Around the Town: Part 2

Again, looking down the tracks toward the station, but zoomed in on the station.

Again, sideways. But this is a view looking down the train tracks toward the station.

I know, I know...it's sideways, but this is a close up of the front of the train station.

The front of the train station...

A view looking at the back of the main train station in Limoux. It's closed in this picture because it is Sunday.

Most people(at least that I've seen; although, I know I'm making a rash overgeneralization) in France don't have or use a dryer. Instead they have drying racks or hang their clothes from their windows like you can see here.

Another view of the Aude as it winds its way through town.

Aroud Town: Part 1

Limoux. Capital of Blanquette and the Carnival! We wish you welcome to Cathare country.


Just outside the shopping center I found the second train stop in Limoux. I told you this was a small town. The train station in town is a little bigger--it at least has a building where you can buy tickets and whatnot. hah.

I'm so glad that I don't have to drive here. The round-a-bouts and intersections are SO confusing--not to mention that gas is 1 euro 60 PER LITER!

Good 'ol Murphy's stout. I knew I could count on you to make me feel at home. Hah. I found this sign on one of the cafés and it made me chuckle.

Looking accross on of the main streets at some houses that I thought were pretty. Aside from the roofs (wow that's a weird word, I had to look it up to make sure I was spelling it correctly), this doesn't look that different from East State Street.

I can't get used to how dead everything looks. It seems to me like everything is speckled with brown. It's just a different type of vegitation than I am used to, and there isn't very much grass. My guess is that it isn't that different from California or other warm regions in the US, but I don't know. All the the orange and redish stucco roofs don't help matters...it's the same color palate. I guess you never realize how rich you environment is until you leave it. I didn't, that's for sure.

Looking off toward the hills. The mountains? The Pyrenees? I'll have to ask someone.

I walked to the large shopping center on the outskirts of town on Saturday. It took me about 20-25 minutes. I stopped a couple times to take some pictures of the country side. In this one you can see the ruins of a church or a castle or something. I thought it was neat.

I'm not sure if this is a damn or what. I don't see why they would need a dam here, and it looked a little run-down. Who knows. It looked interesting so I took a picture.

Here is a picture of the river Aude that runs through my town.

This is the bank where I opened my first (and probably last) French bank account! I know, I know it doesn't seem like much compared to an American bank...but their security is much stricter. To get into the bank you have to first go through what reminds me of an airlock. There is a series of three doors beginning with the outside door. You have to enter the bank one by one by pressing a button to be buzzed in by the receptionist. Now you are in the building and have to go through two more doors using the same process to actually get into the bank where you can talk to someone and do business. It was a little confusing for me because I had never seen anything like that before. I was glad that Michel accompanied us.

La Laverie...

The front of the laundrymat as seen from the street.

There are different size washing machines--1,2,3,4 and 5 kilos. You pay different amounts depending on how much you are washing...now I just have to figure out how much clothing constitutes a kilo. Bleh. Why oh why doesn't the US use the metric system like the rest of the world, then it would make some sense to me.

Some of the washing machines...

The machine where you pay for your load and choose your washer.

Inside the school!

That's my room! The first full window from the left on the top. So far Limoux is just like Tours in that every house has these shutter type things. Most look ,ore like traditional shutters than these. Everyone closes them in the evening when they turn their lights on, and then open them again in the morning. I always find this interesting because in the US shutters are only for decoration, and most people do not draw their curtains at night.

I guess I'm going to call this the courtyard. It's an open space where the students can hang out.

Looking toward the cafeteria in the ground floor and the salle des profs on the second floor.

The view from another part of the hallway on the second floor looking at the Internat(I think)--where the students stay.

Looking down from the second floor on to the door to my building...up three flights from there is my room! It's called the second floor though in France. What we call the first floor, they call the ground floor--so what we call the second floor, they call the first, and so on.

One of the hallways on the second floor. Everything at this school is outside except for the actual rooms.

This is looking down the steps outside the mailbox en of the Salle des Profs. There's a kind or courtyard below where students hang out. If you look accross the top row of windows you can see mine near the end--it' the one that is only open a foot or so.

Salle des Professeurs!

The other end of the salle des profs. You can see some of the mailboxes--they line the other wall, too.

The Salle des Profs--teachers' lounge. This is where I've spent most of my time so far. I try to just sit here and see if I can understand people's conversations--usually I can't. In fact, right now I'm sitting at that computer typing this!

The kitchen in the Salles des Professeurs. Over the weekend, this is all I have (the rest of the time I can eat for a steal in the school cafeteria). I have a fridge, microwave, coffeepot, and thingy to boil water. I also have a hot plate in my room, but I'm kind of scared to use it because I was frantically warned that it could set off the fire alarm if I'm not careful. They said I would have to open a window to use it, which in my opinion defeats the purpose--it's freezing outside!

