Safe.

When I was young things didn't last. My only care stemmed to the price of sweets, now I am older I can laugh.

I'm sat at my flat pack, deep mahogany desk (took me a full two hours to assemble, why is it so difficult?), surrounded by paperwork, scrummy chocolate and a cup of tea. Oh, and enough stationery to provide the entirety of France with a pen each. It's lesson preparation time, and therefore, blog time. 

I'm getting back into the swing of French life, having been here a day and a half now, but my feet are already itching to travel. I'm thinking Strasbourg for a pre-Christmas mini-break. Something tells me I'd regret it if I didn't make the most of this year to see as much of France, and indeed Europe, as I can. 

Strangely, perched at aforementioned desk, I am sort of missing university life. Settling down at the weekend to do some reading or write an essay at the last minute. It's weird, and come fourth year, I know I'll be taking that comment back straight away, but it's a routine and something I know how to do. Lesson planning on the other hand, has proved more of a nightmare than I thought. One of my tasks is to prepare a presentation on British heroes. This would be easier if I actually had any heroes. Which led me to think that we as English folk don't really have much of a grip on the notion of a hero, unlike the French, who harp on about them all the time. I've gone down the "David Attenborough is a legend. So is Stephen Fry" route. 

Other than that, I have to prepare a bit on Great Expectations, a book I accidentally volunteered to talk about because I'm helping out with a literature class and it was one of the only books I've actually studied or read. Which makes me think about how incredibly uncultured/ignorant I must be, that French kids know more about English literature than I do. It's been a while since I read about ol' Pip and his endeavours to become a gentleman. Good to see you again, Dickens.

Otherwise, my days have been filled with watching "Dorset Ghost Investigators", a series of 45 minute long Youtube clips by a couple of guys from Dorset, who travel their area and the country searching for proof of ghosts. The premise is that they turn up to places that are rumoured to be haunted, and try out a bunch of techniques to detect ghosts, such as equipment which tests changes in temperature, motion sensors etc and a camcorder and Bob's your uncle. I don't recommend it, as such, but I do find it interesting and boy, is it addictive. I love the way it's so home video, gives it a great sense of authenticity.

Yesterday evening, I popped to a bar with a few colleagues which was nice, but you know, nothing beats a good English pub. I am fortunate enough to live in a village which almost has more pubs than inhabitants (slight exaggeration, if you'll forgive me). The pub is an atmosphere which you can't quite get with a bar. It was a good evening, nonetheless but it definitely lacked a certain je ne sais quoi, which ironically is something British. MIND EXPLOSION.

Anyway, I'm definitely going to stop dilly-dallying and actually get back to my lesson planning. Yes, SIR!

Laters potatoes
(Which reminds me, what does one have to do to get a decent sized potato, suitable for the exquisite jacket potato round here?).