La fin de 2010

Here we are, I had my last lesson before Christmas today. I thought it would be the last one of the year but it won't be. This reflects how the year has been: very busy. Better than 2009, 2008 and 2007.

This year, the City has seen dozens of new tall buildings - I love watching them grow - numerous corners hidden by building works to undercover a beautiful new buidling, a new shopping centre, like the 'One new chance' between Bank and St Paul's stations. It's funny, I was there on the opening day, but never went back. I just don't think about it. When I think 'shopping', I don't think about this place, and it's not because it's far from me, non non non!

We have also seen all these empty shops from the recession reopening under new names. Therefore, we now have new places to grab lunch from, and many are of the healthy kind, a new Daunt bookshop (I just fell in love), a Paperchase (the best for notebooks, journals and diaries as far as I'm concerned), as well as new clothes and shoe shops. Jones is still there, I wonder why, I've been quite disappointed by their shoes, I would like to see Minelli or San Marina in the City. One can dream.

I confirm cupcakes, Prêt-à-manger, sushis, Cafe Nero and Costa Cafe are still popular. But I don't go to Starbucks anymore. I fell out of love ages ago. The same for the gym. I couldn't bear to give my money anymore to FF, they didn't deserve me. And I lost weight. Girls, you don't need to go to the gym to lose weight/be fit. The streets are all yours to run/walk free and you can treat yourself to cheap evening classes in your local Public Hall, whose money will go to an individual instead of a big company who clearly doesn't care about you.

This year was also the snowiest I've ever seen in London, that's been wonderful to see, days of white landscapes to drive through, watch through the train windows, when I could get a train, eh oui. That was the problem: snow and trains don't mix (well). So much for global warming, it's going the opposite way. I should improve (I mean) start my 'Skype' teaching. It is the future. If you want lessons, please contact me. I do take on new motivated students.

Starting to learn a new language is a great new year's resolution, you're going to learn about a new culture, make your brain do some gymnastics and have the satisfaction of conversing in French, Italian, Spanish, Greek, what's your pick?

Snow back to reality

Today, I can't travel to my lessons, the trains are down. So life begins again! Because life isn't all about work, although it looks like it way too often.

So this is what I'm doing on a such an unusual day: taking pictures (send them to: papa, soeur, not maman, because maman has said 'no' to technology, and that includes mobile phones)*, ringing family, being dad's geek on the phone - I'm his helpine, and I'm no geek - reading a few 'Le Nouvel Observateur' articles from my October issue, Facebook talking with friends in Switzerland and New Zealand.

The first didn't have a busy day at her office job and talked about her move to London in the next few years, and the second one was finishing her 'mum of two' day on the other side of the world. With both, we ended up talking about languages: with the latter, her oldest is bilingual, mixes languages and makes very funny sentences with bits of French and English. With S, it was about Québécois, Swiss and French expressions, art, love and the future.

With N, we also talked about her other-half progress in French. Not an easy task for our boyfriend to learn such a language!

Snow gets people talking, it's unusual, pretty and peaceful. It forces us to stop and contemplate.

It makes strangers talk in the trains, stations, near snowmen.

There is always the one living in 20°C temperatures who sends her compassion because, where she is, it's 25°C. Well, I'm happy to be with the snow to be honest, it's a lot rarer than 25°C! We will get this next year. It's something to look forward to. Like snow in November, how cool is this?

Daily life

What is the life of a City tutor?

Getting ready in the morning, vite vite! I can't miss this train or there won't be another one before 15/20 minutes, and I can't have that. In the train, it's make-up time, email and text checking. Who has cancelled? Who wants to change their lesson day or time? Who is ill? Who can't be bothered so will use a bad excuse? Never mind, if it's a late cancellation, I am paid. Fair enough. I've prepared my lesson, I got up for you, my first student. The worst is when you cancel and I'm already in the train, no, I don't like that. My warm bed was better.

The train is also a time to catch up with my book of the moment. It is also a moment when everything can change, as you read above. As it's email and text catching up time, one can receive very good or very bad news and then the mood of your day can change.

The good news, like today: someone has recommended you, and you have a new student in your usual teaching area the following week, awesome! Or you're received a big payment. The bad news can be: someone stops lessons, someone is ill again (this usually means 'lost motivation', inventing or making symptoms worse to cancel), someone you have recommended has messed up. That's bad news. It's all about trust and recommendations in this business. The big rule is: don't mess up, don't be badly organized with your admin, invoices, timesheets, or agencies won't call you again.

Midday: you can't eat because you're teaching. If you're lucky, you can grab a chocolate/fruit/biscuit in the reception area of a very nice company. 2pm: you're done and can not quite eat right now, as you've got a train or tube to catch: "god, que j'ai faim!!!"

2.30: in the train, ahhh, bar eating (sandwich if I'm lucky). Lovely. Drink, email/text check: no big news, great. Nice rest.

3pm: home, lunch? Opening proper mail (yes, with real envelopes), parcels...Collecting the parcels delivery people have left at the door, what do they think they're doing?

4-7pm: evening lessons, this is when you teach in homes, small houses, big houses, mansions, teenagers, children, usually learning for exams, or adults learning for pleasure, love or business.

When I say 'learning for love', I mean learning a language to communicate with the person's partner's family. Christmas is coming, that's important. Imagine spending 3 days in your partner's family without understanding anything except 'yes', 'no', 'bread', 'snails'. You're not going to enjoy the moment the same way. It can be frustrating. So people from mixed couples decide to make an effort to learn the language of the other. And what an effort it is, it's hours of personal work studying vocabulary and verbs, listening to CDs, the radio, watching films to immerse oneself in the language. Years of labour, but so rewarding.

8-11.30pm:
back home, quick dinner, emails again, there are always evening news, because that's when people have time to write (kids are in bed, that helps). Responding to new inquiries, lessons preparation for the next day. Diary updates. Some tutors don't seem to have a diary, that's insane! Paperchase is one of the best places to buy one. And I don't recommend buying any diary as it says a lot about you. Sobre, c'est mieux.

TV, invoicing, DVD catch up (rare). Swapping books on www.readitswapit.com, buying books on Amazon. And collapse in bed.