Does my "boites aux lettres" measure up?

As mentioned in a previous blog entry of mine, I am always occupied with some type of paperwork for a dossier. If you move here, be warned, dossiers are part and parcel of everyday life. Paperwork can be required for the most suprising items.

This week a visit from my Postman left me speechless. He arrived with a 2 page form, drawings included! to check if my “boite aux lettres” was “regulariser”. Well was it, apparently the answer was yes by a centimetre.

As the measuring of the box, two page form and the cup of coffee had already taken up the best part of the morning, I did not dare to enquire what would have happened if my post box had not measured up to standards! Any idea anyone and why is it important?

Does licked cutlery count?

Calling all mothers of 3 year old boys, “Au Secour”!! My 3 year old, (well 3 in May), has driven me to distraction today and had the tantrum of all tantrums whilst we were visiting friends for an alfresco dejeuner. A very windy alfresco dejeuner.

Trying to get a snarling, toddler mid-tantrum into a car seat whilst doing the obligatory 3 kiss goodbye to all the guests is no easy feat. Yes, it is 3 kisses in the Cevennes so hello and goodbyes tend to go on………….

All the way home I kept thinking, “just wait till Daddy phones tonight mister man”.

Well they say timing is everything and just before Daddy rang, upon finishing his dinner, Théo came up to me and whilst giving me a huge hug said "me sorry Mummy, Théo happy, good boy now”. He then proudly handed me his licked cutlery and whilst opening the cutlery drawer said with pride, “Théo clean it Mummy”!

Does licked cutlery count as a heartfelt apology?

Playboy Bunny vs Dorothée

This morning, comme d’habitude, I popped into our local Café for a cafe-crème and noted with interest and irony the 2 new pinball machines sat side by side.

Being in true hunting country here, the most popular being chasse au sanglier, the first machine had 2 generously proportioned guns that invited you to hunt a range of game. The chasse started with fairly large sized bunnies popping up everywhere and then as your aim and testosterone levels rose along came the bears, sangliers etc.

My three year old son, Théo, was fascinated and as he attends the local Crèche started making bunnies ears and singing that French favourite, Ce matin un lapin by Dorothée (Click here to watch original Ce Matin ....)

Everyone found this most amusing and a kind gentlemen bought him a sirop de fraise for his efforts.

His eyes then alighted upon the 2nd pinball machine with its ever famous Playboy bunny logo, “what’s that mummy”?

Ah I said, “I don’t think you will be ready to play that bunny game for another 15 years or so” …………………….!

Parlez vous Francais?

When I arrived here the sum total of my spoken French was the ability to count up to 20, say please and thank you and …… well that was about it.

So I unpacked my new set of language CD’s and started ………….. rien! I quickly grew bored so I decided to start listening to one of my local radio stations.

Well I can only say that it was set circa The Jimmy Young show in the UK. It had hilarious phone-ins with “Recette du Jour” being the most popular amongst them. Caller after caller suggesting another thing you could do with asparagus or whatever legume happened to be in season. Hmmm, very useful you thought until about the fifth caller. Then you frankly felt like stuffing your asparagus where the sun doesn’t shine.

However, my French was getting better as I became addicted. What exactly was a “Femme au Foyer” – housewife as it turns out. The presenter was also likely to ask every other caller if they were going to “profite du soleil” that day.

Finally, I had to remove this station from my play list when a female caller upon answering the football quiz question correctly, was asked in all seriousness if her husband or another male relative was in the house helping her! When the presenter had ascertained that she did not live with a man he asked if she actually wanted her prize, a pair of sought after match tickets.

Shame as I really enjoyed my “hairbrush” moments when they played the hits of Cloclo, (Claude François). Alexendrie – Alexandra , oh don’t get me started.

You’ve Got Comments

I logged on, opened my blog and there it was – my first comment. Okay, not comments in the plural but still…….

Was it as memorable for you as it was for me, I am referring of course to all you bloggers out there. You never forget your first!! So a big thank you to my first – Peter.

Peter runs a local community website for anglophones in this part of the world. Please visit their forum at:
http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/forum.