Basque Haircut

I went to the Basque country at the end of October to visit my aunt and I accidentally came back with a really short and haircut, which I now love obviously. It's so cool. But right after I got it, I freaked out a little bit because I hadn't had my hair this short since babyhood.

When I went to the hairdresser, I thought I made it quite clear that I wanted a bob with side bangs but I can see how she could have gotten mixed messages. I showed the lady a buch of pictures of cool bangs that I wanted but they must have all been short hairstyles because before I knew it, I ended up with the haircut below.

Eitherway, I am happy how it turned out. The night after my haircut, which was exactly a month ago #Monthiversary, I wore:

- My aunt's 20 year old "SUPERBOWL" sweatshirt
- Underwear (not pictured)

#SELFIE

On Careers, Teaching and Education

When I was a kid I would often pretend that I was a teacher. Sometimes it was with my little human friends and other times with my little non-furry animal friends (I was allergic to dust). It wasn't my favourite game but I must have liked it enough to remember it now. Other times I would play that I was a bus driver, a stay-at-fort mom, a cook, a scientist, etc. I didn't have to choose the game that I would play for the rest of my childhood. I mean, asking a child to make such a choice would be crazy! So it was all great, I just focused on the present and eating as many mangoes as I could get a hold on. I looooved mangoes. 

Oh how I wish things were as simple now! Even in University... The idea of making a career choice was there, guiding every academic and extracurricular choice, but it remained just an idea. It is only now that I am out in the "real world" that the perceived modern obligation of starting your career ASAP has punched me in my face and the option of pursuing teaching has come back to me.

It seems like a sensible. I already have some experience under and I am really loving teaching English in Perigueux. It’s challenging and rewarding. I have fun preparing lessons. I like drawing my own flashcards and illustrations. I like picking the right song that will help them learn how to count or introduce themselves. I like hanging out and drinking coffee with SOME OF the teachers during breaks. These are simple things, and although they’re not my favourite things, I enjoy them enough that going to work in the morning is actually something to look forward. The kids love me too. 

Would I want to do this forever though? Having my own class and teaching the same curriculum year after year. Playing the same games over and over again? Dealing with the same personalities class after class. Good grief! The idea of sticking to the same job and staying in the same city for the rest of my life (unless that city is New York, obviously) is terrifying. On the other hand, teaching or a career in education doesn't have to be so...logarithmic. Depending on your personality and wits about you, I think you can make any job exciting. For example, it is possible for teachers to go back to school and get involved in education research or policy or activism. 

Maybe being a teacher wont be THE career of my life but "education" might just be. So for the time being, I am going to enjoy teaching kids in Perigueux and keep slipping anti-racism messages into my lessons. It doubt this is the best job I will ever have in my life but I think it's good enough for my age and experience. Also, in the future I think I will always think back to my very first job in the education sector. AAAWWW #cheesy. 

Teaching fail

Again, another sleepless night. As a result, I half-prepared my lessons, half-showered, and proceeded to have a full terrible day at school. I am aware that English might not be the most important subject at the school but at times, I feel a mild yet hurtful amount of disrespect towards my class time and the amount of work I put into it (except this week cuz' insomnia #yaaawn). The teachers act as though English is a joke class and if that's how language learning is viewed throughout France's primary and secondary schools, it is no wonder why French people suck at them. Hello people, this is not the 19th century... French might be a beautiful language but let's be honest, English is now the universal language for most sectors and industries. Oh yeah, speak you never, Esperanto #Sorry.

My day started off by the CE2 (3rd grade) teacher telling me that he wouldn't be needing me in his class because, allegedly, he needed to finish a lesson. I mean, it was actually great because all I am allowed to do in his class is to teach the kids some vocab... #boring and I really needed a rest. However, it remains a quite unfair decision for the kids since they only have the pleasure of seeing me once a week but also for me because it really fucks up with the schedule of the lessons. Apparently the real reason was that he was angry because two parents told him he was scaring the children and made their kids not want to come to school. For the record, the man is creepy and the kids in his class are indeed terrified of him.

