joyeuses fêtes

We're in my in-laws for the Christmas celebration. This is my third Christmas and we're relaxing at home right now. It's really cold here.. much more colder than in our place. It's a non-white Christmas unfortunately.. the weather right now is grey, cold and foggy.

Christmas at my in-laws is a simple, quiet family affair. In fact, it's just like any other day with the exception of a Christmas tree, presents and extra food on the table :)

My brother-in-law is on his way home all the way from Tahiti where he's based at in the navy. So we're looking forward to that.

Well happy holidays to all!

cheerios

francophone-me

It was on this day 2 years back that I began my journey in France.. the place I call home now. The country known for it's beauty and charm and wines and cheeses and not forgetting those infamous strikes :) I fell in love with Paris the first time I was there around the mid-90's.. it's a paradise for art aficionados like myself.. its beautiful architecture, museums, art galleries, those charming streets and cafes..... and I'm actually living here now, not that far off from Paris.

I've learnt a great deal about the French culture after spending 2 years here. I went through some culture shock in the beginning but I've come to adapt to my new surroundings and integrate with the French way of life. The thing I admire most about the French is their common exchange of pleasantries.. they never fail to greet you and then say goodbye be it at the cashier's or even in the waiting room at the doctor's. I was pleasantly surprised by those gestures in the beginning.

The most difficult part for me though was the language barrier.. it was exasperating to be handicapped with words... but things are different now.. well I wouldn't say I could rattle away like the native French but I'm on my way there. Being constantly fed with the language through the media really helps. My grasp of the language at the moment is sufficient to hold a decent conversation (with some English words thrown in in desperation!). Well I'm taking it easy.. really. As the French saying goes, Il n'y a pas le feu.. literally means there's no fire, meaning no hurry.. (n'est-ce pas, chéri? :)

Well we're enjoying life here at the moment. Only time will tell if we'll make this place our permanent home (or not)...

winter : l'hiver

Winter is officially here though the cold weather has been with us for weeks now but that just signals for colder days ahead. I'm all bundled up in wool neck to toe with a hot cuppa close by and I can still feel the chill. We're using electric heater in our apartment but the distribution of heat is not as consistent as those given out from chimneys. Raw flame is most welcome in this weather. I don't take to cold weather very well.. it's only normal since I'm a 'warm' person by nature :)

Well cold season has its pros and cons (more cons in my opinion). The pros - it doesn't make you sweat which renders no shower (if you so choose not to have one) and that'd make for infrequent need to change of clothes which then make for less laundry (oh we don't practice this by the way). On the other hand, this weather makes you pee a lot, dries up your skin, chaps your lips.. I've lost count on the number of lotion tubs I've exhausted to keep my skin supple and my lips never sleep without its evening dose of lip balm... but the cold does miracles to your hair.. and that's a plus. Apart from that, this weather casts a grey spell that can inadvertently play on your mood. Furthermore, it's a hassle to put on all those layers before you step foot outside... and before you can enter your car, you'll need to defrost it first when ice has formed on it overnight.

Well I can be adventurous when I want to but I think I'll skip North Pole altogether. Excuse me now while I take refuge under a thick blanket.

bouquet provençal is in the air

Got ourselves this pretty lamp that diffuses aromatic scent in the air (we finally bought it, Kin... and yup, it's exactly the same as yours, Mars except for the colour).

We finally have something that does its job well.. we've been trying out different air fresheners off the shelves and none of them as effective as our new lamp here, that aromatizes the whole apartment with its lovely scent. It's especially useful after having cooked up a storm in the kitchen or after those cheesy meals that can stink up the place easily. I just have to turn on the lamp and off goes the bad smell.. the wonders of it all..

christmassy sights

There we were, amidst the visually shivering crowd who has decided to check out the Marché de Noël (Christmas market) located downtown. We've been driving past it all this while and finally decided to brave the cold to have a look see. It was a pretty sight with overly-priced items on display. We were cornered into buying praline coated peanuts by the very much eager-to-make-a-sale lady who didn't stop shoving sample food into our hands. Took a snapshot with Papa Noël, brisk walked around the market and we headed back to the car. It was bloody frozen, I tell you.. we spent no more than 30 minutes outdoors and I couldn't feel my ears by the end of the walk and I felt a slate of ice forming on my lips and nose. Boy, were we glad to be back in the warmth of the apartment after that.

stepping my way to fitness

Boys and girls, meet my new friend, Stepper.. equipped with a mini computer and it's movement resistance adjustable. From now on, I'm gonna get really intimate with my new friend. I've decided to inject some vigor into my otherwise sedentary lifestyle here at the moment. I'm not a sportive person.. never been one... and I don't wanna risk growing sideways by sitting around all day facing the computer screen. As it's too cold out to be doing any adrenaline-pumping activities right now, I've asked dear hubby to get me Stepper and believe you me, I'm not gonna let it gather cobwebs in some dark enclave of the apartment.. nooooo..... in fact, I've tried it out for 15 minutes and I can already feel the effect it's doing to my lower body... good Stepper and thank you my sweetie!

burn baby, burn..

We've finally summed up the courage to install the new DVD writer (thanks to brother Boy for that) and it's running perfect! Both of us know nuts about opening up a CPU and meddling with the internal bits.. but thanks to online info, we're able to do that without breaking a sweat (makes me feel like a pro now.. ta-di-da). Well at least that saves us some euro instead of calling some guy to do it for us.

cotton: cozy, durable, versatile

Two years on.. but seems like it was just yesterday.. looking forward to infinite years ahead together.. je t'adore tellement mon chéri!

snoopy on my feet

That's my new home shoes.. heavenly thick and soft interior.. feels like I'm walking on thick wool all the time.. and they keep my feet warm and happy always :)

sun's up

It's a bright day today.. a nice change from the grey moody ones we've been having lately.. but don't be fooled by the sunny face.. it doesn't get any warmer.. it's still a freezer out there. Wanted to breathe in some fresh air, so I've opened the window but shut it close 3 seconds after. It's a harsh weather and there've been reports of homeless people dying from extreme cold.. I really pity them. It's impossible to survive in this weather without a roof. We're really fortunate to be in the warmth of our home. Apparently the temperature will dip further in the coming days.. time to get 'thick'!