job update

This week has been busy, a huge learning curve and on my feet all day. Plus I'm working Tuesdays through Saturday so now that it's Sunday I'm totally confused!

This have been going well. Luckily I'm familiar with the computer system from my experience with the Company last year but it's a whole new world other than that. Before I was on the phone all day, in English. Now I'm on my feet all day and dealing with customers face to face in French - aside from the random English person coming in and then asking where I learned my perfect English (haha).

I think the hardest thing is dealing with numbers. I know my numbers in French but have always had a hard time with rapid fire telephone numbers etc. So when someone comes in and spits out their number I'm trying to catch up on the quatre-vingt-douze etc by typing in a 8 first then deleting it for a 9 and then missing out on the rest of what they've just told me. But I'm getting better.

Surprisingly I haven't had too many comments on my accent, maybe once a day but never criticizing, just curiosity which is nice especially considering that I'm not working in a big city so people aren't exposed to that many foreigners around here and country folk can be extremely wary of foreigners. Luckily here in Normandy Americans still have a very good reputation from the war (not like the English and their more recent, and well deserved I might add, reputation) so when I do say I'm American people smile instead of giving me snide comments.

So the job it self is going pretty good so far. It's a one-month contract for now but there is a chance it could be  prolonged. But at least it's a great experience, my first 100% French job for a big French company and that will be nice to put on my CV in any case.