The school's cafeteria is actually quite good. Meals are 2.22€ a piece as of April 2009. They serve breakfast from 7:15-7:45 Tuesday-Friday, Lunch from around 11am to about 2pm Monday-Friday, and Dinner from 6:45-7:30 Monday-Thursday. Seriously, the food isn't bad. There have been quite a few nights where they have served mystery meat, which turns out to be quite good. They tend to have quite a variety as well. In order to fill up your meal card, go to see the meal-card guy whose office is right near Madame Elizabeth's. You will know you have the right guy, because he shakes hands with his left hand. You can pre-pay for the meals, or write your name down in a notebook by the turn-style in the cafeteria and then just pay for the meals you've taken over time. You do not need to wait in the line with the students! We did this for a few weeks until the surveillants told us we could cut the line.
04 April, 2009
People to Know
Here are a few people that you should know in the school (non-teachers).
Madame Elizabeth
She works in the "Intendance" which is responsible for making all non-academic aspects of the school run properly. If you have any problems unrelated to teaching, such as "there is a funny noise coming from this locked room!" you go to her. She will make the right calls to the right people to get pretty much anything done. At the beginning of the year, there was no toilet seat on one of our toilets. I went down to her office one day around noon to let her know that we'd like a spare toilet seat, and within a few hours there was a fresh new toilet seat. You will meet Madame Elizabeth the day you arrive in Vire, as she is the one who is in charge of the building keys.
Les Secréteriats
The secretaries' office is across the hall from the proviseur. The secretary whose desk is on the right as you walk in, Bridgitte is very helpful. She is the one to go to with any administrative questions regarding the paperwork you will have to do. There is quite a bit of paperwork to do, however, each form asks 90% questions about your spouse, kids, and previous employment, which you don't need to fill out! The medical stuff is confusing. You are always covered, and will always be reimbursed (by sending in the bills), but you will not get your medical card at all before you leave. I kept getting letters saying "before you can get your Carte Vitale you need to send in these things that you definitely don't have" (such as an officially translated birth certificate). So, i just gave up. I was lucky that I never got too sick. If you ever need help with any medical things, ask Bridgitte or one of the teachers to help you, they know the system.
Filch
We're not sure of this guy's real name (the name comes from Harry Potter), but he is the creepy guy that walks around the school and grounds at night with a big flashlight making sure nobody is out of their place. He speaks a slangy version of French that I never quite got the hang of. He does not have a cat.
Surveillants
These are sort of the RAs (Resident Assistants) for the students living in the dorm. They are worthwhile to get to know, incase you come back to the school with multiple bottles of wine, they won't stop to question you. They tend to be around the same age as the assistants.
Madame Elizabeth
She works in the "Intendance" which is responsible for making all non-academic aspects of the school run properly. If you have any problems unrelated to teaching, such as "there is a funny noise coming from this locked room!" you go to her. She will make the right calls to the right people to get pretty much anything done. At the beginning of the year, there was no toilet seat on one of our toilets. I went down to her office one day around noon to let her know that we'd like a spare toilet seat, and within a few hours there was a fresh new toilet seat. You will meet Madame Elizabeth the day you arrive in Vire, as she is the one who is in charge of the building keys.
Les Secréteriats
The secretaries' office is across the hall from the proviseur. The secretary whose desk is on the right as you walk in, Bridgitte is very helpful. She is the one to go to with any administrative questions regarding the paperwork you will have to do. There is quite a bit of paperwork to do, however, each form asks 90% questions about your spouse, kids, and previous employment, which you don't need to fill out! The medical stuff is confusing. You are always covered, and will always be reimbursed (by sending in the bills), but you will not get your medical card at all before you leave. I kept getting letters saying "before you can get your Carte Vitale you need to send in these things that you definitely don't have" (such as an officially translated birth certificate). So, i just gave up. I was lucky that I never got too sick. If you ever need help with any medical things, ask Bridgitte or one of the teachers to help you, they know the system.
Filch
We're not sure of this guy's real name (the name comes from Harry Potter), but he is the creepy guy that walks around the school and grounds at night with a big flashlight making sure nobody is out of their place. He speaks a slangy version of French that I never quite got the hang of. He does not have a cat.
Surveillants
These are sort of the RAs (Resident Assistants) for the students living in the dorm. They are worthwhile to get to know, incase you come back to the school with multiple bottles of wine, they won't stop to question you. They tend to be around the same age as the assistants.
