Diggin' the Dancing Queen :)

Bonjour! 

Exciting things to blog about this week! It's only a shame that I am having to write it all stuck at work when it's gloriously hot outside, and I'd rather be sunbathing than being told by students that I have to hurry up issuing their books because they have an exam to be at in 5 minutes.

When I started my year in 'Paris', I said to myself that by the end of the year I would be all fancy and cultured having seen plays, operas and ballets around Paris, and I'd know all the 'cool' places to go and know exactly how to get there without even looking at a métro map. Well, with only  4 weeks to go ( how crazy is that?!), I can officially say that I have achieved none of these things in 9 months. I have a rough idea of métro lines, and know a few nice places to eat/drink, but since I am so far from the centre of Paris I just have no idea what goes on! But recently I have seen a French rap band and the French stage version of the musical Mamma Mia at least! 

I got tickets to see the french rap group Sexion D'Assaut for my birthday, and the concert was last week. I have to say, I've seen big names like Drake and Kanye West, but this show actually outdid any rap concert I have seen. The group of 8 rappers performed non stop for over 2 and a half hours (they weren't even late coming on!), with live musicians and DJs, coreography, onstage fire, enthusiasm, energy and just utter 'coolness'. Ha, I just really enjoyed the gig and they performed all of their classics and really engaged with the audience. It got me hyped for Jay-Z and Kanye West gig this friday, I imagine that will probably overtake all concerts, mind! 

Following on from this, Saturday night was a trip to the theatre to see Mamma Mia with Gemma. Again, a lot of fun and entertainment; it was interesting seeing it in French too and hearing the song translations! The worst part being missing the first 45 mins ( long story- stupid Paris ) but the best part, being seated on the second row from the front of the stage! We could practically smell the actors ( quote by Gemma ). So it was worth it in the end, and typical musical style everyone was on their feet at the end singing along to 'Waterloo'. Classic. 

We stayed overnight in Paris at a friend's appartmment as he had a little gathering. It was a nice way to end the evening and not have to worry about getting trains back. In the morning the girls and I wandered along the river trying to find somewhere for Brunch, and enjoying the sunshine we visited Bibliothèque François Mitterand ( something else to tick off the list at least) and then sunbathed all afternoon in Bercy Park, playing a never ending game of  'who am I'.  Apparently Kate Winslet isn't blonde. 

What was nice was just not feeling guilty for lounging around in the sun. I have no marathon training, nor research project to do, and my time in Paris is coming to an end so you know, profitez-en! 

But seriously, I'm not used to not having anything to do. Those of you who know me well enough will understand that it's killing me turning up at work and having nothing to do, finishing work and having nothing to do, waking up at weekends and having no reason to get up! I know what you're thinking, just enjoy it, chill out, relax, stop being a busy bee... You'd have better luck telling the French to give up baguettes. I guess it's only four weeks left though. Only four weeks more of  'The printer doesn't work', 'Can I borrow this book?',' Where is this book?' , 'The machine has swallowed my card'...

A lot has happened this year already though, and my summer is going to be pretty hectic so yes, perhaps I should just try this 'chill' you people talk about.

This weekend will be my last proper weekend in Paris. I have to do some holiday shopping and try and do some more things on my 'list' while I can! The following week I have some lovely visitors coming, the weekend after I will be in London, and the weekend after I leave for my holiday in Egypt! Time is flying, and I do admit that I am starting to get a little sad about it all.

But hey ho, c'est la vie. I'm still learning things, still enjoying myself and still trying to make the most of opportunities which pass me by. 

Until next time, gros bisous :)

Ruth in Rennes (in the rain) - A mystery story...

Once upon a time, a girl named Ruth (Lily to those she meets in France) decided to travel and see some more of France. She had a 4 day weekend, and ended up booking to go to Rennes quite spontaneously. She had hoped to go down south, but being a bank holiday weekend and leaving it to the last minute, all trains were fully booked, so Rennes it was. 

