Hello stranger

Snuggled up in my duvet and still sans bra and decent clothes, I felt compelled to write my first blog in a few weeks.

So since my last blog, I miraculously managed to make the journey home (despite the typical French attempts to strike just at the start of the holiday period. Congrats).

It's been great to be home, even just being able to earwig on people and actually understand what they're saying and make general small talk with strangers without having to pretend you've understood.

I've come to the definitive conclusion that Cambridge really is the most bizarre place to live. Since being here, I've seen a guy dressed in what was essentially a large piece of leopard print cloth, with a curtain rope tied round his waist, strolling through the shopping centre without a care in the world. Just yesterday, I saw a mother who was dressed up like a doll, carrying around a daughter complete with ashen faced expression. Yes, we Brits really are quite eccentric. What I enjoy even more is the British public's strained attempts at trying to ignore everything abnormal by looking the other way, thus adding that extra layer of awkwardness always present in our English society.

Christmas was lovely, but unfortunately brought with it the Christmas Pudding Stomach, which is frequently associated with all the delicious foods of the festive period. Yes, I braved the scales yesterday and spent the rest of the day feeling rather horrified with myself. Action stations! Meal plans made for my return to France and regrettably, my beautiful friendship with our pal Brie is over. Nice knowing you, you delicious creamy goddess. Yes, I wave a rather sorrowful farewell to all the rich creamy delights of French cuisine, to beer and to everyone's favourite, chocolate, and say a cheery hello to salads, vegetables and cottage cheese in my desperate bid to shed these pesky pounds. 

This fortnight really has been quite a reflective 14 days for me. I've realised how nice it is to have the first Christmas in a long while without revision, to have the first year of university with more than £10 to my name at any given point and to really appreciate the difference between home and away. In previous years, at this point, with just two days to go, I would be dreading the upcoming voyage to "away". Strangely though, this year, I'm really looking forward to getting back to my little French retreat.

Finally, just a few words to say how ridiculously SCARY it is that I'm already halfway through my assistantship. Where on Earth has the time gone?

Time to watch some classic festive television.

Happy New Year to everyone!