Petanque

Yesterday evening we had one of the several activities of getting to know French culture—petanque! At the petanque field of the city. (Walked there through the corner of the old town near the Maltese church, of which I'll post some photos later.)

I think I have played petanque once or twice earlier, in 2000 or so. This means most of the rules evaded me (such as the throwing order and score calculation). But everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

By the end of our game, I seemed to get the feel of the throws, and could repeatedly throw the metal ball within a few tens of centimetres of the small plastic marker ball. Some similarity with pool (I really do not remember when I played it last; perhaps in 1990) and golf putting, of which I have mainly theoretical knowledge. One bit of golf theory could be put into use: after a high throw, the ball does not roll much; after a low throw, it will.

The game started at 5 p.m., the bar opened at 6 p.m. by which most games had ended. I think our team and the opposing team lost track of the score already after a few rounds ...of petanque, I mean.

Exhausted

Seven hours of classes, last three of them one-to-one tuition which proved to be very useful, much more effective that I had expected.

In electric hardware shop

Needed an extension cord and had to ask it from the salesperson. Before my turn came, I checked the dictionary; no, it wasn't there. So I asked what I assumed was right, and indeed, a simple extension cord was brought. I then explained (much with hands) that I needed one with several sockets, after which the saleswoman brought another one and very kindly explained that the adjective for multiple sockets was multiprise! ☺

Rearrangement

Some rearrangement of the afternoon classes, resulting in being in a minigroup with just another student and a teacher. Very useful, I think.

Curiously, the first story I had to tell involved a cat which recalled me of a story about a cat which I had to retell in its entirety many years back in school at a similar course when other students were absent and the teacher had all his time only for me.

Stories of celebrities

While discussing what celebrities we have met, the teacher told that last year some students (but not she) saw in a bread shop near the school Brad Pitt who appears to own a house in Provence.

The story of a motion picture being filmed at the house next to my office exceeded my linguistic abilities, but in 2006 it happened that one morning a Slovenian coworker rushed in and very excitedly told something to my Slovenian roommate, in Slovenian. Exotic temperament, thought I. Later I heard that the reason of a colleague's exitement had been that, while walking towards the office, she had seen no one else than a life-sized Demi Moore.

Just one thing left behind

I have realised that there is only one useful thing I did not took along: the charger for my camera batteries. The optimistic estimation is that the two charged batteries left have enough juice for about 200-300 photos and if I economise later that week, I may extend this to last at least till Sunday afternoon. After this it would be more or less OK to take photos with the phone, unless I can find a new charger from a camera shop here, but on Sunday there will be a nature trip and Saturday I am planning to make a hike. (Where do they sell topographic maps, I wonder?)

Another class

The afternoon classes are extra classes, composed of people from all levels of the morning classes. I happen to be one of the two ones from our level, and our level is the highest in the afternoon class, so that once at last it was truly enjoyable.

And I did enjoy it to the last moment and minute.