Je ne veux pas partir maintenant...

My morning started with an attempt of a lie-in, before realising I had to do some laundry otherwise it would all be waiting for me when I got back after Christmas. I had to set if off before having a Skype with the lovely Chandru, all the way in Bavaria, so it was action stations to get everything done! Was awesome to finally catch up with Chandru, as we hadn't chatted since...I actually can't remember. Anyway, we found out what was and had been occurring in each other's lives and swapped stories of language success and fails. Should definitely Skype him more often.

So now for the only downside of the day, as the washing machine decided that it no longer had a spin cycle and that it would just leave my clothes dripping. Not even joking, even after a hand-wring they were still sopping! And I had four towels in that sodden mess...cue three trips to manage to carry it all upstairs. Again time was of the essence as I was meeting Thomas to see The Hobbit (well, Le Hobbit)...in French. Three hours of constant French, and I got what was happening...rather proud of myself, entertainment, socialising and learning all in one tidy package. Did I mention it was in 3D too?! Since watching films, especially 3D ones, are so much cheaper in comparison to English prices I have decided to watch in 3D whenever I can...I've got the bug! So The Hobbit, brilliant, loved it. As good as the other films, and the cast were perfect...although the dubbed voice of Gollum was just not as visceral as Andy Serkis. Oh, and Bilbo Baggins? Bilbon Sacquer. Sac - bag...loosely translated as little bag. Oh, and Bag End, Cul-de-sac. Although I understand the necessity of occasionally changing names to create a better translation...I'm not certain that it was needed there.

After the film Thomas and I went for a coffee with his sister Pauline and her friend. Absolutely lovely, and I definitely think I'm starting to follow conversations with people I've just met a lot better than at the beginning. I don't think you realise before you immerse yourself in a culture that you start to understand your close friends a lot easier because you get used to their accent and nuances of speech...and then you meet a stranger and you are genuinely flummoxed for a while before getting into the swing of things. One of my English friends here said that she found it easier to understand women than men, because she was taught French by a woman. Makes sense in a strange way! I think I find it easier to understand men than women now, even though I was taught by both male and female teachers...probably because I have more male French friends than female ones here so am more used to their voices.

Thomas and I then returned to Memoranda, where Voltaire was bought (but not by me, I'm not arty enough!) to be consumed at a later date, and then we returned to chez Thomas for a slap-up meal of things that needed eating before he goes home for Christmas. We were soon joined by the lovely Estéban (pictured, with Thomas) for what was meant to be for a few minutes, but turned into an hour or so because we were having such interesting conversation! I love spontaneous gatherings!

Which leads me onto the final event of the evening, an impromptu gathering at Kendra's, complete with cider and reject gluten-free peanut butter cookies (of which I need to get the recipe, they are awesome). The evening began with Thomas, Kendra, Laura and I, but we were soon joined by Becky, Claire and Michael making it an unexpectedly social evening. Absolutely perfect, especially when some of the group are leaving tomorrow. After Pommeau and some Bavarian beer (courtesy of Laura) had appeared I think everyone was feeling rather merry. Was definitely helped by the Christmas playlist...and Laura's fascination with the English take on the war with Germany, courtesy of Fawlty Towers.

Although the Secret Santa gifts were given yesterday, as I said, Laura's was too big to take to a meal and then to a bar...so I collected it this evening (Laura and Kendra live in the same building). And it is possibly one of my favourite presents ever. So what is it? Well, it's a picture frame with room for seven pictures in the shape of a reel of film. However, this is not my favourite part about it...my favourite thing is the effort that Laura went to to find quotes about photography to put in it. So this blip is longer than my normal ones, but I think it deserves it! The quotes are as followed:-

"What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that's gone forever, impossible to reproduce."
- Karl Lagerfeld

"You don't make a photograph just with a camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved."
- Ansel Adams

"Photography is all about secrets. The secrets we all have and never tell."
- Kim Edwards

"There is in fact something obscure and sinister about photography, a desire to imprison, to incorporate, a sexual intensity of pursuit."
- William S. Burroughs

"All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person's (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt."
- Susan Sontag

"Photography is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality."
- Alfred Stieglitz

After such an awesome present I thought my day couldn't get any better. Well, it kind of did! As I went into my building I had a little chat with the night receptionist, who said that my French had really improved and that I spoke it well! Wahoo!