Apologies for the lack of blog of late, but things have been a little hectic. The uni is uber-organised, so classes are actually going reasonably well. There's only been one that sucked my soul out and necessitated a hot chocolate after so I could function well enough to get home, so that's not too bad. I need to find something to replace it but at the present time I have Mondays and Tuesdays off, so I'd rather not suddenly get something (mainly because I'm planning a few weekends away, and travelling on Tuesday is so much cheaper...)
Claire (flatmate who is also from Lancaster, for those of you who haven't been updated), arrived with her Mum, and we did a lot of food shopping and sight-seeing. On Saturday we went to Anzere (a ski resort in the mountains) and I stayed until yesterday. It was absolutely stunning, the mountains are like nothing I've ever seen before. I tried to take pictures but they really don't do them justice at all (but still, have a look!). Before you ask, no I didn't ski. I would like to return to the motherland with all my limbs if you don't mind. I can do without a trip to hospital.
Anyhow, I'm just waiting for my next lecture. I might geek-out and do my translation work for tomorrow's class (which I may or may not be allowed to take, as I'm still waiting for Lancaster to say yay or nay as it's a Master's course and so I apparently won't pass the exam, but the nice tutor said I could take it and he'd write a report for Lancs and they can decide at the end what grade I should get. Glad to see nothing changes on the emailing front.) One thing is certain, this is a heck of a lot easier than Bilbao was!
P.S. Flat Ted and Millie also having a great time.
Wednesday, 29 February 2012
Thursday, 16 February 2012
Je suis à Genève!
Bonjour bloggeurs!
Well I have arrived after a remarkably stress-free journey (which involved 2 buses, a train and a plane). First win of the day was being bang on 20kg according to Difficult Jet's scales (I'm sure they add a few kg just to charge you more).
The journey was pretty unremarkable, but it was fine, can't complain. My amazing landlady met me at the airport and took me to my flat, which not only sings and dances but pretty much turns somersaults as well. I didn't do much before collapsing into bed (which has pillows so fluffy I kept falling off them in the night!) with Millie, my marvelous hot water bottle, and Flat Ted, who is happy to be on the move again.
This morning I slept in a bit, then drank a fair amount of tea while googling where the tourist info is. I'm technically living in Ornyx, but practically speaking I'm in Ferney-Voltaire, which is on the French side of the border. Anyway, I found the tourist info, asked the nice lady how to get to Geneva etc, then faffed about for a million years getting change for the bus as the machine doesn't take notes. I finally made it to the bit of Geneva I was supposed to be at, then I got slightly lost trying to find the transport office, which was right under my nose, en fait. I got my 'carte de base' (which is a free thing you need in order to buy monthly travel tickets), and got the bus back before my good luck ran out!
On the way back I saw the UN building (I had wondered where it was on the way there and we stopped somewhere called 'Nations', must have had my eyes closed because it's huge). I called at Carrefour on the way home, didn't even need my directions to wander back to my flat and make spag bol.
All I can say is, I now remember why I love the Francophonie. The people are very pleasant and I've not spoken English all day, even though I know for a fact that the tourist info lady and the bloke who gave me my travel card both spoke English. People say hello when you pass them in the street. They don't look at you funny because you're a foreigner. Things couldn't be more different than when I went to Bilbao, and although I appreciate that having done it once it's a heck of a lot easier to do it a second time, things are different. As long as the uni doesn't annoy me too much over the next weeks, I might never leave!
Thanks for the love blogeurs, now who wants to come visit? I CAN SEE THE MONT BLANC!!!!
Well I have arrived after a remarkably stress-free journey (which involved 2 buses, a train and a plane). First win of the day was being bang on 20kg according to Difficult Jet's scales (I'm sure they add a few kg just to charge you more).
