paperwork will be just as annoying and frustrating as you’ve heard. 

You WILL have problems and delays. Before leaving home, have a general idea of what different french bodies might ask from you and start to compile them. Make several photocopies of all your documents, bring envelopes with you and passport sized photos of yourself. Have as much of your paperwork organised before you come, so you only have to do the things you could only do in France. Follow instructions to the tee. Give them the correct papers they want, as promptly as you can. Keep every letter you've ever been sent. That's the best you can do. It's always one step at a time with French bureaucracy. 

You won't always be doing or going somewhere extraordinary.

Just because you’re in France doesn’t mean you have to be going away somewhere or doing something amazing all the time. You’re living and working here. Life goes on like usual. Don’t feel guilty for being at home watching TV instead of travelling every weekend or something. Don't imagine that life here will be wildly different to back home. It's of course different, but it's still day to day life, even in France. 

But... do take full advantage of being here.

Travel as much as you can, try and make some friends. Don't be too scared to get out there.

France will mean more to you than you thought it would.

As much as France makes it hard for you sometimes, you'll love it anyway. You'll learn how to live here and things that you found frustrating in the beginning start to become normal. And there will be some things you know you'll miss when you return home. It's gotten to a point for me when even if I'm enjoying myself somewhere else, I can’t wait to return 'home'.

Enjoy and appreciate every second.

All I can say to all those who are about to embark on this journey is to appreciate every second because it will go quicker than you ever thought possible. 

Let it snow!

The weather in northern France this week can be described in one word: crazy! The weather last week had tricked us all into a false sense of security. We had a few sunny days, temperatures in the double digits... spring was finally on its way in. But, the weather Gods had other things in store for us. Instead of spring, we got a snowstorm! Oh, the good ol' North.

One of the advantages of having such an insane amount of snow fall is that it completely shuts down everything. No one can drive, buses and trains don't run, basically getting anywhere is impossible and dangerous. This meant that I experienced not just one or two snow days, but THREE. No work at all this week for me! Quelle chance!

Putting our free time to good use, this Australian and a friend from Trinidad and Tobago made a snow woman. Both of us were obviously rookies: two girls from island nations who never see snow, which led to some very serious conversations. How many segments should her body be made of? Was her bottom too fat? Is her head round enough? Does she have more of a shoulder on the right than the left? I know... solving world peace right here guys. 

This is what we ended up with: a snow woman that was made of objects we found in my friend's apartment. A green wig (because who doesn't have that just lying around?), yellow sunglasses with the union jack printed on them, a red peg used as a mouth, a gold paper crown that came from who knows where and a scarf. Plus a random bucket to make her look stylish (because the wig just wasn't quite enough). I think she turned out pretty good, what do you think? 

Important question now, are you all ready? Is a snowman made out of two or three round segments? Answer in the comments below and help us break the impasse!

P.S: you know you want to say 2!

You haven't lived in France long enough until...

As an Australian abroad in France, I've decided to put together a list of milestones that served as my initiation into French life. I hope that some of you will read along and nod the whole way through in agreement and the other half will laugh! Without further ado:


You haven't lived in France long enough until:

1. You know that nothing, absolutely nothing, is accomplished on a Sunday.
2. You've seen your life flash before your eyes when crossing the road because the cars here just don't stop for humans on zebra crossings.
3. You've sent every single piece of paper you own to some French organisation.
4. Every single answer you get just depends on the person you ask.
5. You've experienced the mayhem that is 'SOLDES'.
6. You've been affected by at least 5 strikes in the past 3 months.
7. You've come to expect that nothing here will ever make sense.
8. You've wondered how the women here stay so thin when there are boulangeries/patisseries on every corner.
9. You know that SNOW= city shutdown. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.
10. You've found yourself singing along to the annoying SNCF train station jingle.
11. You start to eat all your fruit with a knife instead of biting into it.
12. You know that refrigerated milk here is akin to the 'mystery lost sock' that always goes missing when doing laundry. You'll just never find it.
13. You've finally used the word 'putain'.
14. You've adopted an all-black wardrobe.
15. It's taken you 15 minutes to 'faire la bise' when arriving somewhere.
16. You've experienced the joys of two-hour lunches.
17. You've realised that things will be open at times they should be closed and closed when they should be open.
18. You've tried to decipher the mess that is the French computer keyboard. Fullstops will forever be the bane of my (french) existence.
19. You've adopted lightning fast ninja reflexes when dodging dog poo on footpaths.
20. You've laughed hysterically at this video:

What were your French 'milestones?' Let me know in the comments below!

