The Christmas season has officially begun

It is the kind of rainy, windy, chilly day that makes us all want to go back to bed. So far we've resisted - barely. Cata is watching cooking shows lying on the couch (they are making shish kebab things inexplicably backed by Franz Ferdinand's "40 Feet", because French shows never ever ever have logical music). Michelle is doing jigsaw puzzles on the computer and reading internet polls about how few people understand their traditions. We are scandalized by the pathetic number of people who didn't understand the "30 pieces of silver" reference on House last week and who didn't even bother to look it up (according to the poll on fox.com), despite the fact that the episode was called "Finding Judas". Yes, we are vastly intellectually superior here at la maison, or at least willing to do research to make up for our faults. Lots and lots of research.

Yesterday the Christmas market opened in the center of town. There's a little Ferris wheel (30 m - much smaller than the one Cata and I went on in Lille, which was TERRIFYINGLY large). There's a little skating rink, so we went skating yesterday, and Cata showed us all up despite never having seen that much ice in one place before. There are a bunch of carnival rides and tiny little stalls that sell Christmas presents and various kinds of food: gauffres (hot sugary waffles) and churros and hot cider and all sorts of beautiful things. They set off fireworks over the town hall last night to announce the official opening, and they've turned all the Christmas lights on, and the town is gorgeous.

Christmas really is the perfect season in France. Even the music goes with the mood. There are all those minor key songs, slightly melancholy, a little lonely, a little dark, reminiscent of the people who aren't around during this season. And then there are the songs in crashingly major keys, so much joy it can't be contained, happiness on a grand and elaborate scale. Last night was like that. There were the fireworks, like "Joy to the World", and the cheerful drunk walking along with the little marching band - any sad Christmas song would describe the end of his night.

Paperwork here is mostly taken care of, despite France being a country of paperwork, as Jean-Max said last night. Cata and I both have the receipts for our cartes de séjour, so now we can travel out of the country if we want. It was surprisingly easy at the préfecture: we walked in, presented our passports, signed a few things, and skipped out of there. The only complication was the unannounced strike going on that made it difficult to get back to Cambrai. Always with the strikes! But now the strikes are over, and I will probably go to Lille again tomorrow, just because I can. Christmas shopping to do, after all. Next week we're celebrating Cata's birthday and Christmas, because Michelle is leaving for Egypt on the 13th. Then Mom will be here on the 16th, and break starts the 22nd. Busy busy busy! I have plans to go to Belgium with one of the other assistants in January, and that will be fun.

Actually, it's hard to say what isn't fun. Tonight we're going to go see Little Miss Sunshine in VOSTF (English with subtitles). Last night Cata went to a play with Ellen and Jean-Max and one of their friends, and Michelle and Matthias and I stayed home and made cranberry cake with an orange glaze and mulled wine, and then we all stayed up talking until two. Four languages at once! They made me and Michelle say English phrases in our various accents (my normal one, my vaguely British one, Michelle's polished British one, and her Liverpool Scouse) and talked about American and French slang phrases and the best way to improve one's language skills (apparently, get a significant other who's a native speaker).

As for teaching, it was a fun but short week because I had to go to Lille on Tuesday. Thursday I only had one student, which wasn't very productive, but we talked about rock music. Friday I did two classes (TSTi still don't show up, the lazy punks) and we watched a bit of The Maltese Falcon and then wrote detective stories, which turned out to be hilarious. Lots of references to American tv shows, actually: we had Homer Simpson and Kenny dying, and a murder mystery with the Teletubbies. But the students really got into it when I made them read the things aloud. Sometimes teaching really is rewarding.

Okay. Back to attempting to make the sink drain. We bemoan our lack of plumbing skills at times like this, when we are reduced to just pouring chemicals down the drain and hoping for good things to happen. New photos here to distract you from the grey weather outside.