She was anxious about travelling alone. She had reserved 2 nights in a hostel, and was a bit nervous as to whom she would be sharing a room with! Equally, she was a bit scared about wandering around in unknown places by herself, as she has a habit of getting into cars with strangers ... Anyway, as soon as she arrived at the hostel she felt very comfortable and welcomed. It was a bit of a treck from the train station to the hostel but she managed. The staff were very friendly and gave her lots of information about what to do. Ruth was in a room of 2, which meant she only had one other person to worry about! She fresehend up, and set out on her adventure. First stop, tourist office to get a map and some info about what was around. She spent the afternoon walking around, following a suggested 'tour route' , seeing the cathedral, parks, an abbey, and other monuments. So Rennes was done pretty quickly! But as it was sunny, she decided to go for a run along the river. Which was very refreshing! Following her shower, she met her room mate. A kind French lady called Peggy who was staying one night. Despite her snooring, she was a pleasant room mate, and they even shared toothpaste! That evening, Ruth went out to find something to eat. She treated herself to a traditional Brittany crèpe, with a little glass of Chardonnay on the side! She felt very proud of her sightseeing and was quite tired from walking around all day! She did feel a bit silly being alone in a restaurant, but she didn't care. Sometimes it's nice to have time alone. Coming back that night, she bumped into two guys at the hostel, an Australian and a Canadian. Both young travellers, and it was nice to chat to some people in English without them being creepy french waitors and inviting her for a drink in Rennes. 

On Saturday morning, Ruth wanted to get up early to see the market and then get an early train to St Malo. She did manage to see the market, which was splendid, but unfortunately all food stuffs which leant she couldn't really buy anything as it wouldn't keep! Then she got the train to St Malo. It wasn't that nice of a day, but it wasn't raining at least when she arrived. She had no idea where she was going, and saw someone with a map of the town. She made the mistake of asking him where he found it, and this lead to him talking to her all the way to the tourist office,interrogating her, and then suggesting they spent the afternoon exploring together, or exchanging numbers to meet up later. Despite him calling her 'adorable', she politely refused. 'Creep', she thought.

So her St Malo adventure began! A very cute place with lots of character. She walked all around the forts, took the little train ride, visited the Hotel de Ville and museum, and unfortunately got quite wet as the rain began to pour in the afternoon! Because of srupid French train times, she had to wait 2 hours for the next train back to Rennes when she arrived at the station, and so took shelter with a cup of tea in a nice warm bakery! 

On her arrival back to the hostel, she bumped into her two friends again, who invited her to have some drinks. However, after her nap, Ruth had planned on visiting the Musée de Beaux Arts as there was a special free late night opening for the public!

She felt very cultural going out to the museum and admiring the paintings, even if she didn't really know what she was looking at! It was quite late when she started walking back, and her hunger had got the better of her, so she stopped off in a little Sushi bar which was lovely, and enjoyed some maki while watching Chelsea win the champions league. When she got back to the hostel, she joined the boys in the TV room. Another Canadian was with them too who was just as friendly. They chatted and had a laugh, and then Ruth decided it was time to for bed. ‘I wonder who will be in my room this night’ she wondered. 

Luckily, no one! It was a bit lonely but at least she could have a snore-free night’s sleep! However, about 4am, Ruth woke up as she needed the toilet. As she turned on her light, she noticed an envelope next to the door marked ‘To my Ruth’. ‘That’s strange’, she thought, ‘as I’ve introduced myself as Lily to EVERYONE I have met here…’  . She was desperate for the toilet, so quickly ran to relieve herself, and she bumped into one of the Canadians on the way, who was just getting back from a night out. ‘Perhaps it is him!?’ she wondered, but again it couldn’t have been because he knows her as Lily. She rushed back to her room and eagerly ripped open the letter. A smell of mens Eau de Toilette filled the room.  It was a love note, written in quite bad English but by a French person. He said that she thought she was charming, and wants to meet for coffee before she leaves tomorrow. It was signed ‘the fan of your heart’ and he had left his number.

‘WHO ON EARTH?!!’ were Ruth’s immediate thoughts. Not only does this person know my real name, but also my room number and my date of departure… Similarly, she had no recollection of ever meeting a French boy in the hostel and introducing herself. Very strange. 

Obviously, curiosity got the better of her, she immediately texted the number to find out who this mysterious stalker was. ‘Lorenzo’ he replied. Lorenzo??????? This meant nothing to Ruth.  She asked who he was exactly, and if they had ever met before. Apparently, yes, they had met and had a conversation in French and that she spoke ‘well of aillior’ (whatever that means).  He said he wanted to meet her before she left, and that it would be a surprise when she finds out who he was.  Ruth was literally baffled. She decided to leave it and have a think over night. This really was a head scratcher. Yes, she had chatted to the hostel staff in French, but the only man she talked to spoke fluent English so he couldn’t have written the note.  The lads she made friends wih all spoke English and called her Lily. WHO is this person?! 

