B got off work early today because one of the machines was out of order, so we got to go into town together.
I went to the reception for the participants of the Journées d'Europe and got to stand near the Deputé and hear the president of the Maison d'Europe speak. I also got a glass of wine and several smoked salmon appetizers once the speeches were over. I chatted with a fellow AVF member who is Dutch and also looking for work and gets the same misunderstanding when she talks about her education. Someone suggested to us to try to get jobs as tour guides during the summer tourist season. Right. Except in order to be a tourist guide, even for a lousy bus company, you have to have passed either the national test, or be hired by the city as a local guide. It's like people who tell me I could teach English in public schools. Right, screw all that Capes, IUFM, accreditation stuff!
After my little reception I met up with B, who had a surprise for me: a new watch! I posted about my two broken watches a while ago, and B very kindly bought me a new one today. And Swiss no less! It has a special scratch resistant glass face and should neither eat through batteries like my old Roxy, or flat out die on my like my Bulova. I can now happily stroll around Toulouse in style knowing what time it is without digging out my cell phone from the bottom of my purse. Thanks B!
Since B offered me such a nice gift, I agreed we could splurge on something he's been wanting (okay, I have been too): the WiiFit. We just finished doing our yoga and hoola hoop exercises 5 minutes ago. The balance board is excessively expensive (especially when compared to the prices in the US and Japan), but it's tons of fun. B got the "Muscles of Steel" rating for the push-up exercise, but I got "Couch potato". I beat him on the tilt-board game though. And I supposedly agreed to try to lose a kilo in the next month by doing the exercises every day (the game follows your progression and the balance board weighs you). Seeing as how I've been about the same weight for 3-4 years now, I don't know how I'm going to lose a kilo in a month! But it's only a game after all.
Walking back towards the metro we passed in front of a Sushi restaurant we know and B stopped. "Let's eat Japanese tonight!" I paused thinking of the zucchini I have growing old in the fridge, but generally you don't have to ask me twice to eat out instead of cooking. We changed things up and ordered skewers this time instead of sushi and B tried a Japanese beer.
B was really happy to have half the afternoon off and to be able to spend time with me, but he was right when he said "I think it's better when I work. I spend less money!" Between the watch, the WiiFit, and the restaurant, we spent between 225 and 275€ in one evening!
2 comments:
You can teach in public schools actually, if you apply to be a teaching assistant as a 'recruit locale'. You can teach in either a primary school, college, lycee or IUFM if the assistants for that year couldn't make it or there was no assistant to fill the spot.
True, there are part time jobs for foreigners. I taught English in elementary schools last year, but to have a teaching position more than one year at a time (and without re-applying every year), you have to be european.
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