You who know me can well imagine the state of slow in which I arrived in Lyon. The end of the school year Friday, the move home to LaGrange and graduation on the weekend, and flight over night Monday followed by transfer by train to Lyon spelled utter slow motion for the first few days.
It was a delight to be the guest teacher in my partner teacher Yvette Jeandet's middle school English classes Wednesday and Friday. The students, some more willing than others to speak in English, led me in lively discussions on a diverse variety of topics about life in America, schools, families, sports, culture, music.
The Thursday afternoon tour of the city guided by Yvette's English friend Barbara showed me the Roman to the Renaissance wonders of France's 2nd city. We happened on an artisan spinning silk thread in his workshop, and after a tour and demonstration of the old Jacobin looms bought a souvenir stoll of his loom woven silk. Wow.
Friday after a morning in school, Yvette dashed me to the train station on her lunch hour. Yes, it is a lunch HOUR, and a half. Lovely concept, time to reflect and integrate the morning. We stampede through our days in the American culture of fast and big is better. The horror and disbelief on the 11 year old faces when the Clay 25 minute lunch was explained said it all. "We'd all go on strike," they shrugged, nodding at each other as a fait accompli. I hope to visit them again, with their partner students. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
1 comment:
Mum, I'm so proud of you! Blogger, Gmail, Picasa, Skype... You tech savvy globetrotter you!
Has the American school lunch been whittled down to 25 minutes over the years? I don't remember it being so offensively short when I was in school. Now when I struggle to take even a brief break from work I can blame it on my culture. Sheesh.
Blog on!
Post a Comment