After breakfast and checking out of the hostel, Ruth made her way to the station to get the bus to Mont St Michel. She had always wanted to see the site, and as it was so close she figured now was the best time. Except it wasn’t. It rained, hard, ALL day. She arrived, and since the rock is in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the sea, it was obviously like walking into a storm with wind, rain, puddles and greyness everywhere.  Ruth had two options: Due to irregular bus times (France’s favorite thing) she either could do whirlwind tour and then get the next bus in 90 minutes, or  wander aimlessly in the rain killing time to get the last bus in 3 hours.  She took the first option. To be honest, an hour was enough to see the church and walk around the Abbey. When it’s pouring with rain and full of tourists, ambling is the last thing anyone wants to do. She found Mont St Michel very cute, but it was just a shame that the views were spoiled by the rain. Still, ‘I can tick it off my list now’, she thought to herself. 

Getting on the bus back to Rennes, she had a message from her mystery man.  He wanted to know if she had a boyfriend, what time her train was, and what she was doing this afternoon. Ruth answered all of these things truthfully, still completely unaware of who this dude was. She got off the bus and went straight to the cinemas. She had a lot of time to kill before her train back, and obviously everything was shut with it being Sunday. Again, it was sad that she went on her own but she liked the film and being dry!  Afterwards, she told Lorenzo that she was coming back to the hostel to collect her suitcase then go to the station, hoping he’d be there just so she could find out who he is! He wasn’t, so she decided just to leave it and go to the station. 

As she was waiting for her train, she received a message saying that he was on his way to the station to see her and say goodbye. ‘Oh my gosh!’ Ruth thought.  This was like something in a film!

But the departure of her train was fast approaching, and as much as she wanted the mystery man to be revealed, she had to board the train. Sitting in her  seat, she sent him a message to say that she was still in suspense over it all and that she’s gutted she’ll never get to find out his identity.  His response… None.

So, following a wonderful weekend in Rennes, she arrived back to yet more rain, but was content.  She still has no idea about the guy who knew her name and room number, and she will carry on living her life never ever knowing who he was. It’s a real mystery, even to her…

What France does to you

Bonjour!

Again, another overdue blog with lots to update on. I have approximately 6 weeks left of my placement, and to think that when I first arrived June felt like light years away. What a whirlwind the past 8 months have been, and my level of French is not the only thing which has changed. I myself have definitely changed since being here. There are things which I would never even consider in England, and never thought I'd do generally, yet since mon arrivée en France, I seem to have adopted their 'no care in the world' attitudue... Here's why: 

Lily, not Ruth. Self explanatory. 

McDonalds. Most of you know, that as a veggie ( and I'd like to consider myself a reasonably 'healthy' eater too) this fast food chain was never an option for me. Sure, after a big night out I might be tempted by medium fries at 2am, but otherwise in England I hardly EVER ate at McDonalds. Since being in France however, I've probably eaten more McDonalds these past 8 months than I have in the past 8 years!! While I was training I didn't feel too gulity, but now I have no excuse. It just doesn't have that same 'greasy' feeling afterwards which makes you want to cut open your stomach and flush it out like you get in England, (Just me?) and, obvisouly, it tastes so goooood. I blame the boyfriend too, it's always his way out of cooking. They need to bring back chocoglacés though, McFlurry's just don't cut it anymore!

Rides. The thought of Alton Towers or Drayton Manor with friends was always a no-go. I could never sit on a ride with loop the loops and vertical drops for fear of, well, just fear! I have always been a wimp when it comes to things like this. I couldn't even hack the tyre swing at my local park! But, again, having conquered some fears at Disney Land, my bravery developed further when I went to Parc Astérix this weekend.  Based on the stories of Asterix, this park walks over Disney anyday! I was hesitant to buy my ticket because I'm such a crybaby, but I am so thankful that I went becasue it was just amazing! There are less people than at Dinsey which means less queueing and less stress just walking around in general. Better variety of rides, big, small, wet, fast, slow... less 'cheese' and glitter, fewer children running everywhere, better ambiance in general. So, be proud of me. I did ALL the big attractions, including a 8 looper and the brand new inverted rolelrcaoster called Ozliris- 4 weeks new situated in the 'Egypt' part of the park. I adlit that the first time I saw it I completelt froze and didn't go on, but I was reassured by all my friends that I would love it and it was the best ride, so in the afternoon I plucked up the courage to go on it and it was AMAZING!! I cried 'let's do it again!!' as soon as we had finished ahah. So there we go, fear of heights and loops and speed = conquered! Yeah buddy : 

