Parent-Teacher Conference

So the Maternelle (nursery) part of the school held its first parent-teacher night today. PY and I were model parents, showing up on time and sitting close to front, me with my notebook and pen in hand, ready for some all-important information about what and how our baby daughter is doing at school. She is in Toute Petite Section (for 2-1/2 year and 3 year olds)

Here is what we learned of what she is doing:

8:30 - 8:45 Settling in

8:45 - 9:15 Free play

9:15 - 9:30 Toilet time

9:30 - 9:40 Table activity (stickering, drawing, etc)

9:40 - 10:00 Story time

10:00 - 10:10 Travel up to the English room

10:10 - 10:30 English song and dance and rhymes

10:30 - 10:50 Free play

10:50 - 11:20 Recess (not sure how this differs with Free play)

11:20 Lunch

1:20 - 1:30 Toilet time

1:30 - 3:00 Nap time

3:00 - 3:50 Free play and clean-up

3:50 - 4:20 Recess

4:20 Get ready for "mamans"

4:30 Pick up

Nice life! Not sure why kids cling to their parents at drop-off. I would love a day like this, no?

As to HOW Manolee is doing - well, apparently pretty good for a girl who still mixes English and French. Apparently she is great in the English session, always the first to answer the teacher right away, and apparently, the teacher sees this as providing the other children something to aspire to! Go Baby!

Germaphobia in France?

What strikes me during my many many trips to various retail stores in France is how the cashiers do not hand over your receipt and change directly to your hand - no, they have this little plastic tray on the counter and that is where these things are supposed to go. Out of habit, I always stick out my hand, expecting the slight pressure of coins and receipt in return - but NO the cashiers aptly ignore this outstretched hand and invariably drop the said coins and receipt on the tray.

Hmmmm. Am miffed by this experience, which happens over and over again. Is it that they have  germs on their hands that they do not wish to transmit to their customers (it's true, I do not see butchers or patissiers or such people using gloves anywhere! And they handle money!), or is it that they think I look suspiciously germ-ridden? Hmmmmm indeed. It's one of these local customs that takes some time getting used to.

Going once! Going Twice! It's Ours!!

I participated in my first non-ebay auction today... for a car! We had gone the day before to see what cars would be on offer - I do not drive manual so we were on a hunt for an automatic - and there was indeed a very nice looking automatic Renault with little mileage on it - there were actually two automatic cars - out of 600! We looked at it and sat in it and turned it on; the car felt nice and as automatic cars come up so rarely, we decided to go for it.

The estimation of the car's value was at 6500 euros, and PY and I decided that we would bid up to 7600 - since the French equivalent of the Kelley Blue Book had its value at around 8500 and we had to pay 11% in fees.

The auction itself was fascinating! The cars were driven up on this stage one by one, two men with mikes hosting the bidding - and it was all done so fast! I could sense that PY was getting a bit nervous as our car was about to turn up. The bidding started at 5500 and there were, gasp, two people who bid before us. Then PY raised his hand at 6200 - - and the car was ours!!

How cool is that? We now own a fairly decent car! Our first car with air conditioning! Our first car with a CD player! Our first car with collision detection radar! Our first car that is mildly clean that we can see through the windows really well! We've only ever owned junk cars so this is a BIG deal for us! Totally psyched!

Of course we were not allowed a test drive, and we had to leave the car at the auction house until we get our insurance, so here is hoping that it ain't a lemon!

The Obligatory Bonjour/Au revoir

So the thing about shopping for me is not to get too much attention from the shop people. I like to walk in inconspicuously, browse at my leisure if I have the time, then get out quickly without much pleasantries. When I last visited Korea there were like hordes of shop people who came from all directions to greet you and follow you around, and I remember just hating that.

Walking into a store in France, any store, and the shop people always acknowledge you and say Bonjour. It's not this cacophony of greetings that bombard you when you enter a Japanese restaurant in NY, but nonetheless, a proper Bonjour aimed right at you. I used to ignore this for a long time. They are strangers and will most likely remain that way. Walking out of stores in France, the shop people will always say Au revoir, even if you just jumped in for a second to avoid someone you didn't want to run into, even if you didn't buy anything and even if you have no intention of ever coming back to the shop again. I found this strangely quaint, but also mildly annoying.

I've since learned that in France, that is what people do - say bonjour and au revoir - with eye contact, no less! It's a manner of being polite, of I guess paying the shop people some respect. 

I've not made up my mind yet whether I like all these greetings or not. But I now find myself doing it again and again, despite myself... hmmm...