aici sén pla: August 2016

Aici sèn pla

This blog started as a daily record to mark our fifth year at Segala. Daily it did not turn out to be but after the year I have decided to continue as an occasional diary - after all I do still like it here or "aici sen pla".

Its our fifth year living at Segala. I have decided to try to mark this year with a daily post ( some days it will be just a photo) of our life over the year. I have trawled my brain for witty titles without success then I remembered the slogan on the T shirts at the fête in Espinas in the summer.

A friend translated it from the occitan for us. It seems to mean something along the lines of I like it here. Very apt for us, "I like it here " is a refrain we use to each other at least daily so that's the plan - Aici sén pla - a year of daily musings from a contented retired expat who thinks herself damned lucky every single day.

Saturday, 27 August 2016

a comedy of errors

For the last four years we have looked forward to our annual brush with the bard watching a play performed in English by a touring theatre company Antic Disposition. They are a brilliant company, totally professional and have never disappointed us - a major plus is that we get to see the production outdoors in the amazing setting of Montcuc ( in the Lot) and can have a picnic before the production. This year it was "Comedy of Errors" - not my favourite play but as always well produced , brilliant casting and we had a great evening accompanied by our friends Jean and Ray. Unfortunately for us they are returning to live in England in the next few months so maybe next year we will be back to being "bobby no mates" again for our picnic.

In the meantime my own comedy of errors with the French language continues - our interviews in Toulouse to present our French naturalisation documents are drawing ever more terrifyingly closer - I am therefore grateful for all encouragement. It could be that a lack of anglophone visitors this summer will be an advantage as often I find myself "linguistically challenged" at the rentree having spoken English throughout the holidays to a stream of visiting friends and family.

Last night though we were the only English people at a bal organised by the musicians at Salles (Trevor is one ). During the evening I found myself having one to one conversations in French about the history of internet development, alternatives to antibiotics, cultural differences between Spain and France,the benefits of naturalisation - interspersed with " the weather". Their accents( we are in the South West) , my accent ( a vrai comedy of errors - say no more) not withstanding I was really having "proper" conversations and I came home feeling pleased with myself and reflecting on the progress that even I can see I have made in the last 6 years, albeit with a brain in meltdown mode.

When we got home we had a small nightcap enjoying the starscape - a shooting star sent me to bed feeling lucky and content!

aiçi sén pla