L'Anniversaire de Theo

Gâteau d'Anniversaire
with a sparkler candle!

Le Pantagruel - Grill Restaurant

This week it was Theo's (one of the language assistants) birthday.

Theo invited me and the language assistants in the area out to dinner to celebrate. There were 8 of us altogether (7 girls and Theo), including a Chilean, two Americans (one of whom was Allison), a German, a Jamaican, a Costa-Rican and an Irish girl. Oh, and English me.

Pommeau Aperitif
(Apple juice
mixed with Calvados)

It was very multicultural gathering. It's a shame this didn't happen before my assessment for my 'Languages and Cultures' module - "discuss a recent Intercultural Encounter".

We all went to Le Pantegruel Restaurant - a grill restaurant near the centre of Cherbourg on Rue Tour Caree. It was a really nice little place with very friendly owners who all tried to speak English to the English speakers among us.

French Menu (left)
vs. English Menu (right)

Butcher's Choice Steak with Jacket Potato

They had an English Menu, but it just showed a very small selection of the main courses, rather than the whole menu in English so we needed the French menu anyway.

I had 'Onglet' - the butchers choice steak with jacket potato (I was having a potato craving as Fran is actually allergic to potato so we very rarely have it). It was really nice steak - possibly one of the best steaks I've ever had!

Giant bowl of chips!

Most people ordered chips and rather than coming on the individual's plates, they brought a huge bowl of them instead.

In between dinner and dessert, we all tried to inconspicuously sign a birthday card for Theo. It was working quite well behind the dessert menu, but then they took it away so we had to disappear surreptitiously to the bathroom!

The Dessert Menu - lots of choice!

L'Assiette du Pantagruel (Selection of 5 French desserts)

For dessert, I had planned on sharing the 'L'assiette du Pantagruel' (selection plate) with someone, but then ended up having it to myself. Oops. It had a selection of five desserts. When I asked what they were they said 'Ahh, surprise!' so I just risked it and ordered it anyway.



It was very nice. It came with a slice of brownie, apple tart (tarte tatin), pistachio ice cream in raspberry coulis, a creamy mouse and Iles Flottante ('floating island' - little meringues floating in creme anglais). It was really tasty!

Allison had Crème brûlée
I tried some, it was tasty!

The owners were very nice and had a chat with us (in a mix of English and French) about what schools the language assistants were at and what we all want to do 'when we grow up'/after studying etc.

French Border Collie puppy

We had to leave at 9:45pm as one of the other language assistants - Sara, the Irish girl - had to catch a bus as they don't live or work in the centre of Cherbourg like most of the others do.

While we were stood waiting, a man came up to us and asked if we were English (he'd heard us talking) and then showed us his gorgeous border collie puppy! Can't remember what its name was - something French...

The Napoleon Statue at Night

Afore mentioned frenchman came up to us again 10 mins later (we were still waiting for a non-existant bus to turn up for Sara) and asked "J'ai partager une l'eglise avec vous'. Now, my french isn't excellent but I understand 'I have to share a church with you'. I looked at him blankly thinking I'd misheard, when he said 'oh, yes sorry, I forgot. English'. He then preceded to tell us about some Christian retreat him and his wife run in the summer for 18-25 yr olds. Theo interjected with 'Oh, that sounds wonderful but we actually have to leave in April so we won't be here. I'm so sorry.' And then he left. Very odd.

Sara's bus never actually did turn up but she managed to call her supervisor at the school who came to get her instead.

Papillion Nuit et Cartes Postales

Today not too much happened. I have managed to speak in full sentences most of the day which is a big achievement for me.

This morning I went swimming in the pool with the children and then went for a walk with Wandrille to the shop to buy postcards. I find him very funny. On the way to the shop I asked Wandrille, "Do you like... the sea, the sand, the sun, the shop, the holiday etc.?" To every question he replied, "No" and when I asked why, he just said "I like the swimming pool!" So it became a game and he thought it was hilarious! When I asked 'Do you like your friends?' he said that there was no friends so then I asked 'what about me?' and he said "Yes, mais mon ami prefere est Papa Noel!" (My best friend is Father Christmas!) 

