Working in France…. Chapter 6: I refuse to accept this

So, once again utterly depressed, I head for work. 

I teach two really fun classes and then have a meeting with my manager, who says I am doing pretty well but I need to teach with a quieter voice.  Me, loud????  You are shocked, right? I am very worried about my ability to tone it down – but promise to try.

Then, I explain the whole tale of woe, apologizing profusely the whole time and saying I didn’t know that the meeting was going to work out that way. I hadn’t even thought there was going to be a meeting today about all this.  I thought it was just a minor misunderstanding, no big deal and it would just take some time. I mean, isn’t that the way things work in France (and with red tape everywhere)?

I told her I really liked the job and was excited to do it and also that I would be glad to stay on and work for free for as long as she needed to find and train a replacement. I would never walk out or leave her in a lurch, even if I’m not getting paid!

She seemed relieved that I wasn’t deserting her but also said she refused to accept the decision.  She said the new plan was to get my carte changed for la vie famille and make a huge case for why this would work.  She says we are going to ‘drown them in paper’.  Show them how much I am integrated into French life and how vital I am to society.  She says I am getting the runaround and we will fight this.

She said “Look, I need you!  I don’t have anybody else. And you should get paid for your work.” 

So, for now, things are still, I guess. in limbo.  Sorry for the exhaustive detail – I hope it wasn’t too boring.  I continue to teach.  I guess I am going to prepare a dossier to show what an upstanding part of French society I am (should have done that instead of blogging, right?).  I will keep on fighting, hoping and living until the next rejection comes along.  Or until we have success.  I am already considering contacting the newspaper to have them write a story about all this rigmarole if it doesn’t work out.  Maybe there could be a greve – just for me.

Yes she can!  Yes she can!  Yes she can!