Alrighty, how's life?
After being thrilled to be back and settling in nicely the January blues hit me like a bus, accompanied by a high temperature, perpetually running nose, horrible cough and aches and pains generally everywhere. Not good. And now that I have almost no voice I realise how much I rely on being able to shout in my job; asking the boys feebly, once, to put their pjs on and come through for tea has no effect whatsoever. Especially when one child doesn't stop making noise for one second be it in English, French or his very own indecipherable (but linguistically complex no doubt) patois, and the other swings around naked flying his dressing gown in the air, clearly in a world of his own.
Despite this I am feeling much more alive tonight, and thought I'd get myself some comfort food (i.e. snacks with salt) to aid my recovery which so far had seen me eat dry cereal and soup. So sitting with my cashews and biscuits and milk and orange juice I was quite looking forward to digging in. Until I realised: I can't taste any of it! The cashews tasted vaguely salty, tea of nothing at all, the biscuits...
The biscuits I was very excited about because they are... McVitie's Digestives! Packaged up all french, called "Sables Anglais", with one of those guards with the big hats on the box. (For all the food snobbery, it seems the French know who does biscuits best!)
Couldn't taste a thing.
So PLEASE coldy-flu-like thing, leave by tomorrow lunchtime so I can taste and the smell the glorious haggis I made such an effort to smuggle into the country! And please don't let me sneeze into it while I'm cooking, because however bad I feel with my cold it has to be better than looking after the boys when they get it. I only have 2 hands, that leaves one nose dripping freely...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Bonne Année!
Well hello!
I'm back in Paris since Hogmanay after 2 weeks in Scotland, and it feels as if I never left. Which is exactly how I felt at home as well- it's like only one of my homes can exist at a time, the other seems a bit hazy and frankly made-up when I'm not there.
The holidays were lovely, full of food, games of Articulate, snow, more food, and lazing in front of the stove. And seeing as my life here had been clouded out by so many fireside Twiglets (went a bit extreme on salt intake after 3 months of healthy eating here) I wasn't terrifically excited about coming back, though it might have had something to do with the prospect of carrying my whole snowboard kit with me. But, as soon as I got here after a taxi, bus, flight, bus and a final taxi, all was good. Especially as I was welcomed by a warmed-up flat, a wee rose and a note telling me the boys wanted to give me the present Santa left me.
They seemed pleased to see me, and were absolutely in fits when I showed them their new whoopie cushion. Hopefully that won't last too long, I can see it getting wearing after a week or two...
I unpacked, napped, had tea, and then all in a rush Laura arrived and it was practically time for the bells! Just enough time to get dressed up and make a couple of masks (cardboard, shiny blue paper, a lace scarf and a paintbrush- I should be on Blue Peter) before seeing in the new year in my local, popping out to sing Auld Lang Syne with new friends at Place du Panthéon; with compulsory view of the Eiffel Tower. We all got fairly excited when Jackie Bird appeared on the pub TVs back inside -thank you Scottish barman- it was only yesterday we realised the time difference works at New Year too. If we had kept watching we'd have had a second countdown!
Now, sitting in my studio awake at 1.30am again finishing Gran's tablet, I realise I didn't make any resolutions. So: update blog more efficiently, explore more, paint more, speak more French, etc.
And eat out more; been to the same little American diner twice (Breakfast in America, it's really good) but should really branch out! We always fail to find nice little French places that aren't real tourist traps.
There's a good resolution.
A plus tard
I'm back in Paris since Hogmanay after 2 weeks in Scotland, and it feels as if I never left. Which is exactly how I felt at home as well- it's like only one of my homes can exist at a time, the other seems a bit hazy and frankly made-up when I'm not there.
The holidays were lovely, full of food, games of Articulate, snow, more food, and lazing in front of the stove. And seeing as my life here had been clouded out by so many fireside Twiglets (went a bit extreme on salt intake after 3 months of healthy eating here) I wasn't terrifically excited about coming back, though it might have had something to do with the prospect of carrying my whole snowboard kit with me. But, as soon as I got here after a taxi, bus, flight, bus and a final taxi, all was good. Especially as I was welcomed by a warmed-up flat, a wee rose and a note telling me the boys wanted to give me the present Santa left me.