When we went to pay for the postcards, the man at the counter said "Quatre Euros Soixante" very fast and so I wasn't sure what he had said. I just went to get out €10 but Wandrille saw that I had €5 note and said 'Non, Non' and pulled out the €5 and gave it to the man! He was very pleased with himself for helping!

When we got back I found a giant moth in the toilet. At first I thought it was not real because it was as long as my finger. It was still there this evening so I mentioned it to Helene who told me that they don't have a different word for moth and butterfly so in french it is just called a night butterfly, or 'Papillon Nuit'.

Papillion Nuit

The Moth - it was as long as the toilet roll!

Today I let the children play games on my phone again. It keeps them quiet! They were playing cut the rope (where you have a sweet attached to ropes and you have to cut the ropes to make the sweet go in the frog's mouth!) and Fruit Ninja (where you slice fruit like a ninja...) Wandrille was playing and whenever he won a level or scored lots of points he would shout "VIVE LA FRANCE!" Haha. He has also started to copy me when I speak in English and so when I ask a question in french he will now reply 'Yes, Yes, Yes' in english! It's very cute!

On the way back from the walk to the shop, I saw that our Villa has a weather vane on the roof which is the same as the Corse Flag. I have been interested in the image on the Corse Flag since I arrived so actually looked it up today! 

The Flag of Corsica

The flag depicts a black man with a white bandana - the man sometimes also has an earing in. My first impression of it was that it's a bit racist so wanted to find out about the origin. Originally the flag showed the black man (or Maure/Moor) with the Bandana over his eyes and chains around the neck but in the 18th Century, the General of the Nation, one 'Pascale di Paoli', decided that the chain should be removed and the bandana raised to signify the liberation of the Corsican nation. Very interesting.

Rambo!

This afternoon I went swimming with Wandrille again while the others went hunting in Rock Pools and then I sat in the sun. It was very nice but the Grandmother was very worried about me and came out with a hat, water and sun cream for me and moved a chair into the shade for me! She didn't believe me when I said I was ok!

The German uncle has a very big dog. It's name is Rambo and he is very old. He is struggling to keep cool and isn't allowed in any of the human areas (the house/pool) so just has to wander around outside. He keeps sitting by the fence around the pool and looking longingly at the water! I expect he's boiling with his big coat!

Hermit Crab

In the rockpools they caught a 'Bernard l'hermite' (Hermit Crab) which they brought back to the house to show everyone. The german uncle also went fishing and brought back some whelks which we had for Aperitif.

Dinner was Spaghetti Bolognase, and then Alice had made an Apple Tart Tatin for dessert. Alice, Tanguy and Alienor had all gone to a big party last night so they were were reserved at dinner and then went to bed early.

Helene spoke to me in English a little bit today. She comes out with the strangest things - I think she must read the dictionary as she was asking me what 'Statehood' was, and what '-hood' meant. I tried to explain that 'something-hood' was usually a state of being so 'statehood' would be to do with being a state but she didn't really understand. I tried explaining that it was to do with America and would only really be used in relation to America and so I didn't know much about the word but she didn't believe me because 'it is in my Oxford English Dictionary and so it is English'. I explained that just because a word is in English, does not mean it is from England.... She then wanted to know more words ending in 'hood' so I told her about 'Parenthood', 'Adulthood' and 'Childhood' - the period or state during which you are a parent/adult/child but she then asked if 'childishness' and 'childhood' was the same thing... It's very difficult to explain a lot of things as they don't really make much sense but I try! 

It's half past 10 and all of the children are awake, running around and fighting in the corridor. I refuse to go out and deal with them so their mother will just have to get up and do it! Eurgh!