Kitchen in the Lycée Marie Curie Internat
There is a kitchen for the assistants' use! Normally, it will just be the assistants who use it, but every once in a while the BTS students (who stay only Monday nights) will come in and warm something up in the microwave. The kitchen consists of a large refrigerator, a kettle, a hot-plate, a microwave, and an "oven" that's more like a large toaster oven. The kitchen is fairly well stocked with pots, pans, plates, cups, mugs, silverware, etc. The hotplate is kind of a pain to use. The dials are completely misaligned so you never know if it's as hot as it can be. It functions best when nothing else is being used (oven, microwave).
Important note about the fridge: There are 2 buttons on the top of the fridge, on the outside. The left one turns the light on and off inside the fridge, that on isn't a big deal. The right one, however, if you push it, it will de-ice the freezer. By de-ice the freezer, it shuts off the fridge until all of the ice melts, dripping over everything in the fridge and creating a huge puddle on the floor. Beware of that button. In its normal state, it should appear to be in the "out" position.
Madame Elizabeth will bug you from day one to make a list assigning kitchen cleaning duties. We made a simple list, and it turned out to be a good idea. We alternated, and when it was your "week," you had to take out the garbage that week (usually accumulated to about 2 or 3 bags, you can steal them from the cleaning ladies), sweep, and mop the floors. There was a general unspoken rule to clean up your mess after you cooked - it worked out pretty well for us. For the list, we skipped over the vacation weeks. If someone was assigned to clean a week they were in Italy, then the list isn't very effective now, is it?
Important note about the fridge: There are 2 buttons on the top of the fridge, on the outside. The left one turns the light on and off inside the fridge, that on isn't a big deal. The right one, however, if you push it, it will de-ice the freezer. By de-ice the freezer, it shuts off the fridge until all of the ice melts, dripping over everything in the fridge and creating a huge puddle on the floor. Beware of that button. In its normal state, it should appear to be in the "out" position.
Madame Elizabeth will bug you from day one to make a list assigning kitchen cleaning duties. We made a simple list, and it turned out to be a good idea. We alternated, and when it was your "week," you had to take out the garbage that week (usually accumulated to about 2 or 3 bags, you can steal them from the cleaning ladies), sweep, and mop the floors. There was a general unspoken rule to clean up your mess after you cooked - it worked out pretty well for us. For the list, we skipped over the vacation weeks. If someone was assigned to clean a week they were in Italy, then the list isn't very effective now, is it?
Internat at Lycée Marie Curie
Most likely, you will be living in the school's dorm, called the Internat. The internat at the high school houses approximately 300 students, and there are also the assistants, a few teachers, and some administration. However, the assistants are the only ones that stay in the school over the weekends and vacations.
The dorm has 2 sections which are approximately identical in size. One section has 3 levels (floors 0-2). The other section, where the assistants stay, has 4 levels (floors 0-3) and the 4th level (floor 3) is almost exclusively for the assistants. The hallway is also shared by a professor who stays during the weeknights and a group of BTS students who live there only on Monday nights. The assistants rooms all tend to be grouped together at the end of the hallway. There is a wide section at the end of the hallway that quickly becomes the hang-out area for the assistants. There is a computer with internet and a printer, some chairs, a phone (can't call out of the school though), and a white board (installed this year, very handy). The rooms themselves are a decent size. The way they come arranged at the beginning of the year I found to be a bit non-logical, and in the way that leaves the least open space possible. None of the furniture is glued to the floor - go ahead and move it how you wish. Each room comes with 2 (or 1) armoir closet, a desk, a bed, a shelving unit that's meant to go behind the bed, and usually some variation of chairs and tables. There is also a bathroom that consists of a shower and a sink. There are 2 toilets at the end of the hallway (by the entrance). Also near the toilet there are cleaning supplies/mops/brooms for cleaning your room. The cleaning ladies clean the toilets.
When you arrive you will be given 4 keys. When I arrived I was so jet lagged, and Madame Elizabeth (who i will talk about more later) was yapping away in really fast French and I was understanding approximately 1% of it. She gave me the keys, and I just said "I'll figure them out later." The keys serve the following function:
-Room Key
-Gate Key (will be silver)
-School Door Key (will be a large key)
-Interior key that separates the dorm and the school.
The first 3 keys are pretty self explanatory. The 4th key is for a special set of doors. On every floor there are doors which separate the dorm and the school. They all lock via a feature on top of the door. You have to put the key into the little key slot that's next to the door (under the "emergency-open-the-freaking-door button) and turn it to the right... or left, one will make the door "click." After you open the door, the feature on top re-locks, and it slams on the closed lock, causing the tops of all these doors to be damaged. It is quite a bad design. During the weekends and vacations, they ask that you keep the gate and the school door locked.
