Monday 7 December 2015

Moores on Tour!

Best Siblings Ever!
This weekend is probably up there with one of the best weekends of my life so far, but it definitely wins the award for the most tiring three and a half days ever. Being a tourist in Paris was exhausting and I had to drag myself to school today. I’ve not long finished my 11 hour day of work and I can barely keep my eyes open. I’m forcing myself to battle through the tiredness because I have no other time this week to write this post. I apologise in advance if it takes on the air of a sleep talker’s ramblings: it might just be that.

Everyone (Mum, Dad, Nanny, Gramps, Molly, Jack and Poppy) arrived Thursday night, which was my Dad’s 50th Birthday. It was so amazing to see everyone again as it was the longest I’ve ever been without seeing them (we don’t even skype!). After an hour and a half trek from the airport to my flat the birthday celebrations commenced, and what a birthday it was. I’d decorated the flat with banners and fifty balloons so that was Dad’s first surprise of many. He got some awesome presents including a sky dive from Mum for the both of them!

The best part however, wasn’t the presents. We have a peculiar mission in our family which is that every birthday we try to make the special person cry as much as possible. This means we all write incredibly heartfelt, emotional cards and within seconds of starting, not just Dad, but everyone was in floods of tears. 

Mum and I upped our game this year as it was a big birthday; I made Dad a card that was 50 thank yous but Mum completely upstaged that by writing Dad a poem - let’s just say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house by the end. Molly then told Dad about the presentation she’d put together for him. We pressed play and the crying started again. There were photos I’d never seen before, of us all, of Dad as a little boy and as a young man. A song Poppy had written and performed specifically for the presentation was the backing track and it was incredible. It was finished off with messages from all of us including one from Dad's brother Darren who hadn't been able to make it to Paris. The whole thing was just perfect. 

The night was finished with champagne on the roof with a view of the Eiffel Tower. I went to sleep feeling incredibly blessed to have such a close knit family and Dad said he felt like George Bailey (if you don’t know who that is stop reading this blog and watch It’s A Wonderful Life right now!).
Me and the Birthday Boy!

To cut a very action packed weekend down a bit, I’ll just tell you we did pretty much everything, sans museums; the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, Notre Dame and Montmartre. It was very tiring being a tourist and I’ve definitely enjoyed going back to being a resident today, instead of resident tour guide! Two things I would like to recommend to any fellow Parisians are Le Basilic in Montmartre which was by far the best restaurant I have eaten in since being in Paris and is very reasonable - two courses for €11,90. The other thing was the English speaking comedy night hosted by Sebastian Marx which costs 10 euros and includes a drink. Both of these were my personal highlights of the weekend and you guys really should give them a go.

Despite my above recommendations and my meticulous planning of how I wanted the weekend to go, looking back, my favourite bits were completely spontaneous and free. We played games on the long metro rides, scrabble at our apartment (not an easy feat with the French version), chatted non-stop about everything and got the giggles countless times. This is what I love about families. You can have the most remarkable time doing something seemingly unremarkable. 

I have realised these past few months that I can survive on my own and I don't need my family with me all the time but I definitely need them close by. They are crazy and annoying and frustrating but they are mine and that's why they're perfect. I love you all guys.

The Gang
I apologise for both the tardiness and the length/content of this week's post but I'm slowly starting to resemble a zombie so having to go to sleep now. Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it.


Bisous à tous xxx

Sunday 29 November 2015

10 Surprising (or not) Things About France!



Bonsoir everyone, happy Sunday! I hope you're all well. As promised, something slightly different this week. Here are a few things I've discovered about the French while living here in Paris over the last couple of months.


1) As stereotypical as it sounds, the French really do eat a lot of baguettes. There is a boulangerie on every corner selling perfect baguettes (crunchy crust, fluffy filling and golden in colour) for less than a euro. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t eat a baguette and we even have a chart in our flat to document our baguette consumption. I’m dreading returning home and having to settle for Hovis thickly sliced.

2) Another stereotype that has proven to be perfectly true is that France is the home of cheese. I didn’t realise how many different types of cheese existed until I saw the shelves and shelves of the stinky stuff in the supermarket; comtés, tommes, roqueforts – the list is endless. What amazes me, however, is that despite the hundreds of cheeses on offer, I’m yet to find any cheddar. I now have to settle for sprinkling my pasta dishes with grated emmental which is like replacing cadbury’s with supermarket’s own: bland and disappointing.

3) Stereotype number three (there seems to be a pattern here…) is that wine is the only thing worth drinking. It’s absolutely delicious and you can pick up a decent bottle from your local supermarket for around 3€. What many people don’t know, however, is that although France arguably has the best wine, it certainly has the worst! Their cheap wine is ten times worse than anything I’ve got on offer in ASDA, stay away!

4) Something that the fashion conscious may already be aware of but of which I was ignorant before arriving here, is that the French don’t wear any colours. Their wardrobes are made up of black, grey, dark blue and more black. Since realising this I’ve slowly stopped wearing my fun, bright t-shirts and am now the proud owner of three pairs of black jeans in the hope of blending in and becoming chic!

5) As a waitress, I am very passionate about customer service and get very annoyed if I’m served by someone grumpy back in the UK – waiters should be happy! That said, I’ve had to abandon this ideal here, as the French have never heard the phrase ‘service with a smile’ and I’m not even sure they know what customer service is. This particularly grates on me as they expect a tip quand même.

6) From disinterested servers to far too interested suitors. English guys have got a bad reputation when it comes to the ladies but I have to say that in comparison to some of the types I’ve met here you English lads are absolute gentlemen. The French men don’t seem to comprehend clear phrases like ‘go away’ or ‘I’m not interested’, so now I just resort to firmly shouting ‘non’ over and over again until they give up. I always dreamt of finding myself a suave, French husband but somehow I don’t think it’s going to happen.

