So voilà, here is my last blog post in la belle France, provided I finish before I have to board the aeroplane. I'm currently sitting in Toulouse-Blagnac airport waiting for my flight to Manchester to take me home for a few days. But let's discuss the past week or so first? Okay :)
So when my parents went home it was back to work as usual on the bar for a week. Work was fine but really really struggled with the weather these past two weeks, normal,y it gets hot and then cools for a few days and then builds up again, but the last two weeks it's just been mental hot 24/7. One of the things I'm looking forward to most about the UK is being able to sleep! Even the locals were struggling; Anne-Marie refused to give me la bise because, her words not mine, her face was soaking with sweat. Noice. Was a nice week because all of the staff were back of their holidays by then, so it was nice to have new-ish people to talk to and discuss different parts of France, some of which I'd been to.
The Friday after my parents came some random lad/ one of my best mates called Jim Hall turned up in France and stayed with me for a week. I think he liked Toulouse, although he said there's not a million things to do there. I think he struggled with the heat a bit but it's alright for some because he had a cheeky swimming pool he could cool down in. One thing he did comment on was the café culture, and how that carries on at night time, about being served rather than asking for a drunk at the bar. It's true and it was my new favourite word to complain in French 'chiant' that we had to wait a good 15 minutes for our drinks when it was busy. That's worse than Cuth's bar waiting time! But on the other hand if you're out to have a relaxing drink with your friends why do you need to push and shove and get sweaty and wind yourself up forcing yourself to the front of the queue? Not really relaxing if you ask me.
I will admit that when Jacques Vestibule was here we went to the cinema and watched a film in VOST (version originale sous-titrée) i.e. in English. We watched Total Recall. I've never seen the original but I know that the remake has some bad reviews but I thought it was really good. One thing though? What's with these remakes at the moment, Spiderman is also one...can people not make new stories and stop trying to improve things that don't necessarily need improving? Chiant! Anyway retournons à nos moutons, we had a good night watching that. The other day I watched Associés Contre Le Crime, which is a dramatisation of one of Agatha Christie's novels. After doing some research it's the third in a trilogy but I thought it didn't matter because I understood the plot and stuff anyway...at least I thought I did?
At the hostel this week I met a really nice man called Moises, who is from Santiago de Compostela in Spain, very very close to Vigo where I'm off next. He gave me loads of practical information about Vigo and finding accommodation and stuff. Really nice man, however, like most Spanish people I've met her talks. Non-stop. I feel kinda sorry for him to be honest because he came to Toulouse looking for work because the situation in a Spain is so bad at the moment, so his plan was to improve his French and then move to England to his girlfriend and teach French and Spanish here. But then his computer got stolen by whoever was sharing a room with him and various things have happened/been said during talks with the police that he has been totally put off France as a country and never wants to live here ever. It's an awful shame that someone could be put off an entire country because of one or two things. I don't know what went on at the police but France is generally a nice, welcoming country - at least that's what I found - so it's a massive shame that he will always carry this view of France now. So he's going back to Spain for a while before going to England and hopefully we can meet when I'm there as we're not far away at all.
On Sunday one of my Durhamite friends, Henrietta, was in Toulouse. She's working in Bordeaux over summer and her and a friend made a day trip out to Toulouse and I spent the afternoon with them. I found out something quite interesting, apparently there is a massive rivalry between Bordeaux and Toulouse, as the fourth city of France. I've only been told that Toulouse is the fourth city but Henrietta said that Bordeaux is. Apparently all of her friends asked why she was going to Toulouse because it's a disgusting city with nothing to do. I agree with the latter but it's certainly not disgusting. Jealousy because Toulouse is so pink and Bordeaux is architecturally similar to most French cities I reckon. Anyway, was great to catch up a little. When they went to go home to station was all cordoned off, with police, firefighters and the army all around it! Bomb alert apparently, the arrivals hall was still open though, which I thought was a little weird. It just reminded me that Toulouse is not the safest place to live in, however safe you feel. With bomb alerts, random shootings and bank hostages, it's not immune to crime even if you generally feel safe walking around...most of it.
So today has been full of goodbyes. Last night there was a little soirée to say goodbye, nothing too crazy, Solenn made a pot of tea for everyone because I like tea and it'll remind them of me whenever they drink it, which was nice. But none of them had milk in it so it was only a half-hearted attempt ;). I had a little meeting with my boss in which I told him what I thought of the placement. I learnt a new phrase, which sums up what people mean when they say goodbye, it's bonne continuation, good luck for the future. Also, I've been given a little cadeau which I'm not allowed to open until I'm on the plane, which will be very soon. So I'm going to go now, see you very soon England!
Oh by the way, in the airport there was this old woman who works there who was on fold-away scooter thing like we used to have when we were kids! Made me laugh so thought I'd share it.
Eh bien...au revoir la France et à la prochaine!
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