hey all!!!

It's a beautiful sunny day in Narbonne. My battle with the french bureaucracy is really advancing! I think I completed about 5 multi-page forms yesterday at my training in Carcassonne. Unfortunately there was a set back in getting a phone though. I have to have a french credit card or cheques to order to get one (among other papers I have already, like my passport ???!!) and the fastest those will arrive apparently is 8 business days. So still no phone, sorry guys. However I'm feeling optimistic.....I shall prevail in the battle of the paperwork!!!
Tonight is party night for the assistants. One nice outcome of my training day for my assistant job was I got to meet the other assistants in Narbonne. We are all girls! There are 2 assistants for middle school and 3 for elementary school, from United States, New Zealand, Canada and Colombia (spanish assistant). So we're meeting for dinner (the other Canadian from Quebec is hosting us) then going for drinks. My predication: much wine consumed. ;)
Tomorrow Otalia and I are picking up our couch from the store! Instead of getting it delivered which costs like 50 bucks, we're borrowing a truck from the store (free, yay!!) and I may be driving it back to our apartment. I truly hope not though because automatic cars don't exist in France. That's way too wimpy for the French. They like to feel like race car drivers. I haven't driven a standard vehicle for years, especially not a big truck!!! So I have asked this English guy I know (thank you Will!!) to drive the truck for us and he has tentatively (although not very enthusiastically) agreed. I didn't mention helping us lug it up the 2 flights of windy stairs to our apartment but lucky for him, that's also included!! It actually requires some assembly so it shouldn't be too bad. All the furniture we bought, we bought quite cheap from this big Superstore-like store called Carrefour. It all needs assembly so that's how I'll spend tomorrow afternoon most likely. Then Saturday night I'm going to the movies with Otalia and her friends.
Monday I start my job, just observing the classes for the first week though. My classes are all huge, like 25 plus students. I'm getting excited about teaching kids again though. I really want to go to the beach Sunday. I don't know though. we'll see......talk to you soon! jessica