Advent

Christmas is happening! This year I have had more excitement about Christmas than usual. Maybe it’s because I am away from family and the UK and how Christmas is done there, I’ve had to make the effort myself. I have been really enjoying Advent, the lead-up, the anticipation, and the preparing for Christmas, for the birth of the one who would die for me. Kind of a big deal, no?

So Christmas in France is definitely different. The decorations and lights are everywhere, but Christmas itself just doesn’t seem to be as important here. An interesting side effect is that, being sheltered from hearing Christmas songs 234093389573 times a day on the radio, I have actually chosen to listen to them. Despite being told by my pupils that advent calendars are only for little kids, my Asterix calendrier de l’Avent is proudly displayed in my room (had to get a bit of Frenchness in there somehow). Listening to them prepare a presentation on Christmas in the UK has been hilarious – the kids are all baffled by the Queen’s speech and Christmas pudding, but seem interested by the money-making possibilities of carolling. Maybe that one will catch on.

The Christmas markets here in Nice are beautiful to walk around and enjoy. There aren’t too many vendors but the lights and the Christmas trees (complete with polystyrene snow) are my favourite thing. Laura, Lane and I rode on the Ferris wheel at night and it was so beautiful:

 

Even if the Christmas trees are a little unorthodox:

 

We took the bus up to La Colle today for their Christmas fair. It was a lot bigger than I expected it to be and I saw a couple of teachers there who gave me a warm welcome. It felt like we were truly out of the city as everyone was more laid back and friendly (and the dogs were normal-not-rat-sized). I tried beignets de courgette (fried courgette with cheese = one of my 5 a day I hope) and a macaron that was advertised as Smurf flavour (further inquiry revealed it to be bergamot and lemon) which were both delicious. Great way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Old friends and new friends

This weekend I went back to Cambridge. Being back in England after 3 months away was amusing, as I realised that everything, EVERYTHING is different in France. So my train of thought after leaving Heathrow Airport went a little like this:

Wow…cars stopping at zebra crossings…Love the Give Way sign…love the motorway sign font…COWS!…Grey cloudy skies – how dramatic!…Bare trees…’subtle’ hills, none of these mountains all over the place…green fields…

That’s my love letter to England over and done with! The weekend was lovely – quality time spent with dear dear friends. Exciting news too, as my best friend Nicola and her fiancé Joe asked me to be the Maid of Honour at their wedding! How happymaking! I realised how great it is to have such strong friendships and how blessed I am to have so many great people in my life who support me. (Going back is such an ego boost!). Hugs were weird after months of air kissing too! Another thing which was great was to be back at my church at university, HT, it really refreshed, challenged and encouraged me. Much needed.  I was quite emotional to leave!

One of Joe and Nicola's finer moments...

Said friends were also super cute in that for my birthday this week they made me an almost 40 minute video! It involved a cardboard cutout of me making its way around Cambridge, but also lots of lovely encouraging words, messages, songs, poems, jokes, cheerleading…I felt very loved watching it and amazed at how much time and effort people put in!

So a lovely birthday with old friends who managed to be here with me even when I’m on the continent. But a lovely birthday too with new friends here in Nice. Saying as my childhood parties were normally not problem-free due to snowfall, the novelty of celebrating my 21^st on the beach was too much to resist. A bunch of us had a picnic lunch on the beach, and it was beautiful to be beside the sea with the people I have come to care about here. It was even warm!

We're laughing because the French people next to us starting shouting 'cheese! fromage! edam!'

And here is a picture of the lovely, and very French birthday cake that Molly bought for me – isn’t she too kind?

I know I’ve overused ‘lovely’ in this post, but it’s my birthday so I’ll overuse it if I want to! And it’s how I want to describe the last few days. (Teaching hasn’t been quite so lovely this week, but I’ve realised it’s necessary for me to develop a thicker skin if this is what I want to do as my grown-up job. The kids no longer see me as a novelty weird English person, and just a teacher that they want to avoid doing work with, like the other teachers. So a new challenge for this section of my year abroad!)