Of Playschemes and Picnics

OK, I'm sorry. I've been rubbish at updating my blog recently, for anyone who reads it, although I do have some excuses (my internet stopped working for four days and then my electricity was cut for another day, and I've been very busy!).

So, the playscheme. I spent two weeks on the Saltern's Playscheme, which organises fun activities for children with learning difficulties, like going to the aquarium, going swimming and stuff like that. Each of the children needed a carer to look after them, which is where I came in!

On the first week, I was looking after a child with Down Syndrome, who was absolutely fantastic, although a little stubborn and unaware of his own stength! So I had as much fun as the children that week, although my glasses were bent within a few hours of the first day after getting struck by a basketball in the face. I was hit by various objects to various parts of the anatomy over the fortnight. I got to go to the aquarium, go swimming, watch Shrek the Third, go to Finkly Down Farm and eat lots of ice cream! All in the name of making sure the children had a good time, of course!

The second week I mainly looked after a child with Kay, who decided to join in (the first week she was camping in the exotic location of... Brockenhurst). This child, although really cool in his own way, was anxious about quite a lot of things; he didn't like crowds, loud noises and water. That meant we spent most of the time staying on the bus while the rest of the children went and did things. That wasn't too bad - we must have sung A Spoonfull of sugar about a dozen times! It was only annoying because the first week the weather wasn't so great, but last week on Wednesday, it was scorching, and I spent the day on a hot bus.

However, the Tuesday we were to go swimming. The child I was with didn't like swimming (as he didn't like crowds, noise or water, which is what swimming is all about), so he swapped with a child from another group who really liked swimming while he went to Longdown Dairy Farm, where aparently he saw a lion. This third child had Angelman's Syndrome, which a fascination with water is a characteristic, hence the love of swimming.

So all in all, the Saltern's Playscheme was a fantastic experience, and I'd love to do it next year if I'm around. The children were all fantastic - well, at least the ones I looked after, there were others which were more ... challenging, to put it diplomatically.

Last Wednesday, there was a church youth group barbeque at Denise's, which was jolly fun, and Thomas decided to make a cheesecake.

This weekend just gone, the weather was fantastic, and I tried to make the most of it. Saturday, Thomas, Jess, Ali (two friends who worked at Morrison's with me) and I went on a picnic at Longdown, which was a great day. Thomas made these lovely chicken and pesto baguettes and a batch of scones. We also had strawberries, watermelon and cake. And Longdown, even though it was in the New Forest on a sunny Saturday, was practically empty, save the horses, (one of which stole a scone, an apple and trampled in our butter) which Thomas so galantly chased away - shouting and waving his arms like a maniac. After the picnic, we were thinking of going for ice cream at Lyndhurst, but the traffic was an absolute abomination! We know where all the grockels went instead of Longdown. So we went back home, and walked up to the post office to buy some ice lollies. Such a perfect day...

Sunday, I went to church, had lunch at our grandparents and then had Jo, Katy and Ben come round in the evening where we served more chicken and pesto (Jo's addicted to the stuff...) and played games, including a hilarious, yet slightly vulgar game of consequences, cranium, and pig, the card game. Another great evening. (I have such a cool social life, non?)

This week's been slightly more laid back, but not as much as I hoped for as I've got three manic weeks coming up. Next week is Soul Survivor, then Thomas and I are off to Paris!

A bientot, mes amis

Another overdue entry

As you can see, I've been rather lackadaisical updating my blog, and I apologise without prevarication for anyone who has felt somewhat catawampus from the evident diminution of updates. So, for anyone who actually reads my blog (please do!) and got past that mammoth sentence of superabundant locution, here is another overdue entry. And Beki, if you are reading this - you hypocrite! (said with love of course...), and those long words are just for you.

