I've been going to my French language classes twice a week, except when French railway workers decide to remove the opportunity through crippling nationwide strikes, and meeting Michelle at least two days a week as well. We continue to explore Lille together and have found some fabolous places for ethnic food and some classic (stereotypical but authentic) french cafés. She's been out to Wavrin a few times as I have out to Armentiéres, but I still don't have insurance to drive the car, so I'm eagerly waiting for that to come through so I can do things in the evenings after looking after the kids in the afternoons.
Last weekend I went with Michelle to dinner at Valerie's house, an English teacher at Michelle's school and Michelle's go-to person. We had a wonderful time and stayed overnight even checking out some local art on the Saturday.
My day-times have been pretty empty when Isabelle, Benoit and Michelle are working and the kids are at school so I decided to fill some of them with language exchanges. I've had loads of interest and met with one lady on Thursday to commence my first one. (For those who don't know it's a free mutual conversational language lesson where you speak one language (ie. English) for half the time and the other (ie. French) for the other. I go into Lille normally on Mondays and Thursdays anyhow, so it makes it pretty convenient to meet people there on those afternoons.
Starting this weekend is the Toussaints (all saints) holiday which lasts a week and a half. Michelle and I don't have classes but neither do the kids so I'm full time this week while Michelle visits John (English friend from Freiburg) in Lyon, where he's teaching. My reward though is meeting the two of them for a four day weekend in Paris while Isabelle and Benoit and the kids go away for a couple of days. Paris is only an hour away on the TGV (the world's fastest passenger trains) and I got a really good deal with my under 26 card which Michelle and I bought at the start.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
La Chasse
Today I went hunting for the second time since I've been here. I went with Benoit towards Dunkirk where we met Isabelle's family and family-friends to go walking through paddocks and shoot hares, pheasants, pigeons and some other birds. It's just like you've seen on documentaries or movies set in France or England. Today there was only one score - a big male pheasant - beautiful bird. Last time we were luckier with 2 hares and 2 pheasants.
There are a complicated set of laws associated with it (including seasons etc). Basically people can buy the right to hunt on a farmer's property and that's what Isabelle's parents have done.
It's one of a few cultural experiences I've had since being here that you can only have staying with a family. Last night I ate the regional speciality - mussels and chips. Delicious. I've also had fresh oysters from Brittany (first time), and rabbit at Benoit's parent's place (for the first time in years). It seems to be that if ever you're visiting others or others are visiting you for a meal you need to anticipate 2 more courses that you actually expect (no matter how many you expect) and to be totally stuffed at the end. There is always (at least) mains, cheese and dessert (in that order).
I'm now feeling very comfortable and settled with Isabelle and Benoit. I know almost all their family (Isabelle has two siblings and Benoit is an only child) and am enjoying being here more and more as time goes on. This also seems to relate to how much French I'm speaking and understanding...
There are a complicated set of laws associated with it (including seasons etc). Basically people can buy the right to hunt on a farmer's property and that's what Isabelle's parents have done.
It's one of a few cultural experiences I've had since being here that you can only have staying with a family. Last night I ate the regional speciality - mussels and chips. Delicious. I've also had fresh oysters from Brittany (first time), and rabbit at Benoit's parent's place (for the first time in years). It seems to be that if ever you're visiting others or others are visiting you for a meal you need to anticipate 2 more courses that you actually expect (no matter how many you expect) and to be totally stuffed at the end. There is always (at least) mains, cheese and dessert (in that order).
I'm now feeling very comfortable and settled with Isabelle and Benoit. I know almost all their family (Isabelle has two siblings and Benoit is an only child) and am enjoying being here more and more as time goes on. This also seems to relate to how much French I'm speaking and understanding...
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Michelle
It's been wonderful to see Michelle and I've gotten to see quite a bit of her. On Tuesday last week she managed to come and meet me in Lille even though she was supposed to work. Because of a delay in text messages I thought she wasn't coming so I was about to buy my ticket back to Wavrin when she tapped my on the shoulder. Was a very pleasant surprise.
I saw her on Thursday on her lunch break from information sessions in Lille and Friday we spent the whole day together after some delays because of issues with train timetables and I got to see a tiny bit of Armentière (where she's living) too.
It's really nice to see her.
I saw her on Thursday on her lunch break from information sessions in Lille and Friday we spent the whole day together after some delays because of issues with train timetables and I got to see a tiny bit of Armentière (where she's living) too.
It's really nice to see her.
Wavrin, Lille and Language
The house is a huge old place and I live on the third storey. I have my own huge room painted with hot pink highlights and my own bathroom. The backyard is a big one with a nice lawn, a huge tree and a trampoline and the house fronts on to the main street of Wavrin. Not that it's exactly the largest town in the world, but the street is always busy. The school, church, station and pretty much everything else are no more than a 5 minute walk.
I went to Lille my second day here to organise my language course and was placed in the introductory course on Monday and Thursday mornings. Afterwards I went to try and organise my residency permit and then walked down the mall into the city centre. It's a really pretty city and I'm surprised it's not big on the map of tourist destinations, but then Isabelle and Benoit tell me that it was an ugly grey industrial city that's only been cleaned up in the last 5 or so years. Friday to Sunday the weather was amazing and Michelle and I explored Lille more together on Saturday.
