Lightbulb moment number 2

Thursday night, we went into Le Mans for a Soiree Concert (i.e a band night). I got drunk off cider as it is pretty much the only alcoholic drink I will touch in most French bars. I took Jordan out for a cigarette, and these two French men who were walking past asked us if the music was any good. The second I replied, they asked if I was English (we must have an easily identifiable accent when talking French).

Cigarette finished, went back in. But that was it. We were stuck then. Even though poor Jordan didn't know what he was saying, one of them continued trying to chat us both up whenever he saw us. I felt like Dave was trying to pimp me out, because every time the man said something to me, Dave would his, "go on, talk to him, practise French"!

I didn't feel very fresh when I got up at 7 on Friday morning after 4 and a half hours of sleep. And Dave was taking the mick out of me because I was so drunk off a glass of Asti and 2 and a half pints. But, as I said in my defence, I can drink as much as Jack! :P And to be fair, the only thing I drink at home in France is Martini Extra Dry, and that's like water to me now.

On Thursday day we had recieved a Post Office card for the B's, the people we rent the house off, saying that there was a letter that needed collecting. We needed identification though.

We asked Julie, and she said could we try to collect it, and explain that we live there? So Friday afternoon, we traipsed off to the Post Office. I explained the situation, explained that I had a bank statement, so I could prove that we lived at that address.

But the French love causing hassle where paperwork is concerned! The B's need to ring up the Post Office and get the Post Office to extend the normal 14 days that they will keep the letter before it gets sent away. And in the meantime, we need to get Julie to post the slip back to England so that they can sign the back, saying that we are allowed to collect it, then send it back. Then we can collect it.

But the important thing was (coz I don't give a flying fig about the letter, it's probably just an important bill, that we'll have to pay towards!), that I understood all of this perfectly, and managed to come up with a suitable response each time. It's the first time I've done something like that in France that I haven't felt like a complete and utter idiot. So I feel quite proud of myself!

Other matters - Dave has not had a French lesson since the first once. Technically he owes me six hours of French learning now. But he's very difficult to drag off his football game. The only French he uses is when he goes to the boulangerie and says "un pain s'il vous plait" "merci, au revoir".

And do you like my new layout? I spent ages playing around with new ideas. I think I'll keep this one for a while.

Feed the birds, tuppence a bag

The snow is still here. Yesterday it snowed and hailed on top of the week old snow. However I think we've given up on the idea of making a snowman. I did want to make a French snowman with a beret and a moustache but unfortunatly I don't have a beret in this country. I might ask next door if I can borrow one...

Our new hobby is feeding the birds. We never eat the ends of the baguettes, in the past we have been binning them, but we now have started collecting them. Dave in particular has really taken to it, he loves watching the birds through the living room window. He's becoming a proper twitcher! "That one's a blue tit"








After my lesson on Monday, I tried to persuade Dave to go to the beginners French classes that a few members of my family attend. He tried to fob me off with an excuse about money which was absolute rubbish, he just doesn't want to put the work in! So instead we came to the compromise that that he would let me teach him an hour of French every day that I'm not at work. So today is the first day, and already he's umming and ahhing. I'm not trying to be mean, I just want him to come out of this with something to show for it. And he does enjoy it when he gets into it.

Update: Dave read this and it seemed to persuade him, as he has now had an hour AND TEN MINUTE French lesson!

Today we did... absolutely nothing!

We had a lazy day today. It was absolutely boiling again today - 25 degrees again. So I covered myself in sun block and we spent the day sat outside. So I gave Dave a French lesson.



He didn't really learn much from the lesson, he just spent the whole day copying out stuff he had already written into his new notebook! But he's started picking stuff up already. Without even knowing that it made sense, he has started saying "ouais" instead of "oui", which is the equivalent of saying "yeah" in English. He even says it when we're talking in English now!

We nipped to the supermarket for our bedtime snack of baguettes and sparkling wine. I can't drink real wine yet, but I'm trying very hard to wean myself onto it!