So, a little of what has been happening, possibly or possibly not in chronological order:

a) Marchwood fete. Two Saturday's back was Marchwood fete (Marchwood being a village where my grandparents live), and Thomas had volunteered to help out with Jo and Kay. I hadn't but on arriving, I was given things to do without even being asked whether I wanted to, not that I minded. Power of association I say. Anyway, the weather was really good, and I spent the day in the sun and got the burns to prove it. But apparently I'm a sauerkraut for not dressing up, but I only got back from Paris the Tuesday before.

b) Work. I sort of have a job. Well, I signed up for a temping agency and have been given work once a week putting inserts into local newspapers. Rivetting. I could ask for more, but I'm fine.

c) Went to see Harry Potter, which was by far the best Harry Potter film so far. Also on the Harry Potter theme, as this Saturday the new book is coming out, Hythe High Street is being decorated for the occasion. As Jo's dad is the manager at a shop there, Thomas, Kay, Jo and I (yes the same four, we should have a name, like the Marchwood Musketeers or something) are decorating it, so Thomas and I have been working on that.

d) Father's birthday. Last Saturday, which was also Bastille Day for those in France, was my father's birthday, so we had a big barbecue, with a giant gazebo and everything. My mum had a nice quiet meal with the family. My dad, the entire works. And it's not even a landmark birthday, although he'll be 50 next year. What'll he do for that, hire a string quartet?

I've also volunteered to do two weeks at Saltern's Playscheme. Saltern School is a local school for children with learning difficulties and at the start of the summer holidays, they organise activities with the children, which I'm helping out with, starting next Monday. Should be fun. Then I've got a week off, then it's Soul Survivor, and then I'm off back to Paris, to find a new apartment. And I have about 10 days to do it before I have to leave my current one! I'm insane, I know.

I can't seem to add a title for some reason, oh well. I haven't updated for ages, so I can't be bothered to write about everything that's happened (nor remember everything that's happened), so it's just a short update to tell you that I'm still alive.

And I'm also back in England, since McDonalds didn't want me anymore and cancelled my contract. Cancelled, by McDonalds! Hilarious! But I'm so glad to be back in England, even though the weather is being tempermental at best.

That's all for now folks. I told you it was a short entry.

An update at last

It's been ages since I've updated, mainly because a) my internet's been rubbish, and b) I haven't been bothered. Since I've deprived you of the news of my life which I'm sure you all so avidly read (I live in hope), I'll probably add two entries, one about my trip to England, and one about my return to Paris.


So, following on from my last entry: Tuesday, after the whole rigmarole of the McDonald's job thingy, I met up with Katy Dey at St Michel again. I had my suitcases with me, so we went to a cafe where I ate a crepe, and a baguette if I'm not mistaken. After we said goodbye at Cite, I went to the gare du nord to catch my train and buy the ticket to come back. (For some reason I'm having to control a strange desire to insert random French words here and there) I accidently bought the ticket going the wrong way, but managed to sort it out, so that was all fine. I got on the Eurostar, as one does when going back to England by train, and met my dad at Waterloo, even though I didn't realise he'd be there. Got home around nine, and had a dinner that Thomas prepared. To be honest though, I was so tired I could have eaten polystyrene.

Wednesday, I'd arranged to meet Ali and Jess in Southampton, which was cool. Thomas tagged along of course! We went to Costa Cafe, where the waitresses were rather miserable (made me feel like I was back in France!). That evening, I went to the church youth group, which was the first time in about a year, but it had hardly changed, which was nice. Afterwards, Thomas and I watched Gosford Park.

Thursday, Thomas and I went to Poole to meet up with Kaylee. Weather terrible, company good as usual. Had lunch at Wetherspoons, chatted, had a wonder around Poole, chatted, looked at some little bits and bobs including Poole Pottery, which is obscenely expensive. Then we had a cream tea (not great) to escape iniment rain, and chatted, bought some sweets (not that great either) and chatted. Then Thomas bought the entire works of Shakespeare, all 20 tons of it. And that was about all. That evening, we watched A Corpse Bride.

Friday, I went to the cinema with Jo and Katy to see The Fantastic 4, which was cliched and poorly acted, but it was at least mildly entertaining. But it was nice to see Jo and Katy. The family all watched The Prestige that evening (4 films in 3 days!), which was really good, but the ending was a bit disappointing.

Saturday evening the family (sounds daunting, mafia-like, non?) went to The Fisherman's Rest, Lymington for dinner. The food was excellent, but they ran out of venison, which Thomas ordered, and didn't tell us until they were serving everyone else. Bit daft, if I do say so.

