16 octobre 2008
Back to la Fac !
As if i had not enough work like that, i started teaching French to Queen's University students, once a week, each monday, from 6am to 8pm. I have 22 students, at least at the beginning, and it's not less hard than what i do each day in my official work.
Here is the Queen's University. Founded in 1845 to compete with Trinity College in Dublin. Seamus Heaney, 1995 Nobel Prize winner, Mary McAleese (Irish President 1990-97), or Liam Neeson have studied in these walls ! Of course, this is not my main building. Mine is a building a glass, plastic and concrete, behind the original building.
Comme si je n' avais pas assez de boulot comme ça, j' ai commencé lundi 13 Octobre à donner des cours de Français à la Queen's University ! J'ai 22 étudiants pour la classe de French Level A1, les lundis de 18h à 20h c' est-à-dire la classe des débutants absolus. Autant dire que ce n' est pas la sinécure qu'on peut croire.
Ca, c'est l'Université. Un petit côté Harry Potter, néanmoins moi je donne mes cours dans les bâtiments modernes, derrière celui-ci. Dans ces murs ont étudié des gens aussi différents que Liam Neeson, Seamus Heaney (Prix Nobel 95) ou Mary McAleese (présidente d'Irlande de 90 à 97) Le but était de sortir un peu de mon boulot et de rencontrer des natifs du coin ! Mais assez curieusement, le principal contingent de mes élèves est originaire d'Asie : Taiwan, Chine, Malaisie, Kirghiztan se disputent les chaises et sont de loin les plus motivés.
12 juin 2008
GUMTREE, DODGY and STARBUCKS COFFEE
After two days, I have found a quite nice accomodation in Belfast. Of course, i didnt want to spend too much times looking for something. From France, I had already looked for some accomodation, through a nice website called GUMTREE, where you can find ads about absolutely anything you need, in every big UK cities. Very useful and reliable.
There, i had a contact with an English guy, who finished his PhD in the Queen's University of Belfast. He is a movie buff, and an athletic guy who does sport every single day ! He had a room available in his house (one of these little bricked English house, minuscule) South of the University, and just near the Lagan river, 30 min by walk from my job offices. So, i moved in.
Belfast City Centre (around the TownHall) is quite modern. It's funny to go on every morning to work and to see everywhere other people, in suits, ties, going to work as well. Something i had never experienced really before. I even have a badge ! To enter the company premises ! Of course, i have to wear it all the time, and to show it to every single doors. Big Brother is (already) watching me ! My company is located close to the river, in a place where it was also very hot some years ago, because the Albert Bridge, which leads from one bank to another was the separation point between two hot quarters. The Left Bank is quite loyalist. And on the right bank, just facing the company office, i could see the Irish Republican flag displayed. My housemate told me it was a dodgy neighbourhood.
The best place of Belfast, is, according to me, the University district. It's really a city within the city itself, with all what you need. There are huge gardens, with impeccable lawns, shops, clubs, bars, and a cinema : the Queen Film Theatre. I happened to go there to see my first movie here : "Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?" by Morgan Spurlock. Here is my first (quite bad) pic of the University :
Oh ! And of course, Belfast definitely fits in the standard of a great booming city because it counts no less than 4 Starbucks Coffee ! Two of them are close from the recenly opened Victoria's Square, a huge mall. Take a look !
