MY NEW SCHOOL

Today I went to see my new school. I have to admit to being very nervous about what I might find but I’m so relieved to say that I feel very fortunate – the school seems nice, my tutor has a wonderful sense of humour and has been very helpful so far and the English department seems a good team. What’s more, the students I met today were so well-behaved and polite (no doubt on their best behaviour!) although, even in the short time I was there, I could see that there might be a few ‘characters’. So, I have a week-end of freedom before the serious business begins!

PROBLEM ...

I have realised that I have a HUGE problem while out and about on my bike – I CANNOT TURN LEFT. This is all very well if I want to go up and down in a straight line from my flat and any direction north or east but what happens if I want to go west and visit the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe or indeed the rugby ground – which naturally I do. Now, while I’ve probably been doing all sorts of naughty things what with everything being on the wrong side of the road for me, I’m not quite ready to sweep across three lanes of Parisian traffic to be able to turn left. No doubt I’ll work it out in time. (By the way, I did actually make it to the Louvre!)

DIEUX DU STADE

© stade.fr

You can imagine my disappointment to discover that the publication of the Dieux du Stade calendar has been delayed. However, the chappies at the information desk in FNAC were very entertaining when I asked if they had it in store. Apparently, they feature in it this year as Mr April and Mr December, so move over Mirco. Although they did say that personally they themselves would rather have a female rugby team calendar to ogle!

LA PLUS BELLE VUE

Today, I was officially welcomed to Paris by my very dear friend, Pascal. We had a very nice afternoon sipping Earl Grey then decided to go up the Montparnasse Tower to see ‘la plus belle vue de Paris’. Opinions may differ on what is the nicest view of Paris (personally, mine is usually from the virage at Jean Bouin when Mirco’s playing) but it’s certainly spectacular! You can see all the sights of Paris stretched out before you in all directions – breathtaking!

ENFIN SUR PARIS!

So here I am finally in Paris and hooked up to the internet and part II of yatje-blog begins. My landlady (typical charming tiny blonde well-coiffed Parisienne just minus poodle) welcomed me and showed me round my lovely new flat which didn’t take that long as there are only three rooms! So now I am busy settling in, I’m missing a few things like the buns, a kettle, a garden and of course, a nice rugby player. On arriving here, I realised almost immediately some disturbing things about myself, like how extremely well-mannered I am, how I form an orderly queue and look the wrong way to cross the road, in short: I am extremely English. However, Tristan soon got the hang of this Frenchness, driving like a lunatic, parking as close as you possibly can to the other cars and shrugging his shoulders in a nonchalant way. It’s very odd to see yourself through the eyes of others and realise that you are actually foreign.

Today, I was brave (or daft) enough to jump on my bike and head out to the flower markets of Paris. I even ventured along the boulevard St Michel and around Notre Dame. But it’s worth it to experience Paris up close! And the herbs I bought are safely back in the mini-garden I’ve created outside my window! My, how I’ve adapted in such a short space of time!

E N D O F P A R T I

BUNNIES

I’ve spent a lot of time recently repairing damage done by my house bunnies. Don’t be fooled by their adorably cute faces and relaxed poses, they chew everything and no amount of shouting, chasing, offering of bribes like dandelion leaves or alfalfa sticks will lure them away from their obsessive nibbling. Anyway, all the cushions, electrical flexes, wooden bits have been sewn up, replaced and repaired I suppose until the next time. But I will still miss them while I’m away!

MY WEEK

Well, what a hectic time it’s been and I still haven’t packed yet. So, I’ve taken my end of year exam at last (fingers crossed for a good result), I was bitten by a spider and had a severe allergic reaction which made me look like I’d been in a fight, England's cricketers won the Ashes for the first time in 18 years and Trafalgar Square was full of happy people as they waited for the parade bus, the season has quite abrubtly changed into autumn, and yesterday it was my last day at the Yard. Boo hoo!

MY NEW FLAT

Ça y est – I’ve signed the lease on my new flat in Paris and it looks clean and tidy and not at all Zola-esque. So now I only have two weeks until I move my little life down there and I’ve loads to do before then like pack my bags, tidy up the garden, get the teaching materials together, say goodbye to everyone here, take my end of year exam …

THE PHOENIX GARDEN

There is a lovely, secluded, community garden near where I work which is crammed with herbs and frogs and a beautiful ginkgo tree. We were informed by Chris, the gardener, that there used to be seven such community gardens around Covent Garden but unfortunately The Phoenix Garden is the last of them, the others having been buried under shops. It is so peaceful, it’s hard to believe it’s right in the middle of London. I hope it stays there for a long time.

NEW COLOURS

One of the reasons why I love Stade Français is that they are hardly ever boring and that they dare to be different. Well, yesterday, they surpassed even themselves - the shirts for their ‘away’ match were PINK! Okay, these snazzy new shirts didn’t help them win - Perpignan 16/Stade Français 12 :-( - but I actually think they look quite nice and they certainly liven up the pitch. What's more, it shows the players are in touch with their feminine side. Come on pinks! © stade.fr