Unsettled is right.....

I am utterly exhausted!

Back a wee bit.....

I'm at home in Auckland and still struggling with blasted dial up which I was quite happy with before.... (My life is now divided in two - BF and AF. Not too difficult to work out!) But I will have a go at writing an entry and seeing how well the photos download. Or is that upload? (In fact they take ages, so I haven't put on my artistic shots of butterflies, :-) or me standing plaintively at Poitiers Railway Station. Another time perhaps!)
My last day in France was probably not quite as sad as some others as I was pretty busy and didn't have too much time to dwell on things. Basically I got up and got ready and finished packing my suitcase and cleaned up a bit. I left behind a lot of stuff - electric jug, electric mixer, toaster... etc etc. But I was never going to bring them home. I also left behind some clothes which were either too bulky or too ugly to bring back!
At about midday Christian and Marie-Helene took me to the station. It is hard to express my feelings of affection for them both. They have been wonderful friends from the start. I think that Christian got a bit pissed off with me when I first moved into the studio and kept knocking on the door to use the internet. But once I got it set up for myself all was well! And we got on really well. In fact the three of us enjoyed each other's company immensely. We had some great discussions - politics, education, sport... the usual stuff. The language was never really a barrier when I was with them. Which isn't to say there wasn't the occasional misunderstanding! I lived my own life and they lived theirs (tricky to know where the apostrophe goes there so I'll leave it out!! lol) but we often came together to do stuff. I was really incredibly lucky.

Anyway, as I was saying, off we went to the station. By the time we got there and I fiddled round with my overweight suitcase and fished some stuff out which M-H said she would post, the train had arrived (en provenance de Bordeaux - I LOVE the train announcements!) and I had to haul my luggage on board; suddenly I had left my hometown and my friends. What can I say? I have hardly had time to think about the departure since, but just quietly here in my room and thinking about it now... well, I'm just grateful I had the opportunity to do what I did. What an experience.
At Charles de Gaulle Airport my 26.8kgs suitcase was checked though without comment - phew - and off I went. Great flights with Lufthansa, and on the long Munich to Singapore leg I sat with two super young women, Barbara and Dorotha. We then hung out together at Singapore airport, which is a bit like a hotel anyway. Have you been to the butterfly place there? It's really cool.

And so on to Auckland. My flight was 45 minutes early which somewhat threw my wonderful reception committee, as I arrived before they did! Lol. But it was great to see everyone. And if my head was struggling to take it all in a week ago, it is coping a little bit better now. In fact I have just finished unpacking my suitcases and some boxes which I had posted last year and that has decluttered my brain a little.
School tomorrow, and Brian, my boss, rang this morning to say that I would now be taking over a different class from what I had been told. A more difficult class. "Unsettled" was the word he used. Hahahaha! Well, I'm unsettled too so we'll make a good team. I'll keep you posted!

In New Plymouth

Whilst the rain pelts down and I again don my winter woollies and become all trussed up and feel as fat as a fat thing, I will sit at the computer and just pop on a few photos of Sienna - quite possibly the cutest and cleverest little grandchild in the world! Lol. Her wee sister Isla is really quite sick and is going through a lot of tests with a specialist at the moment, so just the 'group' photo of her. Please send out positive thoughts that all will be well. In general it has been wonderful being here with my family and with my great friend Ruth. Although Sienna hadn't seen me for a year she just took things in her stride and has hung out with me no problem. Fantastic!
School on Monday.... an interesting thought! xxx

Chez moi in Auckland

Yes, I'm back in Auckland safe and sound. The flights were great - I take back all the mean things I have said about Lufthansa - the flight with them from Munich to Singapore was terrific! I had a wonderful welcoming committee at Auckland Airport of half a dozen friends, except that the plane landed 45 minutes early, so I had to wait for them! But it was great to see everyone.
I am feeling OK, although I have been pacing a bit and picking things up and putting them down somewhere else. In other words, getting nowhere fast. But you will be pleased to know that I went to Sylvia Park yesterday! Lol. I needed to sort out my phone. Vodafone have mucked things up a bit. As had AMI with my car insurance.
Had several wines with my neighbours last night so you'll also be pleased to know I'm not getting out of the habit.
Off to New Plymouth today till the weekend to do lots of cuddling granddaughters before they head away too. Very sad for me, but a new adventure for them. Toby and Rachel are going to Brunei to teach.
No photos yet. I only have dial up internet here - that will be changed very soon! I cannot for the life of me imagine how I ever managed before.
So toodle pip and I'll be back. :-)

Penultimate day in France.

