Acting and Jumping and Clothes, Oh My!

So, I'm going to be ultra metodical in this blogpost. It's the only way to get through 2 weeks worth of stuff.

Firstly: Acting

So I've had 2 and a half rehearsals since last time. The first was last saturday (the 19th) with no less than 6 girls! And ranging from six to 16 years old. Golly gosh! Rather different from one (English speaking) girl. It was rather fun though, and I could do drama games all day every day (don't hold me to that...) We played 'Zip Zap Boing', and 'What are you doing' (ask for instructions!) and made a game out of a well known sketch of Bucket on the Head's called 'The Gift' - we even had a chance to go through another sketch as well. All that in just two hours!
Then the next day, after the service I had a rehearsal with my original girl, as well as three other ladies, plus Jan. Of course, we ate first. I had heard someone say that we would have a 'little picnic' and then get to work. Of course, here that means a proper cooked meal with all the trimmings. Anyway, I found this a LOT more difficult than working with the younger girls. In fact, a simple game of 'Zip Zap Boing' was too much for some...! And then when we got to work on a sketch, everybody wanted to put in their thoughts and ideas, which although wonderful and helpful, started teetering on the edge of a committee meeting.... I also found the adults a little more self conscious which is, I suppose, to be expected!
The 'half' rehearsal was on Wednesday, when I went round the the 'flowers'' house. This is a family of four daughters, all of whom are doing the drama, and all of whom have flower names. We did a little disjointed work polishing up one sketch, and I recruited their Mother as well. Ah yes, I forgot to mention that at the beginning of the rehearsal on Saturday, only two of the sisters wanted to be involved. By the end (with no extra pressure from me may I add) all wanted to be involved! Oh. Yes.

Anywho, that brings me neatly to: Jumping

At the Flowers' house, there was a trampoline. Double the size of the one at my house. Well, maybe not quite double, but certainly MAHUSIVE. Once I'd got over my excitement, I had a lot of fun just pretending to be a child again. Not that I'm particularly ancient, I'll have you know. AND they started playing 'Zip Zap Boing' all on their own!!! Possibly the proudest moment of my life. Ever. It was really lovely to be in a house with four kids, even if there was a boy missing - I'd been missing home a lot and I really felt loved and welcomed there, not that I don't elsewhere. In fact, I'm going to the 6 year old's birthday party on wednesday...it's a shame that people don't seem to like Jelly so much here - it won't feel right without it!

FINALLY, we arrive at: Clothes

After Church yesterday we spent a fair few hours sorting out clothes for Saturday's 'Bourses aux Vetements' (I've purposely left off accents there, it's far too much hassle on my Netbook!)
I don't know what you call that in English - a clothing drive? Jumble sale for the needy? Basically, people come in, pay a 1 euro 50 and take what they need. In fact, I've already got a couple of things! Before you all tell me off for taking from the needy, let me explain: There's a lot of stuff. Jan tried to tell me how much work it was. I kind of shrugged it off - 'I'm sure it's not tat bad.' Oh was I wrong. We left SIX boxes unpacked and just stuck them on chairs because there wasn't room. And we couldn't be bothered. I've been reliably informed that some of the stuff won't go and half an hour in I was being told in no uncertain terms to take something if I wanted it. In fact, a couple of people GAVE me things they thought I might like. So actually, it's not my faut....:-P

Well, I think this post is quite long enough, and has taught me my lesson for not updating sooner. I've still got more to write so there should be an update tomorrow afternoon. Or perhaps morning, I've got a jampacked day tomorrow, so I don't want more information to be added to the backlog! In the meantime, I'll try and get some photos up.

Love to you all,

Carys xxx

Hello all...

Dear, dear readers..

I haven't forgotten you, promise! In fact, I have lots of lovely stories to share. Things have just been a bit manic the past few days. I did, to be fair, wait a while in order to have something substantial to write about. Then once I did, everthing came at once.

I'm currently sitting in the Church office, 'working' on their internet site. Though the thought of an upcoming Crêpe is almost too much to bear!

I've also had a week of homesickness (me? Homesickness? Quel Horreur!) which, as you may have guessed, is fairly new to me! Six weeks to go from today though, which means I'm over half way there...scary, scary times...

Well, I'm afraid I can't write much more as I'm on the church laptop, which has a French keyboard, which is tantalisingly smashable, and which I am struggling to use. So before I have to pay the church the cost of one laptop, goodbye! See you soon! God Bless!

Carys xxx

(I also have no idea why this thing won't let me stop writing in italics. Stop I say! Stop now!)

Oh, and thanks.

Before I forget, thank you. Thank you for reading this and for all the people who've let me know that they enjoy reading it, and want some more. Thank you everyone for your words of encouragement, and interest, and general morsels of love. They mean so much to me.

