Life...

Life in France might seem like there is nothing better when compared to life in Canada, but it is still life. There are still up and down moments, moments that make you happy, moments that cause one to think that the world is ending so might as well curl up and cry for a while and then there are days like today that make you just frustrated with the entire human race for not being organised or on top of things.

We had our first official contact with the university. He was shocked that we had only just learned his name and that after being there for a week we had only just come into contact with him. Which I guess from his point of view makes slight sense, from ours it was: we just arrived in town, I need a pillow and a blanket to sleep tonight and then there is the issue of nourishment. Making sure everything was in order for classes - the reason for the exchange was not at all relevant in that moment of human need. Plus we knew that we didn't need to worry for we had over two weeks before classes actually started. Now, after much deliberation, we know what we have to do, and we know when, how and where to do it. But when first thrown at us just beyond the waking/conscious hours, we were shocked and instantly stressed. I wasn't prepared for stress, I thought the meeting would be just a routine welcome to the country and the university thing, not WHERE ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!!??!!? but i have overcome.

Today, after forcefully telling the landlord lady that we needed to get the paper work in order at least to the point where we had a permanent address and therefore we could open a bank account we made it the BNP Paradis. I am now the proud client of one crazy french lady with a purple thong and a official user of a french bank account (should anyone feel the need to experience this liberating experince, fell free to contact me and ask for teh account number to make a direct deposit, all efforts welcomed). Then we stopped at a cafe/bar for a beer and tried to organise the rest of our lives. It is well known that a beer in the mid afternoon, definitely clears the mind and allows for a more acute focus on the task at hand.

Melissa invited me for dinner, where she prepared a delicitable spinach rissoto. I told her that she could invite me over for dinner every night ( and that I would be there, invitation or not).