The 1 Minute Job Offer...
I went to one of the local universities yesterday to say goodbye to Marie who's heading back to France after a week of travel with her parents. I met her between classes while she was dishing out slices of a huge cake she had bought for her students. While eating a piece, the head of the French department came over to say hi and introduce herself. We spoke for less than a minute when she offered me a job teaching French at the university to fill Marie's position (she will finish her contract this week). She asked where I was working now and when I mentioned that I had a contract here until the end of June she said not to worry.
It's a tempting offer. No real curfew, three classes of 20 to 25 students who really want to learn the language (instead of 16 classes of 65 to 75!), bathrooms that don't smell, accommodation close to the city centre, fewer hassles, no 6:20AM wake-up bell or late night boys-screaming-like girls upstairs, etc. The only cons are that the pay is slightly less (not a big deal), have to administer a final exam, and I wouldn't have a toaster.
What's interesting is that this is the second time the university has offered me a position teaching French there this year.