If that wasn't enough, I fucking cried in the staff room today. Mostly because I was very sleep-deprived and weird but mostly because one of the teachers was telling me a bunch of nonsense about how chocolate was good for my vagina. He also told me how I had a big head, which he then changed to "you have a dick head". I mean I barely know this dude and he's already talking about dicks and vaginas? What is this... the third grade? Super inappropriate but everyone was laughing so of course, I cried. He felt bad, you could see it in his face. He tried to explain to me that this was french humour and told me to lighten up. He should light himself on fire, maybe.

That was my day and I wore:

- A Quechua fleece sweater from Decathlon (basically the best store ever)
- The same shirt I wore yesterday but you can't see that
- A pashmina someone left in my house once
- My omnipresent DKNY jeans
- A generic copper bracelet I got in a flea market in Buenos Aires

Yes, I basically wear the same thing everyday.

GLAMOUR SHOT WHATUP

FASHION SHOT #SELFIE

Lazy Sunday + Outfit Review

Today I had a reeeaaaally unproductive day. Typical Sunday. I woke up around 1pm, watched two movies and a bunch of old Law & Order SVU episodes. I think I ate a sandwich too. Classic Rebeca. In an effort to withdraw myself from the staleness of my room, I promised my friend Gemma (also known as G-Pearl) that I'd meet her at the train station. She was away in Nantes for the weekend. 

I wore: 

A Sheep-skin jacket I bought in Buenos Aires, Argentina

A pair of coral DKNY jeans
A black generic tank top
A sheer black button-up shirt I bought at a charity shop in Perigueux
A dark red sweater too old to remember where I got it. Oh, actually I am 99% sure it's from Liz Clairborne

My smelly Bass boat shoes

Style: #OLDLADYCHIC

Outfit Review

Salut les amis,

Today I went on a tour of the medieval part of town. It was lovely, I will post the pictures soon. The weather was quite mild so I ditched my coat and stepped out wearing a Canadian Tuxedo topped with a warm wool jumper from H&M. The jeans and shirt are too old to remember where I got them. The shoes are Bass and they kinda make my feet smell bad but I think it's because I wet them once in a puddle and they never really dried. Other than that, the shoes look cool and that's all that matters. Plus, no one would ever tell you to your face that your feet smell - because of politeness or the possibility that the smell was coming from their own feet.

Sweet life in Perigood

Bonjour les amis,

Today I am writing (as I will be for the next six months) from the wonderful town of Perigueux, located in one France's top gastronomic regions: the Dordogne. I have been chilling here in since October, working as an English Assistant in three primary schools. In practice, my role has become more that of a teacher than an assistant and the work - although rewarding - is harder than I expected. But more on that later...

Before coming to Perigueux, I was in Toronto for a month after living in New York for the whole summer. I was very sad to leave NYC and Toronto. To say that I was not excited to come to france would have been an understatement at that time. But I packed my bags, said goodbye to my friends and family and embarked in my France adventure. In retrospect, I think I was not necessarily as sad as I was really scared to be so far away from everyone and everything I knew.

Everything has turned out pretty great until now. When I first arrived in Perigueux, I couchsurfed with a lovely French family for a little under a week. My boss helped me find small but cozy and bright studio in the centre of town. Location, location, location. I am close to the Cathedral, which is beautiful, and a lot of shops and restaurants. I share the floor with another assistant and this French girl who is really nice except that she is really racist. Definitely more on that on another post...

A view of the cathedral from across the bridge

In terms of my job, the three primary schools I work out have been welcoming and for the most part, I think the kids are enjoying my lessons and learning. It's hard work, but I least I only work 3 days a week so I really should not complain!

I have met all of the other primary and secondary school English, Spanish, and German assistants and so far they constitute the entirety of my social/friend group BUT obviously I am in a quest to find a lot of french friends (I think all of us are). I feel very lucky because there are a lot of us here and everyone is nice, interesting, and mostly excited about France and travelling.

I feel so silly - foolish, even - for having had such low expectations of Perigueux and of what this experience would be. It's kind of liberating though, to not have to live up to any standards.