7) Another group of people who are much better in England than in France are the teachers. Working in a school here has made me realise that I definitely don’t want to put my future (though now highly unlikely) bilingual children through the French education system. Here, teachers manhandle the children, shout constantly at them and seem to live for their two-hour lunchtimes. At first, I wondered why the kids like me so much, but in comparison to their teachers I’m a saint.

8) Now, the French have this famous laissez-faire attitude to life; they go with the flow and are very laid back about plans, timings etc. But for such a relaxed country they don’t half love bureaucracy: it takes days, if not weeks, to sort out any kind of paperwork and they are sticklers for details. I have been lucky to have friends doing the same forms as me but if you’re attempting anything alone…bon courage.

9) I’ve always had to use public transport as I only recently passed my driving test and in the UK this is a nightmare – late trains, a bus once every half an hour and paying £6 return to the city centre. Here, life’s a dream. I have a navigo which costs 70€ a month (we’re supposed to get half of that reimbursed but y’know…it’s taking some time), this gives me unlimited transport by train and bus and it’s as simple as that. Everything is always on time and incredibly frequent – I now sigh in frustration if I have to wait 5 minutes for a train instead of 2.

10) This last point baffles me; the French seem to know we’re English. Before we open our mouths to speak, 9 times out of 10, we get “‘ello, ‘ow can I ‘elp?”. What gives us away?! Is it something about the way we look? Even though I’ve taken great pains to wear only black. Is it that we’re so smiley? Regardless, I insist on replying in French and answering their “vous parlez français?” with a confident “bah ouais, bien sûr” which always throws them. I’m determined that by the end of the year I will stop giving off this ‘English’ vibe and convince everyone I’m French with my undeniable Frenchyness.

I hope this was slightly informative and vaguely interesting. Next week's blog will be up on Monday as my family are visiting me this weekend *incredibly excited squealing*  and I won't have time to write it. I know, quel dommage!

Bisous à tous xxx

Sunday 22 November 2015

Fluctuat nec mergitur


The stunning Eiffel Tower
The beginning of the week was understandably subdued; back at school Monday morning the atmosphere in the staff room was sombre. Thankfully, no one I spoke to at school was affected directly by the attacks of last weekend and many of the children were unaware anything bad had happened. At midday we all met, teachers and students, in the sports hall where the Head Teacher gave a very moving speech about how following the events of Friday night the most important thing is to stand united against the terrorists and embody the French motto ‘Liberté, égalité, fraternité’. This was followed by a minute’s silence while we remembered those who lost their lives, and I realised during that minute that I felt the same loss as the people around me. Paris is my home now and I mourned with France as a citizen.

Tuesday night, some of the girls and I went to see the Eiffel Tower, as during the national days of mourning it was lit up red, white and blue. The effect was stunning and we all just looked at it in awe: there it stood, a beautiful symbol of mourning and solidarity; a clear message of defiance to anyone looking to destroy the Parisian way of life. Far from being broken after the attacks, the Eiffel Tower was more glorious than before; the epitome of the French spirit with Paris’ motto shining upon it: ‘fluctuat nec mergitur’ - ‘she is tossed by the waves but does not sink’. Seeing those words, my determination to continue life as normal intensified and for that reason I will cease to refer to the 13th November and focus on the highlights of my week because we will not be sunk!

delicious wine and walnuts!
The weekend started early for us as Thursday night was le Beaujolais Nouveau: the third Thursday of November. This night marks the day when bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau, the new wine from the first harvest of grapes in the Beaujolais region of France, are officially released. We turned up at our local bar to find the floor covered in straw and chickens chilling by the door – I’m still not really sure why but it added to the overall ambience of the night for sure. The wine was yummy and the atmosphere was lively and cheery which was exactly what we all needed after our week at work. The best part of the night was that we got given handfuls of complimentary walnuts – delicious. The night ended how most British people end a night out drinking – with fast food. A delicious Maccy D’s later and we were home.


random chicken
Friday four of us decided to check out the Andy Warhol exhibit which was really interesting, after which we decided to go to Marks and Spencers – much more interesting! I never thought I’d be excited to go to M&S but after two months trying to navigate French supermarkets it was like heaven! In the end I only bought three things – sliced wholemeal bread: now a luxury, pitta bread: another luxury and an advent calendar for Clémence cus I am a top babysitter. 

Then we decided to go proper shopping which is always dangerous for me. I seem to have two settings when faced with shopping: spend nothing or spend a fortune. Friday was no exception as I spent over 100 euros in H&M! It was after this tiny indulgence that I realised I’d lost my phone. Total panic ensued, on my part anyway, I wanted to cry and got very irrational. Luckily, Laura was a calming presence and we located my phone in the M&S café where we’d had lunch. Phew. Friday night some of us went out for Pizza at an Italian restaurant nearby. Me and Laura shared a pizza and a pasta dish and I managed to help Sapphire finish hers off too cus I’m a greedy piglet!

Saturday morning we were treated to a delicious brunch of crêpes chez Sapphire. We walked into her flat and were greeted by a spread worthy of a hotel; slices of grapefruit and orange, chocolate sauce, chopped bananas, honey and a big stack of yummy crêpes. After we’d devoured the lot we headed to a little made in France pop up market thing. All of the products there were amazing, if a little out of my price range (60 euros for a woolly hat). We then decided to visit Galerie Lafayette to see the spectacular Christmas decorations and they didn’t disappoint! Paris certainly knows how to do Christmas.
just wow!
Last night four of us headed out to a bar/club/hostel called Belushi’s and it was so much fun! I really needed a good dance and that was what I got. Sapphire lost her phone, which seems to be the theme of the week, I empathised completely and we soon had the security guard ringing it and scouring the entire building for it. Little did we know that one of the guys we were out with had it in his pocket all along! Panic over we set off home. We left slightly earlier than I’d have liked so I’m hoping to drag all the girls back there again some time soon.

This week is a two day week at school for me (yayyyyyyy!), so looking forward to filling my days off with swimming, exploring and planning for when my family come to stay which is less than two weeks away! Next week’s blog is about things I didn’t think I’d have to do on my Year Abroad so a bit of a change from the normal weekly account, hopefully you’ll enjoy it.

