Minor setbacks.

We finally made it to Paris yesterday! We (me, roommate Ruth, other assistant Christina, and Norman for a while as well as a Spanish teacher from another school) spent about 9 hours walking around, shopping, and freezing our butts off. It sprinkled a little mais apres il faisait beau (the weather was nice). We hung out near Notre Dame (a few people took the tour), found H&Ms galore, a Zara, and a FNAC. We walked down the Rue de Rivoli (which I had remembered from my last trip to Paris) which was filled with many shops and people. We walked by the Louvre around 5:30 pm and the light was lovely. Then we wandered through the Jardin des Tuileries. It became very windy and birds were flying everywhere. We saw some cool modern art. 

I SUMMONED THE BLACK CLOUDS

In the train window

Ye Olde Notre Dame in the morning

We carefully planned our train travel around the strikes and we returned to the Gare du Nord to buy tickets for Chauny. Because of a huge line for the SNCF ticket-buying desk, we decided to buy tickets at the machine instead. One can enter the destination info, insert one's credit card, and a ticket prints out. We didn't know that this machine would be problematic later on. Because the last train left at 7:37 pm from Paris, we had to buy the ticket for that exact departure time (this early departure time was because of the strike... you can normally leave Paris around 10:30 pm). However, there was a 2-hour "layover" in Compiege, a town not far from Chauny. This layover business is really silly because Paris is only about 90 minutes from Chauny... but it was the only option. After buying the tickets, we asked an SNCF gal to confirm that we would make it to Chauny, and she said yes. I figured we would find somewhere to hang out in Compiegne for awhile. After arriving there, we found a bar, but they weren't serving coffee or hot chocolate or Coca-Cola (only beer?). We found a different bar next door and ordered three hot chocolates (by this time it was just me, Ruth, and Christina). We spent about 1.5 hours with a bunch of weird men watching a football match. Cool. 

A bit before our train was scheduled to leave for Chauny, we walked back to the station with all of our shopping bags. The TV listing the train times didn't seem quite right, so we approached a young man working at the station. He looked amused and told us that there were no more trains to Chauny that night. We said, "Whaaaat?! But we have the tickets!" He insisted that we check the schedule during strikes (WE DID) because apparently anything goes during a strike. The machine from which we bought the tickets did not reflect the correct train times. Apparently, the train we had taken from Paris to Compiege was actually a direct train to Chauny! WHAT! We got off early and waited around at a crappy bar for no reason! The train man brought us to his (warm) office and asked if there was anyone we could call to pick us up. Norman has a car, but none of us had his French phone number. I talked with someone who works at another school in Chauny but she didn't have his number either. 

The situation improved at that moment: the train man said he would call us a taxi (and that SNCF would pay for it!) We were so indignant and our French was so choppy (because it's difficult to express anger in a foreign language) that I think he felt sorry for us. The taxi arrived within minutes and as young the train man said farewell, he added, "You are lucky! Taxis don't run very often here." Thanks, bud. He really was nice, though. He asked about being assistants and where we were teaching.

The taxi driver was cool, not very talkative but not weird either. We listened to an interesting mix of French pop and American rock hits. When he started mouthing the lyrics to "I Want To Break Free", I knew he was okay. He first dropped Christina at her place in Noyon and then Ruth and I in Chauny. It wasn't very late, only 11:15 pm, but we were exhausted (and our town was completely dead; Saturday night in Chauny is like a Tuesday night in an American suburb, but even quieter).

Then today, I called SFR (the internet people) to request a technician. It is very hard to understand a mumbly Frenchman on the telephone. Norman helped a bit and after many minutes of being on hold, we hung up. I checked my phone balance and that 22 minute phone call (including about 15 minutes of holding) cost me 13€. Cool.                                                         

Today I'm just hanging out. Sundays in Chauny are very quiet. The boulangerie is open, as are a few bars and cafes. But that is all. I cooked up some vegetables (again with the brussels sprouts, zucchinis, and potatoes) and ate them with a little emmental (a type of cheese). It was tasty. I took photos of my food but most people think that's weird. Tonight I will do a little planning for the week. I will have my first students this week! Just me and them! In a room together! Speaking English. I hope they don't put my dry-erase markers on a ledge where I can't reach them.