long weekend and not much sleep

What a weekend! I am completely dead now- soooo tiered. It's completely my fault though so I can't complain.


Friday evening was the youth groups end of year christmas do. It was a 'crepe' evening, though through lack of the proper equipment etc they were really just pancakes. However strange though pancakes are for a christmas meal they were yummy and I had a great time.
photo curtesy of Armelle
Once we had munched our way through a huge pile of pancakes and chatted though every subect we could think of (ok well not quite) we sat down to watch a film. The film is called the road to redemption. It's an american film which they had with french audio and english sutitles (just for me). It was actually quite funny and I got so see how many mistakes the subtitles contained.


Saturday was laundry day. So while my clothes were busy getting dizzy down stairs I popped round to Elaine's to say bye. It was strange there not being anyone else in the flat- she was the last to go. So I waved goodbye and went to go and make a tent out of my newly washed bedsheet and some string slung across my room.
Then after a bit of food it was off to church for the christmas show rehersal. I have to say I was thoughroughly consused by the drama- I had no idea what was going on. Thankfully it wasn't just me and the others in the choir were no wiser than I. But they had a mime/dance thing which was really good. I decided that since it was only the rehersal I'd watch it from the front rather than from behind them on the stage- I'm glad I did, it was very good and the music was lovely. The evening rounded off with an emergercy rehersal for the choir- far too many things going wrong!


Sunday I decided for once not to go to church in the morning. I was worn out and really wanted to go to the market. So I got up a bit later than normal and headed out into the cold to buy myself some tangerines- actually the might be clementines, I never know. I love the market- it's just so much fun and just like the markets I know back home you always have some one with a very loud voice anouncing their very good prices for such and such a fruit. Back home I remember it being pound for a pound of banans, here we had an anana (pineapple) for one euro!!
The christmas service at church was at 4 (not 6 as I had originally thought- 24 hour clock still gets me!) and to be honest the drama only made a little more sense. I understood who everyone was ment to be with their costumes but to me it didn't really explaine the christmas story. If I was a non-christian I think I would probably be completely lost! But the little kids were adorable- going round the wrong way and breaking their props, the choir didn't make any big 'quacks' (or mistakes), and ther was losts of yummy food afterwards.
It was very stange saying goodbye to everyone knowing that I'm not going to see them till next year. In a way I'm a bit sad that I'm not here for christmas itself. I would hate not to be home, but it would be fun to experience christmas day itself in france. But as it is I only have a few days till I go back home and I can't wait.

Today (monday) is Jane's birthday. She is one of the assistances living at the foyer and as there are only three of us (from our group) at the foyer when we went out sunday evening we met up with one of Jen's students and his friends to have a bit of a birthday celebration for Jane. So first we went to O'donnals, but then when at about quater past 12 they rang the 'last drinks' bell we all decanted on the london cafe just a few doors down. It was soooo much fun. Cedric- Jen's student, is a hoot. he is a real joker and really friendly, he was joinded trough the evening by his friends and friends of friends. I think we ended up with about 15 people. One very bizzare things was when I saw Ettienne arrive. He is the brother of my friend Claire (from church). He doesn't go to church but I have been round their house so have met him before. But he is also friends with Cedric. It's really something when you can go out with a group of people and find conections with others you know- I have obviously been here far too long!
I also managed to provided a sounce of entertainment for everyone by bringing one of my puzzles with my. I only brought it because Jen is always fiddling with stuff and I told he next time I was out with her I'd bring something like that. It kept them amused for litteraly hours. Of course as the evening went on a couple of them managed it, but a few just got more and more confused- the alcohol being added to their system can't have helped, but it was fun to watch. In fact by the end of the evening on of the guys had giving me his address and asked that if I manage to find another one like it could I send it to him and he will give pay me back for it.
Those conversations were the easier to follow, by about one o'clock we somehow managed to move onto Politics. I am not very good at talking Politics in english but amazingly I not only followed what was being said, but I also managed to contribute.
At 2 though I had had enough, I had little more than 8 hours before I was to be at work and my head was pounding through all the concentration. so I wander back, had a shower- pubs are such stinky places! and crawled into bed.

PS. I have photos that people took during the evening which I will post up tomorrow.
PPS. yes I did change the font of the last entry- I realised I got it wrong and I had messed up my pretty patteren. So I changed it!