Sunday was Father's day, so Thomas cooked a fried breakfast, while I cleaned up. Then Thomas cooked a chocolate cake and some scones for an afternoon tea (which Thomas so humbly put while plagiarising Mary Poppins, "all of which were practically perfect in every way"), while I cleaned up. The grandparents came round for the afternoon tea, so it was a thoroughly enjoyable affair.

Monday, I didn't do anything, and Tuesday I returned to Paris.

That'll do for this entry, which is beginning to compete in length with a Vikram Seth novel. Till next time, which I believe will be very soon...

False Alarm!

My plan up until now was to go back to England this evening and stay there for the summer. But maybe God had slightly different plans. 10h this morning, I got a phone call from McDonald's saying they want to give me a job. That threw everything upside-down. New plan: I go to England this evening as planned, but I come back next week to start my job at McDonald's. Not great, but at least I'll be in Paris!

But, slight problem. HSBC (both UK and France) has blocked my debit card. Now I need to sort that out too. At least I have my Nationwide cash card. So I won't starve here in Paris. So, plan for today. Meet Katy at 2h. Go to Gare du Nord, buy next week's ticket and go home! My suitcase is a lot lighter now I'm only going for a week! Oh, and I still owe Jennifer 7€...

That was because she paid for my cinema last ticket for Pirates of the Caribbean last night. I really enjoyed the film, but it's incredibly long, and I was getting dehydrated by the end of it! The special effects were amazing.

So, I'll be back!

Packing and politics à la poste

Since I'm going back to England tomorrow (tragic, I know!), I thought it would be a good idea to pack... So today I got up nice and early, 7h45 to be precise, and packed/tidied my apartment. Isn't it nice when your apartment gradually becomes magically larger yet at the same time easier to navigate? It's also rather fun discovering objects that I'd mislaid and forgotten about under thick layers of clothes, paper and/or Penicillium chrysogenum. For example, I found my violin rosin, which may actually be cello rosin, but that's a different story, my parker pen, and a roll of bin liners.

This morning I went to the post office to post a letter saying I wanted to leave my apartment with accusé de reception. When I arrived, there was a heated argument taking place between a woman and a man. Although I missed the beginning, to my palpable disappointment, from what I could gather is that the woman made a comment to the man behind her about how long the man in front was taking. I find that French people, who are usually reserved in supermarket queues, etc., make an exception at the post office and start talking to people around them (or maybe that's just what happens at my local post office). Anyway, the man heard her make a comment, and thus the argument began in haste. By the time I arrived, the argument was very heated, especially from the lady, much to the amusement of on-lookers, who were muttering among themselves. It even became racist, with the man saying "Je suis français!", with the woman who was from an ethnic minority shouting back, "C'est quoi, 'français, c'est quoi?", and then the woman serving the man got involved, saying that one of them would have to leave. The woman originally involved started muttering something about Sarkozy, I didn't catch what, but I'm sure it wasn't positive. What Sarkozy had to do with an argument at the post office, I'm not exactly sure. I think he might have been made into a scapegoat somewhat in this example.

Sarkozy - the cause of all our problems?

Anyway, I got posted my letter with accusé de reception. Even though I knew what it meant, I simply could not think of the English translation. On the way back it struck me: proof of postage. Bizarre the way our brains work.

A little update

From Paris to Southampton
I can't believe I'm leaving Paris on Tuesday for a few months! Although I sort of need to go back to England to find a job (following unsuccessful searching here), and prices became prohibitively expensive after Tuesday, I'm starting to regret buying the ticket. There's people I probably won't be able to say goodbye to and that's sad. I told Jennifer I was leaving, slightly bluntly it must be said (by text), which shocked her somewhat! Sorry Jennifer! And plus, I'm really tired today, having not slept well, got up early, went to the Church Council half day away - which was a lot better than I anticipated, collected my ticket from Gare du Nord (isn't the RER bit scary and confusing?), did some washing and started to pack. My tiredness is contributing to my general state of miscontentedness, but nothing a good night's sleep shouldn't sort.

Church Council not so boring after all
Having joined the church council fearing it would be incredibly bureaucratic, I thought today would be a form of purgatory (if I believed in it, that is), but I was pleasantly surprised! I talked to some of the fellow church councillors who I hadn't spoken to, and there was lots of positive contributions. There was albeit some bureaucracy, some more responsible for that than others, but there was some cool stuff. And the food was really good. Which helps.