We’ve survived our first month and feel triumphant. We have overcome many things whilst being faced with new challenges all the time, on the work, home and school fronts. Having nearly mastered the public transport system after a month of just missing buses, or waiting endlessly for them and then sprinting to the metro, I have finally worked out the best system which doesn’t drag my tired kids all around Paris before getting home, we can make it in a record 45 minutes.
Such a contrast and mix in day to day life here; one minute you exprience horrid things like the continuous smell of urine in the streets (NOT from dogs), teenagers with limbs missing begging for money, and daily acts of road rage on Paris's congested roads. Then you walk into a boulangerie and smell freshly baked baguettes, see ladies riding old fashioned bikes in skirts and heels with usually a tiny pet companion riding along in the basket, hear piano music being played from apartment windows, and flowers flowing out of balconies of beautiful buildings. You can’t help but feel you’re in a place so alive and vibrant, yet the underlying stench of real city life for some people is always under your nose. I just keep looking UP (with one eye down for merde), at the beautiful architecture and stay firmly on my very own Cloud nine.
School has a nice feel to it, have met a few American parents who seem friendly. Nursery is starting a mom’s social group of coffee mornings, dinners, Walk n Talk around Paris. Have met a New Yorker and fellow Canadian so far who seem nice, so social circle is slowly widening!
oSam is making a few friends too, though they are mostly English speaking. School is a bit more difficult for him as he's skipped a year ahead of the UK curriculum he should be in, on top of learning how to read French alongside English (when he’s only nearly cracked the English). But the activity side of school is great, loads of field trips to the museums, they go swimming every week and are going to start rollerblading in gym class next week , (have bought lots of plasters).
Tom’s ridiculously busy at work with it being the financial year end and French Tax inspectors coming in, it couldn’t be a worse time to start a job. Hopefully this will calm down end of October. Apart from being so busy he does seem to be enjoying it, being the Big Cheddar in Le Palais de Tabac.
Had déjà vu on Sunday from the London Marathon; we were at the Champ de Mars for a Famillathon which was a huge sporting event promoting families doing sport together. I convinced Tom to enter a stationary rowing competition, longest distance in 2 minutes wins a great prize. So he goes for it full hog, misses the longest distance by 10 meters, and turns a deathly shade of grey, very similar to how he looked after the marathon, but this was only 2 minutes exertion! Needless to say, I’m sure we impressed our newfound friends who joined us on the day and found it very entertaining. Sam on the other hand, tried out kickboxing, tai kwon do, and fencing.
School has a nice feel to it, have met a few American parents who seem friendly. Nursery is starting a mom’s social group of coffee mornings, dinners, Walk n Talk around Paris. Have met a New Yorker and fellow Canadian so far who seem nice, so social circle is slowly widening!
oSam is making a few friends too, though they are mostly English speaking. School is a bit more difficult for him as he's skipped a year ahead of the UK curriculum he should be in, on top of learning how to read French alongside English (when he’s only nearly cracked the English). But the activity side of school is great, loads of field trips to the museums, they go swimming every week and are going to start rollerblading in gym class next week , (have bought lots of plasters).
Tom’s ridiculously busy at work with it being the financial year end and French Tax inspectors coming in, it couldn’t be a worse time to start a job. Hopefully this will calm down end of October. Apart from being so busy he does seem to be enjoying it, being the Big Cheddar in Le Palais de Tabac.
Had déjà vu on Sunday from the London Marathon; we were at the Champ de Mars for a Famillathon which was a huge sporting event promoting families doing sport together. I convinced Tom to enter a stationary rowing competition, longest distance in 2 minutes wins a great prize. So he goes for it full hog, misses the longest distance by 10 meters, and turns a deathly shade of grey, very similar to how he looked after the marathon, but this was only 2 minutes exertion! Needless to say, I’m sure we impressed our newfound friends who joined us on the day and found it very entertaining. Sam on the other hand, tried out kickboxing, tai kwon do, and fencing.
Decide to brave the busy streets one quiet Sunday morning and go for a run. Got a tip that people tend to only run only round parks with the streets being so busy, so I head to Lambert Square, our local park. It’s not as big as Champ de Mars, but true enough many people jogging round the square, round and round and round. I feel like I’m doing laps in my school gym class so veer off into the streets for variety. As I trod in my first merde I realise it was not such a good idea and head back to the square. The women jogging here are hilarious, they run very slow and with light, hoppy steps, almost like Bambi bounding through a field of daisies. I felt very smug as I raced by, with extra tracking from my dog merde on my shoe.
o Sadly, with the arrival of cooler weather, Naked Man has withdrawn into his flat, not to be seen sans vetements until spring peut-etre? Pathetically I peer through his red sheer curtains everyday for any sign of movement, but alas no, il fait disparaitre!
o Sadly, with the arrival of cooler weather, Naked Man has withdrawn into his flat, not to be seen sans vetements until spring peut-etre? Pathetically I peer through his red sheer curtains everyday for any sign of movement, but alas no, il fait disparaitre!
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