Since I knew I was going to be in Paris until December, I really wanted to find other activities or workshops to get involved with, other than school courses. I looked up cooking classes (I’m taking a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu in December!), salsa dancing classes, voice lessons, courses in fashion, and finally babysitting and teaching English. I was hoping that at least some of them would come through, and COME THROUGH something did!
I took the métro to a beautiful apartment in Place de la Nation, a bustling neighborhood, to teach three children English! Their names are Noémie, Miriam, and Arthur, and they are 6, 13, and 11 years old, respectively. And. I. adore. them. I have always loved children, so I had been aching for the chance to take care of and interact with some kids this semester. Noémie is the most adorable little French girl – energetic, as you would expect from a 6-year-old (she was a dog, a cat, and a cow all in the span of thirty minutes). Miriam is just entering her teenage years, but she is very mature. She did seem to have some drama going on with her friends though – so much so that she had to take a very urgent call. And then there’s 11-year-old Arthur. He is absolutely adorable, and I tried to talk to him about stuff my 11-year-old brother likes to talk about (like the movie “The Expendables,” and the color red). I was supposed to be teaching them English, which I did, but it was just like being with my little cousins and little brother, having a conversation and playing with these adorable kids. This should, I think, also improve my French, because I have to talk to them in French for translation and comprehension.
I’m in a very happy place right now. My courses are finalized; I’ve done two weekends of traveling and have many more to come; some friends studying in Italy, Copenhagen, and London are visitng so I have a fun weekend to look forward to; my Oktoberfest partner-in-crime and one of my friends whom I visited in Copenhagen are visiting in the near future; I continue to love my host family, and I’m finally feeling comfortable and at home.