The dorm has 2 sections which are approximately identical in size. One section has 3 levels (floors 0-2). The other section, where the assistants stay, has 4 levels (floors 0-3) and the 4th level (floor 3) is almost exclusively for the assistants. The hallway is also shared by a professor who stays during the weeknights and a group of BTS students who live there only on Monday nights. The assistants rooms all tend to be grouped together at the end of the hallway. There is a wide section at the end of the hallway that quickly becomes the hang-out area for the assistants. There is a computer with internet and a printer, some chairs, a phone (can't call out of the school though), and a white board (installed this year, very handy). The rooms themselves are a decent size. The way they come arranged at the beginning of the year I found to be a bit non-logical, and in the way that leaves the least open space possible. None of the furniture is glued to the floor - go ahead and move it how you wish. Each room comes with 2 (or 1) armoir closet, a desk, a bed, a shelving unit that's meant to go behind the bed, and usually some variation of chairs and tables. There is also a bathroom that consists of a shower and a sink. There are 2 toilets at the end of the hallway (by the entrance). Also near the toilet there are cleaning supplies/mops/brooms for cleaning your room. The cleaning ladies clean the toilets.
When you arrive you will be given 4 keys. When I arrived I was so jet lagged, and Madame Elizabeth (who i will talk about more later) was yapping away in really fast French and I was understanding approximately 1% of it. She gave me the keys, and I just said "I'll figure them out later." The keys serve the following function:
-Room Key
-Gate Key (will be silver)
-School Door Key (will be a large key)
-Interior key that separates the dorm and the school.
The first 3 keys are pretty self explanatory. The 4th key is for a special set of doors. On every floor there are doors which separate the dorm and the school. They all lock via a feature on top of the door. You have to put the key into the little key slot that's next to the door (under the "emergency-open-the-freaking-door button) and turn it to the right... or left, one will make the door "click." After you open the door, the feature on top re-locks, and it slams on the closed lock, causing the tops of all these doors to be damaged. It is quite a bad design. During the weekends and vacations, they ask that you keep the gate and the school door locked.
Detailed maps of Vire
By clicking on the image, a large (and more clear) map of the town will pop up showing.
The greater Vire area.
Centre-Ville
This map contains many of the useful places to know in Centre-Ville such as restaurants, food shops, and some practical places as well. Click on the map to see a larger and clearer version of it.
The greater Vire area.
Centre-Ville
This map contains many of the useful places to know in Centre-Ville such as restaurants, food shops, and some practical places as well. Click on the map to see a larger and clearer version of it.
29 March, 2009
Teaching Information
Contract Info and Starting
Technically your contract will start on October 1st. However, I didn’t have my first week of classes to myself until the week before the Toussaint Vacation. It took them about 2 weeks to make our schedules. For the English assistants, they told us that we would have either Monday or Friday off every week to make for better traveling. When they’re making your schedule, feel free to put in your preference, they will take it into account. I got lucky with my schedule, I start at noon on Mondays, and am finished at 9am on Thursdays. My Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are busy. The other English assistant has Mondays off, has extremely light Tuesdays and Wednesdays (1 or 2 classes each), and has busy Thursdays and Fridays.
Our contract is for 12 hours each week. One of those hours is “Debating Society” in which you will work together with the other English assistant to think of ideas for the students to debate. The only students debating are “Euro” level students, which are the cream of the crop. It’s quite simple, you simply say “smoking ban in public places, for or against?” Then give them 10 minutes to form ideas, then sit back and watch. It’s quite enjoyable actually. The rest of the time, you will have the classes in half-sections of usually around 10 students. I have some sections as small as 6, and as large as 15. For 9 of these 11 classes, I am alone with the students doing my own activities. Depending on the professor, you will be doing whatever you want, or something the professor requests. For one of my classes, I am working with the professor in the class. For another class, I only see 2 students each week and give them an oral practice-baccalaureate exam.
Different levels and programs
Lycée is 3 grades in France – Seconde(2), Première(1), and Terminal(T) (10th, 11th, 12th grades). All secondes are essentially equal. They don’t have any particular specialty until their Première year. In addition, the school has 2 “parts” – The “General” part, and the “Technical” part.
General Programs-
Technical Programs-
Other Programs
LV1? LV2? LV3? LVA? WTF?
