The holiday started with a very early start at 1am because the news stories had shown the roads as black (very busy) - so we hit the road by 2am and despite the horrendously early hour, there were plenty of cars doing the same thing - packed to the hilt with holiday gear.
Our days quickly entered into the pattern of wake, watch "Days of our Lives" called Les Jours et La Vie here, while having a bowl of hot chocolate then beach, swim, play with ball and frisbee, lunch, rest, walk before dinner at 8:30pm then walk after, looking at markets spread far and wide, and concerts at the beach - as this is peak holiday time....bed after TVor playing a game with Ludwig, 6yrs old by midnight or 1am.
It's funny, before coming away I remember saying to one of my friends at home that I was soo over small children and whamo - here I am like his grandmother - he said that....I must admit I was rather taken aback as I would never think of myself as a grandmother (I'm too young to be a granny.......aren't I????).
He's a lovely boy, intelligent, kind, a bit spoilt etc but he hates to lose and cries genuine tears if he does, throws cards or game pieces or steals them so we can't continue - oh well, he's not my child and I'm not going to change him in the short time frame I have, so we just play on or not....
This is an experience in living with others, with a different culture and different habits - you watch and see what they eat, what they do, habits, likes, dislikes, how they treat their children, what's good for them, what works, what doesn't work etc. It isn't easy..... and I feel sorry for them as well because the language barrier is there too making many times of silence because neither of us can be bothered....it is tiring...
Also, because I'm travelling, I have so few clothes and yet my pack is full - I'm away for a year and with winter and Antarctica and Patagonia on the agenda, I have clothes for all seasons and not many for each season - also 3 pairs of shoes and one of them is a hiking shoe doesn't make for a great wardrobe!!!
Yesterday I put on the only dress I have and Vanessa was so excited.....maybe she was sick of the one pair of shorts and one skirt I wore at the beach.....every day!
It's not easy living someone else's life eg the other night we went out quite late and at midnight, mum bought fairy floss for son and then we get home and he wants to play a game of dominos so at 12:30am we all sit down and play - it's holidays so that is different for all but very different for me.
I'm finding the French language difficult as well - words sound so alike eg marron and mere on, words for soft and hard are - doux and dur - it's ok if I know the context it is said, but if a statement is made out of the blue and I don't recognise one of the words...........I'm lost, feel like a dork and just smile and say, je ne comprends pas.....I feel sorry for them, for me and for not learning far more and being far more diligent with studying french before I left home - I tried but my hours were filled with other things like dancing and catching up with friends..................oh well, I'm here to learn and will do my best................aarrrgggghhhhhhhh....
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