Look! I have my very own mailbox!

I wanted to make sure that you could all read my name! Super-chouette!!! By the way, if someone here asks for your name they NEVER mean your first name. Also, I usually have to spell out Megan and sometimes Murphy--not French at all, my name.

The Outside of my School

Here is the front of my school. The students hang out out front when they are smoking or skipping class. It's a pretty school, but rather old and small--much smaller than PHS.

The left side of the school.

The right side of the school.

Here is the sign in front of my school. In this picture you can sort of see the main doors off to the right. The door is only open in between classes and at the beginning and end of the day. Any other time you have to press a bell to get buzzed in. There has been a lot more security everywhere I have went so far in France. Because I I am free to come and go whenever I want, unlike the students, I also have a key for the main door(noone is there on the weekends or qt night to buzz me in and out so I have to have one).

Hallelujah!

Hallelujah, my faith in humanity has been restored!

(Note: sorry in advance for my terrible typing: all of the punctuation, the a,q,w, and m are all in the wrong places so I really have to hunt and peck.)

Time and time again on my long voyage I was confronted with fantastic people who supported and helped me....every step along the way. Just when I was beginning to become so synical about the intrinsic good nature of humanity and Americans in general, something like this happens to restore my faith...I'm not sure I would have made it here with my sanity without their help! Whoever you are, je vous remerci mille fois!

I was a little shaken up on the plane from Charleston to Detroit...yes, yes I shed a few tears and wondered what temporary insanity had taken me when I decided this would be a good idea...but with the kind words and encouragement of the two men sitting around me, I had regained my composure by wheels down in Detroit. And who would have thought that a fellow Parkersburgian...let alone someone I know--or at least whose children I know--would be on my flight to Detroit and also to Amsterdam. It is indeed a small world because Mr. Tunell was on both of my flights! He was flying to Marseilles for work. It was nice...during our lay over in Amsterdam we talked about Nick, Cory, soccer, and other people we both knew. It really helped to pass the time and keep me from worrying too much.

The Toulouse airport was a little scary as was traveling with my huge suitcases after I retreived them from the airpot. But a kind man helped me get them on the shuttle to the train station, and I managed to get them off myself. I also got them on and off the trains myself as well, and finally arrived in Limoux--18 hours later--without any significant tragedy.

My first couple hours in Limoux were really hard, I'm not going to lie. They were giving me keys, showing me around, explaining the procedure for eating and leaving the building after hours and on weekends. I was on information overload, not to mention the fact that I was probably only understanding about a third of everything being told to me.

BUT--the team of English teachers here that I am going to be working with are all very nice and very funny. Two of them don't seem that much older than me, which is nice. They were very helpful and considerate. Françoise et Virginie took me and the Spanish assistant, who is from El Salvadore, to dinner after which I slept for almost 16 hours. I still don't think I'm completely adjusted to the time change because I had a lot of trouble getting to sleep last night--or maybe that was just nerves.

Anyway, on Tuesday I bought my meal tickets and filled out most of the paperwork that I have to do. Today I think I'm going to explore town and maybe try to buy a phone. I want to get a phone before training next Wednesday in Montpellier so that I can exchange numbers with all of the English assistants I meet.

Virginie is going to take me to open my bank account on Friday. I'm glad I don't have to do that alone--I'm still not very confident with my French. I hope that gets better. I ate dinner last with the Spanish assistant, Luis, and some of the surveillants from the school. It's sort of like a boarding school in that the students live here during the week. The surveillants are kind of like their chaperones when they aren't in class. They are closer to my age than the students. Anyway, the one guy was super nice...but I had to ask him to repeat two or three times almost everything he said. I felt really bad about it. Everyone just talks so fast, and the southern accent is rather pronounced....

Anyway, stop your worrying, I made it in one piece...

Also, for some reason I can't get on IM here, so if you want to talk to me I suggest you look into Skype. It's an Internet phone service that is free for international calls from computer to computer. I've already talked to my parents several times using it and it works very well. I'm already getting kind of homesick so it would be great to talk to some people. My handle is Murph1613, also you can look me up by e-mail, which is Murph_1613@yahoo.com

I guess that's all for now...
bissous,
Murph

5, 4, 3...

Let the countdown begin!
Spend a wonderful weekend with your best friends from the good ol' PKB....check
Spend a wonderful weekend in Philly with your brother and fantastic family...check
Procrastinate sending in your visa application and anxiously bite your nails until you finally receive your visa in the mail...check
Spend a wonderful weekend just being lazy with the parents...check


Almost time to leave. The plane departs from Charleston Sunday. And then...a whole new world awaits me!


Next post will be from across the pond, folks!


Cheers,
Murph