So where to begin? After a rather stressful flight over where I realised I had overpacked by about 5kg and hadn't bought enough money to buy duty-free gin I arrived at Marseille and successfully navigated my way to Aix-en-Provence. Most linguists on their year out are normally condemned to staying in hostels while finding accomodation. Not me. As luck would have it my lovely godmother Jane Williams lives in Aix with her husband Tim and daughter Louisa so they put me up for a week while I found somewhere to live. Most of this week was either spent trying not to yell at rude estate agents or cuddling Jane's gorgeous cats.
Somehow I managed to find an apartment with another English Assistant called Millie.
Yep that's right, we live in a massively typical Provençal apartment with proper shutters. Clichéd much? To be even more annoying, we also already have a local bar where we go and drink rosé pretty much every day. Which brings me onto an issue with the Provençal lifestyle: the drink. Here, wine is horrendously cheap. You can buy bottles for 2 euros, which I do, several times a week. Luckily for my liver, gin is a little more expensive.
My main French issue however has been rather typical: their mind-boggling bureaucracy. My personal favourite was when trying to open a bank account. I couldn't because I don't have an energy bill proving that I live at 7 Rue Loubon, 13100 Aix-en-Provence. When I pointed out that I can't get an energy bill without a bank account I was met with the usual French shrug and stream of non-committal mots. This argument may have gone on for some time....step in super-godparents Jane and Tim! So HSBC are under the impression that I live with them. Now to find that elusive energy bill...
It hasn't all been wine and bureaucracy - Tim took Louisa and I to Monaco Yacht Show to give us a taste of how the 1% live. They live well. Very well. Horribly well. We spent the day hopping onto various multi-million pound yachts and even got the chance to fly the Eurocopter helicopter:
Ok fine, I didn't actually fly it, I just awkwardly manoeuvred myself into the cockpit while trying not to flash the men watching. Cockpits were definitely not designed for skirts. As Tim said - there's a reason they're called cockpits.
Some of you may have realised that I celebrated my 21st birthday earlier this month. Despite dear Mum's worries that I would spend my birthday on my own I had a fantastic time. Jane and Tim had Millie and I over for drinks in the evening before we went off for a birthday fondue with my new friends. (Yes, I've made friends, shocking I know.) I think Millie may have got a bit excited....
The next day, as it was Friday, we had our first party in the apartment. Which went really well. Until 6 armed policemen showed up. We may not have realised how much noise we were making, or how merry we were, and apparently 3 neighbours had complained. Luckily the drunken "nous sommes très désolées" seemed to work and we were let off with a (metaphorical) slap on the wrist. After the police showed up, we probably should have called it a night. But come on, it was my 21st! Off clubbing we went to an interesting place called IPN. We successfully fended off French boys, less successfully fended off English girls, and generally had a good dance. Again, after that we probably should have called it a night. But come on, it was my 21st! Determined to do something rather silly, I set off with a rather peculiar mission: to swim in a fountain. At 5am. I maintain that it had to be done. Why it had to be done I really don't know. But it did, I promise. And it was great fun, if rather ridiculous. Pictures and videos available on request. And no, I didn't catch pneumonia.
In a slightly less silly vein, Sam, Rhiannon and I went to Toulon last Sunday to watch a bit of rugby. Actually make that watch Jonny Wilkinson run around in short shorts. Showing a complete lack of loyalty to our Scottish neighbours (Toulon were playing Glasgow Warriors) we were definitely screaming Allez Toulon with all the rest of the fans.
And yes it was gloriously sunny in mid-October. I hadn't mentioned that it's still in the twenties here had I?
Anyway that's probably enough for one post, hope I haven't bored/annoyed you to tears. Next time I should probably write about what I'm actually doing out here in an effort to earn some money instead of rambling on about how lovely my new life is. A bientôt!
