Its always fun when an email starts with:
"I am pleased to inform you that you have passed the eligibility and quality assessment stage for applications to France and we will now be proposing your application for a post".
Suppose it's official - I'M MOVING TO FRANCE!!
What freaks me out the most is that I'm moving to France in 4 AND A HALF MONTHS!!! That's like, tomorrow, or it feels like it anyway. I've now finished lectures for the year and I'm convinced that with every day that goes past with me not going to a lecture, the more French words leave my head leaving me with the really random ones that I'll never be able to get into a conversation. :/ Maybe I should start preparing myself a bit more by reading books and watching films and researching bank accounts, phone tariffs, ERASMUS grant deadlines and finding somewhere to live. Maybe after my exams are done, and I know where I'm going to be living.
Far too excited, bouncing around like a child on speed at Christmas in a sweet shop with Santa in Disney. =D
Sunday, 15 April 2012
Friday, 9 March 2012
No more Christmas in Quebec.
Its never good when an email starts with "I regret to inform you..."
Oh well. The surprising thing is that I'm not that gutted. I took a chance and at least I can say I tried, but my year abroad will now be spent in France somewhere, hopefully Lyon. I can now stop having nightmares about being snowed in by 8ft of snow. Luckily I don't have to do any more assessments and interviews and my application will just be transferred over to France.
On the plus side it's definitely going to be warmer, my family can come over more often and Ben can avoid the 7 hour flight. oh and ERASMUS GRANTS!!! That and I think everyone knows that I'm French at heart. I know I enjoy the food, the people, the culture, so I know I'm going to enjoy my year abroad. And I get to see friends that I made out there in 2010 again. Clearly, everything happens for a reason. :)
I don't regret applying to Canada and not getting it. Sure, it's disappointing but I'm glad I went through that experience, and would encourage anybody to do the same. The interview experience and assessment themselves were massive life lessons. They highlighted to me that I still have a lot to learn and my French needs improving. I need more confidence when talking in formal situations and I don't think I would get the same benefits if I went to Canada. The more I think about it now, the more I realise I hadn't thought the whole process through and did apply kind of very spontaneously. It's something that I'll consider doing again in the future when I'm more confident and have more experience.
VIVE LA FRANCE!
AND I GET TO GET FAT ON PASTRIES!! <3
Life couldn't be any better.
Happy days. Happy, happy days. :)
Oh well. The surprising thing is that I'm not that gutted. I took a chance and at least I can say I tried, but my year abroad will now be spent in France somewhere, hopefully Lyon. I can now stop having nightmares about being snowed in by 8ft of snow. Luckily I don't have to do any more assessments and interviews and my application will just be transferred over to France.
On the plus side it's definitely going to be warmer, my family can come over more often and Ben can avoid the 7 hour flight. oh and ERASMUS GRANTS!!! That and I think everyone knows that I'm French at heart. I know I enjoy the food, the people, the culture, so I know I'm going to enjoy my year abroad. And I get to see friends that I made out there in 2010 again. Clearly, everything happens for a reason. :)
I don't regret applying to Canada and not getting it. Sure, it's disappointing but I'm glad I went through that experience, and would encourage anybody to do the same. The interview experience and assessment themselves were massive life lessons. They highlighted to me that I still have a lot to learn and my French needs improving. I need more confidence when talking in formal situations and I don't think I would get the same benefits if I went to Canada. The more I think about it now, the more I realise I hadn't thought the whole process through and did apply kind of very spontaneously. It's something that I'll consider doing again in the future when I'm more confident and have more experience.
VIVE LA FRANCE!
AND I GET TO GET FAT ON PASTRIES!! <3
Life couldn't be any better.
Happy days. Happy, happy days. :)
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
What's your name and who would you like to meet from history?
It was one of those moments when you go "Eugh! Why did my parents even give me a name I can't remember?!", and then trying to think of someone really impressive and intelligent from history. Not gonna lie, I blanked at my own name, I had no chance of thinking of someone uber cool from history. In the end, I settled on Kings and Queens like Henry VIII as I wanted to know if he was as fat as everyone makes him out to be now. Smooth one Lots.
In a group of 4, we then had 30 mins to prepare a 30 minute lesson plan. Not as easy as it sounds. Even harder when you're competing with 3 others in their final year, one of whom lives in Paris, another has Canadian parents and all three have previous teaching experience from their year abroad. Little fish, big pond much? Anyway, I pretty much settled with what they wanted to do as otherwise, we were never going to have a lesson plan. It was alright. Its never fun when the group preceding you has exactly the same lesson plan, and presents it much better than you. Crap.
Come my individual interview, I was shaking like a leaf and had convinced myself I actually knew NO FRENCH whatsoever. I think they understood me. Either that or they were nodding just to humour the crazy lady that had somehow managed to find her way to the British Council Head Office.
I've made my choice of where I want to go if I'm successful! Beaupré s'il vous plait! Its not far from Québec city and looks pretty online. And it has lots of hospitals and medical centres near by so my Mum will be happy. Not that I intend on visiting, but just in case I do something silly like, I don't know, go skiing and fall over, or wrestle with a bear for some salmon........
In 2 weeks time, I'll know if my application has been successful, and then its onto applying for a work permit, which could take up to 15 weeks to complete.
Fingers crossed.
<3
In a group of 4, we then had 30 mins to prepare a 30 minute lesson plan. Not as easy as it sounds. Even harder when you're competing with 3 others in their final year, one of whom lives in Paris, another has Canadian parents and all three have previous teaching experience from their year abroad. Little fish, big pond much? Anyway, I pretty much settled with what they wanted to do as otherwise, we were never going to have a lesson plan. It was alright. Its never fun when the group preceding you has exactly the same lesson plan, and presents it much better than you. Crap.
Come my individual interview, I was shaking like a leaf and had convinced myself I actually knew NO FRENCH whatsoever. I think they understood me. Either that or they were nodding just to humour the crazy lady that had somehow managed to find her way to the British Council Head Office.
I've made my choice of where I want to go if I'm successful! Beaupré s'il vous plait! Its not far from Québec city and looks pretty online. And it has lots of hospitals and medical centres near by so my Mum will be happy. Not that I intend on visiting, but just in case I do something silly like, I don't know, go skiing and fall over, or wrestle with a bear for some salmon........
In 2 weeks time, I'll know if my application has been successful, and then its onto applying for a work permit, which could take up to 15 weeks to complete.
Fingers crossed.
<3
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
First post!!!
I've decided that, since I'm going to be exploring a whole new country, that it'd be nice for my friends and family to follow me too. I'm in the middle of the application process now and tonight, I'm going to be looking through a list of places I can potentially live in for a year from September. A week today I'm going to be in London having my interview and assessment day, and to tell the truth, I'm a little bit nervous. I think I've prepared myself pretty well so fingers crossed!!
I don't know what made me decide that Canada would be the ideal place for me to live. After all, I hate the cold and I hate snow. But I'm hoping with the way the country prepares itself and the HUGE amount of warm clothes I'm going to be taking with me, I should be fine. To be honest, this is a once in a life time opportunity, and I'm the first student from MMU to go to Canada as a language assistant!
So jump in, keep your arms and legs inside the carriage at all times, because I ain't gonna go slow!!
<3
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