bits and bobs

I am aware that I promised an all-singing all-dancing spectacular update of Rheon's visit last weekend but Alex and Rheon, who took all the photos, haven't sent me said photos, so a small summary will have to do:

1) It was very lovely
2) We went on the elephant - kind of a disappointment! Apparently elephants are nicer to look at than to ride on. Jules is kind of slow and doesn't take a very scenic route. Plus, it's a right rip off, and your entrance fee only allows to to choose either the elephant OR the gallery of all the other creatures, so we still haven't seen them yet.
3) We found a decent club night in Nantes! Something I feared would never occur. It was called 'Hang The DJ' and had a decent Mancunian playlist, the crowd (ok Alex and I) went wild with excitement on hearing mention of 'Salford' by Tony Wilson on the introduction to Transmission by Joy Division. Oh what I wouldn't give for a half an hour browse round Salford Shopping City right now.

In other news I don't have much news, only brief observations of the curiosities of French life. Did you know, stats fans, that a pie chart here is called a Camembert! I love that.

Everybody knows that the French love their dogs but perhaps do not realise to quite what lengths they will go to display this. Yesterday I was strolling round to Alex's for tea and as I turned the corner I was met with a woman with a frizzly poodle-type dog, wearing an argyle jumper. Fair enough, I thought, a dog in a jumper, a bit embarrassing but each to their own. As I got closer I realised that the pair had paused while the dog did its business by the hedge and the woman was meanwhile talking to it in a high pitched 'coochie coo' baby voice. But then as I got a few steps closer again I almost fell over in disgust as with my very own eyes I saw the woman bend down, head to pavement level, and sniff the dog's bottom when it had finished before picking him up in her handbag and carrying on their merry way! Put me right off my risotto that did. Always been more of a cat person myself.

This week we have encountered some problems with French bureaucracy when trying to apply for financial aid for our accommodation. We're entitled to about 80 euros a month (which when you think the accommodation costs about 140 euros a month is pretty great) but maaaan they make it hard to get it! They've asked for about a million documents and a French bank account, all hurdles we have managed to dodge so far, but now want a copy of our birth certificates with our parents names on them. Alex has lost her birth certificate long ago whereas I have one but it doesn't have my parents' names on it.
And to make matters worse I have just e-mailed our Erasmus supervisor to ask for help with this pickle and by accident in my exhausted, hospital-frazzled state signed off 'Felicitations' (congratulations) instead of 'Cordialement'. OH NO.

This is probably a sign that I should be sleeping right now instead of blogging. Night night, lots of love,

Marie
xxx