Here was my schedule:
Mondays -
Notes: The classes are 55 minutes long. There are ‘A’ and ‘B’ weeks. In about half my classes, I see each section every week. In the other half (the ones with Alternate A/B), I see the students once every other week. This schedule is convenient, but Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings are very tiring. It’s better to have your classes spread out a bit.
In March, there is a week where all of the Terminals have a practice-Bac (Bac Blanc) week in which their classes don’t meet. If you have mostly Terminals like I did, you won’t have many classes that week!
Technically your contract will start on October 1st. However, I didn’t have my first week of classes to myself until the week before the Toussaint Vacation. It took them about 2 weeks to make our schedules. For the English assistants, they told us that we would have either Monday or Friday off every week to make for better traveling. When they’re making your schedule, feel free to put in your preference, they will take it into account. I got lucky with my schedule, I start at noon on Mondays, and am finished at 9am on Thursdays. My Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays are busy. The other English assistant has Mondays off, has extremely light Tuesdays and Wednesdays (1 or 2 classes each), and has busy Thursdays and Fridays.
Our contract is for 12 hours each week. One of those hours is “Debating Society” in which you will work together with the other English assistant to think of ideas for the students to debate. The only students debating are “Euro” level students, which are the cream of the crop. It’s quite simple, you simply say “smoking ban in public places, for or against?” Then give them 10 minutes to form ideas, then sit back and watch. It’s quite enjoyable actually. The rest of the time, you will have the classes in half-sections of usually around 10 students. I have some sections as small as 6, and as large as 15. For 9 of these 11 classes, I am alone with the students doing my own activities. Depending on the professor, you will be doing whatever you want, or something the professor requests. For one of my classes, I am working with the professor in the class. For another class, I only see 2 students each week and give them an oral practice-baccalaureate exam.
Different levels and programs
Lycée is 3 grades in France – Seconde(2), Première(1), and Terminal(T) (10th, 11th, 12th grades). All secondes are essentially equal. They don’t have any particular specialty until their Première year. In addition, the school has 2 “parts” – The “General” part, and the “Technical” part.
General Programs-
- L – “Literaire” These students focus on more literature, languages, and writing. They don’t focus on math or science too much. These students speak English very well and tend to be fun.
- S – “Sciences” Obviously, these students are the opposite of the Literaire students. Their English also tends to be very good and are fun in class.
- ES – “Economic-Social” These students study economics and sociology primarily. Languages are important to them, and they tend to be hard-working as well.
Technical Programs-
- STG – “Sciences et Technologies de Gestion” These are what I called the “Business Majors.” Their English isn’t as strong as the General programs, but it isn’t too bad. This tends to be the most energetic bunch of students, and they can be a lot of fun to work with. However, lots of energy can also mean rowdy. So, it fits fairly well that my favorite and least favorite classes are both STG.
- ST2S – “Sciences et Technologies de Santé et Social” These students either want to be Nurses or Social Workers. This program has the lowest emphasis on English compared to all of the other programs. Therefore, their English is the worst. But, despite their poor English, they are hard working students. They all tend to be girls... out of 55 students in 2 classes, there are a total of 3 guys.
Other Programs
- BTS – These students already have their Bac. The BTS programs are post-grad programs in areas like Executive Assistants, Assistant Directors, and the school’s specialty – Optometry. The students in these classes have varied work ethics. Some are motivated and hard working, while others are not. They tend to be around the same age as the assistants. The only class that you’d typically work with is the Executive Assistant program.
- Euro – These students, as noted before in the section about Debating Society, are the best of the English students. They can have any of the "General Progrqm" specialties, but they are grouped together for Euro-level English classes starting during Seconde. In addition to more advanced English, they also must take another subject taught in English such as History or Biology (the ones offered by our school).
LV1? LV2? LV3? LVA? WTF?
- LV1 stands for “Langue Vivante 1” which means the student’s primary foreign language.
- LV2 is the student’s secondary foreign language.
- LV3 is the third foreign language.
Here was my schedule:
Mondays -
- 12-13: T-L (Alternate A/B)
- 13-14: T-STG (See every week)
- 14-15: T-STG (Alternate A/B)
- 15-16: T-LVA (Practice Bac exams)
- 16-17: BTS (A-weeks only)
- 9-10: T-STG (See every week)
- 11-12: Debating Society
- 15-16: T-S (Alternate A/B)
- 8-9: T-ST2S (See every week)
- 9-10: T-ST2S (See every week)
- 10-11: T-ST2S (A-weeks only)
- 11-12: T-ST2S (A-weeks only)
- 8-9: 2nd (Alternate A/B)
Notes: The classes are 55 minutes long. There are ‘A’ and ‘B’ weeks. In about half my classes, I see each section every week. In the other half (the ones with Alternate A/B), I see the students once every other week. This schedule is convenient, but Monday afternoons and Wednesday mornings are very tiring. It’s better to have your classes spread out a bit.
