I haven’t written anything for ages, I know. It’s a shame, but I’ve been doing other, less interesting things. I’ve been going through a ‘doing nothing’ phase recently, I think it’s the weather. Hopefully this will change soon, but its sooo difficult to get up in the morning at the moment! There’s a big thing on a mountain in January, a week of skiing and partying for under 200 euro, I might have to look into it!
It’s a shame that it doesn’t really feel like Halloween at the moment, even though its in 2 days. There are a couple of decorations in McDo, and a VERY small section in Carrefour. It’s so depressing! Me and Louise are going to the Erasmus Halloween party tonight, but I don’t know how good it’ll be, apparently no-one was dressed up at the last one, but it’s nearer Halloween now, so maybe... oh well! The French just seem so boring. No-one looks interesting like they do in England! Ok, some of the ‘interesting’ people do look stupid, but surely its better than looking boring? It makes me seriously wonder whether they ever had feminism or women’s rights in France! Some people do dress nicely but they’re all at least in their 40s! There’s practically no Goths, emos, rockabillys, fashionistas, there’s definitely no Barbie style girls! There are virtually no sub-sections of society (if one can put it that way) its like there is a national uniform, like that advert for hair gel where the kids are all on a conveyor belt and 2 of them find hair gel and look different to everyone else. If you do wear something different, you REALLY stand out.
Oh well, I’m understanding more in class which is something, but I’m dreading a test in history this week! At least I’m allowed a dictionary! One of the Chinese girls in my residence was saying how she wants to learn how to rollerblade, so when she gets some, we’ll be able to rollerblade together!

Its difficult to remember whats happened the past week, its been kind of busy. I went rollerblading along the river last tuesday, it was cold but cos I was moving, it was ok. the skateable terrain ran out after a while so I put on my trainers (luckily I bought sensible shoes with me) and carried on walking. There was a small nature reserve which apparantly had beavers and kingfishers hanging out there, but I didn't see any. I'd already seen a kingfisher on my first visit to the zoo anyway, flitting by and saying hello to the pelicans and flamingos. Then further on there was a massive park, which had a kind of island thing (again, god bless my waterproof trainers) and I walked across the very shalow water to explore a little bit. It was really weird, there was a main road really nearby, but it felt like the countryside. And there were so many different parts to this place, big green spaces, woodland, water (although you'd have to have a death wish to go in the rhone, you can actually see the current) it was really cool apart from this huge building site by the river! I was trying to get to the lake, but didn't get anywhere near that far (maybe half way) and cos I was meeting Louise for sushi later, I thought I'd better head back. I think you need a whole day to get up there and back! (at least if you're gonna get there and enjoy it) I saw some birds along the river, one of them was a heron, but it looked black. Sushi was good, but I still prefer Yoshi, the cheapest and nicest I've found so far.
I went to a boat club the other day, a club on a boat, which was cool and loads of people were really drunk (its not just the english, I swear!) I'm sad that I'm missing hallowe'en and bonfire night, but there's english peeps here I'll be able to celebrate with!

Me and Chris went to find some trompes d'oeil (the paintings on the sides of buildings) but then decided to wander, and ended up at the fourviere (big church on the hill) at night. It was so stunning, there was the eiffel tower/radio tower about 500 metres away from it, which was so confusing, cos it looks way further from the bottom of the hill! and we looked out over all of lyon lit up at night. With the light polluiton giving the sky an orange tinge. It was beautiful!

Missed a lecture this morning because I was way too tired, but its all stuff that I can easily look up in a book or online. I just didn't sleep at all last night. Tomorrow is my day off and I think I'll have to do some work reading and stuff to catch up with everything, and translation. But its much easier now I have internet!

Well, I've decided I need to go to the supermarket. The only things in my fridge are cheese covered in black from the Pyrenees, milk and cream. I don't even have tins of easy stuff to make in a situation like this! Maybe I'll learn from my mistake and stock up a bit when I go. Or maybe not. I've decided to make pancakes with ham and cheese sauce for dinner tonight, but I have to find a good cheese. Who makes cheese sauce with soft cheese? And I don't want the swiss answer to cheddar that everyone uses (emmental or sometimes gouda. It comes ready-grated in bags. Who said the french don't use ready meals?) I think I might have to go for a blue cheese.
Had a very tiring morning with history, history then history, but a day off tomorrow so thats good. Me, Louise and anyone who wants to come with us are going for sushi in the evening tomorrow so at least I don't have to think about dinner then.
I can't believe how cold its suddenly gotten. The french have been walking around in coats for days, but this is the first day they've actually really needed it. It feels like Paris in February! I've also been bitten to death by mosquitos (like everyone else here) but mine have been pretty much exclusively on the face, so I look like I'v got loads of spots that I won't stop squeezing. Its not the case, they're really itchy bites!
Well, I'd better be off to the supermarket now before I get too lazy/tired. If I do ever have nothing to eat and the shops have all closed, theres a supermarket vending machine nearby which also has a pizza vending machine next to it, if you can believe it!