Bisous à tous xxx


Sunday 15 November 2015

What to write when there are no words...

It’s Sunday, which means a blog update, but there’s only one thing I feel I can talk about this week. I’m still in shock and processing the events of Friday night, so this post will probably be slightly incoherent.

Just 10 short months after the terrible shootings at the Charlie Hebdo offices, Paris is suffering again. I remember hearing about the attack in January, seeing ‘Je suis Charlie’ everywhere on social media sights and being shocked that such an atrocity had happened so near to home. I never expected that on moving to Paris, I would experience another, much scarier act of terrorism. The feelings you experience are ten fold when it’s your home.

Friday night I was home alone, in my lounge, watching a film and for once I’d left my phone in my bedroom. I had no idea what was going on the other side of the capital. Laura came home from church and told me what had happened and was still happening. I was in shock. I felt sick. How do you take that information in? I’m still not sure I have. I rushed to get my phone and assured my family I was okay.

I was suddenly hit with the reality of what had happened when I saw the amount of worried messages from friends and family to check I was okay. Tears sprang to my eyes at the amount of people who cared and whose first thoughts on learning of the attacks was that I could potentially be affected. I, and everyone I know, were very fortunate and were nowhere near any of the explosions or shootings. I feel incredibly lucky as we have spent many a Friday night in the centre and it could so easily have us. 

We stayed up until the early hours, glued to the news, ringing family members and trying to get our heads around what had happened. For hours all we could hear outside our window were sirens. We haven’t done anything this weekend, partly because we’ve been advised to stay home but also  out of respect; it didn’t seem right to be out doing things just because we were lucky enough not to be directly affected.

Obviously Facebook and other social media sites have been flooded with support and #prayforParis which is very touching, as well as people highlighting that Paris is not the only city to have suffered at the hands of terrorism this week, which is also an important thing to remember. I was shocked to discover that other places were suffering but weren't getting the same media coverage.

However, there have been a couple of posts online that have made my blood boil and my heart break for the millions of Muslims around the world. I cannot comprehend how people can justify blaming millions of people for the acts of a few disgusting excuses for human beings. I would like to take this blog post as an opportunity to reiterate what a lot of my friends have already said online. Terrorists are not Muslims. Muslims believe in peace and do not condone any acts of terrorism. So think about that before you condemn an entire religion for the horrific events of Friday night. They are not to blame.

Finally, I just want to say that while I will be mourning the losses of this weekend, and taking some time to deal with everything, I will not let this change the way I live my life. I will not let the actions of these men stop me enjoying this beautiful city I now call home. I will not live in fear of what might happen. I will continue to live the way I always have. I will not let the terrorists win.

RIP to everyone who has lost their lives to terrorism, no matter where in the world.
My thoughts are with the friends and families of the victims.

Bisous à tous xxx

Monday 9 November 2015

I'm almost Parisienne, I think...

I have lived in Paris for almost seven weeks and until this weekend I still felt like a bumbling English tourist. Every chance I got, I tried to be more “French” or do something you need to do when you’re here, which became tiring and ultimately counterproductive. This week, I relaxed and things improved drastically.

To start with me and Clémence had the best five days together since I started looking after her: we made biscuits, she sat on my shoulders, we watched The Swan Princess over three days and I even straightened her hair! Instead of dreading the amount of tantrums I’m going to have to deal with, I now look forward to my two and a half hours with her and planning what we’re going to do.

The Low Bats
Friday was a day of two halves as I spent the morning moping around doing nothing. But at 3pm I gathered the motivation to go to the launderette; something I’m still trying to get used to doing in France. This time everything went a lot better and my clothes were washed and dried without any of my previous problems (like forgetting to put in a washing tablet...) After picking Clémence up we got the bus for the first time, which is something I do all the time in England but was a daunting prospect in Paris. We did it and Clémence even impressed our fellow passengers with her English vocab! Straight from work I went out to a bar near Oberkampf with Anna and it was such a good night!

We saw the Low Bats and Selenian
The bar is called Pop In and it is comprised of four very small rooms over two levels. It was quirky with live music and hipster people. It was free to get in and Happy Hour was about to finish when we arrived at 8:45pm so we quickly grabbed a pint each for 3 euros. Three glasses of wine later we were both a bit tipsy. We got talking to three guys and had a great time with them, or at least I think we did - I was quite drunk. It’s surprising how fluent in French I am once I’ve consumed several glasses of alcohol! The music was very ‘cool’, Anna described it as psychedelic and lasted a couple of hours. We got the last metro home and woke up Saturday with one of the worst hangovers ever!

Best brunch ever!!!
Being hungover didn’t stop me getting up at 9am Saturday morning as I was going to meet Hannah and her Dad in Montmartre for a proper French brunch! It was such a lovely day and the brunch was delicious. For 17 euros you get a hot drink, a fresh glass of orange juice, a fruit salad, a yoghurt, a boiled egg with soldiers, a massive bowl of fried potatoes, salmon on toasted bread and a little cake called a madeleine. I was so stuffed when I finished that I barely ate the rest of the day. We spent the rest of the day wandering round the little streets of Montmartre, climbing and descending hundreds of steps while we were at it, all the time avoiding the creepy street vendors who don’t take no for an answer. It was a little sad to say goodbye to Hannah at the end of the day but we’re seeing each other in 7 short weeks for New Year celebrations so I think I’ll just about manage.

