Looking pretty good for my age.

So what have I been up to?
Another one of the assistants arrived (an american) and we have been trying to get lots of things sorted, like french mobile phones and bank accounts. Along with the immense bureaucracy I have also spent a lot of time eating wayyy too much. Loads of bread, pastries, waffles and crepes.

A problem that is beginning to arise is that I really really cannot speak french. Im finding it really hard. I don't have to speak all the time (helped by the fact that I live alone!) but when forced to communicate noise comes out but definitely not french.

Yesterday I managed to say that I was born in 1970, luckily I quickly realised my mistake and managed to correct it. Today I was getting my numbers even more confused, saying my date of birth was the 80th of the 3rd. I think I freak in conversational situations and then forget everything I know.

I opened a bank account today, at least I think I did. I feel like such a looser, failing to be understandable. We use language to express so much, to be welcoming and friendly and polite, what we say determines out relationship with others and what they think of us. I feel like all I can do at them moment is smile and say 'merci' rather too much!

I have been invited to dinner tonight by some people that I met briefly at church- which is very kind of them. However, its always awkward when you have a meal with people you don't really know- you rely on small talk. I HAVE NO TALK, let alone small talk.

I'm going to a fitness class with my landlady this evening too. It could be amusing! Hopefully I will understand it and she won't put me to shame fitness wise :)

A week in, keeping busy, I have not yet begun to procrastinate...

So, I have been here for a week now and despite missing carpets, speaking english and you british things have been going très bien.

Week one alone has given me an insight into french life...

The pillows here make our english ones look sickly, the french ones are definitely on steroids or are genetically modified or something. Very macho.

There is a pharmacy everywhere you walk. In any given high street the average seems to be about 3.

French ways clearly have already infected me, I have taken up drinking from a bowl.
(/ there is a distict lack of mugs chez moi)


The markets here (wednesdays and saturdays) are really great, fresh fruit and veg and meats- mainly duck. Oh and flowers too, so for just over a euro I got these...

:)
p.s I have a kettle and a duvet and a big duster to clean away the many many cobwebs. die spiders die.

If at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished.

Its so tiring trying to communicate in a language you don't speak, though there is a real sense of achievement when people seem to understand. I watched desperate housewives in french last night (deeespreeete owwsweeeves- french pronunciation) - I vaguely understood it.

I am now having dreams where I am in a room full of people who do not speak French and then someone walks in and says something really important in French and everyone is asking me what they said, I do not have a clue. Not hard to interpret that one.

Im off out to see if I can find a kettle and a duvet- I feel like Im camping at the moment, boiling all of my water in a saucepan and sleeping in my sleeping bag.

:)

A picture paints a thousand words

The town that I live in, my landlord's cat making himself at home, my hut :)

I really am going to have to think of titles for my posts...

I have somewhere to live, Im moved in and I have internet. That is the short version.

The last few days have been a bit of a whirlwind. But I'm going to summarise to stop myself writing a novel and boring you all.

I arrived fine, despite my flight being delayed and the bus from the airport to the train station taking an hour and 20 mins.I think Bordeaux's traffic might actually be worse than Bristol's.

I stayed with my supervisor for a night, I didn't get much sleep and then had to be up at 6.30 am (my body was still in english time, so 5.30 did not feel good)We went to see a studio at 8, which I hated. It was very small and had one tiny skylight window and a fold out bed. Oh and the guy next door was smoking loads and was a bit dodge. yeah I really did not like it.

To cut a long story short at this point I ended up wondering around perigueux on my own, freezing (it was really cold and I only had a cardigan with me).Not knowing where I was, I eventually found tourist info and bought a map and then I visited estate agents with not much success and finding anything. I was cold and very tired and pretty lost and I spent most of the time trying (unsuccessfully) not to cry. I visited the library for a bit cos it was warm :)

Then late afternoon I found my way back to my supervisors office and he said that he had been to see another studio that he liked. He was describing it and I asked to see it, pretty desperate to find something, hoping that it might be better than the other one I had seen. It was a lot better. So I ended up moving in late that night because my supervisor was going away for the weekend, and lives way out in the countryside.

So that was my first day.

"Tomorrow, tomorrow, Im reallynotsokeenabout tomorrow, you're only a day away.pants."- What annie would have sung had she had to do a year abroad.

Im trying not to panic because I feel really ill when I panic.

I have packed and repacked multiple times- really hoping my bags are under the weight limit- I had to make large sacrifices leaving things at home, like my pink dog shaped pencil sharpener that sharpens when you turn its tail, which apparently is not a 'necessity' when I don't have pencils, a desk or a house to put a desk in.

So if you don't hear from me for a while its either because
a) I am reliant upon internet cafés
b) I have been put in a french prison suspected of money laundering because I have photocopies of English notes in my bag. (for school resource purposes)

still nowhere to live. and also no confirmation that my supervisor will pick me up.
what have I done??????

Bristol you have been great. see you at christmas.

:)

4 days

I have been doing lots of research and emailing about potential accommodation, just by looking my vocabulary has already expanded- I mean who knows when I might need to know the French word for 'exposed beams' or 'built-in wardrobes'? always key words.
Its a possibility that the place I rent wont be furnished so I'm trying to persuade myself that furniture is overrated,I may have to embrace minimalism.
Tonight= packing 'fun', trying to squeeze everything I need under easyjet's weight allowance for my 2 bags. This IS a problem, my suitcase ways 4kg my dictionary 2kg and the maximum this bag can be is 11. again, going for the minimalist thing.
actually seeing the funny side of it all today.
:)

6 days

I have 8 signed, stamped and translated copies of my birth certificate
surely that will be enough even for the French bureaucracy.
still homeless in a foreign land. oh joy.
:)

1 week to go

OH dear I leave in a week.
And I have no funny pictures, remarks or stories. I'm not in the mood. I'm just scared, which I hope will wear off otherwise this could be a very dull read for you all.
:)