I started my job yesterday, and it was very pleasant :)
I had no idea how much goes on behind the scenes of a library! There are various different staff, all of whom are very welcoming, friendly and kind. I was shown around the library and its all a bit complicated! There is even a cellar with old archives in, and to get to it you have to go down a very scary and questionable lift!
In the morning I will be doing mainly translation activities, admin etc, and after lunch I spend the afternoons on the welcome desk, handling loans and returns, answering the phone, dealing with students questions, putting books back... Today I even had to go round with a list of books which were supposedly missing, and check to see if they were there or not! Was rather tedious. Every now and then someone will come and ask me for help with an English email or something which they have written, so its nice to feel responsible and trusted with something! I feel I am going to have a good year there. The staff keep banging on about the previous 'stagiaire' who was a Scottish girl called Mareaid, I can't hear enough about how 'gentille' and 'travailleuse' she was, and whenever I ask a question they will almost always start with ' well when Mareaid was here...' Seems I have some shoes to fill! But I am equally as nice and hard working, they'll see!
Some of the staff have been taking me for lunch too which is sweet, we get to eat in the staff canteen oh la la. Its no different though!
Work is usually 9-5 with an hours lunch. Some days I have to start at half ten to finish at half seven. Its annoying because I can't just pop into town during lunch or go to someones office about something, because everywhere pretty much shuts down between 12 and 2, and if I want dinner before the canteen closes I dont really have much time to do anything worth while once I have finished work. Anyway, I must say, as I was walking back from work today, handbag on my arm, heels clattering against the tiles along the corridor,I really felt the part. It occurred to me that actually, its not bad here at all. I am enjoying my work placement so far, the campus grounds are actually beautiful, food is good, accommodation is free and I am getting more used to it, I am exposed to French every day, I am getting on well and bonding with my neighbour- Bentsi. We meet for dinner with the intention of sitting with other people but always chicken out and sit by ourselves! :( and walk to work together as he works too. An Irish girl called Julie arrived today and she seems really nice too, she is also doing an internship! So thats three of us so far!
Last night Bentsi and I ventured out to see if there was any student stuff happening as we feel a bit out of the loop since we are not technically students so we don't really know whats going on! But it turns out there was a social including speed dating!! Haha, obviously I did it and met 5 Germans in the process, so yet more English speaking rather than French practise! But we mingled more and met some more people. There are other activities on this week to which we'll try and go to, but most of them start before we finish work- including a trip to Paris on Friday night!! Gutted I'll miss it, but theres plenty of time for all that!
I went on a little exploration run yesterday evening, and stumbled across the chateau and lake on campus- stunningly beautiful! I had to stop to take it all in, it was beautiful. Playing fields nearby too for sports. The gym here is free which is cool, but its ever so tiny and without aircon so its like a sauna in there!
I am definitely feeling more positive about things and determined to make the most of my time here. I'll do a bit more shopping and socialising this weekend hopefully. And I need to be more confident with speaking French. I am learning new words every day which is good, its just my grammar which is a bit all over the place!
Sorry that these blogs are so long! I talk a lot in real life so, you know!
Dont start untill half ten tomorrow so get a bit of a lie in at least!
Bonne nuit mes amis
Bisous xxx
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