Coming Home

The last four months have been a succession of new experiences, new places and new people. I've been in Perpignan for 5 months now. I didn't think it would start to feel like home. I walk down familiar streets. I see people that I've never met but I know by face and nod and smile. I "bonjour" people like nobody's business. The lady at the supermarket recognises me. These things help that homely feeling.

I came back to Perpignan after a week of vacation. The next day, I met two very good friends and then it truly felt like I was home. We talked, chattered more like. We made crepes (there's nearly always food involved :D) and caught up on vacation details and other updates. It felt like we'd been doing that forever. So the homecoming was sweet!

My dream city

Last weekend, I went to Barcelona. Land of Gaudi, football and crazy parties. I've been curious about it for awhile now. No one says anything bad about Barcelona. Everyone seems to love it and I wanted firsthand information on the why.

I took the bus to get there and promptly (like an old lady) fell asleep. I got up just as we were rolling into Barcelona. My first thought was: this is place is huge!. Recently I've been feeling like I'm from Alibaug everytime I see a big city. Perpignan has ruined twenty... hmmm... LOTS of years of big city life in 4 months. I felt that awe of seeing something new and what can only be described as gorgeous. We get there and I'm rearing to go and that's when it strikes me: I dont speak the language. That put a damper on my enthusiasm but not for long! We got directions and promptly got lost ( my brilliant map reading skills don't do very well when tested).

We finally got our hostel ( map worked at last!) and the exploration began! I just couldn't get over the fact that there were soooo many people. I know I sound like a blubbering village idiot. But there were soo many people! I loved it! Noisy, Lively and Vibrant! People painting on the sidewalk, random statue people, singing, dancing and hussling of course! I didn't want to blink. I soaked and soaked and soaked in the atmosphere, the loverly weather and the happy people.

Another thing that surprised. Stores were open till late! In France, everything shuts by 6. In Barcelona, 6 is when people set out to shop! Stores were open till 10! This did not help my budget. In fact, it burned a hole right in the middle of it. But it was Spain! I was like eh whatever!
Another time factor: people eat late! We went to a restaurant at 10 which I thought was late. It was empty I thought people were done ages ago. Said people walked in at 11! I loved that! Especially after Blore where everything shuts at 11:30 and France where its pretty much the same unless you go to a bar. We had sangrias(slurp) and paella.

The morning was gorgeous! We didn't do much. Just walked around. Soaked in the sun. Walked along the port. Randomly stopped and listened to people singing and playing music. I can't wait to go back!

Three Black Bears

     friends that got attacked (above) bear attack (below) 

A week ago, A friend told me about this curious festival happening in a village close by. It was called la fete de l'ours ( the festival of the bear). She told me people get in bear costumes and they have a parade and a ball. I thought it sounded interesting. I talked with some other people about it. I was told there was a chasse! (hunt). A hunt? I thought, who are they kidding! 

I went to this little village called Prats Le Mollo in the mountains today and they were not kidding at all! It was by far the craziest festival I've ever seen! Let me give you the gist of what I saw: There are three black bears. They're bad bears. They come down the mountain and paint peoples faces black. Their minions sing, chant, shoot their guns and help find the victims. They go around town painting faces till the people in white come in. These guys come in with band baaja and chain the bad bears up. Then they shear them. Shave all their hair off and suddenly, the bears are all civilised and dancing with everyone. Everyone gets happy and goes to the bar close by!  

I have no idea how this festival started. I don't even know if I should call it a festival. It was madness! People running everywhere and singing loudly! The bears literally taking people down and greasing them all over! Girls screaming, kids bursting crackers. The bears kept going for the people who were well dressed! If you were wearing white, you were a goner. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I was wearing dark blue and black, so I didn't get bear-handled but some of the others I went with weren't so lucky! All in all, we had a bears day out. 

In the end, we went to a bar and danced to YMCA of all songs! I couldn't believe I was in a small pub in a small town dancing to that song! The thing that really got me dancing was the pear alcohol we gulped from some black-faced village guys' pouch-thing!  

Another First

This Saturday for the first time ever, I went skiing! Hee... To recount background info, I went skiing with the university (they organise a trip nearly every week). We went to a place in the mountains(Pyrenees) close by called Puyvalador. The weather conditions were horrible: -11 degrees, lots of snow, lots of wind.These are the settings for my first few hours of skiing!  

Needless to say, I fell a LOT. That wasn't the worst part. I just couldn't get up after i fell! I tried and I tried and I tried. Then someone would come and push me up! Stupid freaking flat skis! after the first 3 falls,(and 20 mins of trying to get upright per fall before my instructor helped me up) I vowed not to fall! I managed most of the morning without falling. Of course, 5 yr olds whizzing by you, skiing like pros, is not a confidence booster. But I was determined not to give up. 