And how do you think that feels? Not too good, I have to say. The internet is being disconnected this afternoon and so I imagine this will be my last 'French' blog entry. I am feeling heavy-hearted today, but I expected that, and I will be OK.
Yesterday was a really lovely day.
Marie-Helene and Christian put on a lunch for me - a garden party really, and invited a lot of my friends. Who are their friends too. And John drove up from Aigres. I may have noncholantly mentioned him. I only met him last week which was pretty dumb timing really, but there you go! All in all there were 13 of us there and the food was like a feast. Christan and Marie-Helene were fantastic hosts - it was all quite humbling in fact.

They had cooked lamb and my job was to provide the mint sauce - a new and mysterious New Zealand food! In fact John made it. I have never made it before, but it isn't easy to find here in the supermarkets. And they all seemed to like it.
Lots of wine flowing, comme habitude, and there was even champagne at the end as part of a special toast to me. I got given a book about early Poitiers, a scarf, a beautiful French-looking crocheted square that M-H had made, and a Francoise Hardy CD. I might add that they thought I could sing them a New Zealand song, but I surprised them with a rendition of Francoise Hardy's Tous les Garcons et Les Filles. A fabulous French song. (Just the first verse!)
We ate and drank for about 4 hours which I am getting a bit used to. It was just lovely. Later on John and I went into Centre Ville and had a bit of a walk round and a beer! It was stiil 32 degrees at 8.00pm. That was lovely too.

And so it's today. I need to tidy up and wash down a few surfaces - as you do. John is back in Aigres. It would have been nice to have met him earlier on in the piece but there you go. It didn't happen like that. He is an old Pom living in France and doesn't have a computer - eek! - so communication will be via that way I seem to vaguely remember - via the postal system! Lol. Que sera sera. I guess it was a fun way to wind things up here.
There are lots and lots of reflective things I could say about my year here. It has been truly amazing. But I will write those 'looking back' comments when I get back to New Zealand.
Thanks for tuning in, tout le monde. Waaaah!

Claudine and François singing a traditional French song.

A bit more country life.