In March, there is a week where all of the Terminals have a practice-Bac (Bac Blanc) week in which their classes don’t meet. If you have mostly Terminals like I did, you won’t have many classes that week!
Worthwhile Travel Destinations
You're definitely going to want to do some (or a lot) of traveling when you're in Europe. Take advantage of every vacation and penny you have to see as much as possible. Try new foods, drink new alcohols, buy strange souvenirs. Here are some recommended sights:
Worthwhile Travel Destinations
In my opinion, there are a few places that are must-sees before leaving Europe:
Worthwhile Travel Destinations
In my opinion, there are a few places that are must-sees before leaving Europe:
- Amsterdam - This city is absolutely incredible. Not only is it beautiful, but it is a really good time. Definitely bring a friend with you and go all out. Try the street foods (The waffles are amazing), visit the bars and coffee shops, check out the red-light district. Also, definitely see the Anne Frank House and the Heineken Experience (basically a huge beer museum).
- Italy - If you haven't been there before in your life, your time in Europe won't be complete without even a short trip to Italy. I will make a whole separate page all about Italy, you can easily fill one of the 2 week vacations in Italy.
- Barcelona - Barcelona is a really awesome city. It's easy to get to from Paris, and is overall an inexpensive city. Some things to check out in Barcelona are the Casa Bátllo (a large house designed by Gaudi), Parc Guëll (a large park designed by Gaudi), the City History Museum (has subterranean ruins of the old city), Montjuïc, Las Ramblas, the beaches, and much more. We stayed at a hostel called HelloBCN which we were very happy with. Very inexpensive, not too loud yet very social, and in a great location. Make sure when you're in Barcelona you try Patatas Bravas which are fried potatoes with a spicy sauce on it, served with mayo. You will be an overnight fan. You can get them in any bar.
- London - (Add more about London after actually going to it)
Banking, Wire-Transfers, and Money in General
Banks
There are a million banks in Vire. Pick one and set up an account there. Three of us this year used Caisse d’Epargne. I had no complaints with them. They were very patient and friendly. I highly recommend bringing a professor with you to the bank when setting up your account. Banks are intimidating enough without the barrier of a foreign language. We get paid on the last Wednesday of every month (although one month it wasn't till Friday so don't always count on Wednesday!). When we inquired about our “advance” for the month of October, the secretariat at the school informed us that we would be receiving it. We had been told by the American woman running the program that we had to request the advance, but apparently we didn’t need to! French banks don’t update your account amount immediately online like they do in the USA. It sometimes takes a week to update. However, our paychecks usually register in the evening we are paid (around 10pm) or the next day. Also, you don’t get overdraw charges! I think that because the transactions aren’t noted immediately (even the total available balance doesn’t update), they don’t penalize you for going in the red.
Wiring Money from Home
Wiring money from home to the French account can be a bit expensive. For me, I had to pay 35$ to initiate the transfer at my bank at home, and 25€ to receive the transfer at the bank in France. Western Union also applies charges to transfer.
The easiest option, in my opinion, is to withdraw money from ATMs in France and to deposit it into your French account. You will get charged a fee (not by the ATMs in France but by your home bank), so check with your bank before you leave to learn what these charges will be. Some banks may charge a flat fee such as 5$ for every international withdraw, so in that case you'd want to withdraw as much as possible. Most banks though (like mine) charge a certain percentage of your withdraw. My bank only charged me 0.5% of the total transaction for every withdraw, which is very reasonable. Also, check to see the maximum amount your American bank will allow you to withdraw every day. These charges would most likely be much less than the wiring fees. Depositing cash into your account is easy as cake.
Another option would be for your home bank to issue you Euros that you will take with you to France. If you do this, make sure you do it a couple of weeks before leaving as the bank may not have Euros readily available and it may take a few days to get them.