By the end of the day, I had fallen 6 times, the wind tried to push me over many more times but I learned to dig myself in and stop pretty quick! For some reason, I could only turn left and not right. I tried sooo hard to turn right but it just wouldn't happen! But I was happy that that morning it took me 10 mins to get down that slope and by afternoon, it took me less than a minute. Of course, this was the baby slope. But I don't care, it was achievement enough for one day.

A day later, I still hurt all over! Again, I realize how out of shape I am. I know I'm going to be in the same state next time too but I can't wait to go again! 

25 Random things about me

This one has been doing the rounds as a Facebook note. I got tagged more than once. Since That's a little TOO public for me , I'm talking about my random things for my dutiful few :)

25. I like singing songs to every random phrase I hear.

24. I'm learning to cook in France and have decided I love it!

23. I will ALWAYS laugh if someone snorts or farts. (I can't stop myself!)

22. I'm mostly too positive for my own good.

21. I'm super lazy. I hate doing any work. I'll stare at the ceiling all day as an alternative to work.

20. I hate when people call me "dear". Argh. Grates on my nerves.

19. My laughter's like the soundtrack to hell.

18. The most important decisions in my life (career, studies etc) have been spur of the moment.

17. Bombay will always be home, but these days I'm more comfortable in Blore.

16. I've met the greatest people on the drunkest nights.

15. I love fiddling with my nose ring (I'm sure most people think I'm digging my nose.)

14. I can never take a compliment, will always make a joke.

13. I love anything vampire, i don't know why.

12. I'm addicted to sitcoms and gossipy dramas with prancing pretty people.

11. Even though I miss being home, I love being away too. Though, Absence DOES make the heart fonder.

10. I've never been a confident person. Self Esteems issues, I think.

9. I miss playing lagori, sakli and hide and seek.

8. I love trying to fake accents. (I'm really bad :D)

7. I'd rather go out to a dinner with my friends than go dancing.

6. I'm super clumsy. I always have bruises which I have no account for!

5. France made me realize how much i love India.

4. I love the beach. even though I can't swim!

3. Ive had phases of reading all kinds of things: the latest was fantasy. dragons, witches, spells!

2. I always have phases of music. Lately I've been phaseless which saddens me.

1. I'm collecting all the wine bottles that I use to see how many I have at the end of nine months.

(I know, stupid! But the ever-growing pile amuses me!)

Stretched out

I don't know if it was a good idea or a bad one. But I got up this morning (late as usual). 

I spoke to my friend Mariel yesterday. We made vague plans (according to me) to go to a stretching class. I was feeling lazy (like I always do) but Mariel turned up and was all set to go. Even though I was feeling lazy, I decided to put that aside and be productive! ( like I've been trying to nearly all my life!)

So we go to this class. It's called stretching and man were they not kidding! I stretched muscles that I did not know, existed. There was a lot of balance involved( which I soo do NOT have). I kept kind of falling over to one side. Mariel was doing the exercises like a pro. I was huffing and puffing to try and stretch and keep position. With my head towards the floor, one leg in the ceiling try to support my body weight on my fingers, I thought to myself: Please don't topple. With a soft grunt, I did. Topple over that is. But it was a subtle toppling. No one saw it, I think... 

The end of the class was the best, we just lay down and relaxed. If it was a little longer, I would've fallen asleep! Even though, I felt good after the class, at that time, man I wanted to weep! (tears of pain! hee! ok maybe I'm being a wee bit over dramatic). It also made me realise I'm not in any physical shape to day ANY physical activity. So, I decided, I'm going to continue with this class. I'll stretch till I can't stretch no more!

Auberge Espagnole

The first of February was the first of what I hope will be many assistant "get-togethers". Let me step back and tell you that there are about 25 odd assistants in Perpignan which is a tiny city in the South of France. We vaguely know each other, nod heads as we do our everyday thing. But we haven't really met and done anything together. So I decided to take the initiative(one of the few times that THAT has happened!). I invited all the assistants that I could think of to my place on a Sunday afternoon. (Perpignan is so European in that way. Theres absolutely nothing to do on a Sunday!).

The weather made something indoors the best thing to do! So we all gathered in my apartment for an "auberge espagnole" or in english "potluck". Everyone brought dishes from their countries or just something they adore and we all collectively "hogged". We ate and drank for more than 2 hours. It was great!. 

I'm so glad I decided to do it in the end. There were a lot of people but we managed in my smallish apartment. 20 people! Even though there were mostly english speakers, a lot of french was spoken. I spoke to people I had seen around but never really talked to. The was brilliant. Recipes are going to be exchanged after this one for sure. We had everything from sushi to apple crumble! We talked about our students (more like bitched about them), discussed vacations (we have a lot of those!) and realised that we had a lot in common even though we came from different everythings! At times like these, I love being part of this programme! It was the kind of thing, Ive always wanted to be part of!

I want to experiment, do new things and this was the best thing I've done for a long time! 

I tried so many new things in one evening!

I met new people, I tried new food( ex: sushi), I tried new drinks (ex: limoncello!).

Maybe I'm repeating myself but It was superfunkycool! (wink wink pleet :D)