Sunday morning, Charis and I went for a swim which was super fun. We swam lengths for about half an hour and then explored the smaller, more fun pools including one outside with a lazy river. I never thought I’d start a November morning on a lazy river in Paris but now I can say I have! Yesterday afternoon Laura, Charis and I went to the Palais de Tokyo for an art/photography exhibition. We paid 8 euros to get in and then got given a top of the range camera to take photos of the exhibit. It was such a nice change using a camera that works instead of the silly htc camera on my phone. As well as simply taking pictures of the exhibition, there was an interactive section where we could have our photos taken in various cool ways. We had a kind of time lapse taken of us in a kaleidoscope and another photo using torches. Keep an eye out on my facebook page for them cus they’re pretty interesting. The day ended with a quick drink in the museum café which was on a terrace facing the Eiffel Tower – it couldn’t have been more idyllic. 
weird art
my best photo


Laura and Charis!
So that sums up my weekend. It was the first time I felt completely settled and confident for days at a time and I think it’s because I stopped trying all the time. I did things I do in my day to day life back home without worrying and in French; it's a great feeling. You can’t experience everything a place has to offer if you’re constantly trying too hard or in other words being a tourist. I’ve come to realise this weekend that to really feel settled, part of a city and on your way to being Parisian you just have to embrace the culture and relax. I can’t wait to feel like that every day.

Bisous à tous xxx

Sunday 1 November 2015

I need to get fitter. It's a matter of life or death...

As predicted, this week went a lot better than the first week of the holidays: mainly because I treated myself to a little holiday to Bordeaux to see Laura, who I hadn't seen since June. This was possible as Clémence and her parents went on holiday too, giving me three (paid!) days off. The journey to Bordeaux  was on an eco train that took five hours, which might sound like a nightmare for some, but I actually love travelling by train - it's my favourite. I spent the trip settled next to the window with my feet up, either reading my trusty HP; listening to music; drinking diet coke; or just watching the gorgeous French countryside fly past my window: pretty heavenly.

Bordeaux at night :)
I arrived in Bordeaux at 1pm and was so happy to see Laura! After living together for two years, this was the longest we'd ever gone without a proper catch up. The first minute or so we both just spluttered as we struggled to prioritise all the news we had for each other. Needless to say, we spent the entirety of Sunday filling each other in. Aside from exploring Bordeaux you'll be disappointed to hear that we spent most of our time either asleep or just hanging out. Monday night, however, we went out to sample some of Bordeaux's famous wine. Five large glasses of wine later we were rather drunk and at the stage where everything and anything was hilarious. While walking home, Laura said something that really tickled me and we both fell about laughing crazily. Apparently us giggling in the street was appealing as this rather odd man came up and made 'friends' with us. 

For a little while, it was funny to talk to him, then, even in our drunken state, we realised he probably was too odd and that we should get away from him. Laura had a plan so we went into the next fast-food place and ordered chips (this guy just followed), and then Laura said she needed the bathroom so we went together. Unfortunately, Laura's plan was to climb out the bathroom window and the bathroom had no window. With hindsight this was probably a good thing, as we weren't in any fit state to be climbing. Back in the shop, we went to eat our chips, which the odd man had kindly paid for. Our next tactic to put him off was to talk rapidly in English to eachother in the hope that he'd give up on talking to us. It didn't work. 

Glass of wine number one!
We headed home after finishing our chips, odd French man in tow. Laura had another brainwave and said she needed the toilet (the guy must have thought she had bladder problems!). This time we went up a little side street to 'pee'. What we actually did was leg it. Now, you should know, Laura runs. She can run. I can’t run; I get out of breath climbing the stairs. However, I have always firmly believed that if faced with a dangerous situation like, I don’t know, a serial killer or vaguely creepy men, that adrenaline and survival instinct would kick in. Turns out I was wrong. I stopped running after about two minutes, clutching my side and panting something ridiculous. Nothing Laura said to motivate me worked, and that was the night I realised faced with running or potential death, I would die. Luckily, the man, who was most likely harmless, didn’t reappear and we were fine. The good thing is that he made me realise that I NEED to get fitter. It’s a matter of life or death :P

My LIDL receipt!!!
It was so lovely to catch up with Laura, it helped a lot with my homesickness and was such a relaxing few days. She’s hopefully going to come and stay with me in Paris after the New Year (which we’re spending in Strasbourg with Hannah and Ellie!)

Yesterday was a fantastic day. It started with a LIDL shop with my housemate Laura (different Laura!), which I was very excited about. The only food I had was a packet of spaghetti and some frozen veg. We had to get the metro, but it was definitely worth it for how cheap LIDL was. I managed to stock my fridge, freezer and cupboard for a mere 37€ - bargain! Though, my shoulders and back did not appreciate lugging it all home, especially up 8 flights of stairs .

At 5pm Soph arrived! She’s studying in Rheims which is pretty close and it was so, so nice to see her. We drank a bottle of wine on the roof, caught up, watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle and had a delicious, fancy salmon salad for dinner. We’d decided no to go out for Halloween as Soph had some work to get done. While she beavered away in my room. I became almost like an odd-job person for all the girls getting ready to go out. I painted on clown eyes, put in two pairs of contact lenses, added some skeletal contouring, back combed three people’s hair and provided eyeliner and hairspray. Everybody looked absolutely incredible, especially considering it was all rather last minute. There was a dead Minnie Mouse, two very scary clowns, the creepy dude from Saw, a corpse husband and bride, a Cheshire Cat and even an Eiffel Tower!

Me and Soph spent our evening watching Legally Blonde, eating pistachios, pretzels and chocolate fingers. I had curled up on the sofa to sleep (as I had selflessly given Soph my bed) and was awoken by somebody whispering my name at 5am.  Perfect Halloween surprise. I opened my eyes to find a still completely costumed Cheshire cat, complete with white contact lenses that I had struggled to put in earlier. Lexine had been unable to take them out and as I am the resident contact lens expert, she had come to me. Eventually after battling with Lexine’s fear of anyone “squeezing her eyeballs”, we managed to get them out. Hannah to the rescue!

It’s now the end of the holidays and I’m facing seven weeks of lesson planning, scary French teachers and early mornings. I’m feeling determined and kind of motivated…hopefully that will last. If not, bring on Christmas!

Bisous à tous xx

Wednesday 28 October 2015

My First Bad Day

I debated writing about this for a little while but then decided that it was important to share the bad stuff as well as the good. Every representation of a year abroad on social media makes it look like every day is the best day ever, and while most days are fantastic and I'm incredibly lucky to be spending my year in Paris, I recently had my first bad day.

