May 2008

So said goodbye to Lynn again! We thought we wouldn't get to see her, but, as is often the case with that girl, her plans changed and we did get to see her....which is cool. And she gave me a San Diego baseball cap! Love it. Will wear it WHEN I go and visit her, have started saving!

So yeah we have like basically another week off now and need to profit from that so last night Molly and I decided we would go to Perpignan. Must be one of the most last minute travels I've ever done and I'm exciiited! Helen, from Bergerac, is gonna come too and it should be goodtimes. I'd never really heard much about this place but the weather forecast is good, the town looks gorgeous (we'll basically be in Spain, couldn't get any closer without being so) and from there we'll be able to go up into the hills or down to the beach. :-) Also, I am a darn good packer now, seriously such a pro, all done in like 10 minutes!!! Will take my camera, of course.

Weather is gorgeous today. Got up early to go and do some more recording for JPP (Including a beautiful rendition of "If you're happy and you know it" and read "The Enormous Turnip"...future career in radio plays?!), then came home and was brave and made three phone calls (CAF, Water company and France Telecom) to try and sort out finishing stuff), then did my washing and treated myself to half an hour sat in the sun watching the people at the market and reading. Was lovely and two things struck me
1. that although the French are all pretty nicely tanned, they had all opted to sit in the shade today, I guess doing it gradually as you go about life is much healthier than "tanning" sessions
2. that I didn't hear one raised voice the whole time I was there

Firstly, apologies, I just realised that grammar/spelling was even more shocking in last entry than normal. Will sort that out soon and am fully blaming tiredness.

The French have 11 public holidays a year and most of them seem to be this week! Ok, slight exageration but May really is full of them, literally a Merry month, not much time for work! So,

May 1st Fête du premier mai
Traditional to give "Lily of the Valley" (muguet des bois) to friends/family etc to bring good luck. Little stalls selling it pop up in towns. Also "Fete du travail", Labour day.

May 8th Fête de la Victoire 1945
Commemeration of the end of WWII in Europe

May 12th (this year) Whit Monday
Day after Pentecost

Also Ascension Day/Pentecost

But, the best bit is yet to come! If two of these dates fall on, for example a Thursday and a Monday, the Friday is taken as a "pont" (bridge) by many people so they get to have the full weekend off! So, the teachers/kids at my school came back from holidays did two and a half days, have five days off, will go back for a day, have Wednesday off (it's a "free Wednesday") and then back for two days (and the weekend arrives!)! HOWEVER, there is now a teachers strike on the Thursday!!! So if the teachers choose to do that too the they will be in school for three and a half days of the two weeks following their (2 week)Spring holiday!!!

Yup. Keeping to recent pattern...awesome week of funtimes and then shattered in a "contented-with-life but to-do list piling up" kinda way for a few days!!!

England was greeeattt. Has rekindled my excitement for being back ther properly in a couple of months, a feeling which a few day's of great French weather had kinda numbed a bit. But yeah fully looking forward to it now really...if I could just get a super-tan, stop eating at the boulangerie and massively improve my French in the next 7 weeks would all be perfect actually. ;-) So I know it's not strictly "France" but quick run-down...

Flew into London on the Tuesday with Perigueux Crew (well part-of)...which I'd had more time to spend with them there actually. Was cool, Molly's first time in Angleterre, and realised how much of London I've never done, it's awful really. Stayed in mildly-dodgy but super cheap £6 a night hoste (including breakfast!) and Wednesday we headed to Oxford. The bus took longer than I'd expected but had Wi-Fi which kinda made up for it.

We met up with the Oxford Mateys...was superhappy, like *big smile* contentment to be back with them and just in Oxford...in Balliol, JCR, walking down Cornmarket, popped into Faculty...all really cool, felt like comng-home in a way...i guess Perigueux will feel like that in a couple of year's time? We all had lunch in hall (had never tasted so good!) and then I did the "Oxford Tour" before Lou and Mol headed back. Then basically just hung out. Jucy thrashed the others at Cranium, did the whole May Day dawn "thing" on Thursday, long lazy breakfast with papers in JCR, shoe shopping and chatting with Jo and headed down to Bath after lunch.

Joe is right in the middle of hardcore revision again so basically I napped while he worked! But was awesome to be with him, and really looking forward to being back in same country properly soon. He's been great this year though while I piss around and "do my thing abroad"...thank you :-)

Mum managed to make it up to Bath for a spot of shopping, lunch, etc on Friday which was really nice of course! Bath is a lovely place to spend a few hours chatting and relaxing, lovely. Joe joined us for coffee, and then we had yummy noodles for dinner when mum left. Saturday we headed back up to Oxford for the ball which was AWESOME. Maybe the best yet! Dunno like just one of those really good nights, just had fun and everything was like perfectly balanced...gooooooodtimes, good(ish) cocktails, very good fajitas ;-), good dancing, good laughs... :-) :-) :-) Was kinda tough getting up Sunday though...after 2 hours sleep! But luckily what with bus to Stanstead/wait at airport/flight etc was plenty of naptime and everything went stresslessly to plan.

Tricky going back to work today although the kids were actually pretty good. Did a cool thing with the little ones with a big "map" of a town on the board and taught them all "a park", "a bakers" "a bank" etc...for some reason "bank" sounds just like "bike"!!! And can't complain as after tomorrow I have almost another week off...weds-mon. Thursday and Monday are "jours feries" and so they take Friday as a "pont" (bridge), and of course I don't work Wednesday/Saturday/Sunday....so all pretty cool really. Will try to do something, not sure what yet...Lyon was prevud but isn't happening so will hopefully make some kinda alternative plans with Molly although right now all I can think is food, bed and the list of "stuff" I've gotta do, mostly checking stuff out for leaving the country soon! Oh and JPP wants me to do another enregistrement...Wednesday, 8.30am. Love it