Throwin' in the towel...

Okay kids, here's the scoop.

By this point in time, it has become painfully clear that I will not be finding a job in France this time around. So the practical, logical, and fiscally responsible thing to do is to come back to Seattle ahead of schedule.

I certainly have enough money saved to stay here for another month, and as tempting as that sounds, I think it would be a poor decision. I would be eating into my life's savings to bum around in Montpellier while still not being able to experience it to its fullest because let's face it, one should not spend their life savings like they're on vacation, especially when I don't have a job or even an apartment lined up back in Seattle.

My coming home ahead of schedule does not mean that I have failed at my mission here. I knew prior to coming here that finding a job would be difficult. But it was only after having spoken to people face-to-face that I truly saw what a challenge it is. When the best advice people can give you is to get married, there is something seriously wrong. I have heard several times now that I should have gone to Paris, that there are more jobs there. I understand this, but to me (and the vast majority of the French population), France and Paris are two completely different entities. Living elsewhere in France and living in Paris are not equal. Paris and I are not a good fit.

Before I bounce out of my favorite place on Earth, I am heading to Lyon where Florent will pick me up (there is talk of going to the Alps!), and then to Paris for a couple days to see Stéphane and if Katherine or Aimée are available while I'm there, I'll hit them up too. I plan on enjoying these last few days to the fullest, and certainly stuffing my face with as many escargots as I can manage before my arteries clog from the butter overload. I have only been here 2 months, and in that time I have met some really great people. You will be missed, all of you. Especially Terri, the British woman from whom I rent my apartment. She is quite possibly one of the best human beings on the planet, and I hope I see her and her equally-as-kickass husband again soon.

I have mixed emotions about this decision. Part of me can't wait to get back to the States, and the other part of me is shrieking, "NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" But ultimately, it is the right decision and I'll hopefully be better off for it.

To be unemployed in France...

Sorry for the radio silence everybody...I don't feel like I have that much to update. But here's what's going on!

Now that I have finished my course and am officially certified to teach English as a Foreign Language, the job hunt has begun.

I finished my course a little over a week ago. Since then, I have spent hours updating my CV in both English and French (there is a HUGE difference between what a CV looks like in America, and what is expected in France). Thanks to Florent, my amazing friend who took hours out of several days to debate the differences and help me assemble mine in both a professional and aesthetically pleasing way.

In terms of long-time employment in France goes...I have applied to Universities and language schools. I have also read on several applications "will not sponsor visa" and have been told outright "no", usually followed by a little chuckle. Hiring an American is a bureaucratic mess, apparently. But I am assured by the bartender at a local English pub that there are several Americans who come into the pub who work here legally teaching English, who are not married to a European, and who are not students themselves. I forgot to ask if their parents are both American or not. Oh well. He has encouraged me to hang around more in order to meet them and get their stories. Just what an unemployed person needs: to hang out in a pub.

As far as short-term employment: I have applied to several teaching online positions, and I have papered the city of Montpellier with flyers for English lessons. I have one client so far, but there was a screw-up on timing, and I won't actually get to meet him until next week. I've seen several of my flyers with my phone number ripped off, but no actual calls yet. It's a good thing I like to read. I've also been doing odd jobs for my landlady and her husband, which provides me a tiny bit of extra pocket money.

English teaching positions in France are in fairly low-demand, poorly paid, and because it is such a desirable place to live, the competition is pretty fierce. I am not discouraged though. If I am unable to find a job here, I will be setting my sights on other countries where the demand is high, competition is low, and the jobs are better paid. These exist in countries like Japan, Thailand, Vietname, China, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E., all of which I would not mind spending a year or two teaching in. And it is this kind of experience that can lead to a better position in the long run. Because the demand for teachers is higher, they tend to pay for things like visa, housing, airfare, vacations, and insurance, as well as a decent salary on top of all that. There are very few, if any, teaching positions available to someone with my little experience that would pay for even half of that. So that is my backup plan. Either way, I will most likely be returning to the States on the 2nd of July, as previously planned.

I have been putting my photos on facebook because uploading is about 200X faster than loading them onto my blog, so sorry to anyone who doesn't have facebook! I will show you pictures at some point, I promise!

Started class, and some photos.

So...Montpellier, eh? This place is pretty amazing. The weather has been perfect. Sunny, warm, and breezy. We've had the windows open in class all day, and I keep my window open in my room when I am in it.

Class has been enjoyable (granted it has only been two days so far). My instructor is a British man named Huge, and my classmates are Welsh, Canadian, French-American, and Russian, all of whom are great people. We start teaching in a private high school next week...something I am dreading given past experiences I have had with French high schoolers...

I found a place to live for May and June, thankfully! It is half the price of the rent I paid for this month, and I will have my own kitchen. I can't wait to take photos of this place, it makes my current apartment look pathetic in comparison. This means no more OCD landlady! (Seriously though, this woman could use a psychotherapist.) Okay, here are some photos!

My current room:

The stairway inside my apartment building:

A church near my building...

The church again...

An old bath...

I need to take more photos of these, but every time I see a new one, I smile. I love Exit Through the Gift Shop. I've found three space invaders so far!

My walk home from school...

Walking home from school through the park where I rollerskate...

Place de la Comédie

One of the many cafés next to my place...

I miss my scooter!!!

La préfecture...

If you turn left from this road...

You see this little alley...

And if you go down that alley, you'll find my giant door.

Inside my building! (or at least my building until the end of the month!) For scale, that little white mailbox is at eye level for me, and that door is HEAVY.

Hope you liked them! I'll write more next time...

L'arrivée...

After what was quite possibly the shortest 22 hours of my life, I find myself sitting in a cafe in Montpellier, drinking my 3rd coffee of the morning wondering what the locals think of this tired, stinky (I really need a shower), and slightly twitchy (copious amounts of coffee and fatigue shouldn't always go together) girl sitting in the corner surrounded by stacks of luggage. Probably nothing, but I can't help but wonder.

The three flights over felt short and incredibly easy - probably because I slept through the majority of them. Paris was overcast and dreary, so when we took off for Montpellier, I had no problem falling asleep instead of looking excitedly out the window. I woke up right at the perfect time - as the overcast clouds came abruptly to an end, all that could now be seen were tiny villages dotting the French countryside, grey stone gorges lined with trees, and the occasional snow-capped mountaintop. As we came closer to Montpellier, the snow-capped Pyrenees came into view, followed shortly by the brilliant blue of the Mediterranean. Landing in Montpellier is great, you come from the north, fly out over the sea, then turn sharply around and land right on the edge of the water. If you hadn't spotted the runway in passing, one would most likely think that you were going to land IN the water. I will admit that I definitely thought that for a blip of a moment... I grabbed my bag and got to the city in a matter of minutes, grabbed a French cell phone, and found where I would be living. Pamela is currently at work, which is why I am saturating in my own filth in a cafe right now instead of stashing my luggage and getting cleaned up. She should be home soon, so I'll have to trudge back up the hill in the warm sun with all my luggage here shortly.

I start classes on Monday. After that, I should have a better idea of how this whole job hunt will go. But until then, I have a weekend to adjust to the time change and explore this beautiful city!