It was the first day that I felt homesick and I think that's because, a month in, Paris ceased to feel like a holiday and more like reality, and with the end of the 'holiday period', homesickness came. Anyone who knows me well, will know that my family are my entire life, so being away from them is difficult: we are so, so close and this is the longest I've ever gone without seeing them. Homesickness was something I was expecting and a feeling I am completely used to from my days at university however, it's worse here as I can't just pop home for the weekend to see everyone. The other thing is that I realised I was actually homesick for England: it's really strange doing day to day things like laundry, food shopping etc. in a foreign country and it was this first bad day that I realised how much I miss Blighty.

Another issue that I let get to me on this bad day, was feeling lonely. I am lucky enough to have been placed with a big group of girls, which begs the question, how can I be lonely? The truth is, something my mum always says, you can be lonely even if you’re not alone. The difficulty of the year abroad is that while you’re often surrounded by people, they’re not people you know well, and this can lead to feeling quite isolated.

Finally, the biggest thing to get me down was an all-encompassing fear. There are a lot of things that I let worry me: will my French improve enough this year? Will I get a good enough grade in my assignment? Will I get a First in my degree? Will I get a job when I graduate? And those are just university related worries…like a lot of people I have my own insecurities that I have to deal with every day.

My first bad day ended in the best possible way: I phoned my mum. We spoke for over an hour and she did what she always does and put things into perspective for me. She made me realise that it’s okay to have bad days while I’m here, it’s okay to feel homesick or alone and that the main thing is to deal with it and move on. So, that’s what I did.

I’ve just got back from visiting one of my best friends in Bordeaux, which helped ease some of my homesickness and definitely stopped me feeling lonely. I’ve also realised since my first bad day that things aren’t as bad as they seemed. I’m living in a beautiful city with some of the loveliest girls ever and I need to just relax and enjoy it.

The negative feelings I felt on that day have since paled dramatically and I promise my next post will be much happier, detailing my adventures in Bordeaux and a Parisian Halloween.

Thank you for reading :)

Sunday 18 October 2015

Just another week à Paris!

This week began with my first proper day as an English Language Assistant and it was absolutely terrifying. On the whole, the teachers were great; they told me what they wanted me to prepare, took the lead and did their job (teaching) meaning I could do mine (assisting. Some of the teachers however, think that I am the new English teacher. This led to some very awkward and scary classroom situations where I was just left to it. Luckily, I’d been warned this might happen and came prepared with some fun Halloween themed games, songs and worksheets for the children to do. Side note: singing in front of 30 French kids was definitely not in my job description and was incredibly embarrassing.

After my first week as an assistante, I’ve figured out which teachers expect me to have prepared two 30-minute English lessons with no input whatsoever from them, so at least I know who the difficult ones are. It’s a good job I’ve got two weeks off because I need to do some serious lesson planning. Monday night, Laura, Charis and I celebrated starting work with a flat meal which was delicious and much needed. I got in from looking after Clémence and they’d put on a massive spread of bread, hummus, tzatziki, grilled aubergines and courgettes, salad, toasted squash nuts, falafel and vegetable rice, finished off with a cheeky bottle of rosé.

Epitome of beauty - that's me
Thursday morning I woke up looking like Quasimodo. I’d been bitten on my eyebrow by some little s**t of an insect and my entire eye had swollen up – I could barely open it. This caused a minor issue in that I couldn’t wear my contact lenses; why not just wear your glasses I hear you ask. Well, I’d snapped an arm off and hadn’t found the time/courage to go to an opticians to get them fixed. So at 7.15am I was facing quite a dilemma I could 1) wear my contact lenses even though it would be extremely painful 2) wear neither, in other words spend the entire day blind! 3) Wear sellotaped glasses like Harry Potter. Anyone who knows me will know which choice I went for! Thankfully my eye has since returned to its normal appearance and I don’t look like a Disney character.

Friday was great because most of us had the day off – did somebody say lie in? We got my glasses fixed in the morning and it only cost 12 euros, which was a relief. The man said I’d completely broken them and he’d need to attach a new arm that was a similar colour. I was pretty chuffed when I turned up an hour later to find he’d put on a Ray Ban one. The girls said I should snap the other one off so that my cheap Specsaver specs look designer and I haven’t ruled that out!

That afternoon we went to the Musée D’Orsay which is an old train station turned in to an art museum. I don’t think I’m quite cultured enough to appreciate all the incredible pieces there but I enjoyed wandering around all the same. Following my face plant at school last week I’d hoped to limit the embarrassing incidences from then on. Life, it seems, had other ideas. Jess, Anna and I went to the museum café to get lunch, which included a cup of diet coke. As we were getting up to leave, my bag got caught on my chair causing me to wobble my tray, this then knocked off my half full cup of coke. It went everywhere! Including onto a woman who had the misfortune to be sitting behind me. I blurted out my apologies in both French and English and hastily tried to mop up the mess with my napkin. Needless to say this didn’t work very well so I went up to a man working there, flushing with shame but nervously giggling at the same time. Luckily he saw the funny side of it and told me not to worry. A very sweet American guy saw it all happen and said to me ‘you could get away with a lot worse than spilling your drink with a laugh and a smile like that’ which was so lovely and probably one of the nicest compliments I’ve received.

Yesterday Jack and I went to the aquarium, which was so fun! We were definitely the oldest ones there, and the most enthusiastic. We saw the entire cast of Finding Nemo and spent quite a while sat watching the sharks. After having fun with the fish we went for a few drinks, watched the France game and went to a house party. House parties are not the same in France as they are in England. For us, a house party is an excuse to get really drunk, really cheap. For the French it’s more of a sophisticated soirée: people were just sipping wine, chatting and eating apple pie. Though the English half of the group did manage to initiate a game of Ring of Fire which, when you’re really drunk, is very hard to play, especially when it’s in French.