They seemed pleased to see me, and were absolutely in fits when I showed them their new whoopie cushion. Hopefully that won't last too long, I can see it getting wearing after a week or two...
I unpacked, napped, had tea, and then all in a rush Laura arrived and it was practically time for the bells! Just enough time to get dressed up and make a couple of masks (cardboard, shiny blue paper, a lace scarf and a paintbrush- I should be on Blue Peter) before seeing in the new year in my local, popping out to sing Auld Lang Syne with new friends at Place du Panthéon; with compulsory view of the Eiffel Tower. We all got fairly excited when Jackie Bird appeared on the pub TVs back inside -thank you Scottish barman- it was only yesterday we realised the time difference works at New Year too. If we had kept watching we'd have had a second countdown!
Now, sitting in my studio awake at 1.30am again finishing Gran's tablet, I realise I didn't make any resolutions. So: update blog more efficiently, explore more, paint more, speak more French, etc.
And eat out more; been to the same little American diner twice (Breakfast in America, it's really good) but should really branch out! We always fail to find nice little French places that aren't real tourist traps.
There's a good resolution.
A plus tard
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A bit like a diary this time.
Monday 6th
So that went well: it's always slightly worrying that a couchsurfer you've arranged to meet might be an old creepy psycho rather than a friendly normal french boy. We went to Musee de Cluny which is just around the corner from me and much bigger than it seems from the outside; chock full of old bits of churches and shiny relics. It was actually very interesting and it's where the 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries live, which I have wanted to see ever since reading a book about them. (Tracy Chevalier tells a story around the family of weavers, the people who comissioned the tapestries and the artist, with lots of detail on the process of how they would have been made.) They were impressive, I like all the symbolism: particular flowers meaning different things, the coats of arms, each tapestry based on a sense; smell, sight, touch. I did realise they were probably more fascinating to me because of all this. Now I'm sure this is not new, but it'd be better if museums gave a bit of information about the background and manufacture of exhibits rather than just details of which family has owned it for the past 5 centuries and where they're on loan from. Had the same thought again seeing the stained glass, a lot of which is beautifully installed in a dark room lit only through the glass. Fleeting thoughts of apprenticing in stained glass/ tapestry/ stone carving would probably not have popped up if I really knew the effort and number of years required to do something that skilled!
After seeing everything it was time for a drink at Procope, Paris' oldest coffee house apparently, and an old favourite of all those famous writers and philosophers that every old cafe around here says were locals. It is nice inside though, all chandeliers and well dressed waiters! Had a nice wee beer- not one to change my drinking habits just because I'm somewhere a bit posh- although it's a good thing I didn't go for a pint as it was about 6 euros each for the half... My round next time!
So I wrote this at home having a rest before heading up to Montmartre for pizza with Amy and her lovely bunch of friends. A Well Earned Rest because (a round of applause please) I did actually speak in french! At least I tried my very best, and didn't give up too many times. Lucky for me Gael was very patient and must have only corrected me every one in 50 mistakes. I have a list of new vocabulary!
Tuesday 7th
Had a very Christmassy day today. Usually I don't get Christmassy until a bit later in the month, but the excitement of going home so soon, hearing about all the snow over there, and watching the Christmas window displays at Galeries Lafayette in the snow here all combined to make me giggly with the urge to make a snow angel. But there wasn't quite enough snow so instead I had a lovely afternoon with Laura back in Bourg la Reine, (which is an interesting town name if you ask a native) involving yummy goats cheese tarts, coffee, macaroons and A Muppets Christmas Carol!
In the spirit of getting excited about the holidays I had a skype call with Angela and Helen back in Edinburgh, which, coming after almost 3 months of no contact, included a fair amount of abuse from them. Obviously they miss me... I've apparently been spoiled here having friends who are nice to me, got to toughen up before I head home. Looking forward to it girls!!
Everything has got a bit busy suddenly after a recent lull in events and nights out, it's as if we've all realised we're going home for Christmas and need some good stories to take with us; or maybe just that there's more going on and better excuses to spend a little bit of money on a nice meal or a few drinks. Not complaining! Friday night promises to be fun followed by mince pies and mulled wine on Saturday, providing Laura brings the wine and I can find some pie ingredients. Planning to use up some of my seasonal energy with the kids and make as many paper-based decorations as possible before I go home. I'm not sure if their parents will appreciate this, but maybe I can pass it off as a Scottish tradition? It has been my excuse for a lot of things recently. I tried to defend the Scots' love of Irn Bru at pizza last night to (mainly) English girls. Because it's bright orange without tasting anything like oranges or any other fruit? Because it's "Made of girders"? Because it always has the best adverts, or because it's the only thing to help a hangover?
