Rosetta: The French Shrug

            I spent a very fun day yesterday at Orientation. I was not expecting it to be so fun because generally I am pretty quiet and have trouble making new friends for the day so breaks and lunch are either spent awkwardly alone or feel a bit forced. However, with the other English assistants it is pretty easier to strike up conversation because we have so much in common as well as so much different. For example, we are all in a foreign country, placed in schools, in different towns, with teachers, from different countries, all good things to start conversations with.

            I ended up sitting with two boys from the United States and 3 girls from the UK. There was a girl from London, Clara, who was quit amusing and did a fabulous impression of the ‘French Shrug’ while narrating in an English accent, I wish I could’ve captured that moment forever. She was talking about how when you go in to talk to French people about things like setting up internet or buying train tickets and they decide they can’t help you they give a shrug. Now if it is just with the shoulders you have a chance but if they shrug while putting their hands palm up you are pretty much out of luck.  Clara went on to tell a very amusing story about trying to talk to someone about her train ticket and receiving the shrug (which is code for ‘I can’t help you, go away') and how when she didn’t leave the person behind the counter was thinking, ‘I gave the shrug, why aren't you leaving?’ and everyone behind her in line who had seen the shrug was thinking, ‘She got the shrug, why is she still just standing there?’ Anyhow, with this and other fun topics like actors, accents, and food we were laughing almost the entire lunch period.

            Add to that the fact that I actually enjoyed the subject they were teaching us during the day as well as the teachers and I had a very good day (the only downside was that I had woken up at 5:30AM and it was like an 8 hour day with several cups of coffee so I was very worn out and pretty giddy by the end). We were learning how to teach as language assistants and they gave us all fabulous ideas. I am all excited to try them out now but unfortunately this is the beginning of our midterm break and thus I have to wait another 2 weeks before I see the students again, I just hope I can remember all my ideas and maintain my excitement for the interim.

            I am currently sitting in the teacher’s room in Calais at the school where Helen works (Recap: Helen is the lady who was one of the teachers at Orientation and let me spend the night at her house so I could get to Orientation on time) and a teacher just approached me, “You are who exactly?” in French of course. I explained to her that I am the assistant from Le Touquet and that I had spent the night with Madame Baur, this seemed to satisfy her that I was okay to be in this room but I wanted to add some details just in case. So I added that I had the orientation in Lille but she lost interest as soon as she decided she didn’t need to expel me instantly from the room.  I think she might be the first person I’ve met who did not at least feign interest in what I had to say.