Money Management
We're only paid 786€ each month. Even though we pay very little rent and no utilities in the dorm, it's less than it appears. When making budgets for trips to see all of your places, be wary of all the extras such as transportation within cities, to and from airports, food (be realistic). Money goes away more quickly than you'd expect it to. Don't overbook yourself. Here are some tips for saving money:
There are a million banks in Vire. Pick one and set up an account there. Three of us this year used Caisse d’Epargne. I had no complaints with them. They were very patient and friendly. I highly recommend bringing a professor with you to the bank when setting up your account. Banks are intimidating enough without the barrier of a foreign language. We get paid on the last Wednesday of every month (although one month it wasn't till Friday so don't always count on Wednesday!). When we inquired about our “advance” for the month of October, the secretariat at the school informed us that we would be receiving it. We had been told by the American woman running the program that we had to request the advance, but apparently we didn’t need to! French banks don’t update your account amount immediately online like they do in the USA. It sometimes takes a week to update. However, our paychecks usually register in the evening we are paid (around 10pm) or the next day. Also, you don’t get overdraw charges! I think that because the transactions aren’t noted immediately (even the total available balance doesn’t update), they don’t penalize you for going in the red.
Wiring Money from Home
Wiring money from home to the French account can be a bit expensive. For me, I had to pay 35$ to initiate the transfer at my bank at home, and 25€ to receive the transfer at the bank in France. Western Union also applies charges to transfer.
The easiest option, in my opinion, is to withdraw money from ATMs in France and to deposit it into your French account. You will get charged a fee (not by the ATMs in France but by your home bank), so check with your bank before you leave to learn what these charges will be. Some banks may charge a flat fee such as 5$ for every international withdraw, so in that case you'd want to withdraw as much as possible. Most banks though (like mine) charge a certain percentage of your withdraw. My bank only charged me 0.5% of the total transaction for every withdraw, which is very reasonable. Also, check to see the maximum amount your American bank will allow you to withdraw every day. These charges would most likely be much less than the wiring fees. Depositing cash into your account is easy as cake.
Another option would be for your home bank to issue you Euros that you will take with you to France. If you do this, make sure you do it a couple of weeks before leaving as the bank may not have Euros readily available and it may take a few days to get them.
Money Management
We're only paid 786€ each month. Even though we pay very little rent and no utilities in the dorm, it's less than it appears. When making budgets for trips to see all of your places, be wary of all the extras such as transportation within cities, to and from airports, food (be realistic). Money goes away more quickly than you'd expect it to. Don't overbook yourself. Here are some tips for saving money:
- Eat dinner in the Cantine often. Meals cost approximately 2.20€ and are surprisingly not bad. Menus are posted every week with the food options.
- Shop at Carrefour or Leclerc for groceries rather than Coccinelle - it is less expensive.
- When grocery shopping, don't buy too much unperishible stuff. When it comes to things that perish, make sure that you know what you're going to do with it before you buy it, otherwise it's likely to rot in the fridge.
- Eat out, but don't over-do it. It's possible to have a nice meal in Vire for less than 15€, sometimes less than 10.
- Take your time when making travel plans. If taking trains or planes, book well in advance as the prices will be significantly less expensive. Make a budget for each trip so you'll know in advance about how much you'll realistically spend. Include all of the little things like airport transfer, metro fees, food bought in airports, etc.
Practical Resources in Vire
Laundromat
Unfortunately, we can’t do our laundry in the school so we must do it in town. There is a self-service laundromat in the center of town on the street with “Sandwich Lady” and La Mie Caline. It is rather expensive. As of 2009, the prices were 3.20€ and 3.80€ for a 6 and 8 kg washer respectively. The dryers are 1.20€ for 15 minutes. You can also buy detergent packets for 0.90€.
Post Office
Near the main circle, on the spoke that goes up hill, on the left. Look for the yellow “Poste” sign.
Cinema
Only 5 minutes away from the high school is the cinema! It’s below the theater (you can’t miss it, a huge modern building). There are 2 screens, and they play a variety of French and foreign movies. The majority of the films played are either in French, or are dubbed into French which can be annoying. If it’s dubbed, it will say “VF” (Version Française) in the description. Movies that are in the original language with subtitles will either say “VO” (Version Originale) and sometimes “VOstf.” When going to the cinema, tell them you are a student and you will get the reduced price (5.60€ in 2009). They never asked us for student ID.
Weather
It is Normandy after all, so it does rain quite often. In the fall, it is quite nice. The temperatures are moderate (50-65F, or 10-19C). In November it gets quite dreary and rainy. The days also shorten very quickly in the fall. At about the darkest (end of December), the sun rises around 9:00AM and sets around 5:00PM. It is strange teaching your first and last classes in the dark! It basically rains a lot in the winter. We were lucky though, it was relatively dry in February. By about mid-February you’ll notice the days getting longer very quickly. In March it starts getting warmer, and by April there are leaves and flowers and it’s beautiful! The weather tends to be erratic… going from sunny and warm to rainy and cold, back to sunny and warm, back to rainy and cold… over the course of approximately an hour, no joke. It only snowed twice, both times just a light dusting. The second time, the local bus services were all cancelled and parents didn’t drive their kids in, so there was hardly anyone in the school.