I have also tried to explain haggis to the French, but I think it sounds worse translated.
Wednesday 8th
Oscar is fairly impressive, as I've mentioned, in cleverness, but he keeps confusing front/back and top/bottom, which means he often says the opposite of what he means, and the rest of the time I try to pre-emptively correct him and it turns out all mixed up. Jam at the front (which means on top of the yoghurt) or the bottom of the bowl? Boats in front of the bath or in the water, or just the front of the boat at the bottom of the bath? New reading words today were SEE, BEE, TALK and WALK. I feel like I'm on Sesame Street.
xx
Ps. It snowed heavily for 4 hours today, I was so excited until I went outside into a puddly world of slush. Yuck.
So that went well: it's always slightly worrying that a couchsurfer you've arranged to meet might be an old creepy psycho rather than a friendly normal french boy. We went to Musee de Cluny which is just around the corner from me and much bigger than it seems from the outside; chock full of old bits of churches and shiny relics. It was actually very interesting and it's where the 'Lady and the Unicorn' tapestries live, which I have wanted to see ever since reading a book about them. (Tracy Chevalier tells a story around the family of weavers, the people who comissioned the tapestries and the artist, with lots of detail on the process of how they would have been made.) They were impressive, I like all the symbolism: particular flowers meaning different things, the coats of arms, each tapestry based on a sense; smell, sight, touch. I did realise they were probably more fascinating to me because of all this. Now I'm sure this is not new, but it'd be better if museums gave a bit of information about the background and manufacture of exhibits rather than just details of which family has owned it for the past 5 centuries and where they're on loan from. Had the same thought again seeing the stained glass, a lot of which is beautifully installed in a dark room lit only through the glass. Fleeting thoughts of apprenticing in stained glass/ tapestry/ stone carving would probably not have popped up if I really knew the effort and number of years required to do something that skilled!
After seeing everything it was time for a drink at Procope, Paris' oldest coffee house apparently, and an old favourite of all those famous writers and philosophers that every old cafe around here says were locals. It is nice inside though, all chandeliers and well dressed waiters! Had a nice wee beer- not one to change my drinking habits just because I'm somewhere a bit posh- although it's a good thing I didn't go for a pint as it was about 6 euros each for the half... My round next time!
So I wrote this at home having a rest before heading up to Montmartre for pizza with Amy and her lovely bunch of friends. A Well Earned Rest because (a round of applause please) I did actually speak in french! At least I tried my very best, and didn't give up too many times. Lucky for me Gael was very patient and must have only corrected me every one in 50 mistakes. I have a list of new vocabulary!
Tuesday 7th
Had a very Christmassy day today. Usually I don't get Christmassy until a bit later in the month, but the excitement of going home so soon, hearing about all the snow over there, and watching the Christmas window displays at Galeries Lafayette in the snow here all combined to make me giggly with the urge to make a snow angel. But there wasn't quite enough snow so instead I had a lovely afternoon with Laura back in Bourg la Reine, (which is an interesting town name if you ask a native) involving yummy goats cheese tarts, coffee, macaroons and A Muppets Christmas Carol!
In the spirit of getting excited about the holidays I had a skype call with Angela and Helen back in Edinburgh, which, coming after almost 3 months of no contact, included a fair amount of abuse from them. Obviously they miss me... I've apparently been spoiled here having friends who are nice to me, got to toughen up before I head home. Looking forward to it girls!!
Everything has got a bit busy suddenly after a recent lull in events and nights out, it's as if we've all realised we're going home for Christmas and need some good stories to take with us; or maybe just that there's more going on and better excuses to spend a little bit of money on a nice meal or a few drinks. Not complaining! Friday night promises to be fun followed by mince pies and mulled wine on Saturday, providing Laura brings the wine and I can find some pie ingredients. Planning to use up some of my seasonal energy with the kids and make as many paper-based decorations as possible before I go home. I'm not sure if their parents will appreciate this, but maybe I can pass it off as a Scottish tradition? It has been my excuse for a lot of things recently. I tried to defend the Scots' love of Irn Bru at pizza last night to (mainly) English girls. Because it's bright orange without tasting anything like oranges or any other fruit? Because it's "Made of girders"? Because it always has the best adverts, or because it's the only thing to help a hangover?