World's biggest wine glasses!
I’ve spent yet another weekend day recovering from a hangover, watching films and eating junk food and I’m determined to be much healthier/studious tomorrow. Me and my friend Hannah have decided to challenge each other to be productive every day and for every week we fail we have to buy the other a drink. Hopefully this method of long distance motivation will be successful because I’ve not stuck to my strict year abroad schedule once yet and I’ve been here nearly a month!

Thank you for reading!
Bisous à tous

Monday 12 October 2015

A Week of Firsts

Last week was, unsurprisingly, very exciting but also tiring and scary. It began with my first day at school and I have to admit it was the scariest first day of school I’ve ever experienced. Sunday night once again became a time for preparing my lunch, picking my outfit, packing my bag and an early night. I went to sleep full of apprehension and woke up when it was still dark at 6.45am.
My timetable! V.busy but just 3 days!

I had to be at school for 8.30am but had no idea where it was or who I was supposed to be meeting with. Luckily, the school is a short 20 minute walk away and the first man I introduced myself to happened to be the Head Teacher. I was given a tour of the school and it’s massive: 12 classes of 30 and I have to work with all of them!

The children are between 6 and 10 years old so their English is pretty basic. I initially thought that younger children would be easier to teach but it actually makes things harder. How do you teach someone another language when they’re still getting to grips with writing and reading in French? The teachers are nice enough, some more than others and I’m sure once I’m all settled that we’ll get along just fine. The students are absolutely lovely (mainly because they all tell me I'm pretty)! They want to learn and show off their English so much, which is nothing like children’s attitudes to languages back home.

I won’t bore you with an in depth description of the three days I spent at the school observing the classes: it was boring enough for me to do! Something that might interest you though: I fell over. Yep. In front of an entire class, I slipped and fell flat on my face. I nearly died of embarrassment and I sincerely hope that’s the last time I trip up while I’m here. Also, some of the things the children have written by mistake make me giggle: so far I’ve seen ‘pupo’ instead of ‘purple', ‘my favourite food is my dog’ and ‘I’m fine thank you’ as a response to ‘What’s your name?’.

Me and Clémence!
It was a difficult first few days and it has really tested my resolve and my French but I’m sure it will get easier (or at least I hope it will). I’m certainly not loving my 11 hour days three days a week with school then babysitting. Monday night was also my first time looking after Clémence – yet again I had to go to a brand new school and find someone new. Luckily, it started relatively easy; I found the school, found Clémence who seemed relatively pleased to see me and remembered the way to her flat.

I look after Clémence every weeknight from 4.30
-7pm and so far I love it, but she, like most 4 year olds, can be hard work! We’ve had our fair share of tantrums but I think she’s slowly learning that she won’t get away with much. Our 5 minute walk home normally takes us 45 because Clémence insists on walking on all the walls, crawling ‘comme un chat’ and walking backwards! By the time we get home there’s just time for a game, some songs, a bath and a couple of tantrums. I've already taught her the word ‘leaves’ because she likes to pick them off tress and hedges, so teaching English is going well, if slowly.

Enough boring work talk. Saturday, I went to Montmartre for the first time,which was absolutely beautiful even if there were a few thousand steps! We went to see a Salvador Dalí exhibition, which I found quite interesting as I studied Surrealist art last year in one of my French modules. After the museum, we wandered the streets which were packed due to a food festival. I got some churros (deep fried doughnut sticks covered in sugar), tried some bright green, pesto cheese and some bright blue, lavender cheese. Everything was delicious. I can’t wait to go back to Montmartre and explore it properly on a quieter day.

Us partying on the metro!
Saturday night was my first proper (successful*) night out in Paris and it was amazing. We didn’t leave our flat until midnight which is a little later than I’d normally like to go out but it seems normal here! We went to a club/bar called Café Oz at Grands Boulevards and it was fab! We danced all night which, of course you all know, is my kind of night. The only dampener was avoiding the creepy French men, though I did find that firmly shouting ‘non’ at them did the trick. The craziest thing was that we stayed until the place shut at 5am! Yep. 5am. We decided to wait for the metro to start back up again and go home that way which meant I didn’t get to sleep until half 6 in the morning. Best thing about this 6 hour night out? It cost me 3 euros! I jumped the barriers on the metro like a true Frenchie, snuck into the club like the badass Brit that I am, and drank only water because drinks were 10 euros each. The 3 euros I spent went on chips and a diet coke: priorities. 

Yesterday was a complete write off which is why I’ve had to write this post today instead! I’m still tired from last week and am now having to do it all over again. Thank God it’s the holidays on Friday: two weeks of work then two weeks off. Sounds good to me.

Bisous à tous!
*The very first night out involved a metro trip to the Champs Elysée and back so I'm not counting it.

Wednesday 30 September 2015

'Franglish!'

Bonsoir from France everyone!

My original plan was to write about my move/settling in for this blog post, but I’m currently writing a piece along those lines for ‘mylifelivingabroad.com’ so you get something a bit different this week!

Last night, me and 9 of the other girls decided to check out a 'Franglish' session which is a kind of language exchange night structured a bit like speed dating. You have to speak for 7 minutes in English and 7 in French and then move to the next table, which, after a week of speaking minimal French was very daunting!  
                    
The night costs 8 euros for students (12 for non-students), includes a drink (wine, beer or a soft drink), and lasts about an hour with a break in the middle. Last night it was held at Chapi Chapo in the 5th arrondissement, which is a cute little bar; the nights are held at various places around Paris and other major French cities. We arrived a little bit tipsy (Dutch courage was definitely needed!) and were each given name tags and a table number. 

Table 7 was my first port of call and I was paired with a man called Florian who spoke very fast but I was surprised by how well I managed to talk to him (thank you alcohol!). The time went really quickly and with my confidence growing I moved onto my next table where I found myself face to face with a very dishy guy called Eliott - good bye confidence. We were just getting to know each other when my friend Charis joined us due to there being too many native English speakers (gutted!). Romantic convo interrupted we spent the rest of the 14 minutes talking about travelling.

