Wednesday

Wednesdays are still such long days in my french life!
The day starts at 8am at uni with comprehension orale. Nobody, NOBODY wants to transcribe the morning's news articles for nearly 2 hours at that time in the morning, if ever! Then we have two more hours of class, before I run home to have lunch with the family and play with the kids/take english classes (this is really just reading books and talking about them, just talking or singing songs/playing games.) Then the oldest boy goes to piano class and I have the middle one while little one sleeps, then he goes off to piano too and I have a little time to go through my notes form the morning, before they come back and I watch the kids/teach English/play (today they were very hyper) until dinner about 7pm. Today it was slightly stressful as little one is a little poorly and was crying, and their Dad wasn't home...

And now, because I'm so cool, I'm listening to a political debate between the two candidates for the leadership of the French Socialist Party... oh my...  Apparently, if I wanna get this exam, I need to 'reste au courant' with current affairs!  Tomorrow is my free day, but I have to do all my homework cos I have so little time monday tuesday and wednesday!

Also, it is so cold and wet and horrible here, AND I lost my lovely new umbrella and I don't think I'm ever gonna see it again!

But not to moan, all is good, its just that Wednesdays are looong! The family are off on holiday next week and I'm off to the South (which is still baking!) to see the wonderful man before we both go back to England for a few days... :) aaaah!

Anyway, I shouldn't be complaining, I expect when I finally make it into the 'real world' things will be much more hard-core!

Hope you're all having a good week :)

ALARM

Last night, Doug and I met some random French people in a bar and spent the evening in lively French discussion. It was a pretty good night, and yet another of the things I love about living here! On returning to the house a lot later than I realised, and having forgotten to let the parents know, I set off the alarm. (They set it at like 12:30am and I'm supposed to let them know if I'm gonna be back late than that. Totally slipped my mind!!) Needless to say I was mortified and so sorry to have woken them. I apologised profusely this morning, and I think things are ok, but yet another of the joys of living with a family, despite it's obvious benefits!

 ...lots has been happening this week, but I'm exhausted and I'd rather not blog it right now... It's been a long week and I'm looking forward to a call with my man, and bed!

le weekend

So Nimes is pretty lovely! ...and incredibly hot: it was well over 30oc when I left yesterday! Its really old and Roman and stuff... My meagre point-n-shoot does not do this justice! (It is also quite ghetto in some places and apparently the crime capital of France ...things I like to put to the back of my mind whilst contemplating my probable demenagement to the city next year!)

The weekend was awesome and the train ride home was also pretty spectacular cruising past, first of all olive trees and vineyards, and then the alps and Rhone river until it got too dark to see anything else.

France is really such an incredible country and I feel so blessed to have to opportunity to not only live here, but to be dating one of it's nicest men ;) ...nobody needs to know about my ridiculous level of smitteness, so I'll leave it here with a few pictures...

Visiting my Frenchman...

Well, after an emotional goodbye with the children (4 days is a long time to them!), and an 8.5 hour journey, I made it to Nimes. I survived the economy night train (next time I think I`ll spend the extra €10 and get a bed. To say it was uncomfortable would be an understatement, but I think I managed a couple of hours sleep!) It was kind of strange to be sleeping in such close proximity with so many other people - a lot of whom were snoring! I also saw one guy fall asleep on the shoulder of the sleeping girl next to hijm - they didn't know each other - bt thankfully he woke up first and realised! I also had to wait over in Avignon between  5 and 6am but that was actually nice and I ended up chatting to some interesting people including an English man who had lost his passport and was watitng to go to Marseille in order to try and sort out his situation! I also ended up giving him a bit of life advice - he did ask! Thats such a bonus of traveling aone - you can be so much more open to people and really be aware of the things around you.
Anyway, after such a long journey, it was great to arrive in Nimes at 6:30am and to be greeted by the best smile and hug! Unfortunately, JB has to work a bit this weekend, (but if he didn't work, we would really struggle to be able to see each other so I guess I can't complain, and it's short shifts! It is SO HOT here. South of France hot. But I see that it is also really hot in England too...mental weather, it's October tomorrow! Looking forward to JB getting back in an hour and going to see the town! :)
Have a good weekend everyone!

I spent the day playing Frisbee in the super-warm weather and making a railway with the boys. It was really fun! Sometimes, I love this Au Pair business! Also loving this amazingly warm weather and the beautiful views walking down the hill to uni in the morning! Stunning!
Tomorrow I am leaving to see my favourite French man in the sunny South - which involves taking the night-train. A first! I am VERY excited!!

Hope everyone is having a good week!