LOST IN FRANCE
By
Rita Clements Lee
Published by Rita Clements Lee
at Smashwords
Copyright 2011 Rita Clements Lee
Cover by
Rita Clements Lee
Copyright 2011
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LOST IN FRANCE
By
Rita Clements Lee
1969/70 Aged 21
ALBI
NOVEMBER
Everyone’s been so kind here – it’s wonderful – I’m really enjoying it. Last Sunday I went out with Mme G (the Headmistress), her daughter and her husband. It was unbelievable – like a fairytale. The sky was so blue. It was quite warm and the colours were so vivid. The old farm (now a weekend cottage) was on the top of a hill – great big old-fashioned hearth – we collected chestnuts in nearby woods, lit a log fire and sat around roasting and eating them. Down below was the really ancient little village, which we visited – fabulous. Then we went to Cordes, a really medieval village set right on the top of a hill, a stronghold of all kinds of craftsmen – weavers, artists, sculptors.
I’ve been ‘teaching’ (messing about with the kids) for over a week now. They haven’t got a separate room for me. I’ve got a corner of a great big room. The ‘femmes de service’ (women who help to keep the kids in order) walk in and out at liberty. It’s rather difficult. However, they’ve got a little screen for me now. Anyway, I always tell the kids as they traverse the great big room in single file that we are going to England. I’m going to put a picture of the Queen up tomorrow. God! It’s funny.
A lot of them run up to me now and say ‘Hello Miss’ (or ‘goodbye Miss’ instead of ‘hello’ miss) but never mind. They seem to be enjoying themselves and so am I although one class is rather difficult. I repeat an English word – ‘cat’ ‘walk’ and they continue chanting it as though they were at a football match, insist on standing up when I say sit down and vice versa. When I tell them to jump the noise is enough to bring the roof down – when they lose interest (after 2 or 3 minutes) they start squirming all over the floor – still…
Of course I drink wine with my dinner so I return at 2 0 clock - slightly - you know what I can be like when I’m slightly tipsy – so in the afternoon things get even more chaotic!
I am also going to go – starting tomorrow to an ‘Ecole Normale’ (equivalent of Teacher Training College) – well, to the ‘Ecole Maternelle’ there affiliated to the college. There is another English girl there from the ‘Ecole Primaire’ and a French teacher of English.
I go to ‘my’ school 8.30 – 10.00. I cross the town and start teaching at the other school, 10.30 – 11.30. I can get my dinner at the Ecole Normale cheaply with other teachers and assistants. There is another English girl there teaching English in an ‘Ecole Primaire’ as I mentioned before who is engaged to a Frenchman, a German girl, Italian girl and a girl from Andorra besides the native French teachers.
The reception staff seemed very nervous and the all girl college students burst out in spasmodic hysterical giggling in the dining room. I arrive back at my school at 2.00 and continue there until 4.00. Then I go for a walk and go back ‘home.’ I am living in a bungalow with Mlle C, a retired teacher friend of Mme G. Her fiancé was killed in the war and she never married. She tells me Mme G was very active in the resistance helping to blow bridges up and such like! I actually do some preparation for the next day’s lessons, read, listen to the radio and watch tele.
Yesterday it was raining and really ‘Englishyfied’ but today it was beautiful – made my heart sing! Don’t know if I’m getting paid this month though and I’m down to my last franc.
DECEMBER
Non-stop excitement today – even saw Father Christmas! Thank you for the slippers – they are lovely and warm – just what I needed actually – Mlle C lent me some because I’m not allowed to tramp around the house in shoes. Every time I look at my feet I’ll think of you.
Went to school Saturday 8.30 – 10.00 and then the ‘Maison des Jeunes’ for dinner which is a youth establishment which provides cheap meals. It’s mostly chick-peas and some kind of very chewy meat. I think it’s horsemeat. The other Saturday I couldn’t chew some of it enough to swallow it so had to surreptitiously put it in my handkerchief! It is just opposite the school. I intended to go for a long walk in the countryside. I mean that’s what I wanted to do. A friend’s mother caught sight of me – ‘Come in!’ – spent two hours talking with her, her friend and her sister – there was a rugby match on tele – England /South Africa. England won! I love France.
