Et puis, la pluie

Suddenly, after two weeks of perfect weather, it started to rain. It's been raining for 3 days now, and the weather has cooled right down. People have started complaining that winter has arrived (I am starting to understand what they are saying even if all I can say in reply is 'oui, oui' and chuckle inanely like the village idiot - it's a tough job but someone has to do it!). Friends tell us that we are due some really heavy rain, with flooding. The little creek behind the house increased in size a little bit, but we've been told of rainstorms when it burst its banks and flooded the paths where people park their cars, and even the gardens. I notice that all the cars disappeared during the rain - they are starting to creep back now. Apparently there was a bit of flooding down in Montpellier and in other towns nearer the coast.

I've been right out of my comfort zone on numerous occasions in the last couple of weeks. I never really appreciated the value of language and a good vocabulary until now. So many times I have wanted to communicate with people but just couldn't. In the end I stopped trying, except for 'Bonjour' and of course the big smiles. The worst part is when they respond to you and you don't understand what they have said. They have an interesting accent down here in the Languedoc that I haven't quite figured out yet. For a few days I felt quite down about my inability to understand anything, and to speak back to people. When Emily is at school I have been sitting down with the dictionary and translating anything I can get my hands on - her comics, magazines, the Montpellier Gazette ... hopefully the penny will drop before too long, and things will start making sense.

We've met another English speaking family at the school - their daughter is only five, but Emi is really excited to know that there is another child who speaks English that she can play with. It's hard for her at school - one of her teachers won't speak English to her any more - she's doing it so that Em will learn French, which she won't do if they speak English to her all the time, but even so, it's hard. She is taking it all in her stride though, we are so proud of her.