Le sigh: back at work

Yesterday was Sunday.  It was wonderful.  

My morning looked something like this:

9:30 a.m.  Wake up.  Think about getting up but lounge in bed for a while instead.

10:30 a.m.  Brunch at home:  

fresh-squeezed OJ & bagels & St Moret (France's version of cream cheese) & smoked salmon & tea.

11:30 a.m.  Sit in sun on balcony, drink second cup of tea, read magazines.

Today was the first day of my new job, 

which just so happens to be in a city 90 km (1 hour by train) from Annecy.  

This morning was not exactly wonderful.

It looked something like this:

6:00 a.m.  Alarm goes off.  

6:15 a.m.  Drag self out of bed, get into shower.

6:30 a.m.  Get dressed, double-check that school bag is all ready to go, put kettle on.

6:45 a.m.  Eat breakfast.

7:05 a.m.  Already??!

7:10 a.m.  Brush teeth, debate whether or not to take umbrella 

(I chose not to, which was a big mistake...)

7:15 a.m.  Leave house (it's not even light out, for Pete's sake!)

7:17 a.m.  Get on bus.

7:27 a.m.  Get off bus at train station in Annecy.

7:39 a.m.  Train leaves for La Roche sur Foiron.

8:00 a.m.  FQ calls.  Happily inform him all is going well & I'm right on time.

8:10 a.m.  Realize that I spoke way too soon.

8:15 a.m.  Train staff make announcement to let us know we are delayed

 because something-or-other is blocking the tracks.

8:20 a.m.  Start to panic.  

Find conductor & ask him if he can call ahead to the next station 

to ask them to hold the train I am supposed to catch for the second part of my trip.

8:21 a.m.  Conductor looks dubious.

8:35 a.m.  Arrive at La Roche sur Foiron.  

Train has not waited for me.

8:36 a.m.  Learn that waiting for next train will make me 15 minutes late for new job.  

Try not to cry.

8:40 a.m.  Call taxi.

8:50 a.m.  Taxi arrives.

9:10 a.m.  Taxi stops at bank machine so I can withdraw my life savings to pay for 20-minute trip.

9:15 a.m.  Finally arrive at the train station in Annemasse.

9:17 a.m.  Try, without success, to figure out where I'm supposed to go.

9:18 a.m.  Go to information window, introduce myself as English teacher 

explain I am there to start an intensive training course to the TGV (fast train) employees, 

encounter blank stare.

9:20 a.m.  Go to Station Director's office, introduce myself as above, encounter blank stare.

9:22 a.m.  Director makes a phone call or two.  Stare becomes slightly less blank.

9:25 a.m.  Am handed orange safety vest & told to "walk this way".

9:27 a.m.  Cross many railway tracks with cranky SNCF (French railway) employee in tow.

9:29 a.m.  Finally arrive where I'm supposed to be.  Students waiting for me.

9:30 a.m.  Start class.

And you know what?  That's not even the worst of it!

You will have to wait until I have the time & energy to dedicate an entire post 

to what truly ruined my morning, so for now, let me leave you with these two words:

turkish toilet

Not.  Even.  Joking.