I have also tried to explain haggis to the French, but I think it sounds worse translated.
Wednesday 8th
Oscar is fairly impressive, as I've mentioned, in cleverness, but he keeps confusing front/back and top/bottom, which means he often says the opposite of what he means, and the rest of the time I try to pre-emptively correct him and it turns out all mixed up. Jam at the front (which means on top of the yoghurt) or the bottom of the bowl? Boats in front of the bath or in the water, or just the front of the boat at the bottom of the bath? New reading words today were SEE, BEE, TALK and WALK. I feel like I'm on Sesame Street.
xx
Ps. It snowed heavily for 4 hours today, I was so excited until I went outside into a puddly world of slush. Yuck.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
1st of December and the snow arrives!
Happy Advent! No calendar for me, will have to just eat normal chocolate for breakfast to compensate.
From what I've been hearing Scotland, and a good chunk of Europe, is struggling with ridiculous amounts of snow. Paris hasn't escaped it but right here in the middle not much has happened- enough snow to make the kids go hyper but not enough to cause proper disruption.
Walking around Montmartre yesterday morning was extremely cold but so pretty- blue sky, sun and a sprinkling of snow on the cobbles and windmills. Laura, Claire and I went up there for lunch at Les Deux Moulins, the cafe Amelie works in! And happily it lived up to our expectations- very cute, good food, and pretty much as it looked in the film. I think it was topped though by the little cake shop we went to for pudding- the best cheesecake I've ever tasted. Shared 2 slices between us and we could barely finish them. I struggled through. www.berko.fr
There are only 16 days until I go home for Christmas. Really looking forward to it, but already know it won't be as relaxing as I like to imagine (lying on the couch in front of the fire, little brother bringing me tea and treats, watching A Muppet Christmas Carol, meeting friends for catch-up drinks) especially if this weather continues! (Getting snowed in, digging out the car, freezing on unheated buses, running out of oil, keeping the fire lit...) Fingers crossed by the 17th Edinburgh airport will be open!!
I have just made efforts to cold-weather-proof my studio: hung thicker curtains than the ones I had been using, jammed the inflatable mattress on its side against the wall, stuffed the side of my bed with my sleeping bag, and demoted an old dress to draught excluder. Wearing a hat and sitting at least a foot away from the wall are generally advised, as it's an outside wall and radiates cold. Glad I don't pay the bills, relying heavily on my one electric heater!
On the au pair side of things all is well, though it's been pointed out that when (if) I ever have kids I will have terribly high expectations of them:
Oscar (3 year old) cracks up every time I say jammies, as in 'put your jammies on'. He says 'sometimes' and 'oh no' in a Scottish accent. But he's currently starting to read in english thanks to a Dr Seuss book (If you can read UP then you can read PUP, and if you can read UP and PUP then you can read PUP is UP) and can add and take away without much effort. He's 3 years and 9 months old.
Arsene, 5, despairs when have to help him with his dictation homework, as do I. My french is so awful I can apparently mispronounce even the shortest of words, 'rue' for example, meaning street. He can do times tables in french and english, and yesterday counted the number of seconds in a day, on his own, on paper, just for fun. He beat me 5 games to 4 at Guess Who; I taught him how to make paper chains.
And they can both play the piano as well as I can.
Sigh.
xx
From what I've been hearing Scotland, and a good chunk of Europe, is struggling with ridiculous amounts of snow. Paris hasn't escaped it but right here in the middle not much has happened- enough snow to make the kids go hyper but not enough to cause proper disruption.
