Monday, Monday...

[rebecca_in_blue]

While I was eating lunch in the cafeteria today, another teacher, a perfect stranger, came up to me and asked (in French), "Are you the American? Are you all right?" I really ought to wear that says, "Yes, I fainted, but I'm fine now, so please leave me alone!" and hold it up whenever I see anyone coming.

The weather here today was nasty, very wet and windy, and what made it worse was that it was Monday, which many businesses in France treat as a continuation of the weekend. I knew this, but I had forgotten, so I went out today to run errands – I still need to open a bank account and buy a train ticket for Amiens – only to find that almost all of the businesses in town were closed. Fortunately I finally found the big store (it's on the outskirts of town, but so is the school, so it actually isn't far), which was open, and for comfort I bought a chocolate bar, plus all the things that they didn't have at the mini-supermarket in town.

I've seen a lot about the rugby matches on CNN International (it's the only English channel I get on my little TV, so I've been watching it a lot; it's boring, but it also makes me feel very educated). Does anyone else think rugby is, to say the least, a very strange-looking sport? The way the players all start grabbing each other and form that big pile – I don't think that will ever seem normal to me.