Melissa Ladyman
Subject: Normality
I don’t know what to write about this week; also I don’t know when I’ll be able to post since the internet has gone down. I don’t understand complex things like the internet but I know it’s a problem with ‘wifirst’ and not my computer so it’s a matter of waiting until they fix it… Could be a while…
This week, on Friday, I was offered a studio apartment, I don’t know whether to take it- it’s more expensive but you do get your own bathroom and even a little corridor for your kitchenette and better internet connection (which is also free). But is the increase in cost equivalent to the increase in standard- the furnishings are the same, bar a bit of extra space and a bathroom, and the building is a bit nicer although comes across as a bit hostile… I’m stuck, I really don’t know what to do and without the internet I might miss the opportunity anyway!
Anyway, last weekend, I can’t even remember what happened, Saturday was quite productive; after having discovered that the ‘laverie’ had vanished I made a trip to Triolo where I found a nice automated one that is open until 21-00, I was a bit shocked at the cost- €3.20 for a wash then €1.00 for eight minutes drying on medium… oh well, it’s better than nothing. Maybe if I move to a studio I would have a better ‘laverie’ too?
Also realised that shopping at ‘le centre commercial’ at Auchan should be a national sport, it amazes me every time that ordinarily polite people become ruthless and irrational when wielding a shopping trolley, no time for please and thank you it’s every one for themselves, in case of what exactly? In case the enormous hypermarket runs out of fresh milk (which no one in France drinks)? I can’t fathom it.
On Sunday Sarah and I went to the market in Wazemmes; it’s a good market and is useful to know about, a bit more controlled than the Braderie! We wandered to the Hotel de Ville in the hope of getting some tickets to go to the citadel next week as it’s the journées du patrimoine- basically national heritage weekend, which was introduced in England but apparently it didn’t take off- its huge here, things that are normally closed to the public are open for one weekend and one weekend only… However we couldn’t work how to get in so I left it as a challenge for this weekend.
Lectures started properly this week, I feel at a bit of a loose end, neither here nor there, people seem to still be confused at what I’m meant to be doing, and about the system in Scotland that if you get the grades you do the MSc… No one understands so I just amble along; the teaching is very different, I thought it would be better than ours but as of yet it’s just different, things get put together that I don’t associate as being similar and then other things are taught in separate modules that I thought were inseparable.
Then there are labs, it was always going to be the hard bit for me, I have no confidence, I am useless at practical work and if I continue to be constantly nervous when doing anything it’s not going to get better. I’m not even sure if I’m nervous of not understanding the French or messing something up chemically… the stupid thing is I’m not sure that doing either would be much of a problem. I’m here to learn after all, if I knew everything they’d be no point but sometimes it is difficult to know whether it’s the French I’m not understanding or the chemistry and I don’t think there’s a way to find out definitely so I’ll carry on ambling through and hoping for the best…
Socially things are better, the Erasmus people are still clinging onto one another in a group of ‘it doesn’t matter that my French isn’t perfect; no one’s is’ which is working so far. There’s a really good group of people, I just wish I wasn’t in labs so often, because when I get work from Edinburgh to do I’m actually not going to be able to leave my room! Well, I’ll see I guess.
So, I didn’t think I had all that much to write but apparently I found something to say, I hope it wasn’t too boring, I’ll try think of something crazy to do for next week…
Until then…
