Highs and lows

I’ve had a few demoralising experiences the past few days. Yesterday the woman I bought I sandwich from at lunchtime insisted on asking me if I wanted a drink in English that was clearly worse than my perfectly comprehensible French. A different woman who I bought a coach ticket from decided she didn’t want to accept a 20 euro note from me for a 10 euro-something ticket, and tried to get me to pay in change, then thought it was acceptable to laugh at me when I clearly wasn’t understanding what she was asking me for. There was also a meeting for all the assistants in the area on Monday where I realised that everyone else’s standard of French seems to be significantly superior to mine. Combine all of this with two long days this week – where yesterday we were out from half six in the morning till eight at night – and I honestly did not want to get out of bed today to do the mountain of chores that I still had to do. Also I tried to brush my teeth with soap this morning.

However, I am determined to not be all doom and gloom, so I have made a list of my recent small victories:

- I ordered a taxi over the phone in French. It totally turned up in the right place at the right time.

- I have a bank card AND a pin number! And I found blutack, which I have been searching for for a week and a half.

- I shouted at my letting agency in Leicester and they’re finally going to give me my deposit back next week.

- I actually have a lift to and from school which doesn’t seem (fingers crossed) like it’s going to be too complicated a journey.

- I successfully managed to communicate to the pharmacist that I needed some form of bonjela equivalent. I know it was successful because he sold me what I am pretty sure is some sort of bonjela equivalent.

- Due to the fact that I can’t walk past a patisserie without going inside, I have eaten many many pastries, and also tried macarons, which I was convinced could not taste as pretty as they looked (their aesthetic qualities were really the main reason I bought them). However, despite the fact that they are sort of a strange hybrid between a cake and a biscuit, I have decided that I approve very much.



Seriously, who could resist?

In other news, a very lovely assistant who I spoke to yesterday let me know how completely stupid I was being vis-à-vis my lack of a camera cable, because I can in fact just put my memory card in my computer and upload photos that way. Why, Laura, you might cry, that doesn’t sound TOO stupid of you. Well, unfortunately, I’m pretty sure I’ve done it that way before.

So, moving swiftly on, I shall leave you with some photos of my current home.