Good times...and the bad!

I must say that i really do love it in Bordeaux. I have amazing friends and i have gotten to know some amazing people. I know that i am going to miss is here, yet i find myself wishing away the days until I'm back home with family and friends. It is difficult to imagine that in less that 6 weeks, (2 of which i wont actually be teaching) that i will be leaving this part of my life behind. It's been good, it's been bad and at some points it really has been terrible! BUT...it has been amazing!

I had my first 'really' bad experience with a class the other day and whilst i know not to take it to heart, as the kids simply just don't seem to care with whatever teacher they have, i mostly felt disappointment. Not for myself, but for the kids. They have this amazing chance in life to achieve all that they can, to better themselves and to prove everyone and their judgments wrong, but they are blowing it. The sad thing is that they will later grow up to realise what could have been.

As my time comes to an end with the kids i am struggling to come up with ideas on what to do with them in class. Whilst i have many idea, it is more that i want to give them the best classes yet and make their time with me memorable. I have so many wonderful kids at the schools and it has been an absolute pleasure teaching them.

I also want to make the most of my last weeks in France, exploring more and taking pictures along the way. I already have so many amazing memories through the little adventures i have been on and those i have been on them with. Only yesterday i went to St.Emilion, just for a little day trip and it was amazing. Myself and two other friends (teachers from the college) went for a good walk around, tried some wine, some macaroons and just thoroughly had a brilliant time.

Me and Odile having a little drink in St.Emilion :D

I can't wait for more amazing adventures with all of these amazing people!! Don't worry...i will let you in on the adventures too ;)

Is that the Sun i spot in the sky?!?!

Well we have had two days of glorious sunshine here in Bordeaux and i am almost tempted to believe that the weather is going to start picking up from here on in! Is this a possibility or just wishful thinking! Unfortunately i think it is probably the latter!

However, it is going to get better soon and i can't wait for it! Back to the way it used to be, Picnics in 'Jardin Public' again with the girls (minus the ridiculously expensive cheese this time), coffee outside a cafe soaking up the sun, eating tea outside at 8 o'clock, with no coat on!! Those were some of my best times in Bordeaux and i CANNOT wait for it to come around again.

Taking advantage of the wonderful weather yesterday, myself and Lisa(another English assistant) went and tested the newest addition to the city of Bordeaux the 'vCUB'. Thats right Bordeaux now has its very own set of bikes to rent scattered around the city. And i have to say it wasn't all that bad! If you forget about the fact that cycle lanes just tend to stop in the middle of the road and you are left to fight it out with the cars and the buses then it was a success. We had a wonderful cycle around Bordeaux, getting lost along the way but hey ho, that's all part of the experience. Right?! I also realised that i hadn't been on a bike in a rather long time...who said you never forget how to ride a bike? As i would beg to differ! Overall, a wonderful day spent though...

The sun is once again shining today and whilst i feel i should take advantage of this while i can, i am also rather aware of the fact that school is starting back up on Monday and (of course) i have no lesson plans prepared for my classes yet. So I'm thinking I'm just going to open the windows and let the sun shine in whilst i figure out what the hell I'm going to do with the little rascals. (granted, some aren't that little!)

What do i really make of France?!

I am aware that it has been a long time since my last post, for that i apologise! But i must say i have been having a wonderful time in France.

Just the other day i was having an insightful conversation with my friend Michael, over breakfast on his balcony in Avignon. (who says life as an assistant is hard eh!) We were contemplating the 'what if's'. What if we had stayed on at uni for 3rd year? what if we had never came to France? What if we had never met those people? And i must admit, i was shocked by the answers...

I had once considered not coming to France for the year abroad, a mixture of fear of the unknown and being away from the known, and i was thoroughly terrified of what lay ahead. However, i have since realised that it was definitely one of the best decisions i have made in my short life to date! I can't imagine my life at the moment without my Bordolaise life and those amazing people in it. Whilst almost every day i spend a fraction of my time thinking about home and what would have been had i stayed at home, i now realise that my time here in France has only helped me towards becoming the person that i want to be in life. Someone that is not afraid to make mistakes, (and believe me i have made a lot since my time here) but is learning from each mistake made and taking that next step towards become that adult that everyone encourages you to be! Being in France has also made me realise how much i do love the French language, and that it does play a very big role in my life and i would very much like it to continue like that. I often wonder what i would be doing or what my life would be like had i not continued with my interest for the language...less stressful i would imagine!! I jest! But in answer to all of the questions asked on that balcony in Avignon i would have to say that i have no regrets, and i think the most important question is, 'what if i had never came to France?'! I would never have encountered all of the wonderful people that i have done on my travels and in Bordeaux, i would never have experienced the French culture first hand, i would never have partied with Frenchies all night long, i would never have achieved the level of French that i have at the moment, i would never have experienced the French education system! But more importantly i would never have been able to have as much confidence in myself as i do now. I know that i am capable of so much more than i once thought, i just needed to prove it to myself. And for that i definitely have France to thank!

So for that France, i will be eternally grateful!

Until next time y'all!