Preparation

Argghh...suddenly it's all very real! Think I'm doing my usual trick of putting off thinking about being scared/nervous etc by keeping busy making lists of practical things that need to be done (although not actually doing them he he). Have just started a massive "Stuff to do" list, with things to get done before I leave and when I get there, including everything from people I need to see to say goodbye to, to forms I need to fill in, to 'insurance', 'bank account' etc.

The last month or so I guess my main preparation has been earning money to take out with me (hoping to take over about £1500 which is quite a lot of hours at my part-time job in a shop...). I also recieved a big pack of stuff from the British Council including some more useful information about phones etc, a 'letter for parents' (telling them I'm probably going to be really depressed for the first few months...great!), and a big book of teaching ideas. I also got back a letter from the Mayor of Perigueux with a list of places to look for accomodation and stuff which was quite exciting! My uncle and his family have been on holiday in France this month, and visited the town; said it was lovely and they think I'll be really happy there, I'm looking forward to having another town I can call 'home'.

I have invested in a laminator (well got a bargain as my brother works at WHSmiths) and a paper cutter (£2 in Bitz!), so plan to have fun scanning, printing and laminating some photos of me in school uniform, my house, my family etc to take out with me. Mum keeps coming up with lots of bright ideas of TEFL books etc....I could seriously spend a fortune, but think will just settle on a big map of the UK, some photos and lots of postcards-a couple friends have been really fab and collected a load from their travels around Britain and America :-) . Joe found me another great book (so useful having a boyfriend who works in a bookshop), "Getting the Buggers into Languages" by Amanda Burton; all about why boys don't do very well in MFL and how to tackle this problem, very very interesting.

Met up with Rachel for lunch yesterday which was nice...so happy to have someone to fly out to France with and I think its making my mum feel a lot better. Have also subscribed to a load of other blogs of language assistants, and keeping in touch with people going to Perigueux and arround via Facebook.

Have signed up to Skype so I can stay in touch with people from home when I'm out there...thinking about finding best deal on mobiles/landlines/internet makes my mind spin!

Going to cut down my hours at work now (to almost nothing hopefully), off to Brussels on Monday for 4 nights which will be fun and then when I come back I am going to try and tackle some of the stuff on this to-do list and spend some quality time with Joe, friends and family hopefully. Oh, talking of which, my parents are planning on coming out for their first visit in October half-term, and hopefully Joe will around then too.

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Joe gave me a couple of great books for my birthday (Rough Guide to the Dordogne and Lot regions, and a guide to living and working in France) so have been getting all excited reading those! The area seems so nice (the cave paintings sound exciting), and Perigueux has an Ibis hotel and a youth hostel so that should be good for all my visitors...hint hint!

I also got some some useful (and funny) stationery for my birthday...Matt got me a MASSIVE pen and pencil for my massive adventure (he he) (was thinking how fun it would be to lteach "A pen" and "A pencil" with those), and Poppy got me some very 'kitsch', funky bits to go on my desk.

Thanks guys!

Everything I see nowadays is a potential resource...have to try and make a trip to somewhere with a 'paperchase' for some monster playing cards...colours...body parts...fun... all in one!

Have finished my work experience at St Peter's school; really enjoyed it and was a good confidence boost not to be totally freaked out by a class full of teenagers, and to recieve a really lovely report (and a gift of some resources!) when I finished. Was also good to be able to chat to a few NQTs who have done an assistantship themselves and the school does a trip to Arcachon which will be quite near me so will maybe meet up with them there next year.

Have GOT to try and crack on with some Uni work this week...give it another month and will be time to start packing!

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Flight is all booked....leave Bristol airport for Bordeaux at lunchtime on Thursday 27th September. Have been really lucky on two counts:
1) The conseiller pedagogique has told us all we can stay with him and he will help us sort out accommodation etc as we get settled in. He's also sent us some useful info about getting phones/internet etc, as well as some more info about our training 'stage', looks like we will have a day in Bordeaux and then 5 days in Perigueux itself so that sounds good.
2) I've been in touch with a lovely girl who lives about half an hour away and we're going to fly out together which should be a lot better I think.
So yeah organisation is getting there now, woo!
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So, last Wednesday I recieved my official notice of work. I have been allocated to a school in Perigueux, which is in the Acquitaine region, and prefecture (capital) of the Dordogne department. Population of just over 30, 000 people, and looks like a gorgeous little place. It has strong links with the Roman Catholic Church, an amphitheatre, Roman villa and cathedral. I've also heard that a lot of the students there are in boarding schools from the surrounding villages. My school is called E.E.PU Le Centre Andre Davesnebut can't really find out that much information about it from the net. I've written to the school and to the local Inspection Academique trying to get hold of more information, particularly about accommodation etc. Have had an email back from the conseiller pedagogique who says he will give us the email addresses of the 20 assistants from last year, and will hopefully hear from the school before they close for the summer.

Still not too much I can do organisation-wise then, just waiting to get some info (still hoping there will be an easy accommodation option). Have started looking at flights, April to October I can fly Exeter to Bergerac (which will about 60km I think from Perigueux), and the whole year there are flights from Bristol to Bordeuax (which is about an hour and 15mins from Perigueux on train).

Have heard that British Council Language Assistants are now going to be given part-Erasmus status which helps a bit as I won't have to pay tuition fees after all! :-)

Next week I begin three weeks paid work expereince in the MFL department of a local secondary school so that should be a good chance to get some ideas etc. Really want to start buying lots of resources etc...could easily spend a fortune but at the moment sticking to postcards etc! And my friend is going to get some from America....all I need is a holiday to Australia now.

Just found out I'm going to be in a town called Perigueux next year; looks quite small but very pretty so all good. Longer entry soon, right now I'm desperately scribbling letters to headteacher etc before I head off to Glastonbury Festival for the weekend!
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