Mardi Mail - Mardi, 10.10.06

Mardi 10.10.06 Mardi Mail


Today is the start of our Stage at the Rectorat de Tartenson. I don’t have high expectations for the day but I’m pleasantly surprised by the announcement that we have an opportunity to check our emails. I don’t need to be told twice. It has been two weeks since I last looked at my mail. I’ve just enough time to check my Gmail, send a few replies and search for information on travel to Guadeloupe and Dominica.

I may have been cut off from technology for the last fortnight but at least by living so close to Fort-de-France I’m not isolated from civilisation like some of the other assistants. Some people had left their accommodation by dawn to be here for 8,30. Avian and Adelaide got a lift from Trinité but Rachel (Australia) and Sara (Spain) who live together near Rivière Salée took a TaxiCo around 5,00.

A TaxiCo is a mini-bus which goes from A to B collecting passengers. It’s good to know these buses exist because without a car or the nerve to hitchhike you would be stuck. However, on the downside a journey which would normally take 40 minutes can end up lasting over 2 hours as the bus stops for anyone that hails it and at designated stops it will often wait for ages in the hope that regulars will arrive or that it will just fill up. In order to avoid terrible traffic problems or to get to the destination at a reasonable time the TaxiCo services tend to leave early in the morning and early in the evening. TaxiCo’s are privately owned and sometimes the driver turns their vehicle into a traditional taxi… At worst the service is erratic and unreliable with half a day spent on board a bus. Now you know why Caribbean people are known for their laid-back attitude and their leisurely manner. Half a day spent cooped-up on a bus would send anyone to the drink… You have been warned – Stock up!

Bex and Fran had the right idea when they rented a car. It’s a little red ladybird car; it adds another meaning to the island’s wild life. Most people however want to buy a car. Rodolfo (Spain) is not shy when venting concern about the lack of public transport around Marin. He is attached to two primary schools and is finding it difficult to travel between the two without his own motor. Madame Bonne (in the typical blasé Martiniquais manner) states that we were well warned about this.
Rodolfo is living in Marin with Philip (USA) so although he may be socially immobile at least he’s not socially isolated like some of the other assistants in the wilds of the central Martinique. Caitlin and Sarah (both USA) were both in Saint Joseph but Sarah had to leave just last week due to health matters. There is another assistant nearby but nearby in mileage terms doesn’t necessarily mean nearby in minutes. At least their propriétaire brought them to the beach at the weekend to exchange wilderness for waves. However, life au bord de la mer is not all what it’s assumed to be. The sparkly seas and sandy shores of Diamant and Saint Anne may be something close to paradise but when the novelty wears off and you crave something more socially spirited you may be miles off from civilisation or have to deal with tourist traps, high prices and leering looks from local lads!

The remedy for all this squandered beach beauty and suppressed social action is to meet up. Already Sara and Rachel have invited people to join them for Sara’s birthday celebrations during our time off for Toussaint. And closer still, by proximity and occasion, Paula (Bolivia) and Heather (Canada) have announced an open-house at Le Carbet this coming weekend.

It’s great to hear about everyone’s experiences to date however it’s soon time to crack on with day’s agenda. Monsieur Narzal introduces us to the island, it’s people, it’s history and it’s culture, though the one thing he really pushes is the Créole language. It’s not long until we’re filling in worksheets with basic Créole vocab. Some words such as an laklè (key) is clearly derived from the French la clé. Others such as an kabeué (cart) is different to the French la charette or le tombereau. Though we’re told that kabeué is in commonly used in Guadeloupe so I reckon that’s a word to learn for my travels in case I need to be kabeuéd home from Pointe à Pitre some night!

Next it’s over to Madame Bonne to drill our pedagogic workbooks into our skulls. There are some laughs however, especially when she brings out her cardboard animals and introduces us to Dick her dog. “Say ‘Hello’ to Dick,” she says. It’s so out of the blue that an exchange of giggles and grins follow. She goes around the room asking people about their pets to illustrate a certain classroom scenario. I tell everyone about my cats Catcarino (named after Tony Cascarino) and Jess, and how some pets in Ireland are treated better than family members. Rodolfo jokes that in Spain people keep cats for two maybe three years before serving them up for dinner.

With lunchtime fast approaching Madame Bonne announces we’re done for the day; Thursday’s session will last well into the afternoon and Friday will be similar to today. What about Wednesday? It’s free of course as there’s no primary school on Wednesday so that means no Tartenson too!

We soon set off on our separate routes. My first port of call is La Poste (post office). I’ve finally got all my documents to send to the Rectorat de Terreville for my Sécurité Sociale and more importantly my salaire. Assistants in Martinique apparently get paid 40% more than assistants in la France métropole – due to the higher cost of living, accommodation prices and the sheer distance from the continent, though when you consider that we get €250 a week it’s hard to believe that our continental comrades would get much less. Our pay may not allow us to go wild but there’s no shortage of wild, unique and culturally enriching experiences to be had in Martinique; you won’t leave here rich but you’ll leave enriched.