Yes, I need to squeeze in as much as I can. Home soon! Claudine, you may recall, is a teacher at Alienor Aquitaine Lycee and she more or less mentored me. She may or may not have been thrilled about that, but as she was the first teacher I met she kind of won me! :-) In fact, she is changing schools this new school year and will be teaching in a College in Civray, nearer to where she lives. Anyway anyway.... She came and fetched me on Saturday afternoon and we tootled merrily south of Poitiers, through Gencay, St Secondin and to the farm where Claudine and Francois live. I have stayed there before, as you also may recall, and I just loved it. They are currently in the midst of a few alterations, the main one being the installation of a new doorway to their lovely stone house.
It will be amazing - already the main kitchen/sitting area is so much lighter. At the moment there is no door at all. There are no real safety/security worries, but they have to put up a barrier of sorts when they aren't around as the resident goose likes to visit, and her calling card is extremely messy!
We sifted round and then in the evening went out to the local Brasserie in St Secondin, where Francois' newly formed band was playing. Francois and one or two others are very talented. One or two have room for growth. But all in all it was rollickingly good performance.
I thought that the French songs they did were far and away the best - the ones in English didn't quite do it for me. I seem to remember a very dreary version of Knock Knock Knocking on Heaven's Door at a Nayland College concert once, many years ago, and I thought it was awful then and on Saturday night found no reason to change my opinion!
There were quite a few English people there - I seem to have met a flurry of them just lately. It was all very friendly. People moved around and mixed and a good time was had by all.
On Sunday we just let the morning unfold - I love it when that happens! Breakfasting on fresh crusty bread or croissants (I'm a bread fan myself), talking, singing.... I tell you.... Great stuff. Then we drove to the village of Charroux where the girlfriend of the son of English friends of C and F was singing. Ria. And she is a Kiwi! She really was just great.
As good as Hayley Westenra I reckon. And Hilary - beautiful pitch - right up there in the top bit of the note. Beautiful. The meal at the Brasserie however was not beautiful. The English owners should be bloody well ashamed. The French probably think - oh well, that's how the English eat. Well, some of them might, but it was still unacceptable. I won't even describe my meal, but if I just say - think of Wattie's Mixed Veg you will get an idea.
After a couple of hours there and listening to Ria we walked up the hill to Ria and Christopher's house which they are renovating.
And then we drove to the small town of Confolens to check out the last day of the Festival, which has been running for a week. Summer is HUGE for festivals in France - everyone seems to have one.
We watched all sorts of dance performances which were all good. There was a Cook Islands group there. By golly, how often have I wished that the French could see a Kapa Haka group. They would ADORE it. (Toni, Holly and co - that's a Maori cultural performing group.) We wandered round a bit, looked at stalls which I think were magically transported from every fair you ever went to in New Zealand.

And then we drove to Pressac which is where Dave and Viv live - the friends of Claudine and Francois whom I mentioned before. And they are Christopher's parents. They moved to France about 7 years ago and have a large piece of land and a pretty good life I think. Mind you, neither Dave nor Viv speak French - even after this time. Just a bit. The kids who are now teenagers or young adults are of course beautifully bi-lingual. Isn't that wonderful?
We sat around and talked, and also checked out an ENORMOUS tree which had fallen down in a storm. Underneath is stone and it appears to be the remains of a wall. Dave jokes that it is Roman. Well, it might be from the 1950s but indeed it might be Roman! I think they should get it checked out at least. One of the young people there found some pottery remains. I watch Time Team and I think they would love to have a look, but Dave avd Viv didn't seem too bothered. Oh well....

We had a barbecue and talked into the night. I spent a lot of time talking to Ria and Christopher who really are great young people. I spent a lot of time trying not to talk to one of the guys there who kept making New Zealand jokes and thinking he was really funny. When he took the piss out of the haka and asked if it made me homesick I had to use a great deal of self-control! I might be being precious, but I'm sorry, I don't like people making up gibberish words and pretending they are doing the haka! Well, I don't get deeply upset, but nor do I feel compelled to laugh out loud!
Apart from him, it was a great night. I felt good, but surprisingly didn't sleep well. Damn! But anyway, I made it through to this morning which is always a bonus! :-) This morning I read outside in the sun and even napped a bit. I also went with Claudine to the Boulangerie and when she introduced me, once again - "Oh! La Nouvelle Zealande! Les All Blacks!" It's just amazing.
I then saw a great example of why the French close everything down at lunchtimes. Now, if we were working somewhere we would take along our sandwiches.... Nah, not in France! Claudine cooked a several course midday meal for us all. A large table was set up outside and we ate there. And washed things down with much wine. Although she said they would usually only have one bottle, but it was a special occasion for me so they had more!
So for two hours we ate, drank, talked about New Zealand, discussed the local gossip especially about the crazy woman in St Secondin who hasn't paid rent for 7 years, and generally just basked in the nice warmth of being a group of people hanging out. (The guys smoked too, but I am feeling so warmly disposed towards them that I am pretending to you that I didn't even notice! :-))And then I had a big surprise when they all burst into a rendition of my favourite French song, "Tous les Garcons". Well! It was a magic moment.
So many goodbye kisses all round, the lads went back to work and Claudine took me home to Poitiers. Can I handle much more of this emotion? Well, yes, I guess I can. Stay tuned.