Banks
Pretty much every bank that exists in France has a branch in Vire. See the separate post about banks and money.
Bowling
Yes! There exists a bowling alley in Vire, called "Vire Bowling." The words for "Strike," "Spare," and "Open Frame" are exactly the same as they are in English. Watching French people bowl is quite a spectator sport in itself. There is also a bar and restaurant (brasserie-like restaurant) in the bowling alley. There are 12 lanes, and the prices vary depending on the time and day. The most expensive time to go is Friday and Saturday nights, where it cost 6€ per game per person plus 1.50€ for shoe rental. Going mid-day, games are only around 3€ each. The bowling alley is on the other side of the tracks from the train station (about a 20 minute walk from the school).
Gyms
The French do not value gyms as much as Americans do. There is one gym in town, and it is attached to the bowling alley. The prices are rather expensive. The long trek without a car did not seem worth it to us. The walk there and back is almost as good a workout.
Pool
There is a public swimming pool in Vire! It is adjacent to Parc de l'Europe. It's an indoor pool and has a waterslide! We intended to go there, but never made it. You have to pay to use it each time or to have a monthly/annual membership. Like the gym, it's not very cheap. It's about a 15 minute walk from the school straight down the hill.
Unfortunately, we can’t do our laundry in the school so we must do it in town. There is a self-service laundromat in the center of town on the street with “Sandwich Lady” and La Mie Caline. It is rather expensive. As of 2009, the prices were 3.20€ and 3.80€ for a 6 and 8 kg washer respectively. The dryers are 1.20€ for 15 minutes. You can also buy detergent packets for 0.90€.
Post Office
Near the main circle, on the spoke that goes up hill, on the left. Look for the yellow “Poste” sign.
Cinema
Only 5 minutes away from the high school is the cinema! It’s below the theater (you can’t miss it, a huge modern building). There are 2 screens, and they play a variety of French and foreign movies. The majority of the films played are either in French, or are dubbed into French which can be annoying. If it’s dubbed, it will say “VF” (Version Française) in the description. Movies that are in the original language with subtitles will either say “VO” (Version Originale) and sometimes “VOstf.” When going to the cinema, tell them you are a student and you will get the reduced price (5.60€ in 2009). They never asked us for student ID.
Weather
It is Normandy after all, so it does rain quite often. In the fall, it is quite nice. The temperatures are moderate (50-65F, or 10-19C). In November it gets quite dreary and rainy. The days also shorten very quickly in the fall. At about the darkest (end of December), the sun rises around 9:00AM and sets around 5:00PM. It is strange teaching your first and last classes in the dark! It basically rains a lot in the winter. We were lucky though, it was relatively dry in February. By about mid-February you’ll notice the days getting longer very quickly. In March it starts getting warmer, and by April there are leaves and flowers and it’s beautiful! The weather tends to be erratic… going from sunny and warm to rainy and cold, back to sunny and warm, back to rainy and cold… over the course of approximately an hour, no joke. It only snowed twice, both times just a light dusting. The second time, the local bus services were all cancelled and parents didn’t drive their kids in, so there was hardly anyone in the school.
Banks
Pretty much every bank that exists in France has a branch in Vire. See the separate post about banks and money.
Bowling
Yes! There exists a bowling alley in Vire, called "Vire Bowling." The words for "Strike," "Spare," and "Open Frame" are exactly the same as they are in English. Watching French people bowl is quite a spectator sport in itself. There is also a bar and restaurant (brasserie-like restaurant) in the bowling alley. There are 12 lanes, and the prices vary depending on the time and day. The most expensive time to go is Friday and Saturday nights, where it cost 6€ per game per person plus 1.50€ for shoe rental. Going mid-day, games are only around 3€ each. The bowling alley is on the other side of the tracks from the train station (about a 20 minute walk from the school).
Gyms
The French do not value gyms as much as Americans do. There is one gym in town, and it is attached to the bowling alley. The prices are rather expensive. The long trek without a car did not seem worth it to us. The walk there and back is almost as good a workout.
Pool
There is a public swimming pool in Vire! It is adjacent to Parc de l'Europe. It's an indoor pool and has a waterslide! We intended to go there, but never made it. You have to pay to use it each time or to have a monthly/annual membership. Like the gym, it's not very cheap. It's about a 15 minute walk from the school straight down the hill.
