sardines.

Time : 9:30pm


Location : my desk again. I really like it here, I don’t know why I don’t sit here more often

Weather : Verging on rain all day



Three things happened today that made my day eventful:

1. I tried to go to the gym, but it was like walking into a sardine can. I usually go around 9am when all the retired people go, mainly just to chat, but today I went later because I was trying out a new class. I got there a couple minutes after the class started (which is normally not a problem) and the place was over flowing with people!! The parking lot a full of cars, the class’ room was so full I had no room to join and then my option of working out instead was shot out the window because there were too many people! There were more people there than in the evenings! It was insanity in a sardine can at the gym today.

2. Evelin and I tried to go shopping at this place, that I think is a town, but I’m not sure, because all it is are big box stores (Which is oddly un-French), those American restaurants I like, and traffic circles. 90% of the stores were closed today. We forgot it was Monday and that since everyone worked for like, five hours on Saturday, and not at all on Sunday, that they have to have Monday off too. I guess all the people who would normally be at work were at the gym? I have no idea how these people get anything done.

3. I received a care package in the mail today. It was decorated so well right from the crayon (?) to the gratuitous amounts of Valentine’s stickers. It was beautiful and brought me a very large amount of giggles. Thank you.

4. And the Honorary 4th: I discovered some frozen chicken wings in the freezer today.

While driving here, it really is hard to tell when you leave one town and are in the next. Along every road there are houses or businesses. People are everywhere. You can not escape civilisation. I still find this odd after all these months. And it got me thinking: Where do people go camping? The answer: they don’t. This is where you gasp. I did whn I found out. The one option people have for camping are pitifully small camp grounds mainly found in the northern regions. Yes, there are national parks here (I still don’t know where though, but apparently they do exist), but you can’t just pack up for a weekend and go off hiking or paddling into the boonies. “Wilderness camping” is illegal. Can you imagine not being able to go camping? REAL CAMPING? I don’t know how these people get away.

Another thing, on the topic of buying (when the shops are open), sales are special here. They have very strict laws on when you can have sales. There are two times a year for sales: Winter (6 weeks at during January and February) and Summer (sometime during the summer months). These are the only times when shops can have sales. However, they can have promotions and liquidation prices whenever, which kind of defeats the purpose of the restrictions on sales, don’t you think? Anyway, this is how it is, even if does not make a lot of sense.

France seems very weird today, doesn’t it?

9:47pm