Lists

Signs that I'm adapting to life in France:

- I expect bread to be served with whatever meal I order at a restaurant.
- I wait for a break in the traffic rather than for the light to change when I cross the street.
- I don't jump anymore when someone drives their scooter right beside me on the sidewalk.
- I don't apologize when I push my way through the crowded sidewalks, almost brushing past strangers (their personal bubbles are much smaller than in Canada).
- A tourist asked me for directions (only my first week in Nice, but at least I could tell him where on the map he was!)
- My Canadian friend comes to visit and I am actually able to translate the necessities.
- I eat a "pain au chocolat" (chocolate croissant) for breakfast.
- 30 degrees Celsius feels like a comfortable temperature.
- I rarely, if ever, take a sweather with me when I go out, even late at night.
- Olive oil and balsamic vinegar is my preferred salad dressing.


Things I'm looking forward to in Canada:
- Quiet, empty beaches with shady trees.
- Multi-grain and whole wheat breads.
- Green space, especially trees, grass, and gardens.
- Cool air.
- Reconnecting with family and friends.


Things I've done in the last few days:
- Enjoyed my friend, Melissa, visiting me for the weekend (a Canadian friend who's living in Berlin).
- Got yelled at by the neighbour downstairs.
- Hiked up a little mountain with a view of an old little pretty village and a landscape of forest, rocks, mountains, and a river.  Yay for getting out of the city!
- Got directions to the start of the hike from a Polish man who only spoke Polish. He explained the directions to another man who explained them to me in French.  I then explained them to Melissa in English.  Only took three languages but we got it!
- Visited the Principality of Monaco where we took elevators to get from one street to the next (the whole city is pretty much on the side of a mountain), got rained on at the beach, and heard more German spoken than any other language (we all know Germans like to travel!):
- Ate Socca, a Nicoise specialty.
- Survived a "canicule" (heatwave) - apparently, it's 39 Celsius today.  So, I don't feel bad for sitting inside today - it's too hot even to walk or take the tram to the beach!  Instead of a refreshing swim, I resorted to a cold shower.