My observations thus far have been filtered by my jet-lagged and displaced perception, and as anyone who has known me for even a small amount of time can attest, my powers of observation are pretty limited anyway. With so many new things to see, however, I can’t help but have noticed a few things about my surroundings.
First off, I’m teaching at two schools in Fronton, a town about half an hour north of Toulouse and well into the French countryside. I don’t start working until next week, so I’ve only seen each school for a few hours, but my first impression is that they have much in common with American schools. Both schools have about 1,000 students, which is over capacity; both schools use portables and the high school is heavily under construction. The subjects were also familiar: English, Spanish, French, economics, geography, biology, math, etc. The one aspect that seemed foreign to me was the lunch served at the cafeteria. Instead of the greasy piece of pizza or chicken nuggets or deli sandwich with chips I would expect, I had salmon with boiled vegetables, a choice of salad or fresh fruit, and a choice of yogurt, melon, or tart for dessert. Plus the obligatory French roll. And when I mentioned it to a class I was introduced to later, the students complained about the quality of food. I hope I am so spoiled by the time I leave.
I have made two trips into Toulouse, and I have more say about it than I could elegantly cram into one blog post, so I’ll stick to a few highlights. It is important to mention in recounting my Toulouse adventures that they’re having an unusually hot September here, and it has been in the eighties and sunny the vast majority of this week. The metro is the primary system of transportation downtown, and it is very convenient, but in the afternoon the heat packed between bodies is almost suffocating. There is much to see within walking distance of the mairie (the capital building), however, including the beautiful Basilique St. Sernin and the botanical garden, not to mention the mairie itself. The broad river Garonne runs along downtown, and the buildings remind me of those in Paris – about five stories, with tall windows and little wrought-iron balconies – except in Toulouse they are largely made of brick or pink and orange stone. The effect, especially in the big avenues lined with trees, is quite beautiful in the sunlight. I will be very pleased when I have found an apartment and I can spend more energy exploring this city!
