parfums d'hiver (and silicone bracelets)

The Amiens Christmas Market is in full swing now. A full half of the width of the pedestrian rue Trois Cailloux is taken up by the huts selling various edibles and gifts, making it actually dangerous to cycle down and threatening the already-fraught relationship between cyclists and pedestrians. A couple of fairground-style rides are set up, too, so covered in lights that they make me think of the Trocadero on mushrooms. Similarly surreal are the speakers, running from the station all the way to the Hotel de Ville, piping out the same Christmas music. Disneyland on Valium.

I have to give the toy stand a wide berth; crowds of children after school flock to spend their pocket money on rubber bracelets that come in various shapes. It's a phenomenon that seems to have come to Amiens in the last 2 weeks. Before the vacances I don't think I saw any, but suddenly every other child seems to have a few, more than a few, or two solid armfuls of multicoloured silicone that reform themselves into shapes once removed. Even one of my teachers has a few - every time she catches a kid playing with a bracelet, she confiscates it and wears it herself. I wonder how long until these are banned in schools in the UK... anything popular enough is eventually, right?

le brouillard

Around dusk the birds here start going crazy. As the sun dips low, they swoop down in huge clouds and squabble among their factions for the prime position in the belltower and rafters of the Eglise Saint-Leu. Great ungainly swarms of pigeons clamour with the synchronised fleets of starlings, who retire to the trees next to the church as dusk settles but don't shut up for hours. The odd bat flaps around too, sadly not en masse. I need to stand outside the church with my camera one day.

Yesterday was a wonderful day of eerie freezing fog. I took this picture of workmen putting up the Christmas lights. They're up on the high street, too, and on my road, and there are some snowmen lights ready to be lit up in December outside one of my schools. I can't wait! (Probably because Christmas lights mean my birthday's getting really close...)

As for work, it's getting routine now (which I suppose is a good thing?). As long as the kids don't start finding me boring. The Twin Total has gone up to 6 pairs now with the addition of Annalise and Gwendoline to my CP class (seriously, if there ever was a class that could melt an icy heart...) I've even sort-of managed to win over the less cooperative members of my CM2 (10-11yrs) class (hint: anything to do with football gets attention). In the younger classes I sort of play the comic relief foil to the teacher, but it would pretty much be career suicide if I exposed a more human side with the CM2 class.

And everything else? Bike rides, pub, beer, good conversation and friends, which well balance out the missing Bangor and going-back-to-uni-oh-god-i'll-have-forgotten-how-to-study anxiety. I don't think I ever want to leave.

this post is about tea and politics

Dear American "Tea Party Patriots",

This sign at the RTRS sums up how I feel about you, minus the vitriol:

Nina.