Floods, Fires, Eathquakes and more.
It makes any issues we have seem trivial. Especially when the face of the little boy who sacrificed his life for his brother in QLD floods leaps out from an advert outside the local tabac.
But knowing that does not make the difficult times any easier. Lately we have all been in hiding - Ange at work, me at home. The weather has been absoutely terrific which has been a boon, but I have certainly reached a language plateau and have been avoiding everyone for fear I will have to say more than 'ca va'. In fact the other day that was all I could manage in passing an acquaintance at a pedestrian crossing; saying it several times over whilst in the middle of the street made me appear more than clown-like.
I have not mentioned the Post Office incident, and I don't think I want to go into details, but that certainly sparked a massive loss of self esteem. Some of the provincial French ladies in my village can be so good at gossiping unkindly in earshot of their intended victim. The offence can be anything from hairdo, do shoes, handbag, clothing...you get the gist. Generally it's the things about you that you either can't or won't change without losing a piece of yourself. Luxeuil is a bit renowned for impecable homes, designer clad children, spray-on hair styles and large cars (not to mention the carefully manicured nails, and that's just the men!), but I'm happy to say that we are making inroads in meeting people who like us just as we are. All it takes is patience (and the hide of a rhino).
An experience like this makes me appreciate my friends more than ever.
Anyway, onwards and upwards. I am determined the year will not degenerate into annus horribilus. Imagine my suprise then, when at gym today, stretched out in all directions, trying to decode the instructions, breathe in at the appropriate time and out (I've always been a bit uncoordinated at the breathing thing) and hold my tummy in, we were instructed to exercise our sphincters. Now I know I have just detailed at great length that I'm no great shakes at the language but even I know a sphincter when I hear one (several times over). I'm not sure how necessary a tight sphincter is to the mainly elderly women in my class (some of whom are around 80, bien sûr). Maybe there's something I'm missing here - a little je ne sais quoi ?
Of course it would be hilarious if I was the only one sucking in my butt cheeks while thrusting at the sky but trust me, on this occasion I had managed to be in sync with the class; the only thing worse than attempting to exercise one's sphincter in public is to have a faceful of someone else's, especially when it's 'seen better days', is clad in thin, tight lycra and belongs to an octogenarian. I rue the day I insisted on being at the bottom of the room (literally) so I wouldn't look too out of place when I was still on tortise while everyone else had moved on to hare. It's not much fun trying to co-ordinate the body and be linguistally challenged at the same time. I've found myself in knots, trying to work out what the last instruction was while trying to untangle the previous pose.
I have a gym buddy, for which I am grateful. There is a posse of ladies that arrive early, top to toe in designed gym gear, hair sprayed to attention, shoes with not a speck of dust, who bag the best mats, balls and other equipment and set their mats in a peculiar fashion that screams their alliance and air kiss each others cheeks. I find it quite frightening.
After all the bending and stretching of both body and mind (see sphincter: above), I raced off to the boulangerie to request my bread and trade the usual insult. Today it was 'bordel', delivered by the 'baw oui' woman of previous blog post fame. I'm happy to say I took very little notice; I am taking strength from the many French in Oz - if they can be there than I have more than enough right to be here. And if I look messy, running around town with no car, 2 very active kids and the combo of all that excercise and a long puffa jacket to ward off the snow (yes it snowed today!) then what's her excuse?
I very nearly made the universal hand gesture to ask her to exercise her sphincter, then realised I've had enough of that for one day - I'm off home to rest mine instead.
Piccy of our house. More news on this next time...but yep, thats snow.
Hope to hear from you all soon
Quotes of the day;
"There are only two remedies for the suffering of the soul - hope and patience" Pythagorus
"Remember, no human condition is ever permanent: then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune, not too sorrowful in misfortune" Socrates
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