A BLOG!!! I'm finally doing one.
I've been thinking of this for a long time now, but reading the blog of a fellow expat American has finally decided me!! The heat must have something to do with it too, as here, in the southwest of France, we are having what would clearly be called a heatwave in the States, but which is simply indicated as "many days of ( seasonal) hot weather" by the people on tv. To be a real heatwave the air, temperature, humidity, and number of fainting or dying people has to be considered - as well as the number of days counted; not more than or less than. Very French, though to be honest, I don't really know what the scientific definition of a heatwave is either! What I do know, is that I have been sweating for the last two weeks without any reprieve - closing up the shutters on the windows and doors and putting on a couple of small fans doesn't seem to help very much. My husband takes five showers a day - but then he walks around dripping water everywhere -- me, it just seems to make my brain a little slower, my gestures seem to be often in slow motion and now that school is out ( really out for me, but that is for another chapter) and vacationtime has taken hold of my psyche, I have decided that I can finally try new things.
Oscar ( my cat, who is one of the main characters in my life and therefore in my blog) has adopted a round and low flower pot as his summer bed: being as he is a small cat, with a short crooked tail, he fits into the pot perfectly- usually his paws under his head, and a snug curling up of his tail, make him a size 6 cat in a size 6 pot. But in the last two days, I have seen him put his head out over the edge of the terra cotta and hang out his tongue a little, a sure sign that he, also, is reaching his limit with this heat. Yesterday I think he moved three times in 12 hours - which might be a record of sloth, even for him. The only time he perks up his ears is when he hears the refrigerator open, that is, if he isn't really asleep.
So anyway, welcome to my blog. I would like to write about life here in southwest France; other people are doing expat blogs - nothing new about that. But I want to write about what I like here, what I have discovered about life, about history,art, people and ultimately myself, from my years of living abroad as a foreigner, by choice.
The world is a small place now, but also a much bigger one than we want to think it is. we can't be everywhere, so I like to think that the area I live in represents a microcosm of the bigger world, with all the good and bad things that that contains.
Last night some people in the house across the way from us screamed with joy when Spain won the World Cup. Were they Spanish or just liked that team more than the Dutch one? Don't know, but here, everyone has an opinion about sports, teams, nationalities, politicians, food and the weather - perhaps in that order. And one of the biggest differences with Americans, is that arguing about all these things is considered to be a sport in and of itself; everyone has an opinion, usually very clearly defined, and everyone makes sure that their opinion is known by others. Pascal's famous 'I think therefore I am, is more appropriately, I argue, therefore I am.
But if the arguing is about soccer teams, money, players, and national pride, well, that is what the world is about right now isn't it? Poor Mandela, they made him come out for the final, huddled in winter clothes, hat and smile on, the national symbol, one more time on display. But I was glad that there had been no violence during the games in South Africa - I just hope that some of the money spent for the stadiums and the transportation help the locals after the glory and the journalists have faded away.
Oh, I just felt a little breeze. How nice. The cat got out of his pot and is walking across the little lawn we have - time to go put some dinner together while the temperature is four degrees lower!
Will be back soon - hope you'll stay with me as I ramble on during the lazy days of summer.
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