Well I had a good day today, I had to get up really early for history of medieval art but then I got to go home because I don't have ancient history this week so had 4 hours to rest and eat! I got sea urchins, prawns and french bread for lunch. The sea urchins were really difficult to get into and looked really freaky but tasted ok. Not really worth the expense and effort though! The prawns were disapointing too, more expensive and less flavour than in England. But I've done all my homework and have typed up my lectures, so I think I might try and get to lac mirabel-jonage tomorrow on my blades. Its really nearby and looks like it should be stunning, so I'm hoping for a nice day. Theres a stretching and toning class tomorrow and if I don't make it to shooting, theres loads of lessons so I can go another day.

Me and louise went to see a french band in FNAC part dieu today, they weren't all bad. obviously everyone else there was french and knew who they were, but it was a promotional thing, they had their first album coming out. They were trying ther hand at brit pop and the accent was a bit dodge but they were pretty cool. Kind of like blur mixed with oasis maybe with a slight french accent? Might have to get their album and make them sign it next time they're in Lyon (27th Nov)! I think that they're gonna try to be big in england, which is why all their songs are in english. They're called music is not fun and one of their songs is called spleen sailor (I know, what?!?!) There was a guy filming and doing interviews and stuff and he heard us talking in anglais and asked if he could ask us some questions, so we talked to him a bit in french. I want their album now! I've been listening to the samples on their website and have decided I quite like them, more britpop is needed in the world! (some of this may just be the wine I had with my dinner talking!)

So thats pretty much all I did today, cos chris is so last minute not enough people were available to go to lazer quest which was a shame, but we're here for a year (at least, I am) and he's having his birthday celebrations next week apparently theres a student thing somewhere which is 15 euros entry, but then an open bar! How awesome is that?!? Us brits are gonna get wasted! Its what we learn at uni!

I got a medieval drink from the medieval shop (which I've fallen in love with all over again) which is not mead. Mead in french is hydromiel (hydro-honey!) this is kind of like honey mixed with mulled wine I guess, to drink very cold. Its called Hypocras (de pays d'oc-from the occitaine region, which is basically provence) and its got red wine, cinnamon, ginger, muscade (can't remember what that is), cardamom, honey, sugar, rose water, orange and macis (not sure about that one either) in it. Yum yum yum! Deffo bringing bottles back for chrimbo! Gonna have to try the white one next!

Nothing planned for tomorrow apart from market in the morning, then I might see how far along the river I can go on my blades. And I need to type up my ancient history lecture notes. You can get cherry stalks in pots in the supermarket. Why?

Hurrah! Well, the intenets fixed, I have rollerblades, pink hair and I'm making a dress. So much has been going on! I'm really glad I don't have to lug my laptop around anymore, although it does mean that I have to pay rent on time... lol, not that it matters. I went out for a spin on my blades and only nearly fell over a couploe of times. Every friday evening theres a meeting at Bellecour of rollerbladers and scooter...ers? Which should be really good!
I need to get some honey at the market tomorrow, its cheaper than in the supermarkets! I've run out cos I've done some cooking with it, plus all the honey lemon and brandy drinks (brandy is much cheaper than whiskey). I'm feeling much better now, but still not 100%. We're going to lazer quest today, its really expensive though! 7euros a game or something! More sushi restaurants have been discovered, and I think I'll have to concentrate on the ones which have takeaway leaflets, because I don't remember where most of them are. My favourite is still the one near the parc tete d'or, its the cheapest and looks really nice inside!
I'm really glad my hair dye arrived yesterday, I love having coloured hair! I really need to go shopping because, aside from needing more blu-tack because I have so much stuff to put on my wall (there was a guy selling posters outside uni-3 for 5 euros), I also have no food. On the plus side, I found a japanese section in my local monoprix so if I want to make sushi, I can! I'll just pop along to the market in the morning, get some fresh fish (I know what its called in french now thanks to the sushi menus! I just need to find out what dorade is in english...Its sea-bream. That doesn't say anything to me, but its really good!)
I think I'll have to go to a cheese counter too, I want to find a cheese to make cheese sauce with that isn't emmental in a ready-grated bag. Or a cheese that tastes like feet. They could probably market some of it in the uk as a novelty cheese shaped like a foot. It would be a really popular novelty present; "you have cheesy feet! Here, have a cheese-foot!" I'm not sure french people would find it so popular, though. No one hase a sense of humor like the brits! I lent Louise Mighty Boosh season 1 and she asked me "Is it always that wierd?" after watching the first episode. She kind of enjoyed it though. I think. But we both agreed that no other country would get it. Even if you had someone who spoke perfect english and understood all the jokes and slang, they wouldn't get it. Because it's so british and eccentric. Makes me pleased and proud to be english! No one does wierd like us!
I might have to go and look in the wierd sections in the book shop, you know how in england there are a load of strange, basically pointless books which are very interesting? I remember seeing one which had where superstitions come from in it. I wonder what superstitions there are in France? And where the hell the 'poisson d'avril' came from (april fish...april 1st you go around putting fishes on peoples backs...don't ask, I don't know. Maybe wikipedia will?).
I've just discovered my laptop has built in speech recognition. How cool is that!