Gaia Club

When I met the philosophy teacher, he looked exactly the way any proper philosophy teacher ought to look. His gray hair was disheveled, but not obnoxiously so. His gray beard was groomed even less carefully, but was still neat in its own way. Along with his haphazardly chosen sweater-khaki ensemble, he managed to appear sufficiently indifferent to his appearance to be a proper philosopher but executed in an almost purposeful manor. Purposeful in that he meant to show the world that appearance is illusionary anyway, so is would be silly for someone to dedicate much time to it. Okay, maybe I’m reading into it (after all, he didn’t look that much different from Yves, but Yves had no hair so it’s hard to tell). The gym teacher, whom I also met, shared the philosophy teacher’s disinclination for tidiness, but in a way that exuded both his love of sport (track pants) and inner sensitivity (glasses on a necklace so they don’t get lost). Together they emanated a sort of warmth and thoughtfulness that would have been unachievable had they donned the sleeker French fashion that men here are want to adapt. You could tell straight away that they were the sort of people who took life seriously enough when it mattered (in this case, protecting the environment) but not seriously enough to let it damage their good humour.

The gym teacher and philosophy teacher have also, it seems, taken me under their wing to join the “Gaia” club. I didn’t know what it was, but the gym teacher wanted me to come to their tete-a-tete in the library because he knows that I’m doing (not really voluntarily) environmental stuff for Marie-Francoise’s class. So I went, and somehow I got roped into coming every Friday to their planning session for how to introduce the kids to environmental activism. Those who know me know that this isn’t exactly my passion, but whatever. It looks like I’m going to be going ‘green’ after all. Madison couldn’t change me but somehow the gym teacher has managed to get me involved... It’s a good way to practice my French, so I’ll take it. And besides, it’s time I started caring about the earth and stuff, after all, I am a philosopher. Oh and the philosophy teacher told me I could come see any of his classes whenever I want, which I just may do… Though it seems like the French style philosophy isn’t really my favorite (it’s more like a ‘history of’ philosophy where they study the classics and whatnot). In fact, Marie-F has me doing not only environmental ethics with one class, but in her other class she wants me to teach them what she calls “American style” philosophy. I tried to explain to her that it wasn’t “American style” really, but rather just the stuff I like to study –which is different. But she wants me to teach the kids political philosophy like Rawls (who she heard about once and wants me to explain to them and her) and contemporary moral issues. How I wish I had brought my course packet from that class. What on earth am I going to do? The French seem to think that if you get a degree in something, like philosophy, then you are an expert or something. Ha! Like I’m qualified to teach it… in and not in their maternal language. Who knows how that’s going to work out. Watch, I’ll love it. Let’s hope so…