http://youtu.be/Gxi9uwNTDrc

Getting into cars with strangers. Don't worry, it's not as dangerous as it sounds! It's not something I do on a regular occasion, but I have done it two or three times more than what I would in England.Following my bank advisor taking me to the supermarket way back in September, and my hitch-hiking incident, I guess I just have more trust for French people... On Sunday, I had a bit of an adventure when going to meet the family with whom I'll be au-pairing this summer. It was a 30 minute train ride from Versailles, then about 7km by foot to their country house. Since my project has been done (onto that later) and there was nothing else to do on Sunday, I thought I'd just leisurely walk the 7km or au pire get a taxi, how hard could it be? Well, turns out not very! I arrive at Beynes and start walking with my google maps directions in my hands. Its a niceish afternoon, am in the countryside, all is fine. I don't find the first street I need though, and a young driver pulls up seeing the confused expression on my face. He asks me if I'm ok and I explain that I'm looking for a certain road, he sees that my directions are in English and pulls a face, basically he doesn't know. I tell him not to worry, I'm going to walk back to the station to call a taxi. He smiles and drives off. I'm walking back up the road, and he pulls up again beside me. He tells me where I have to go to find the way but advises me that it's fairly far. I just tell him that it's ok, I'm in no hurry so going to call a taxi, thanks for his help. He wishes me luck and drives off into the fields. Having ordered my taxi (from the most enthusiastic driver I've ever heard on the phone!) I'm sat under a tree reading my book and low and behold guess who rocks up and parks infront of me...?! I don't know how I get myself into these situation.Long story short, he offers me a lift to where I need to be and I accept. I didn't feel threatened because I was in the countryside, I would have felt more unsafe in the city I feel. He was a friendly chap, and I made sure I slipped early into the conversation that I have a boyfriend! We actually had a bit in common which kept the convo rolling, and he kindly took me to where I needed to be. Drove off without even asking for my name or number! Winner. 

Eating meat. Mum, turn away. Friends, please don't judge. Remember, what happens in France, stays in France!! I know I had that lasagne incident before christmas, but that wasn't my fault! I arived at the familiy's house on Sunday, quite a bit earlier than expected and they were just about to have Sunday lunch. The mother was very friendly and she invited me to join them for lunch which obviously I couldn't refuse! The grandparents were there too, and the 4 kids! One of which is a newborn of two weeks old, so cute and lots of black fluffy hair!! They made me feel very welcome and the family were très sympa. But yes, I ate chicken. The smallest morceau, mind! It was a lunch of beef or chicken and veg, and I couldn't refuse two out of the three! She said that they are hiring me not only to look after the children but to, and I quote, 'be a part of their family'. And to be honest, that's why I wanted to au-pair too, to gain an experience into true French family life. So if this means not causing problems and eating meat, then so be it. It's just for the summer! I am going to stay vegetarian in all other possible circumstances, (my boyfriend tried to sneak lardons into our carbonara the other day- he thinks he's so sneaky) but if they prepare meat for dinner I'll just eat it.... The afternoon was lovely, the children were fun and I almost died on the trampoline playing with them. But I am very excited to spend the summer down south with them. 

Drinking coffee and red wine. Again, both served at dinner on Sunday afternoon. But equally, I am learning just to let go and adapt to French culture. I do usually stick to tea and herbal teas when I can, but I'm getting better at 'prendre-ing un café' in necessary situations. Just add a splash of milk and some sugar and knock it back! As for the wine, well. Wine is wine!

Skiving. Ok, not really. But I am beginning to take the mic a bit with work. Arriving at 9.10 instead of 9. Taking a bit longer at lunch than I 'should'. But its just, it's getting to the end of semester and the library is quiet, so it's not like I have to rush back to attend to the line of students wanting to take out books.I'm really not needed here anymore tbh! I took a day off on Friday just so I could go to Reims! It was just a flying visit but Aurélien and I had lunch, visited a champagne 'cave' (Tattinger), visited the Fossier biscuit factory, and walked around the cathedral. It was a lovely day, but I should have been at work as I took a day which I didn't technically have left to take... 

Staying in bed. I was always up and about at uni, the thought of staying in bed was just unthinkable! There was always something I had to do.  Whereas now I just use the 'I'm working full time' card each time I hit snooze! Like I said, the marathon is finished, the bane of my Year Abroad has now been completed and submitted ( yaayyy!) and I have no guilt hanger over me now (other than the fact that I feel lazy), so chilling in bed and lolling about on the sofa when I want to is becoming rather a bad habit! :S. Still running though, don't worry I'm not some fat McDonalds burger on legs. Yet.

WHO AM I?!!! What has France done to me?! Don't worry, I still love musicals, Cadbury's and putting gliter on me eyes, RUTH is still alive! I hope you haven't judged me, but just see it as I do, part of the experience and just ' a phase'... haha. 

Finally, one more to add to the things only in France: 

Chocolate and cheese. I kid you not.

(Tastes like chocolate crème fraiche...Yes, I have tried it. Standard).