Maybe I do want to call you on your empty pretension.

Being from a Show-me state, I'm a show-me person.

I think I would be one even if we hadn't peaced out on gentle Tupelo, Mississippi for stubborn and sweltering Missouri when I was a petit bebe.

France is not a show-me country. And that works for France. And that is good.

The proviseur just came in asking who everyone was in the teacher's lounge a few minutes ago. Firstly, she didn't know her own employees, this should be a red flag.

I didn't have my glasses on (its dumb to wear your glasses at the computer) so I just think, "oh, more professors greeting each other, I will be ignored as usual, good."

So, the Proviseur (the principal of sorts) decides to add me to her game of Guess Who, and she has no clue who I am.

This is the woman who said it would be nice if we had a laundry machine in our dorms. (we don't have one) She didn't even say, "...but...." (?)

Anyway, my super cool stagiare was like, Lori, you know you're supposed to like, be more formal and recognize the proviseur when she comes in the room, etc... and I was like, oh sorry I had my glasses on and I can't see, and ok I'll play that game, sure.

Still, I told her my name, my position, greeted her more or less? It was drill sergeant minimalist, I thought.

I can't help but think about Mr. McCallie here.
Did anyone have to be reminded that he was the principal? If others told you to respect the man, finding a reason wasn't a problem (not for me at least). He was a good boss.

This principal DID NOT KNOW ME, but I'm supposed to have some sortof Proviseur mania on the tarmac of my school whenever her plane rolls in? I'm all for respecting your elders, authorities, etc...but pomp and circumstance for a lady who doesn't know her teachers much less her students? It just strikes my american soul as something a little bit yucky.

Maybe its tradition? That's good, tradition is good. I don't know.

I'll of course apologize for not popping a bottle of champagne and doing a little jig when I noticed that she might notice me...on second thought, I'll just lay low, laissez-tomber, laissez-faire -- its v. french, and I must assimilate!

Mr. Harig used to say, "if you have to say your the big enchilada/kahuna/?, you're probably not."

If others have to remind you to curtsey to you, you're probably not much of a monarch.