The journey was pretty unremarkable, but it was fine, can't complain. My amazing landlady met me at the airport and took me to my flat, which not only sings and dances but pretty much turns somersaults as well. I didn't do much before collapsing into bed (which has pillows so fluffy I kept falling off them in the night!) with Millie, my marvelous hot water bottle, and Flat Ted, who is happy to be on the move again.
 |
| Just to prove I was on a plane... |
This morning I slept in a bit, then drank a fair amount of tea while googling where the tourist info is. I'm technically living in Ornyx, but practically speaking I'm in Ferney-Voltaire, which is on the French side of the border. Anyway, I found the tourist info, asked the nice lady how to get to Geneva etc, then faffed about for a million years getting change for the bus as the machine doesn't take notes. I finally made it to the bit of Geneva I was supposed to be at, then I got slightly lost trying to find the transport office, which was right under my nose, en fait. I got my 'carte de base' (which is a free thing you need in order to buy monthly travel tickets), and got the bus back before my good luck ran out!
On the way back I saw the UN building (I had wondered where it was on the way there and we stopped somewhere called 'Nations', must have had my eyes closed because it's huge). I called at Carrefour on the way home, didn't even need my directions to wander back to my flat and make spag bol.
All I can say is, I now remember why I love the Francophonie. The people are very pleasant and I've not spoken English all day, even though I know for a fact that the tourist info lady and the bloke who gave me my travel card both spoke English. People say hello when you pass them in the street. They don't look at you funny because you're a foreigner. Things couldn't be more different than when I went to Bilbao, and although I appreciate that having done it once it's a heck of a lot easier to do it a second time, things are different. As long as the uni doesn't annoy me too much over the next weeks, I might never leave!
Thanks for the love blogeurs, now who wants to come visit? I CAN SEE THE MONT BLANC!!!!
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Reflections on being home.
I am such a bad blogger when I have nothing to moan about! Sorry for the lack of blogging but I've barely stood still since I got back. I won't bore you with all the details, but I've managed to visit all the family members I needed to, and seen my new baby niece (nawwwww!)
Anyhow, this blog post is something I've wanted to write for a long time, but I needed to wait till I'd been back in England for a while before I could write it. I went to Lancaster first (which is becoming something of a tradition but it's just been more practical that way) which was lovely. Seeing everyone was great, and although it fits like an old glove it really does serve to highlight the hundreds of miles of difference between old me and new me. And the fact that I haven't got a clue about the pain in the backside that final year appears to be, and therefore I'm very little use when people are going through tough times, though I can still brew a decent cup of tea (Lucy 1-0 Spain). Has to be said, I really don't want to do final year if that is what it looks like. But hopefully my year doing something different will be good because I've had some distance from the Lancaster bubble.
Home home (that is, York home) is less weird, because I've been coming and going from York for two years already, so it's just like normal. The only thing I have noticed is that my accent is back, partly because I am tired as anything and partly because I've had to attempt a daft accent for 5 months, the time to be myself is now, before I go back to being an Erasmus tourist.
And, for those of you who were wondering, I did have a very lovely Christmas/Birthday at home home too (several in fact, due to wonderful parents and wonderful friends!)
I move to Geneva on Wednesday, so no doubt there'll be more interesting bits to read then.
Till the next time :) x
Anyhow, this blog post is something I've wanted to write for a long time, but I needed to wait till I'd been back in England for a while before I could write it. I went to Lancaster first (which is becoming something of a tradition but it's just been more practical that way) which was lovely. Seeing everyone was great, and although it fits like an old glove it really does serve to highlight the hundreds of miles of difference between old me and new me. And the fact that I haven't got a clue about the pain in the backside that final year appears to be, and therefore I'm very little use when people are going through tough times, though I can still brew a decent cup of tea (Lucy 1-0 Spain). Has to be said, I really don't want to do final year if that is what it looks like. But hopefully my year doing something different will be good because I've had some distance from the Lancaster bubble.
Home home (that is, York home) is less weird, because I've been coming and going from York for two years already, so it's just like normal. The only thing I have noticed is that my accent is back, partly because I am tired as anything and partly because I've had to attempt a daft accent for 5 months, the time to be myself is now, before I go back to being an Erasmus tourist.
And, for those of you who were wondering, I did have a very lovely Christmas/Birthday at home home too (several in fact, due to wonderful parents and wonderful friends!)
I move to Geneva on Wednesday, so no doubt there'll be more interesting bits to read then.
Till the next time :) x
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