Yesterday (Tuesday), I went on a bike ride to the beach at the Mediterranean coast here in Montpellier. The ride there was mostly pleasant save for the seemingly relentless onslaught of road construction. After a brief soaking in the waters of the Mediterranean and the filtered (by the clouds) beams of the sun, I noticed some thunder. The storm was approaching. As soon as the first droplets of water landed in the sand, we (myself and Andrea) gathered our things and began to leave the beach. The storm intensified. In seconds there was hail and a torrential downpour with strong winds of Biblical proportion; Aeolus' rage even cast a plastic bench flying sideways. Fortunately, we, like several other beach goers, made it under the flimsy roof of a little food shop called Miam Miam.
The storm lasted not more than thirty minutes, and when the clouds cleared and I finished the café I ordered at Miam Miam, we were on our way. The ride back was fairly cool, and I was refreshingly physically tired when I returned "home." This sort of tired is quite different than the tired I experienced moving lots of things from one third floor apartment to another for like 14 hours (or however long it was)...
Regardless, it was a good day despite the storm. I also discussed later the meaning of the private school in France. I discovered that the teachers in private schools are paid by the State, and that all private schools must subscribe to the same core, base curriculum (to which they can add their own instruction, but from which they cannot deviate). I was told this somewhat confusing process of state sponsored instruction in private (i.e. religious [although not always]) schools has a long history revolving around the power relationship between the Catholic church and the lay government. I should really get some books soon, to help me get a better background in all of this whole dang-ole France deal.
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