I spoke to three other people throughout the night and enjoyed it a lot! Philippe on table 14 was quite a challenge as I found his French accent very hard to understand and he spoke very little English (he was also a little bit leery). The night ended a lot quicker than I thought it would, but luckily all of us decided to stay and keep drinking. 

Needless to say, at my first opportunity, I made a beeline for Eliott and we chatted for the rest of the night, slipping from French to English then back again (once again thank you alcohol). I don't actually know if I made any sense in either language but the night ended well and we’ve spoken since…

Overall I would definitely recommend this as a way of practising your language skills. It forced all of us to speak French in a laid back setting and it can be carried on way after the session finished: we all stayed til 11.30pm. It was a lot of fun and I will be going again!

This is the website if any other year abroaders are interested :) http://www.franglish.eu/
Bisous à tous 

Tuesday 22 September 2015

Strasbourg and Paris!

I got back from Paris Sunday night and I’m moving there today – not the most thought through plan in the world but it was a lot of fun and played a big part in making me feel ready and less nervous. I'm actually really looking forward to going back now!

This was the first time I’d ever flown alone and to make matters worse my flight was from Gatwick, so after waking up at the crack of dawn, I found myself on a three and a half hour National Express coach ride from Bristol. I had woken up at 6.30am and therefore I was not a happy chicken. You can imagine my dismay when some loudmouth woman got on and started shouting down the phone – this happened every half hour, and despite my polite shhing, she didn't stop I was relieved when I finally made it to the airport and could escape the shouty lady.

For those of you who are lucky enough not to have flown out of Gatwick, it’s big. And confusing. And an ickle bit scary when you’re on your own in an aiport for the first time. I managed eventually and before long, found myself sat listening to the flight safety talk; I decided to actually pay attention this time. Now we didn’t crash or anything but it was definitely a bumpy flight: it was the worst turbulence I’d ever experienced, quite a few people screamed at pointsm the seatbelt sign never went off and even the cabin crew were told to sit down. Typical that my first flight alone was the scariest. Luckily I had my HP with me (Harry Potter et l’ordre du phénix) which always makes me happy.

Navigating from Strasbourg Airport to my friend Hannah’s flat was interesting to say the least. I had to battle with a very confusing ticket machine at the airport’s train station – it only let me pay on card so I was charged £1.95 to buy a 2 euro ticket – not impressed. I then succeeded in getting a taxi all on my own from the main train station to Hannah’s. I was very proud of myself but I was yet to discover that this was the easiest bit of travelling I would do.

My first night in Strasbourg was fantastic, it is a beautiful place. Hannah and I shared a bottle of wine by the river and I tried sushi for the first time, it took some getting used to but was very yummy. I then got to see a light show as the cathedral is celebrating it’s millennium this year. My phone camera is rubbish so didn’t get any good photos but I found a youtube video for those interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-haQy9GjVh8.  We spent the rest of the night drinking more wine and singing Disney songs in French…standard.

Day two I had to make my way to Han’s university to meet her for lunch. It went very well and I was waiting outside the law building five minutes early. Quarter of an hour later and still no signs of Hannah I started to panic – my phone wasn’t working and I had no idea where she could be. Luckily I decided to venture into the law building and discovered that there were two entrances, and of course Hannah was there waiting the other side. Lunch was a delicious falafel burger, chips and salad with a drink for only 7,50 euros (although my diet coke was flat :( ).  I then sat through a three hour long law lecture, yep 3! I made sure it was productive though and wrote my last blog post during it!

That night Hannah and I devoured 20 euros worth of cheese, watched lots of modern family and went to sleep far too late (1am). The next morning we were up at 5am to catch our  train to Paris, I slept the whole way there so nothing of interest to report except that their trains are much nicer than ours. Two and a half hours later we were at the train station and got distracted by shops, my purse 50 euros lighter we headed to Vaucresson where we would be staying with the family Hannah used to work for as an au pair.

My stay there was amazing and a real test of my French; we played Monopoly (I won, of course), had sushi again, opened a bank account, learned how to play the Harry Potter theme tune on the piano, had a picnic, went to the cinema and got our nails done. Alcohol, bread and cheese were a must daily, which wasn’t good for my waist line! It was lovely feeling like part of the family for the weekend and I was sad to leave.

While in Paris, Hannah and I visited where I’m going to be living, Boulogne-Billancourt and it looks great! It’s much busier and bigger than I thought it would be but it’s reassuring to know that there will be a lot going on. I’m moving there today and it’s still not hit me really! I will update soon on the move and settling in J

Bisous à tous


Thursday 17 September 2015

10 Things I Wish I Knew This Time Last Year

The more astute among you will have realised that my weekly update schedule has slipped embarrassingly early on, but I promise I have a good (or at least passable) excuse.  I’ve tried to write this particular post numerous times but have been forced to stop on account of it becoming just a tad passive aggressive.

This post is primarily aimed at first and second year language students at the University of Birmingham because I really wish I’d read something along these lines when I was starting out on my Year Abroad journey.  My fellow year abroaders will hopefully enjoy this as a welcome reassurance that they weren’t alone in their problems, and I hope my frustrations are shared by more than a few of you. Other friends and family: this post might bore you, but if you love me read on purely to demonstrate your relentless support of my writing.

1)      The entire process is very complicated!
Those of you, who are expecting a simple application to either study, work or teach abroad, prepare to be severely disappointed. All three pathways are agonisingly slow, confusing and downright stressful. The simplest choice is definitely to go to a university, which is why every student has to do this as a back-up. The uni help you out a little in the beginning, but once allocated you’re pretty much on your own. Teaching is the next option (which is what I’m doing), the uni don’t help you out in any way, and in my experience no one there even knows what it is. The British Council however, are very good and have a detailed website; it’s still slow but they stay in touch. The hardest choice without a doubt is working: there are a handful of places available per language (I think I had better odds of getting into Oxford than getting a work placement). They expect you to find a graduate level internship and contact them, once you’ve secured a placement you have to send your proposal to the Head of Work Placements, this year: Andrew Watts – if your application is one of the best then well done! This may appear to be a harsh description of the choices but my summary is supported by the proportion of students which choose each pathway: it’s roughly 75:20:5.

