I've got 99 problems but a Bush aint one!

So maybe I've been absent for awhile. I could save you my excuses, but I'd rather shower you with them.

Reason #1: Near death experience.

I was deathly ill for about two weeks after coming back to France from Wisconsin. I have no idea what was wrong with me, but I just couldn't seem to kick it. That is, until my roommate (and miracle worker) gave me a massage and told me that every ailment starts in your head. She made me really think about things, to figure out exactly why I had worked myself into such terrible health. Needless to say, the next day I started to feel better. Call me crazy, but nothing else worked.

Reason #2: Lack of interest.

Saint Etienne in January leaves a lot to be desired. Let me be more clear. It actually has little to do with Sainté and everything to do with January. It's a cold, depressing month by comparison to other months virtually everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. There is nothing to do. Nothing to see but dead vegetation. The flu runs rampant. The days are short. The sunshine is rare. All of these sentiments are what led to me basically becoming a hermit for the month. Pretty much the only places I left my apartment to go to were school, Auchan, and the Dirty.

That being said, thank God for the Dirty. Also for Old Maid, Tarot Cards, and Snakebites to keep me warm. And thank God for La Mine with its seemingly neverending playlist of ridiculous songs. Example: "The Next Episode" by none other than Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg.

Reason #3: Lack of motivation

This might sound crazy to most, but when one works so little, it becomes increasingly difficult to force oneself to accomplish anything at all.

Reason #4: Teaching becomes "de plus en plus chiant"

My job is obnoxious. It is February and I still don't know any of the students, aside from the ones that I've officially kicked out of my classes FOREVER. Because I literally see these kids for 25 minutes every two weeks, I sometimes do the same lesson twenty times for two weeks straight. Also, my job is pointless. Every lesson I do with these students has no purpose other than to get them to speak. However, because I have no idea what they are doing in their *ACTUAL* English classes, my lessons are completely random and arbitrary. There is no context, thus no point. The students like me for the most part, sure. What's not to like when '25 minutes with the assistant' meant the same to them as 'Let's goof off for 25 minutes and see how much French she can REALLY understand.' FRUSTRATING to say the least.


Enough of my complaining. Besides, what is there to complain about? Starting today I'm on vacation until February 24th!