Christmas in Paris 2012!

In order to get us out of the January post-holiday funk, let's rewind to Christmas in Paris 2012!

This year was the first time I'd been away from family for Christmas, so when my best friend was going to be in Europe over the holidays, I was excited to have someone from home to celebrate with! I joined her in Paris and we spent a few days doing what people wish they could do in Paris but just don't have the time to.

We walked and got lost. We explored the Jewish quarter, walking the windy cobblestoned alleys, while I imagined that I had somehow been magically transported to the 1900's- because Paris just seemed so cool back then. We didn't eat here, but the food smelled delicious and was obviously popular because it was littered with people grabbing a quick bite. My favourite street here was definitely rue de Rosiers. That night we checked out the Louvre as it was getting dark. I'd only ever seen it during the day and had missed out on the illumination of the pyramids. It was so pretty! Sometimes, I think Paris is a lovelier city at night.


Then 'twas the day of Christmas and not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. No, but really. The day was quite relaxed, culminating in an extravaganza of a Christmas dinner that took hours and hours. I ate the Christmas specialties of snails and frogs legs (which were both delicious and tasted something between chicken and fish), succulent duck and a delicious creme brûlée to finish!

The next day we decided to explore the Latin quarter, starting with the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore which is truly a book lover's sanctuary. Walls lined from floor to ceiling with books of every genre imaginable. The best thing about this place is that you don't feel any rush to leave. There are bean bags under staircases and upstairs there's a reading room filled with books. You can choose a book off the shelf and just sit and read for as long as you want. I stayed an hour, reading "The Diary of a Young Girl." It was then, when a little piece of paper came floating out with the words "we are so lucky". It was the perfect quote because there was nothing else I felt at that moment. Being there and reading what I was reading. I was more than lucky. 

What it's like to be an English teaching assistant in France

I know a lot of you want to know what it's like to actually be an English teaching assistant in France, so here's the inside scoop!

TEACHING

First of all, you only work 12 hours a week, so for me this means going into work on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I was really lucky that I got a great work schedule most aren't this lucky. An average day for me is to go into school and take half the class for 30 minutes and the other half for 30 minutes into a separate classroom where I'll do a lesson or activity with them. At my first school the teachers give me a topic they would like me to prepare something on and I do that in my own free time. At my other school, the teachers give me free reign. I can do whatever I like with them as long as I get them speaking English. 

I guess one thing I'll add quickly here is that teaching is a lot of improvisation and thinking on your feet.  What might work with one half of the group might totally fail with the other half. Sometimes, you find that you've prepared too much or not enough. I know the unpredictability might sound scary, but you'll get used to it and I think it's a great skill to have.

MONEY
In my experience, the salary is definitely enough to live on (though I'm unsure about Paris). The salary is undoubtedly harder to stretch if you live in a big city where you spend more on rent and commuting (if you work in towns outside the city). I know the idea of living anywhere but the city is unappealing to some of you, but it turned out better for me than I ever could've thought. Before I left Australia, I was 100% sure I wanted to live in Lille, despite my schools being at least one and half hours away. I was willing to sacrifice time and money to live in the city because I thought that it would really suck to live in a small town. I would be bored and isolated and have no friends, but nothing is further from the truth.

I share my town with 5 other assistants who are lovely and amazing. Hanging out is easy and there's at least a few bars around that we can go to. There isn't a massive amount of choice in places to go or shop, but Lille is only an hour away. We can go and do all the shopping and clubbing we want. I know everyone has their own lifestyle but unless you know you'll be going out a lot during the week and taking full advantage of living in the city, then a small town really isn't all that bad. I know some of you won't have that option because you'll be placed in the city itself, but if you aren't don't fret! I think if I lived in Lille instead of Cambrai, I would be spending on average 100-150 euros more a month in rent and transport costs, just to give you all a rough idea.