Walking around Montmartre yesterday morning was extremely cold but so pretty- blue sky, sun and a sprinkling of snow on the cobbles and windmills. Laura, Claire and I went up there for lunch at Les Deux Moulins, the cafe Amelie works in! And happily it lived up to our expectations- very cute, good food, and pretty much as it looked in the film. I think it was topped though by the little cake shop we went to for pudding- the best cheesecake I've ever tasted. Shared 2 slices between us and we could barely finish them. I struggled through. www.berko.fr
There are only 16 days until I go home for Christmas. Really looking forward to it, but already know it won't be as relaxing as I like to imagine (lying on the couch in front of the fire, little brother bringing me tea and treats, watching A Muppet Christmas Carol, meeting friends for catch-up drinks) especially if this weather continues! (Getting snowed in, digging out the car, freezing on unheated buses, running out of oil, keeping the fire lit...) Fingers crossed by the 17th Edinburgh airport will be open!!
I have just made efforts to cold-weather-proof my studio: hung thicker curtains than the ones I had been using, jammed the inflatable mattress on its side against the wall, stuffed the side of my bed with my sleeping bag, and demoted an old dress to draught excluder. Wearing a hat and sitting at least a foot away from the wall are generally advised, as it's an outside wall and radiates cold. Glad I don't pay the bills, relying heavily on my one electric heater!
On the au pair side of things all is well, though it's been pointed out that when (if) I ever have kids I will have terribly high expectations of them:
Oscar (3 year old) cracks up every time I say jammies, as in 'put your jammies on'. He says 'sometimes' and 'oh no' in a Scottish accent. But he's currently starting to read in english thanks to a Dr Seuss book (If you can read UP then you can read PUP, and if you can read UP and PUP then you can read PUP is UP) and can add and take away without much effort. He's 3 years and 9 months old.
Arsene, 5, despairs when have to help him with his dictation homework, as do I. My french is so awful I can apparently mispronounce even the shortest of words, 'rue' for example, meaning street. He can do times tables in french and english, and yesterday counted the number of seconds in a day, on his own, on paper, just for fun. He beat me 5 games to 4 at Guess Who; I taught him how to make paper chains.
And they can both play the piano as well as I can.
Sigh.
xx
Thursday, November 18, 2010
8 tiny weeks in, adjusted to tiny Paris life?
 |
| I only have 2 chairs, so when there's 3 for tea someone has to perch on the stairs. |
Friends of friends, who are all lovely and hopefully I can keep in touch with. Failed completely (again) at speaking french, although not completely my fault as I distinctly remember one of them trying to get me to talk in french and then peeing himself laughing at my 'really funny' accent. Confidence fairly shattered, thanks for that. Anyway, so now I've been to a house party/pre-drinks down in Boucicault, and had a dance somewhere aound the Tour Montparnasse. And I've eaten my way through the treats my friend Alex brought over from Scotland- Tunnocks Teacakes, Caramel Wafers, Hobnobs and Chocolae Digestives. And I've run out of teabags!! But it's ok, only 3 more days then I can stock up in London. The shopping list is growing since I had a cheese-on-toast craving that only cheddar will satisfy, and then I remembered about Marmite...
Anything else to add? I've also had a fever, recovered, bought stamps, and bought a French film that I'm off to watch now. 'Huit Femmes', it's by the same director as 'Potiche' and I enjoyed that last week even though I missed a lot of the jokes and 99% of the words. Oh also, this week I came joint first in a pub quiz, with Laura and Olivia. Go Nannies!
A bientot!
Friday, November 12, 2010
The last weeks have (again) been quite eventful, hence another packed update.
The kids had 2 weeks of holidays, so it's quite nice now they're back at school 4 days a week I don't have to think up activities for whole days, just remember to get them to and from school/babygym/swimming/calligraphy at the right times with the appropriate bags.
Someone scoffed at me yesterday for being tired after a shift- he obviously has never looked after 3 and 5 year old boys who, within half an hour while putting their shoes and coats on to go out, cried 6 times between them. Most of the fuss was because 3 year old wanted to stand on the chair to unlock the door, but I said he had to move the chair as it was blocking the door to get to the bathroom, coats and shoes that we needed. Hence tantrums 1, 2 and 3, for each time he explained what he wanted and I explained why it wasn't possible and he realised I was a horrible chair-moving monster. When finally ready to leave, football and bottles of water in my bag and all gloves on, 5 year old decides to jump up and unlock the door ahead of his brother. (Tantrum 4.) Numbers 5 and 6, one each, happen when I lock it again and sit down with my back against the door. No-one gets to go to the park unil the crying has ceased!
