@LARA AUSTIN
@DATA TYPE: RETROSPECTIVE
@LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
@COUNTRY: FRANCE
@PARTICIPANTS: S 
@SETTING: PRIVATE
@TIME: LATE
@SCHOOL: SECONDARY

Initial impression

I was relieved that I'd been put in touch with somebody who'd found me accommodation but when I asked for info on what was in the flat and where I could find more furniture, she was vague to say the least.  When I met her, she picked me up from the train station and I thought I was lucky ... until I saw the flat.
First impressions - good
Now:  understand she's busy, feel like conseilleurs pdagogiques aren't the best to be responsables, should use English teachers as they're more approachable.

Turning points

1:  "I have children who are about your age, I wouldn't want to see them alone in a foreign country with nobody ...", then she left.  I didn't see her until she brought my flatmate around a week later.
2:  Not having timetable prepared 1 October or explaining why - Nic (flatmate) and I listened to directrices and Nina Pauchet discuss it and tried to figure it out.
3:  Sending me to Versailles to sort out getting paid without my forms being signed - trend of shifting the responsibility over to other people.
4:  Lack of timetable for 6 weeks then getting Danile knocking on my door to ask if I'm OK because I haven't been at school all week - sick of Nina bollocking me instead of being sympathetic.
5:  Nicer now we're sorted, feels like she's more approachable.

Admin

* Timetable given to me 18 November
* Terrible - Nina Pauchet tried to help with pay forms etc when we asked but she had no idea - it was like they'd never had an English assistant before.
* Good that she tried to help but her not having a clue made me think that the situation was impossible if a French person couldn't do it!
* Didn't get paid till end of November despite going to Versailles, crying and begging to be contacted if I wouldn't be paid.  Even now I never know what date I will receive my salary so not easy to cope financially - seems like they expect us to have parents always ready to bail us out.



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