I'm back in France! (with 3 weeks de retard!) I do apologize for appearing to have fallen off the face of the blogging Earth in the time that we've been apart- an event prolonged even further by the fact that I forgot my blog login details... So far my time in France in 2013 has been spent re-orientating myself with my beloved Chambery, and recapturing that 'at home' feeling that I had here before Christmas. A fickle character, I feel at home wherever I go really: Chambery= home, Kent= home. Such a floozy.
So Christmas, so long ago now it seems! And yet, that hasn't deterred the Frenchies from leaving up their Christmas decorations and lights paving the streets of town. Have they not heard of the after-12-days-of-Christmas bad luck?! Classic French 'est-ce que je suis bothered' attitude.
En Angleterre, I was reunited with my one... my only... scatty ball of fur...
Ozzy boy!!!!
And of course my beloved friends and family of the human kind....
Nan's profiteroles, made 'a la maison'......
And my other besties who I did not document to camera for some sad reason, but it meant the world to me to see you again.
My brother Elliot (pictured above) is such a charmer that he informed me during the holidays that my blog was too long. As I have almost 4 weeks' of events to update you on and fit into 1 post, I think I'm going to have to be a cop out and give you the brief, bullet pointed version of French happenings that have taken place in that time. I'll be lucky if he's even made it this far in the lecture....
Alrighty, here it goes, in 1 long breath now:
- I was voted 'Character of the year' by 1 of my classes. Even though I didn't win a prize, the sentiment touched me a great deal.
- Counter to this 'nice' persona, I sent my first ever student out of a class. 15 and 16 year olds sometimes suck, and saying you 'don't care coz it's the last lesson with me' in French won't wash with me anymore: OUT. A shame as he isn't a horrible boy- we have quite a laugh together really- but it tainted our parting with sadness.
- My 12 hours of work a week are not enough to spread round the English faculty: people want me to work with their classes more and more, and the number of students in my voluntary classes is on the up. :D
- The boys I look after on a Monday got scooters from Santa for Christmas, on which they are much sturdier than their 2 feet: no longer do I have to run after them like a crazy bag shepherd lady to prevent them from tumbling into the road.
- I got my fringe cut, properly this time.
- My skis were finally taken out of their corner in my room and introduced to the snow. Espace Diamant, Les Arcs, Tignes and Cibel this weekend, I <3 to ski!
- Me and Lydia also like to eat. Clearly a pizza with potato on top required a side portion of chips, and a side portion of a second pizza. The occasion? A night of watching P.S. I Love You, because Lydia had never seen it?! Americans ay?
- Guess who came to see me in France???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Laura did!
- Many dinner parties have been had, so French!
- Speaking of Masakazu, he has since moved out to his own place, and we have a neeeew French housemate.
- Me and Lau also went for coffee with some of my students, new best friends for life.
- As of yesterday I am following a 19th Century literature class at the University, where I will coincidentally be studying 1 of the books I am basing my dissertation on. Fate answered my calling when I decided to go to this 1 and only class that worked with my timetable at the lycee. Listening to French for 2 hours solidly and keeping up enough to take notes really takes it out of you, but I feel so much better for actually doing something in my target language for once. You won't believe how hard it is to find French people to practice French with here, regardless of the fact that you're living in France.
- Ironically and somewhat inappropriately to my next point, French men do only seem to have that 1 infamous kissing technique. When in Rome and all that...! I guess I did find 1 French person.
Here, I come to the penultimate subject point of my title:
- Why do you keep sniffing my hair French boys?!?! You can guarantee that on every night out- whether it be in a bar or in l'Opera (the happening nightclub here)- there will be at least 1 point during the night where I will feel someone touching my hair. And I shall turn around in time to catch them sniffing it. Or saying 'Schwarzkopf'. How weird is that?! Just because it's a different colour to most of the French population's doesn't mean it's made from anything different, or smells any different for that matter. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh.
- And yes, I am English, and apparently the whole of the French population seems to know this too. Me:"Un ticket s'il vous plait", Bus driver: "Where are you from?"
Me: (attempted French) "Can I follow your class just as a casual student?"
Lecturer: "Of course, where are you from?"
Crazy man in the street today: (French) "Do you need a map to cross the road, or maybe you can hold my hand to cross, then the cars will stop."
Me: Awkward laugh
Cray man: "Oh, you are English, you are very nice."
You see!!!!! Most of the time they know just from 1 single uttered word. I don't know if I'm not making enough euhhhh bahhhhh noises when I speak French, or my hair's too blonde, or my red coat is just not conforming enough to the black dress code for French women, but either way, I. MUST. BLEND. IN. Any suggestions will be gratefully received.
Other areas where help is needed include classroom games I can play with 11 17 and 18 year old students. Taboo has already been played and was probably the only activity I could get them slightly interested in. Any ideas that will get them talking as much as possible will save me from some really awkward never ending, stretching, infinite hours...
...
Well, this has turned into a longer blog post than I probably would've written had I written it in the usual style, sorry Elliot! I'm off to send an e-mail to a local newspaper about some possible work experience in the journalistic/ publishing world. You never know...
To finish, I just wanted to wish 1 of my oldest friends a happy 21st birthday for today! I know she'll be reading this and I so wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I hope you're having a day as special as you are. Love you Tash!
And thank-you to Franybabes for your lovely poem that I received when I got home from walking past a gazillion shops with Valentine's Day flowers and gifts. I may not have found a nice young Frenchman for the occasion, but it doesn't mean I won't get a heartfelt poem nonetheless from someone I love ;)
I hope you're all having a lovely week, and I'll write you soon.
Gros bisous
Grenoble Girl
