A few things about work

As i enter into the third week of school, it's time to reflect...


Well, as everything has a good and a bad side, here we go.

Let's start with the good.

I, for the first time ever, have an office, a desk, an computer, a printer, phone, filing cabinets and all sorts of free office goodies given to me to do a job.
And as soon as they sort out my official title, my name -and my function in question- will go on the plaque outside my (our - i share with Gretta) office door. wow, how funny is that i ask you, i'm going to have a plaque with my lil'ol'name on it.

As you all know, i am easily amused/impressed. it's part of my charm.

Another good thing, I seem to be fitting in alright (seeing as i worked there last year) with the other english teachers, and with the other school staff. though, social graces have never really been a problem, as you all know.
This said, there is the french formal greeting thing that is causing me some confusion. French people every day, the first time you see someone, either shake hands or do the cheek-cheek oh-so-french bisous. Now, to get to the bisous stage is rather tricky. Almost as tricky as the Vous/Tu dilemma. I'm at the bisous stage with a few people, and at the hand shake with some others, then because i'm american and generally in a rush or going somewhere quickly, i forget to shake hands. So some collegues don't really know what to do with me.
Oh, in the end it'll all sort itself out.

Back to the good stuff.

I have a great situation, financial and professional. One of the reasons employment in France is such a touchy subject is because employers must pay a fortune to hire. and here's why. I have got an out'a control complementary insurance plan (the govt. does the basic insurance - socialism ladies and gentlemen), for which the school pays a lot more than i do to be able to offer it to me.

I have a life insurance plan - for something like one euro something per month. but if anything were to happen, my loved ones could buy themselves a nice small house.

I have school-subsidized restaurant vouchers. France has a system where companies pay a percentage of the total tickets and the employee pays the rest. So for example, every month i get 18 vouchers, each is in 7.50 euro denominations. That makes 135 euros to spend on restaurants, any restaurant i wish, each month. I pay 40 percent of the total cost and the school pays 60 percent. Get it? and yes it's a cool system. Consequently I'm becoming quite the regular at the indian restaurant three doors down. Four times already this month. Yum, yum, yum.

Gosh, what else. oh, a good enough situation for the banks to actually consider me and jd for a loan. you know, to like buy a place to live instead of throwing money down the drain on rent. However the search promises to be long and frustrating. anyway...

Oh, and according to the french system of "employment classifications" (of which nothing exists like it in the states - gotta love the french and their rigid structures) i have a more prestigous title/level of employment than jd. and i believe i make a smidgeon more than he does.
My feminist ego loves that.

Plus once a year, depending on the school's left over revenues, i get a bonus. Oh and this in addition to the French "thirteenth month". Although the "thirteenth month" is generally the same amount of income taxes i owe every year. So, it sounds like i live 12 months of the year on 13 months salary but actually, i live 12 months of the year on 12 months of salary.
Now, this of course sounds normal. However, many many many people here don't have that 13th month. So they, these poor unfortuante souls, live 12 months with only 11 months of salary. Ahhh france and their taxes.

And just the general, overall calm that comes with the same salary coming in every month. The antithesis of precarity if you will.

And last but not least Gretta. My boss/collegue/fellow american. The sweetest, most genuine, non-malicious person ever. She couldn't be snippy if she tried. She really goes the extra miles for her job and her students. And this in a country where people can seriously fuck off at their jobs and never get fired.
She is an american workaholic in a country of the-pleasures-of-life-come-first French people.
In addition to her veritable niceness, she is highly intellegent, she knows her job very well and knows how to maneuvre the staff of 13 english teachers plus all our other collegues. An excellent ally to have. Really a blessing for a collegue and office mate.
Oh and she has an eagle eye for detail. She is amazing and could have made a fortune as an editor. And this is supremely good because i, have never had an eye for painstaking detail. as we all know, spelling especially.

So, that all said: on to the darker side.

Because i work all day every day (like most of the world) I have just discovered grocery shopping on a saturday. Never again. I've learned that this needs to get done after work during the week.

The school takes a big brother approach to its employees and their mail. Apparently all the snail mail that comes in for us is opened and read. Do i need to go into how bothering this is?
And they apparently survey the websites we frequent. There will be no blogging at work then.

And here's my rationale - if they want to keep their people happy, and keep them at work all day every day, from time to time you need to let them do some internet shopping. No time to get to the stores means shopping on line. I mean when you need a washing machine who has time to brave the appliance stores on a saturday? because NOthing is open here on Sun. Day of god if you please. So, a washing machine or a shirt, whatever. And because you are at work all day, how can you get to the post office to get your stuff? Well, you have it delivered to your work address.
Apparently NOT!
This is not keeping your people happy. You, of course, don't want your boss/other employees knowing what you buy. Because they open it!
Crap i tell you, crap.
So all this to say, i will still internet shop, and still probably at work, but i will have everything inconviently sent to my home address, where i will have to rearrange my day to get to the post office by my house. (This is france, they have very skimpy hours)

And well, we have arrived at my collegue Gretta. Now, as i move on to the less than good side, let's not forget the good side.
Ahhh Gretta. well, the good side of the bad side is that she is very aware of her shortcomings. and she can even make fun of herself. which is key.
So here goes. She is a perfectionist. now again, the good side to this is that she holds herself to this level of perfection, not others. she is many times over more forgiving of others, but never to herself.
So ultimately the bad side is really for her alone. She is someone that lives on stress. She is someone who, for whatever reason, needs a level of stress to survive. Her overall habits and demeanor reflect this. She is teeny tiny skinny, but not short. She drinks ooodles of coffe and smokes just as much. (Thank god she doesn't smoke in our office). She deprives herself of calm. She suffers from chronic migranes, but works anyway. She takes home work all the time, and does it at home!

And for those who know me, stress and i don't get along. Stress make me shut down and get scattered. Stress really affects my bodily systems and mind. My 'being' is not built to handle stress.

So, I'm just wondering, how am i going to handle the close contact with stress bunny on a regular basis? Will i be able to hold it at arms length? or will the stress vibes affect my vibes?

And ultimately, i don't think it's the stress, the stress is just a symptom. I think it's hard to see someone choose to be so hard on herself. (Then again, maybe she's not 'consciously' choosing). It's hard to see someone deprive themselves of calm and positive reinforcement.

I personally am a big fan of patting myself on the back. Because i try to be honest with myself, when i can do better or change something i recognize it and go for it. but when the occasion calls, i can smile at myself. and do.
I don't see her being able to do this. Self-depravation is a dirty game to play.

Oh anyway. She's lived like this for so long. That's her. and no cause for alarm yet.


And as for the dark side. i do think that is it. so as you can see. more good than bad.
I win!

p.s. and when my plaque goes up, i'll take a photo of my office and my plaque.