I went to Lille my second day here to organise my language course and was placed in the introductory course on Monday and Thursday mornings. Afterwards I went to try and organise my residency permit and then walked down the mall into the city centre. It's a really pretty city and I'm surprised it's not big on the map of tourist destinations, but then Isabelle and Benoit tell me that it was an ugly grey industrial city that's only been cleaned up in the last 5 or so years. Friday to Sunday the weather was amazing and Michelle and I explored Lille more together on Saturday.
Isabelle, Benoit, Noah et Lilyrose
Isabelle and Benoit are great. He was in Brittany when I arrived so I didn't meet him for a couple of days, but I'm very glad I'm with them. They're both 30-something and work a lot, but they're lovely and interested in learning about other cultures while wanting to share their own with me. They both said to me that they'll start speaking French with me as soon as I'm comfortable - whether that be in a week, a fortnight a month or whatever. I've already taken up their offer and though it's not easy I think it's the only way to really fast-track my French.
They invited Michelle for dinner last Friday too, which was wonderful, and we talked about travel and us and had a really nice evening.
Noah and Lilyrose a good kids. They can be a handful sometimes and I was worried at first that I'd have trouble with Lilyrose but that's settled down now. I think it was mostly just that I was a new face and she was testing me out. It will also get a lot easier as my French gets better. I've already noticed an improvement.
They invited Michelle for dinner last Friday too, which was wonderful, and we talked about travel and us and had a really nice evening.
Noah and Lilyrose a good kids. They can be a handful sometimes and I was worried at first that I'd have trouble with Lilyrose but that's settled down now. I think it was mostly just that I was a new face and she was testing me out. It will also get a lot easier as my French gets better. I've already noticed an improvement.
Flight and Arrival
Sept 29
After a computer error at Melbourne Tullamarine airport my bags were checked through to Brussels and I was checked through to Singapore. Great. But no worries - it's just because there "may" be some fees payable for changing my flight - I just need to go to the Lufthansa counter in Singapore and sort it out.
No problem. After a pleasant flight with Singapore airlines - the food was great - we arrive in Singapore a little early. I make my way to the transfer centre and have a chat with the guy at Lufthansa who tells me to take a seat and he'll call me up. Mmmm massage seats. Ten minutes later my feet feel wonderful. And someone else wants to use the seat. I move. A group of about 40 Germans rock up. Oh no... I know where they're going - straight to the Lufthansa counter. I know they're going to forget about me.
30 mins through my 1 1/4 hour stopover and the queue is still long. I'm gonna get in it. 45 mins and I'm at the front of the queue. They've forgotten me - simply print out my boarding passes and I'm on my way - no sorry's, nothing. I arrive at the gate just in time to be called through for boarding. At least it wasn't last call...
Somewhere between Sept and Oct
The rest of the flight is fine except I'm wishing I were still on Singapore airlines. I land in Frankfurt and go to talk to Lufthansa to see if I can get an earlier flight to Brussels. Talk to them in German. Yay. I get on an earlier flight and head to my gate, grabbing some euros and breakfast while I wait. A lady from the airport asks if she can interview me about my trip. I agree and she compliments my German. Why don't they speak German in France? Is that a politically incorrect question?
Arrive in Brussels and I'm confused. What language do these people speak - it seems every person I pass is speaking another language. I'm unsure of what time Isabelle can make it as she was originally expecting me later. Turns out she can't make it till then anyway so I wait. Was either here or Frankfurt. Think I would have preferred Frankfurt. There weather was better there anyhow. Here the sky comes right to the ground.
After a computer error at Melbourne Tullamarine airport my bags were checked through to Brussels and I was checked through to Singapore. Great. But no worries - it's just because there "may" be some fees payable for changing my flight - I just need to go to the Lufthansa counter in Singapore and sort it out.
No problem. After a pleasant flight with Singapore airlines - the food was great - we arrive in Singapore a little early. I make my way to the transfer centre and have a chat with the guy at Lufthansa who tells me to take a seat and he'll call me up. Mmmm massage seats. Ten minutes later my feet feel wonderful. And someone else wants to use the seat. I move. A group of about 40 Germans rock up. Oh no... I know where they're going - straight to the Lufthansa counter. I know they're going to forget about me.
30 mins through my 1 1/4 hour stopover and the queue is still long. I'm gonna get in it. 45 mins and I'm at the front of the queue. They've forgotten me - simply print out my boarding passes and I'm on my way - no sorry's, nothing. I arrive at the gate just in time to be called through for boarding. At least it wasn't last call...
Somewhere between Sept and Oct
The rest of the flight is fine except I'm wishing I were still on Singapore airlines. I land in Frankfurt and go to talk to Lufthansa to see if I can get an earlier flight to Brussels. Talk to them in German. Yay. I get on an earlier flight and head to my gate, grabbing some euros and breakfast while I wait. A lady from the airport asks if she can interview me about my trip. I agree and she compliments my German. Why don't they speak German in France? Is that a politically incorrect question?
Arrive in Brussels and I'm confused. What language do these people speak - it seems every person I pass is speaking another language. I'm unsure of what time Isabelle can make it as she was originally expecting me later. Turns out she can't make it till then anyway so I wait. Was either here or Frankfurt. Think I would have preferred Frankfurt. There weather was better there anyhow. Here the sky comes right to the ground.
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