The BEST and WORST things about living in Nimes:

BEST:

1. The SUN - after 2 weeks of grey and rain in England at Christmas, I was very happy to come back to bright blue skies... all year round!

2. The relaxed way of life : I get a 2.5 hour lunch break, and nothing is rushed. Church always starts about 15 minutes late, and no-one cares if their lessons run over or are late starting at work.

3. Food and wine - everyone loves it, meals are important and I am often invited to eat dinner at people's houses. Local WINE is cheap and not at all bad!

4. It not being horribly embarrassing driving around in a battered 22-year-old car!

5. Cycling - while being scary, its also very liberating!

6. Cheap rent!

7. I love my job! I also get plenty of free time to spend doing other things - like learning the guitar, cooking, seeing friends etc.

8. Living 45 mins away from the sea, and 45 mins away from mountains, Provence, and some of the most beautiful areas of France.

9. Belonging to a great church.

10. My lovely new friends and my sisters-in-law.

11. Having my most lovely JB living just round the corner!

WORST:

1. The wind and not having snow when everyone else has it!

2. The way people are so often late - and things often get cancelled.

3. Being worried about not serving a good meal when I invite people to eat.

4. Shop assistants are often very rude.

5. Driving : People drive like manics, and there are so many traffic lights!

6. Crime - ie. Getting my bike stolen from inside the entrance hall.

7. Nightlife - in the winter, this town is dead at night!

8. Paperwork - it's so complicated and there is so much of it to do! (general France thing!) 

9. It is difficult to get to know new people.

10.  Being far away from family and friends.


And my conclusion is....: there are definitely more good things than bad things about living here - hurray!

Work...

Yesterday one of my students came for his English lesson slightly worse-for-wear. And I mean, slurring his words, stinking of alcohol. He had apparently been at a work lunch until 5 in the afternoon, and in France, that means that he would have been drinking since about midday! So obviously I was a little apprehensive as to how the lesson would pan out (seeing as I teach one-to-one lessons). Actually, the alcohol seemed to really help his English and he spoke the most fluently I had heard him so far. Maybe we should give our students shots before they have their lessons ... could be an interesting way to lower inhibitions!