Transportation into, out of, and around Vire
Trains
The train station is situated to the north of centre ville, about a 20 minute walk from the school. There are 5 trains a day that run between Paris and Vire (on the Paris-Granville line). The ride is more or less 2h30m. If you get a Carte 12-25 (HIGHLY recommended, get it as soon as you arrive in France, it costs 49€), the ride is 16.60€ one-way during the Periode Bleu (off-peak times). During the peak times, periode blanche the price is 24.90€ one-way. It’s easy to avoid Periode Blanche. The train leaves from Paris Montparnasse-Vaugirard. This is not in the main part of Montparnasse. If you’re in the main part of the station looking at the tracks, go all the way to the right, and you will see signs for Gare Vaugirard, which is about a 10 minute walk from the main part of the station. You can buy your train tickets at Vaugirard. The trains are Corail Intercités, not TGV, so you do NOT need a reservation! You can buy your ticket literally minutes before the train leaves. It is open seating in the trains. Some seats are reserved, but only once was I asked to move because I was sitting in a reserved seat… not a big deal.
Unfortunately, the train is only convenient to get to Paris. It’s possible to get to Caen on the train, but you have to switch in Argentan. Some trains are timed such that you only have to wait 10 minutes for the transfer.
Buses
You’ll most likely want to take the bus, operated by Bus Verts de Calvados when traveling to Caen. The ride is 6€ and change, or just under 5€ per ticket if you buy a book of 4 tickets. The bad part is that the ride is approximately 1h45m (It has many many stops available). The plus side is that the bus station is in centre-ville, so you don’t need to walk down the hill to (or up the hill back from) the train station. There is another bus service, Maneo, but they don’t go anywhere really worth visiting. It is worth knowing about it incase you may want to visit other assistants in towns served by Maneo. The bus services tend to be for students and local people commuting. Vire doesn’t exactly have the tourist in mind, since there are few. However, when there are tourists, it’s super easy to spot them because who else would be taking pictures of the town? Not that the town isn’t worthy of photos!
Vire does have a local bus service called Amibus. When you arrive in Vire, go to the tourist office to get a map of Vire and Amibus timetables. The French word for "timetables" is "les timetables." Ha. "Les Horaires" works too.
The train station is situated to the north of centre ville, about a 20 minute walk from the school. There are 5 trains a day that run between Paris and Vire (on the Paris-Granville line). The ride is more or less 2h30m. If you get a Carte 12-25 (HIGHLY recommended, get it as soon as you arrive in France, it costs 49€), the ride is 16.60€ one-way during the Periode Bleu (off-peak times). During the peak times, periode blanche the price is 24.90€ one-way. It’s easy to avoid Periode Blanche. The train leaves from Paris Montparnasse-Vaugirard. This is not in the main part of Montparnasse. If you’re in the main part of the station looking at the tracks, go all the way to the right, and you will see signs for Gare Vaugirard, which is about a 10 minute walk from the main part of the station. You can buy your train tickets at Vaugirard. The trains are Corail Intercités, not TGV, so you do NOT need a reservation! You can buy your ticket literally minutes before the train leaves. It is open seating in the trains. Some seats are reserved, but only once was I asked to move because I was sitting in a reserved seat… not a big deal.
Unfortunately, the train is only convenient to get to Paris. It’s possible to get to Caen on the train, but you have to switch in Argentan. Some trains are timed such that you only have to wait 10 minutes for the transfer.
Buses
You’ll most likely want to take the bus, operated by Bus Verts de Calvados when traveling to Caen. The ride is 6€ and change, or just under 5€ per ticket if you buy a book of 4 tickets. The bad part is that the ride is approximately 1h45m (It has many many stops available). The plus side is that the bus station is in centre-ville, so you don’t need to walk down the hill to (or up the hill back from) the train station. There is another bus service, Maneo, but they don’t go anywhere really worth visiting. It is worth knowing about it incase you may want to visit other assistants in towns served by Maneo. The bus services tend to be for students and local people commuting. Vire doesn’t exactly have the tourist in mind, since there are few. However, when there are tourists, it’s super easy to spot them because who else would be taking pictures of the town? Not that the town isn’t worthy of photos!
Vire does have a local bus service called Amibus. When you arrive in Vire, go to the tourist office to get a map of Vire and Amibus timetables. The French word for "timetables" is "les timetables." Ha. "Les Horaires" works too.
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