There are good days and there are bad days. Today when my writing prof handed me back my argumentation with a score of 15 on it and told me "Not your best" I was about to swear that today was going to be one of those bad days.
And then Anick also handed back our critique. Mine had a 19 written on the top as well as a "bon travail" written in red ink and I began to rethink the whole "It's going to be a bad day" thing. The rest of writing class passed in a blur of daydreams and basking in the rare Nantes sunlight streaming in through the windows with a brief period of confusion about the use of the gérondif.
Before I knew it I was sitting in my French oral class trying my best to listen for answers to the listening comprehension in the recording over the scratching of pencils and pens as the other students wrote their answers. After the exercise we were given the choice to have the exercise graded or to have it count as a class activity - I was 1 of 4 to select having it count as a grade even though I knew that half my answers were wrong. Still the prof decided to go over the proper responses to the questions with us for the remainder of the class, each time playing the conversation, asking us for responses and then writing the proper one on the board.
There was one question - something about what one is able to do at a particular pool in Paris that can't be done anywhere else - that was met with only silence. Finally I decided to try my answer and said, "On peut jouer à la caisse sub-aquatique." Okay, the answer was techincally "On peut jouer aux caisses subaquatiques." but still the prof seemed kind of shocked that I managed to give her the answer, even going so far as saying to the other students that she hadn't expected them to get it because it was hard to hear, hard to know, and easily lost. Then she turned and looked at me and said, "Good for you. Chapeau."
I've never been told chapeau before - the French equivalent to our "My hat's off to you" and, as is the custom with French compliments, a more concise one - so being told that today made me feel what can only be described as giddy and it's quite possible that I may have giggled a little. And the fact that it was Marion, my oral teacher, who said it to me only made everything better. She is 1 of the 2 profs I have this semester that I have the absolute hardest time reading - some days she seems to like me, others no. So receiving the compliment seemed like a strong nod toward the former and I just went with it.
Which brings me to the other prof I have the hardest time reading: my economy and society prof. Since she won't be able to attend class the day we return from break she has decided to make us meet for 2 1-hour classes these past 2 weeks much to our dismay. But since these classes aren't at their appointed time it means that we have been forced to find out own room and the one chosen happens to have a class in it that ends right before we need to use it. This week that class ran over slightly and she took the opportunity to talk to me, asking me when I was leaving France. We talked for about 5 minutes, casual things that probably won't matter tomorrow, but still it seemed to change things. I realized standing there that she didn't hate me as I may have once feared, it's just her mien.
So I guess today might have been a good day. And to to think I almost gave up on it a few minutes too early.
And then Anick also handed back our critique. Mine had a 19 written on the top as well as a "bon travail" written in red ink and I began to rethink the whole "It's going to be a bad day" thing. The rest of writing class passed in a blur of daydreams and basking in the rare Nantes sunlight streaming in through the windows with a brief period of confusion about the use of the gérondif.
Before I knew it I was sitting in my French oral class trying my best to listen for answers to the listening comprehension in the recording over the scratching of pencils and pens as the other students wrote their answers. After the exercise we were given the choice to have the exercise graded or to have it count as a class activity - I was 1 of 4 to select having it count as a grade even though I knew that half my answers were wrong. Still the prof decided to go over the proper responses to the questions with us for the remainder of the class, each time playing the conversation, asking us for responses and then writing the proper one on the board.
There was one question - something about what one is able to do at a particular pool in Paris that can't be done anywhere else - that was met with only silence. Finally I decided to try my answer and said, "On peut jouer à la caisse sub-aquatique." Okay, the answer was techincally "On peut jouer aux caisses subaquatiques." but still the prof seemed kind of shocked that I managed to give her the answer, even going so far as saying to the other students that she hadn't expected them to get it because it was hard to hear, hard to know, and easily lost. Then she turned and looked at me and said, "Good for you. Chapeau."
I've never been told chapeau before - the French equivalent to our "My hat's off to you" and, as is the custom with French compliments, a more concise one - so being told that today made me feel what can only be described as giddy and it's quite possible that I may have giggled a little. And the fact that it was Marion, my oral teacher, who said it to me only made everything better. She is 1 of the 2 profs I have this semester that I have the absolute hardest time reading - some days she seems to like me, others no. So receiving the compliment seemed like a strong nod toward the former and I just went with it.
Which brings me to the other prof I have the hardest time reading: my economy and society prof. Since she won't be able to attend class the day we return from break she has decided to make us meet for 2 1-hour classes these past 2 weeks much to our dismay. But since these classes aren't at their appointed time it means that we have been forced to find out own room and the one chosen happens to have a class in it that ends right before we need to use it. This week that class ran over slightly and she took the opportunity to talk to me, asking me when I was leaving France. We talked for about 5 minutes, casual things that probably won't matter tomorrow, but still it seemed to change things. I realized standing there that she didn't hate me as I may have once feared, it's just her mien.
So I guess today might have been a good day. And to to think I almost gave up on it a few minutes too early.
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