Apartment Pets

It's honestly raining cats and dogs here in France, literally. Everyone owns at least one cat and lives next door to a dog. I couldn't believe when I first arrived, how commonplace it was to own a pet. Apartments are small spaces and the thought of a wee fluffy friend having nowhere to stretch out it's legs seemed extremely unfair. And then we found our apartment; a sublet situation. And then along came little Estimée. Well, along came 'us' actually - and moved into her space.

So, apartment cats don't have the space that animals in New Zealand and Australia have, nor do they have the liberty to roam the streets. They wouldn't be able to find their way back, push the code to the building and open the apartment door... Luckily, for Estimée she has a small balcony to gulp the fresh air and watch the birdies from afar. I do find it quite cruel on the large dogs living in these small spaces. It is also very common in France, for owners to leave their dog's deposits all over the footpath. My 'pet' hate!

Mon travail en France

One negative thing about living in France is that it's extremely hard to find work! My French isn't good enough to apply for a French speaking job, so naturally I found work teaching English. As well as teaching at a small private children's school, I teach four private adult students. Their reasons for learning English vary drastically! One lovely student is Japanese and she's living in Lyon to perfect her French (for work) and is also brushing up on her English skills with me. Another student moved to Lyon 30 years ago from Columbia. His English is near perfect but he doesn't get much of a chance to speak it so I give him conversation lessons. It's a little strange though because all of these students have become my friends and now I feel completely bad about charging them money!

The Yogurt Aisles

Each trip to the supermarket brings me so much joy, much more so than in New Zealand. The aisles are stacked with french delights and even the frozen section is quite exciting. But as I wander through the cheese and meat aisles I know that I'm getting closer to the true reason that has brought me here... The yoghurt aisle! A whole aisle dedicated to yoghurt, and sometimes there are even two! My heart leaps and wobbles indecisively as I decide on what to take this time round! They are often packaged in glass jars which make the perfect vessel for flowers or paintbrushes. The best kinds are thick, creamy and taste like the fruit has just been picked from the tree. So, I am eating a lot more yoghurt than before. I wish I could take them all back to New Zealand with me when I return. With such a huge dairy industry back home, I wonder why there aren't options of incredible yoghurts like there is in France! What a pity.

La petite cuisine

When we first moved into our apartment, I was a little worried about the size of the kitchen. I love cooking and when I realised the reality of living in an apartment in France - a two-hob stove top, little-to-no bench space and no dishwasher - I thought cooking might be impossible. But, now that I'm used to our wee kitchen, I love it. Everything fits perfectly; each dish and pot has it's place, and I must say, having a spinning spice-rack makes my day.

My absolute favourite feature, is the circular window - perfect for staring out of while stirring at the stove top.

Lost in Translation

I have lost my confidence a bit while trying to get by using the small amount of French that I know.

The other night we were invited to have an apéro (shortened word of 'apéritif' - small drinks and snack before a meal). The couple who invited us were a lovely pair whom we were introduced to through our friend who we're subletting from. The French couple spoke only French (quite normal as we're living in a French speaking country!). So, there we are at their house only speaking French and I'm understanding mostly everything well. Boy, I even feel confident. Until, I feel the need to express my opinion. My face screws up searching for the words I need, "je pense...". Everyone's faces screw up in a show of sympathy... It doesn't help, only makes it worse.

I have finally saved up enough money to start an intensive French course. So, here's to the screwed up faces becoming less screwed up! :)

A raspberry tartelette I ate after signing up for the French course!