I’d arranged to meet my Spanish/French pals (who I met at the Maison des Jeunes) in the café at 2.00 – we were going to go to a gorgeous little village surmounted by the ruins of an old castle – to a motocross place. At 2.15 I couldn’t be bothered to wait any longer – just wait till I see them tomorrow – I’ll thump them all. Anyway it was such a beautiful day I decided to walk to Castilnau motocross – quite safe to walk round here – lot of cars – talked to a couple of French blokes along the way and was given a cigar!
When I arrived there was quite a lot of people there but no cars ‘doing’ the moto course. I met a Frenchman of my acquaintance who speaks extremely good English with a Swedish au pair girl (who spoke little English) and they offered to take me back to Albi in their car. We drove round the countryside and back to Albi where we walked round the gardens of the Cathedral. It really is gorgeous here. I do so wish you were here to share it all with me.
Apropos the arranged café meeting – apparently one of them arrived at 2.45 expecting everyone else to be there – everyone else had some excuse or other. God! The moon is so beautiful tonight. Anyway we’re all supposed to be meeting (it takes them about an hour to come to any decision - I just wait calmly until they’ve finished ranting and arguing) at 9.00 tomorrow evening for drinks.
I’m reading an extremely interesting, impartial, frank and truthful book about Vietnam by an Austrian who seems to have been an active observer in what goes on, on both sides – Vietcong and American. It’s in French of course and interesting and appalling at the same time.
Nearly out of cash again. I don’t think they’re ever going to pay me – they might the 5th January.
A – Ah yawn yawn – I’m sleepy. Two of us turned up last night and I ended up going with a group of people I’d never met before but quickly got to know. At 10 pm our two cars set off at top speed for Valence – some 17 miles away. There we danced until 3 am whereupon we went for a gorgeous nosh up – lots of wine – things were pretty merry! They were a great crowd. Most of them knew a smattering of English. One of them had picked some English up from records. He kept shouting and singing. ‘Hey, English woman ‘let’s spend the night together.’
Anyway we finished guttsing and boozing at 5.30 am and went back to Albi to one of the girls’ flats – drank champagne and listened to a record of English Christmas carols. I sat on the floor by the record player quite oblivious to everything singing ‘Jingle bells’ and ‘Good King Wenceslas’ to my hearts content. They kept shaking me and telling me to shut up as there were people in the flat above. I staggered into bed feeling quite pleased with myself at 7.30 this morning.
I was up at 12 noon – had something to eat – listened to the radio and then went for a long walk. I had a look at the Camping Site around here – it’s quite nice. The Municipal swimming pool is just at the side. Anyway, when you come we’ll decide whether we want to stay in Albi or go elsewhere.
Ha! Ha! Ha! Had to have your beard shaved off! I bet your mother was pleased – and so I am I – don’t bother growing it again – besides Mme G. (the Headmistress) says you can’t come to France with a beard – the French don’t like beards – so there!
I received a letter this morning from the French Education Authority. I ‘might’ (well, I sincerely hope there is a possibility) be able to go to the bank and get a bit of cash. They sent me a form to fill in to send by return of post – hitch – I don’t know my social security number yet so I’ll have to go to Social Security on Monday. They’d better give me some money soon or I’ll be reduced to begging or worse!
It was really dismal today. I walked up a hill kicking a stone and walked back down again doing the same thing. Sunday not worth mentioning. I spent the day ‘starving.’ I went to Social Security. It was pandemonium with jostling, shouting, pushing, gesticulating crowds. Luckily. I was rescued by someone who recognised me, (a relative of Mlle C’s neighbour, who works there) and pointed me in the right direction.
Dull and dismal here again – please take the next plane over here. I’ll meet you in Toulouse tomorrow – ok? Well – I can dream can’t I? It’s funny – they’re crazy about England here really. In the café they play English pop records nearly all the time.
There are lots of English films on the tele. There’s a film about the ‘private goings on’ of the royal family on tele this week – always something about English goings on in the magazines. Pop groups imitate English pop groups – learn English songs off by heart in English.
As soon as people find out I am English I tend to find myself the centre of attraction. I don’t half have them on. I told one lot I was the daughter of a rich English aristocrat – on holiday until June – and there I am in my scruffy trousers, jumper and anorak with shoes and handbag falling to bits – ditto umbrella – dying of hunger!
Borrowed another 50 francs today. Horrible day again. The meat I ate today was definitely raw – red and oozing with blood – still a starving person and all that! I kind of swallowed it – sort of ugh! Think I’ll lie down and die ……until tomorrow.