Fragments of Paris

Unfinished posts, thoughts, etc. 

So it begins….

I walked the streets of Paris today. I wonder if people could tell I was ready to scream out of sheer excitement (I decided to hold back, seeing how the day before I had succeeded in causing enough of a scene. More on that later).

Everything seems simultaneously foreign and familiar. I feel displaced and as if I belong, all at once. Even now, as I sit and type in la salle des professeurs at the lycee at which I’ll teach, I am flooded by brilliant pictures of Paris that my eyes have had the privilege of capturing.

This being my second time moving to Europe, you would think I would have learned to travel more efficiently. Nope! (Although, in all fairness, I am living here for 7+ months so there was a lot I needed to bring).  In an effort to save some money, I decided to take the RER into the city. That was easy enough, although with two large suitcases and a large backpack, I struggled moving from place to place. The elevators found in the airport aided my sloth-like progression towards the platform. Finally, after wiggling through metro gates, I finally made it onto the RER and was on my way to Paris. And that’s where all the fun began…

My first day in Trieste was exhausting because I couldn’t find the location of the residence. I had no trouble finding my way to my couchsurfing host’s place. No, it was the journey to get there that would prove tiresome. I won’t get too much into the details, but just know that it was a STRUGGLE getting from metro to metro. I had to go up many stairs. Some were easy enough, while others were anything but. And of course, since I went up a lot of stairs I also had to go down a lot of stairs. I developed a system of moving each piece one at a time. There were many instances where I caught a brief smile of a passerby; a sort of “aw, how cute… and pathetic” type of smile. I mostly received stares, though.

Two months in...

Yesterday marked two months since my arrival in Paris. It seems like I’ve been here longer, though.

My job is turning out to be quite an interesting and rewarding experience. Truth be told, it’s not excessively demanding (this week is the first time I’ve worked the full 12 hours); however, I am finding it to be very enriching. I am getting along well with my colleagues. The English teachers seem appreciative to have me here and they have done a lot to make me feel welcomed. Communication is much more difficult with the other teachers, but we manage to converse sporadically. Since I know Spanish, I’m also able to communicate with the Spanish teachers. They’ve also requested that I go and speak in some of their classes. I’ve also found a teacher that would like to improve her English, so we usually practice over a coffee in the salle des professeurs. I’m enjoying it all tremendously. At times it feels surreal; now, for instance. I’m in the Salle, surrounded by teachers speaking French, most of which I find unintelligible (although I have noted a slight improvement in my comprehension skills). I don’t think I could have imagined being here six months ago!   

The students also make this job great. I work in a ZEP (Zone d’éducation prioritaire), which means students usually don’t perform as well. My high school is a lycée polyvalent so most of the students are studying to become nurses, secretaries, etc. Also, most of my students are from African or North African descent. Their level of English is low, and many of them lack motivation (mostly because they don’t believe they’ll need English in their field of work). In spite of all this, I have found that most of the students are very excited to have me here. It’s great walking around the school and hearing  “Hi Alfrrredo!” Makes me feel a little popular, haha. 

Tulips...

The tulips are in bloom. Life is good. I try to fully enjoy this moment, but the spectre of my inevitable departure clouds the joy I experience. This city has charmed me in ways that no other person ever could. I do not wish to leave. I need to act, but I find myself unable to begin. It is easy to lose oneself in the ecstasy of sun-kissed moments, in explorations of an author's mind, in the midst of faceless people that you will never come to know...but reality soon descends. I will rise from my place in the park, and the dread of leaving will return: the dread of not knowing what lies ahead, the dread of not being capable of becoming who I would like to be...But for now, the sun caresses my skin as an invisible band plays familiar tunes. For now, the tulips are in bloom.