A Happy New Year... for most.

Admittedly, this is not an entirely happy message. Whilst Christmas was great and New Year celebrations promised to be eventful for most, events unwound throughout December in other parts of the world that for many in their daily lives may have gone unnoticed or, at least, was not really thought about.

I refer to the gang rape of a young woman which took place on a bus in New Delhi, in India.

'Tis the season!

And thus I will be spreading the happiness this time around! Do not expect the same soon, I have some serious real world issues floating around my head that I wish to discuss.

It's all fun and laughter until your heating and hot water vanish. Again.

With my missing iPod, regular lack of heat and hot water, and nigh-on two-week flu-type illness my mother is convinced I find everything simply awful here. Whilst I admit sleeping in hoodies and dressing gowns is not joyful, my mother's beliefs are not true. I just call her when I'm grumpy. So without further ado or further complaint, I move on to the marvellous aspects of my time here France...

What has happened to me?

This is a good question in multiple ways.

The first is because it has been so long since I updated this. Upon opening my blog control settings, or Blogger Dashboard, I saw that the last date was the 22nd of November and audibly said (yes, sitting in the flat alone) "Wow, has it been that long already?". I knew it had been a while...

Now I'm feeling a little calmer...

In my previous post I mentioned I would talk politics soon, but as that topic is still festering away in my mind I plan on saving that for a different time.

Instead, let me present to you some of the major challenges I have found myself encountering thus far. On the whole, the year abroad is great, absolutely. But, "C'est une expérience," I hear myself repeating to people here as I recount my woes. Are you sitting comfortably..? You won't be shortly.

Appreciation and anticipation

Either because you enjoy these posts, or because you haven't seen my constant plugging on various social media sites, you may have noted my absence of late. Two and a half weeks, in fact. I do apologise.