Martinique is REAL!


More news from the front. I've gotten a series of e-mails from the French government this week. One informing me of the colleagues who will be doing the same job as me in different communes of Martinique, and a few others which included contact lists of past assistants and the assistants who are teaching Spanish, and not English. There are going to be people from all over the world. Lots from Spain, Ireland and England. I also got an e-mail in which I received my contract for 7 months and in which I received the names of the schools were I'll be teaching and the teachers who I will be assisting. I sent them both e-mails immediately. My french is slightly rusty and I'm reaching for words sometimes, but it usually comes back after a little bit.

I'll be dividing my time between two schools. I'll find out when I get there what my schedule for the schools will be. I'm teaching at 2 Lycées Professionels (Professional High Schools) so basically they are specialized educations for certain faculties. The schools are called the LP Dillon and the LP Bateliere. They are located in the busiest part of the island: Fort-de-France (the capital of Martinique) and Schoelcher which is a suburb of FDF. See map to make sense of the city names. Pointe du Bout is the tourist capital. So at the very least, I'll be in a place where there are things going on. It might even be a little bit beautiful.

I'm getting really excited and now having an actual physical locale on the island, it's becoming more real. I'm hoping to purchase plane tickets before August and then it's locked in. September 27th I'm expected to report to the island and the adventure begins. We're to go through 3 days of training and bureaucracy while spending our nights at a campsite in Ste. Luce (very southern part of the island near Diamant). Should be a good time to meet people.

I'm still fluctuating between opposites, fear and excitement. The best word is probably anxious. In French, anxious means scared as well as excited and it is derived from the latin anxius which means uneasiness of mind. My mind is uneasy; it's either chomping at the bit and ready to board the plane, or hesitant and unsure of moving forward. But I'll get there. Some great lyrics in parting:

I'm ready
Ready for what's next
Ready to duck
Ready to dive
Ready to say
I'm glad to be alive
I'm ready
Ready for the push

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