Exhausting.
But after an hour and a half in the park they were little angels again and I had a hundred kisses before bedtime, and a story read to me in English. Happy days.
In my long weekends I feel like I've been fairly adventurous with Paris, exploring a bit more.
Things to add to the list of non-typically-touristy things I have done in Paris
1. Watching an all-french tennis match at Bercy stadium in the first round of the BNP Paribas Masters
2. Going to an exhibition at the Cinemateque Francaise (for free thanks to a friend), in French, about hair in cinema.
3. Seeing 'Potiche' - a French film in French, on a discount night at a cinema in the 13th
4. Browsing and buying books for 2euros at a sale at the American Library
5. Browsing the shops at La Defense- the biggest shopping centre in the world. At least that's what it felt like.
Tourist list tick-offs:
1. Chatting over a 6euro cappucino at Les Deux Magots, Saint Germain. Had to do it once!
I've also found a pub! The first place that feels like a pub and not a bar, somewhere you can sit in a jumper with a pint and not feel like a scruff. Handily, it's on my street just up past the Pantheon, has a Scottish barman, shows tennis and rugby, and plays great music. Unfortunately, it's 6euro for a pint. Can't have everything...
So another Friday night is here and it should be fun- I'm going to meet Alex (a good friend from art school in Glasgow) who's in town visiting her French friends, and attempt to coordinate meeting up with other au pairs and couchsurfers and people we've met between us all on nights out. It might work, might not.
And seeing as it's getting hideously close to Christmas, I've booked my flights and am looking forward to 2 whole weeks at home in December! Don't know if the French do mince pies?
xx
The kids had 2 weeks of holidays, so it's quite nice now they're back at school 4 days a week I don't have to think up activities for whole days, just remember to get them to and from school/babygym/swimming/calligraphy at the right times with the appropriate bags.
Someone scoffed at me yesterday for being tired after a shift- he obviously has never looked after 3 and 5 year old boys who, within half an hour while putting their shoes and coats on to go out, cried 6 times between them. Most of the fuss was because 3 year old wanted to stand on the chair to unlock the door, but I said he had to move the chair as it was blocking the door to get to the bathroom, coats and shoes that we needed. Hence tantrums 1, 2 and 3, for each time he explained what he wanted and I explained why it wasn't possible and he realised I was a horrible chair-moving monster. When finally ready to leave, football and bottles of water in my bag and all gloves on, 5 year old decides to jump up and unlock the door ahead of his brother. (Tantrum 4.) Numbers 5 and 6, one each, happen when I lock it again and sit down with my back against the door. No-one gets to go to the park unil the crying has ceased!
Exhausting.
But after an hour and a half in the park they were little angels again and I had a hundred kisses before bedtime, and a story read to me in English. Happy days.
In my long weekends I feel like I've been fairly adventurous with Paris, exploring a bit more.
Things to add to the list of non-typically-touristy things I have done in Paris
1. Watching an all-french tennis match at Bercy stadium in the first round of the BNP Paribas Masters
2. Going to an exhibition at the Cinemateque Francaise (for free thanks to a friend), in French, about hair in cinema.
3. Seeing 'Potiche' - a French film in French, on a discount night at a cinema in the 13th
4. Browsing and buying books for 2euros at a sale at the American Library
5. Browsing the shops at La Defense- the biggest shopping centre in the world. At least that's what it felt like.
Tourist list tick-offs:
1. Chatting over a 6euro cappucino at Les Deux Magots, Saint Germain. Had to do it once!
I've also found a pub! The first place that feels like a pub and not a bar, somewhere you can sit in a jumper with a pint and not feel like a scruff. Handily, it's on my street just up past the Pantheon, has a Scottish barman, shows tennis and rugby, and plays great music. Unfortunately, it's 6euro for a pint. Can't have everything...
So another Friday night is here and it should be fun- I'm going to meet Alex (a good friend from art school in Glasgow) who's in town visiting her French friends, and attempt to coordinate meeting up with other au pairs and couchsurfers and people we've met between us all on nights out. It might work, might not.
And seeing as it's getting hideously close to Christmas, I've booked my flights and am looking forward to 2 whole weeks at home in December! Don't know if the French do mince pies?
xx
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