Le week-end avec la famille

Midday monday- only one class left then I can relax. Spent a nice weekend in Nantes with The Boyfriend, meeting The Family... Good for my French- not so good for my figure, I can't believe how much we ate!

Got to Montaigu on Friday evening, where Nico's parents live. It's a cute house surrounded by fields, really pretty and peaceful. Emilie (Nico's sister) and her boyfriend were there too and we did the usual meal routine here in France- apero, starter, main course, cheese, dessert, coffee. I dread to think how big I'd be if I ate like the French do all the time! Nico's parents are lovely- though I was a bit scared of his mum at first, but she was really nice once I got talking to her. His dad's great- very 'daddish'... big grin, very friendly, just like dads should be! Next morning we went to see Nico's sister-in-law to get his hair cut (to my dismay- I always hate it when guys cut their hair) Met his brother and adorable nieces and nephew. In the afternoon it was beautifully sunny so we went for a walk in the park (after a half hour long detour to the local guitar shop- I was so bored!) then browsed comics and DVDs in the local LeClerc.

Saturday night Nico's two brothers and their families came over for dinner, which was Raclette... amazing! This time I was determined to properly make a go of it- I managed 5 slices of cheese, compared to 3 for my first Raclette a couple of weeks ago... pretty good going. Raclette, for those of you not already in the know, is pretty much a glorified version of cheese fondue- but more fun! you have a kind of hob in the middle of the table, and each person has their own little... well the best way I can describe it is a garden trowel! You put your slices of cheese in the trowel and into the raclette and it melts the cheese... meanwhile you take some potatoes and various cold meats, and once the cheese has melted, pour it over the rest of your food. As I said, amazing... but as you can imagine very very filling! Also, had my first ever taste of foie gras (homemade, Nico's mum is an amazing cook!) which I had expected to not like, but which was actually pretty good, once you forget that it's duck liver! All this was followed by gaufres and mousse au chocolat... just awesome!

Sunday day we relaxed, watched 'La vie est un long fleuve tranquil' (which I hated watching at uni, but now I understand more French is actually pretty funny) and had a leisurely lunch of leftovers. I tried my first huitre (oyster) which was degoulasse (disgusting)- I don't know how they can be an aphrodisiac...nothing could be less appealing! Got back to Blois in the evening, watched a bit of Ocean's 11 and hastily prepared classes. Lovely.


(I am becoming more French by the day- most of this post has been about food)

A good week, in all

College was good yesterday... dare I venture the word, 'fun'? First of all, my 9am class (for which I had only had a very scanty lesson plan) didn't happen because all the English teachers were having a meeting- awesome. The second class, who are usually little terrors, were good as gold, and I actually felt like they learnt something from me (whilst arguably not the most useful of topics in terms of English skills, their lives can no doubt have been enriched by my lessons about Scotland, haggis and hogmanay) Then my last class was cancelled because the teacher was on strike. (Love the French obsession with striking, vive la resistance I say)


Yesterday the new smoking regulations came into effect- I had seen the news report the previous day, when the newsreader had gravely informed his viewers that smoking would be banned in all public places...that is except in restaurants, bars, and discotechques. So basically it's only forbidden in the work place. I love the French. They then did a special feature on a truck driver who could no longer smoke at the wheel because his truck was considered a place of work. Poor bloke, he wasn't happy. So anyway... yesterday at the 10 am break, most probably to appease the smokers among us, the headmaster had laid out abundant baskets of mini croissants, pain aux chocolats and other tasty treats, as well as fresh orange juice. In England everybody would have been moaning about wanting a fag, but the general feeling in the salle de profs was a happy one... everyone chatting merrily away through mouthfuls of pastry. Furthermore, I actually had some proper conversations in French with some of the younger teachers and surveillants- something that doesn't really happen that often at school, because I speak English to the English teachers, and then people tend to assume I don't speak French... and I don't like to start up conversations!

Feeling quite good all in all- the tiredness I've felt for weeks seems to be lifting.