2)      You actually have to check your emails!
In first year I checked my emails once a fortnight in my language lab classes and rarely had an email. Second year I quickly learned to check my emails at least twice a day as the Modern Languages Department and International Office like to plague you with hundreds of unhelpful emails.  I also discovered that I needed a Year Abroad email folder for the masses I received. Trust me, frequent checking and a designated folder will help save you from opening your emails one day and wanting to jump off of the top of Muirhead.

3)      The stress oh my god the stress…
For me, and a lot of my friends, second year was when we realised that it was gonna get tough; it counts and you realise that you should probably go to at least some of your 9am lectures. This is all well and good until you realise that all your information about the Year Abroad (YA) comes during particularly stressful times – like exam season (nice one guys). Be prepared to spend at least half of your time sorting out your year abroad: filling in paperwork (see #5), checking those blasted emails, crying, worrying about how you’re going to survive in a foreign country alone etc. You’ll quickly realise that the year you’ve decided to step it up is when other things start taking priority. Good luck with that!

4)      Nobody knows anything!
I’m not kidding. If you find one member of staff at the Uni who can tell you everything you need to know about the YA I will run around Old Joe naked! My personal tutor has no idea what I’m doing this year (heads up UoB, this needs fixing). I emailed him a while back asking for help and he responded with some tripe about how French unis are slow; absolutely no idea I was teaching. I didn’t bother to reply it pissed me off that much. The people we needed to contact regarding our year abroad changed ALL THE BLOODY TIME so that it was impossible to know who was in charge of what. The current guy in charge at the International Office is new, which apparently is an excuse to be rude, patronising and incompetent. Hopefully he’ll know what he’s doing when it’s your turn. My advice to you on this one is to find a third or fourth year and talk to them. We will all happily help you cus we’ve been through the disaster which is prep for YA and will gladly do all we can to save you from it.

5)      There are a few forms to fill in…
Ha. I’ve done almost all of the forms and I’m still not really sure if they were correct or what they were for etc. There was no comprehensive list of the forms we needed to fill in with deadlines and explanations so we emailed asking for one – hopefully this will mean that they’ll distribute one from the day one now. If not, be prepared to get pestered via ten emails per each individual form (see, told you there are loads) from different people with no real explanation on how to fill them in.

One form has been the bane of my life and I apologise if this bit comes across as overly ranty, I’ll try to contain my frustration. The training agreement form for teaching assistants is a bit of a joke (and is similarly annoying for uni students) because you have to print this elusive form (make sure it’s the right copy as they have made a habit of distributing old ones), fill it in (if you can figure out how), scan it, email it to someone at your school abroad (good luck finding the right person) and get them to repeat the ridiculous process – though you have to instruct them on which sections to fill in. I’m particularly bitter about this form as the lovely French lady that promptly filled in my form missed a box: a box I didn’t know she had to fill in so I had to start the process all over again. This process still hasn’t been completed at the time of writing and it began in August!

Tip: Pester whoever you can for detailed instructions, deadlines and team up with friends as it’s the only way to get a response.

6)      The Uni’s advice/warnings are questionable to say the least…
Examples:
-Don’t move with the help of anyone
Why this is stupid: Good luck moving your entire life abroad alone; they foolishly think that our parents, friends, bfs/gfs won’t leave after helping us move and should therefore stay at home while you lug your life in suitcases around the world.

-If you miss a single bit of ERASMUS paperwork you won’t get your grant
Why this is stupid: they won’t let you miss any cus you’ll get a million and one reminders.  Don’t worry everything will get done eventually, no idea why they would want to panic you more.

7)      Everyone gets a bit scared even if they don’t show it…
I encountered a lot of people who went on and on about how excited they were and how they couldn’t wait etc. which can make you feel like you’re alone if you’re apprehensive or even petrified. Trust me, everyone feels that way at some point and it does pass. The more organised you are and the better you prepare the happier you’ll be. I’ve been told countless times that once the scary initial few weeks are over that I’ll be having a great time. I’ll let you know if that is the case.

8)      I wish I spoke to someone who understood!
I’ve touched on this point already but I think that it needs reiterating in its own little point as to help with every single aspect of your YA the best people aren’t the members of staff but your peers. If any first/second years have any questions please email me at hlm378@student.bham.ac.uk and I will be as helpful as I can or put you in touch with someone more helpful.

9)      Shoulda, woulda, coulda practised my French...
Oral classes at UoB can be a bit naff but use them. It’s much less scary to practise your language skills in front of your friends than when trying to open a foreign bank account. You’ve heard it all before; listen to music in your target language; watch films; read their new; speak! I hate to say it but your teachers and lecturers are right! Start immersing yourself early on and you’ll feel much more confident when the time to move comes. I’ve had to do this intensively over summer but it would have been much easier if I’d done it little and often.

10)   Everything will be alright in the end ;)
As much as I’ve badmouthed the uni’s organisation and highlighted that it’s scary, the best way to think of this Year Abroad is as an exciting once in a lifetime experience. It’s so much harder to do outside of a university setting and they are a great safety net if things go really wrong. Try not to think about the scary bits during the build-up but instead focus on what it could mean for you. For example, I’m only teaching 12 hours a week so I’ve been planning extensively what I’m going to do with my free time. I’ve got another job babysitting, I’m going to start learning Spanish and read up on my  Shakespeare…not the most exhilarating plans but they are my way of enriching my Year Abroad and I hope that you can think of some extra stuff to do too.


To my first/second year readers: good luck with everything!
To my fellow year abroaders: hope it’s all going well!
To friends and family who haven’t understood the majority of this post: bless you and thank you for sticking with it! 

Bisous à tous x