Anybody who I take a while to reply to, know it's nothing personal! I'm notorious for that - but that's no excuse, and I will reply. After I've written this. And finished some invitations for an event. And put my washing on. I will :-P

I love you all!

Bah Oui/En Fait...

The title of this post is nothing other than my two new favourite expressions. Try saying 'Bah Oui' in a deep French accent, pouting a little and shrugging your shoulders. I try to work it into everything I say, which believe it or not isn't out of the ordinary. 'En fait' (In fact/Actually) is another French version of 'Yeah, Kind of, Like, Y'know etc. etc.' My game at the moment is counting how many times people say it...fun for all the family!!!

Anywho, what's been going on? Erm, not much. Well, a bit I suppose. I've had another rehearsal - with the same girl as before. It looks like the first rehearsal with everyone is going to be next sunday. When I'll I have been here for 6 weeks....! Though may I point out that leaves nearly 5 weeks, which is quite a feat, considering that I'm, well, me.

I must add that when I had to leave the prayer weekend on Saturday, saying goodbye to the two little boys broe my heart. Not just because they were sweet and lovely (the 5 year old whispered 'I'll miss you' in my ear as he hugged me goodbye!), but because they made me miss my little guys at church even more. *Sniff Sniff*

There've been a fair few events at church this week. And I think pretty much every one has involved a dinner! This is France, so that's to be expected. Nevertheless, it's really something to see how much eating together, breaking bread with one another, means to their fellowship. So on Monday I made Toad in the Hole with Onion gravy for the church council meeting. T'was the first time I've ever made it, and it wasn't half bad, if I say so myself...and others half told me it was nice! I don't think, however, my future lies in fine cooking. I'd rather stick to cakes, brownies and ccokies! Yesterday was a 'diner biblique' - instead of the normal Thursday evening bible study, we had dinner together and then watched a dvd (on pornography and human dignity. Hmm.) And then today was an ecumenical prayer service with a lunch afterwards (12.00 - 14.00) To give some idea of size over here: panic stations when 40 people turned up rather than the 30 planned for. More food had to be bought. Although the Church I'm at is especially small, I think that a similar meeting near me (where as far as I'm aware all the churches in the city of Le Mans were invited) would be rather different. (Someone correct me if I'm wrong!) The cultural differences here constantly shock me, partly because I'm not really expecting them!

Finally, I must say, I'm getting rather excited about the summer, and then University in the autumn. So many theatrey things. Although my focus here is the Easter Theatre, it's just not the same as balancing work and Panto, or A Levels and two successive plays. Although as soon as I get back I'll be thrown into the last desparate stages of the Young Adults production, it just can't come quickly enough. And then Student Theatre...oh how I yearn for thee..!! (Not that I'm desperate to leave here or anything!)

Much much love xxx

A lot of French, A lot of English...

So I haven't written anything in a while. Sorry! I wasn't all that well Monday and Tuesday - just a cold, but it knocked me for six. Then Wednesday was rather busy. I had intended to write about it when I got home, but I got home at gone midnight, so that wasn't going to happen...! Then yesterday, I - well, I came here. So enough of the excuses and I shall get on with this post.

So Wednesday I had planned to have the first drama rehearsal at 15.00, but found out Monday or Tuesday that there was to be a pizza/film/bible study evening at 19.00 so decided to reschedule for 18.00. That way the young people (some of whom have to make rather long journeys) would be able to make just the two. It seems this slightly backfired, as apparently somebody already made the journey in the afternoon and I feel rather bad about that....going to have to apologise profusely on Sunday! With the one girl who came, we talked about what we were going to do and had a run through of a sketch. About Foetuses. Talking about life after birth. Rather funny, but difficult for me to get the enunciation and stress on the lines right when simple pronunciation is a problem!

Which takes me to my 'lot of French'. With 3 young people (plus two 'leaders' and myself) we ate, studied, watched 'Facing the Giants' and studied. A lot more. Until gone midnight. Which for my poor English mindset was a struggle towards the end. Plus did you know that they never teach you the words/phrases in School that you'll need in a church/Christian environment...!!! It was all very good, and helped me to think about facing some of the 'Giants' in my life. It was also long, and tiring. I've discovered having to think and talk and listen in French all the time wears me out. Which sounds pathetic really!

And so this long post comes to an end with 'A lot of English'. I am currently on a prayer weekend away for the Mission that my friend works with. There's 14 of us here and it's a little bit of blissful, guiltfree, low-fat English. As in a lot of them speak English better than French (or are English). There's a Norweigan, some Dutch and an American as well. Hall-e--lluu--jahh!! It's rather odd though, hearing French and English and various other languages bandied around. I'm quite fond of 'Franglais' myself. I don't know how I'm going to cope when I get back to Le Mans...!!!!

Well, that wasn't very exciting I'm afraid! I shall try to post a little more tomorrow. Promise!