Isn’t it funny the things you forget about after two weeks? Like the fact your heating doesn’t work and that you can’t actually speak French and that Lille is colder than Edinburgh… Yup I’m back and as usual the journey caused problems and being ill didn’t help matters and January just isn’t the best month- I think we’re all agreed on that.

I’m aware that I’m moaning but I thought I’d get that out of the way first then move on to more interesting things like ways to beat the ‘January Blues’ and money worries…

I came back to Lille on Monday, the plane was somehow on time even thought every Air France plane was delayed, I was a bit suspicious but we landed on time and I allowed myself to relax. Turned out I relaxed a little too early, all of the stands were full, planes needing to be de-iced so we sat on the tarmac waiting to be disembarked for three hours, needless to say I missed my train… So then I had to queue for an hour to get a ticket (15 euros- impressively cheap) to Lille because there were a lot of angry tourists whose planes were delayed, who now couldn’t get trains until the next day. I have to admit I did feel a bit smug- lots of people trying to get trains and then I just wander up pay and leave on the next train… He he

I didn’t get home until half eleven, I was tired and ill, I decided to stay at home Tuesday, in my little ice box; then went back to work. It feels like I never left, everything is the same except my French is worse and I have less inclination t do work than before- I think it’s the cold. It was minus ten on Friday, the ice never leaves the ground, even when the sun comes up. It’s all very pretty but right now January is getting on my nerves I just want to be warm for once!

We decided to go shopping, me with money I don’t have, the exchange rate is so bad it would be cheaper to import stuff from England. Of course France hasn’t got more expensive but because 1 pound only gives you 1.1 euros things are costing more, it’s a pain, so what better thing to do than go shopping and buy nice things. I bought a hot water bottle- my room is so cold that I’m desperate for anything. I have been living in Rachel’s room mainly, she’s probably fed up with me by now but we’ve been doing girly things like watching sex and the city and drinking cosmopolitans. Yes I know, ‘life of Riley’, work is hard though…

Rachel has planned a trip to Disneyland for two weekends time, to beat the blues, yes it will be cold but hopefully also empty and with a group of us going it should prove to be a laugh, we’re going to get a hotel for two nights so it’ll be a whole weekend thing, its something to look forward to anyway.

So, I guess the holiday is now really over… back to work with a vengeance and I have a lot to do. Literature reviews, lab work, assignments, learn how to use the RMN machine… joy… But this week the most important achievement is working out how to forget the cold and enjoy January:
1. Soup and porridge
2. Shopping
3. Planning trips to Disneyland.
4. Tea

Hmmm, that should sort us out for a while… anyway, I have some work to do, I want to learn some Japanese but it’s too cold in here. I hope that I will find out about doing a stage in Japan, I hope I can- I think.

Until next week… think warm thoughts.

(Having just read the Dijon blog I can thoroughly sympathise and add that I am so glad getting back to Lille is fairly simple from Paris!)