Depending on your priorities, if you're good with your money you should be able to do at least a little traveling. Those with lower to no living expenses should be able to live more than comfortably and should find it pretty easy to travel when they want. In terms of how much money you should bring with you, I would say bring a month's worth of salary (around €793) because you won't get paid until the end of October. Depending on your housing situation going in, bring more or less.

HOUSING
Housing will probably be the trickiest thing you deal with. TAPIF does not provide housing as part of the program. Some people are lucky and get housing provided for them by their schools where they pay little to no rent. Others get some help from their contact teacher who asks around or has some experience in helping that year's assistant find somewhere to live. And others get absolutely no help. If you're option 2 or 3, you'll most likely be spending €350-400 euros a month on rent. 'APL' exists where people who don't earn much get their housing subsidised (as assistants we're in this boat). Most people refer to it as CAF because that's the name of the organisation that you apply through to get APL. The problem is that it's not easy to get and I wouldn't rely on it to get by, because you never know when it will come.

In most cities, finding a place to live in middle to late October is difficult, especially when its a got a big student population. The students get there before the assistants do and take a lot of the cheap/good housing and then you're also competing with other assistants. Landlords are also weary of renting to assistants and sometimes have strict requests like wanting a guarantor, wanting a bond etc. If you're in this camp make sure to bring more money with you before you come. It's always better to have some left over than not enough. A lot of the time it's luck and finding that landlord who's more easy going.

LIVING FAR FROM HOME
How hard is it? The first two months or so are both the easiest and the hardest. It's hard because you're finding somewhere to live, filling out mountains of paperwork and in a new country with a different language, but also easy because everything is new and exciting to you. You'll be distracted by a new job, making new friends and everything else, that thinking about and missing home isn't so bad. It starts to get hard the closer you get to the holiday season: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. You've been in France long enough by this point that you've settled in. You've got a routine down, got friends that your regularly hang out with and teaching has becoming second nature. Now, all there is to think about is the fact that you're not at home. But, if you can make it through December, you've got it made. Once you pass that hurdle, it's the New Year and then you've only got a few months left before going home.

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I know there's a lot to read here, but I thought you would all find it useful and helpful. I know I would've liked to have read something like this before I came to France and started the program. If there's anything you think is missing, leave it in the comments below and I'll be sure to reply or even include it in a future post!

Monschau, Germany!

When I got the opportunity to tag along with the German class on a school trip to Monschau, I jumped on it quicker than Carrie Bradshaw would get her butt to Manolo Blahnik if it appeared in the same sentence as the word 'sale.'

So, last Friday I went to Monschau for round two of Christmas market exploring. When we arrived I saw that it was a little town surrounded my mountains and it looked cute especially with the blanket of snow covering it. It was everywhere and made it look all the more Christmassy.

The highlight of the day was when we all tried to get up and down this mountain so that we could get a birds eye view of the town.  Everyone was slipping left, right and centre. Some people wore  the wrong footwear which was bad for them, but provided the laughs for everyone else watching them! After the climb, it was nice to get inside a restaurant and have a warm lunch.

The german teacher recommended that we all try the moutard (mustard) which he said is something that this town does particularly well. So, taking his advice I had some schnitzel which came with a big dollop of mustard and salad and fries. After lunch I had a few hours to explore. I found this more than enough time to look around and snack on more Christmas market food. I bought some printen which is kind of like a gingerbread biscuit but comes in all different types of flavours and some apple strudel.

So, what did I think? I've heard people say that smaller towns offer a more authentic experience when it comes to Christmas markets, but to be honest, I felt like Monschau was just a tourist town, with everything from the stores to food catering to them. There was nothing truly authentic about it. It was a nice day, but I think that there are much more authentic Christmas markets and quainter towns to visit than Monschau. That's my two cents worth. Moving on...

Tomorrow, I leave for Paris to start my Christmas holidays! I'll keep the rest of it a surprise, but make sure you come back and follow along on my travelling adventures! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone!