“Finding a real job is my backup if I don’t get TAPIF!”

**As a side note before starting, I am NOT in Paris. I am in Dax (just NE of Bayonne if you look on the map below), which is almost on the opposite side of the country from Paris. Very close to Spain!! A large majority of people just assume that since I am in France, I am in Paris. The French do the same, though. They think that since I'm from the U.S I must be from New York.

What exactly am I doing here in France? After studying abroad in Montpellier in 2010, I knew I wanted to return to Europe. I even tried getting a summer internship in London or Dublin that following summer, but both plans fell through (although I did intern in NYC that summer!)

Chateau de Chambord, Loire Valley

My friend Laura from Tech, with whom I taught local elementary school kids French, was actually headed off to France the same time I was in 2010 to teach English to French students through TAPIF. TAPIF stands for Teaching Assistant Program in France that is run through the French Embassy with the French Ministry of Education. I had no clue what this was, even when Laura went off to do the program, however after having such an awesome time abroad, I asked her more about it and made sure to mark down the application date on my calendar.

I applied back in January, and waited an agonizing three months to hear back. In answer to the ever-annoying “so what are your plans for next year” question, I always had to reply that I was waiting, waiting, waiting… to hear back about TAPIF. I remember having a conversation with some kids from my French Lit class while on the way to our French conversation group (nerd alert!) about TAPIF. My friend Nick, who I actually was just in Iceland with, was talking about finding a real person job and I asked if he wasn’t going to do TAPIF. He said, “TAPIF is my back up if I don’t find a real job.” I stared back in shock and said, “Are you kidding me? Finding a real job is my back up if I don’t get TAPIF!” I had been looking forward to this program for well over a year at this point and I couldn’t believe that anyone would prefer to start working in the real world rather than get PAID to live in France. (I guess Nick came to his senses though, since he is now teaching in Chambery).

Provence, France

I remember quite clearly the day I found out that I was accepted. A couple weeks earlier, I stalked my friend from study abroad’s Facebook page to see when she had found out the previous year that she was accepted, which was within the first week of April. Everyone started freaking out on the TAPIF Facebook page around April 1 constantly posting if anyone knew what day we would find out or asking if anyone had received an email yet. To calm our nerves somewhat, TAPIF posted later that day saying we would find out on that Wednesday. I was anxiously checking my email constantly through out the day and after what seemed like an eternity, I received an email around 4 pm while studying in Torg Bridge that I was accepted!! I wanted to scream and run around in celebration, but of course Torg is a quiet study area. I was so excited I almost started crying. And of course I immediately updated my Facebook status.

Finding out was quite a relief since I was getting nervous about my plans for the following year. I could finally sneer in peoples’ faces that YES I HAD A JOB LINED UP FOR AFTER GRADUATION! Just kidding I didn’t sneer.

Versailles, France

The way TAPIF works is when you apply you rank your top choice from 3 columns. They put all the popular destinations – Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lyon, Montpellier, Strasbourg – in the same column so you can only choose one (although I did meet someone who said he put Lyon, Lyon, Lyon as his top 1, 2 & 3 choices. And guess what? He got Lyon.) I decided to rank Bordeaux as my top region, followed by Caen and Dijon. I didn’t really have any rhyme or reason – Bordeaux and Caen both bordered the sea and I had heard the Dijon region was awesome.  Anyway, I got Bordeaux, my first choice! You also had to choose whether you preferred to teach primary school or secondary school. I chose primary and got that as well.

However, the specific city placements were up to the departements, so although I found out in April that I was placed in Bordeaux, I didn’t find out until May that I was in Dax. I had never heard of Dax before I received my placement email. It was funny though, I got the email when I was actually in Bangkok and I met a Dutch kid who was part French and had a family home in the region and he told me he knew exactly where Dax was (that made one of us).

Annecy, France

I later found out that I would be teaching at two primary schools in Dax for a total of 12 hours. Many assistants find second jobs, such as tutoring in English or babysitting, which I will intend on doing.

Over the summer I intended on keeping up with my French and attending French conversation groups. I started off well and went to a French convo group I found on meetup.com and went the first week that I started my internship (it was just around the corner). And… then I didn’t end up going again. All the people were nice (except for that I awkwardly got hit on by an older man who I assumed to be gay while ordering a glass of wine at the bar- although he wasn’t part of the convo group), but the group met kind of infrequently and I ended up joining a kickball league with friends from work that occurred on the same day.

Anyway, I am already here in Dax! Just a bit late on writing these posts. So I will be writing follow-up posts soon about the city (town, really).

View of the Adour in Dax!

And one more since this is really pretty:

Champagne-Ardenne