8 months and counting

Its been slightly more than 8 months since Lucas & I got here.

After all this time I still get palpitations when I need to manouver the car through the cramped roads and through roundabouts. The french really love their roundabouts. There is one every 100 metres or so here in Tarbes. The reason why I get so nervous is that you do not stop at roundabouts, unless there is a car coming at you at 70km/hr. You are just supposed to wedge your way through preferably without stopping or some people might tell you, without even slowing down. I forget how many times I've gotten flashed or honked when I stopped at the roundabout!

I am also not used to the "priority to the right" rule here. Many times I've forgotten about this and have not given way. Same with pedestrian crossing.

I am still in the Malaysian driving mode - if the light turns orange, go faster! Stop at roundabouts. There is no such thing as giving priority to cars coming from your right - seriously, even on a straight road, if you see a car coming out on your right, you have to stop and let that car pass.

I have also found myself driving on the wrong side several times when there is no other car on the road, cos I don't have other cars to guide me. I get confused sometimes.

In my 8 months here I still don't get why the french insist on drinking coffee and tea from bowls instead of mugs. I don't get the hype about saucisson - everyone loves it; WHY????? The same goes with Cassoulet. And the national obsession about Nutella - c'mon, have they never tasted peanut butter? Incidentally peanut butter is almost impossible to get here in Tarbes; I have a jar that is guarded very closely in my pantry.

Why does each meal have to be accompanied by bread (even when we are already eating potatoes or rice), cheese and yoghurt? In that exact order please...

Did you know that the french listen to English and American songs all the time - BUT they do not understand what they are listening to as they do not speak English? I found this out at the hip little cafe with really good music from the owner's laptop and I tried to speak in English and got a blank stare back. I was with a Moroccan friend who has lived in Tarbes for the past 12 years and she explained that in her school everyone listens to English songs but cannot speak the language.

I can't say the same for Paris and other regions but here in Tarbes, one cannot really differentiate the rich from the poor. Not by the car they are driving (Fred's truck driver colleague is driving an X5) or by the clothes or designer bags they carry (almost none or very discreet brands).

I also found out through Bee's blog recently that the french social security system is so good that if you give birth in France, you get a birth bonus; and childcare allowance from the Government as well as a monthly stipend for your baby!

So France may have its quirkiness but it seems to me that its a pretty good place to be, especially for Lucas.