A bit behind

It's been a good March, busy with work and visitors. Jessie came for my birthday at the beginning of the month. We went out for supper at Le Clown Bar which is near the circus and is decorated with much clown memorabilia. We had delicious steak and chips, an unavoidable conversation about "It" and went on to a Gaulier student party. Two other people were having birthdays so I got to ride their party coat-tails - a bit of birthday attention but by no means the party thrower: ideal. Two of the students gave an impromptu concert on guitar and harmonica, and were so good that I got seriously overexcited with my cheering and felt a bit embarrassed the next day. And Richard made me a cheesecake so good that it deserves a photograph:

Birthday flowers in background

One of the perks of the Latin Quarter are the cinemas. There are about 10 of them within a ten minute walk of us, mostly art-house ones showing oldies, and the English language ones are usually shown in VO - Version Originale, so we can get involved. Recently we've been to see Annie Hall, Manhattan and something called Paris When it Sizzles starring Audrey Hepburn (dreadful). It's lovely to have them all about and they are well tiered and ye olde and full of polite quiet audiences. I noticed a feeling of smugness during Manhattan - this is no doubt a gross character flaw, but part of me feels proprietorial over the English language films - it's a precious moment while living here where I feel like I really know what's going on. Never mind the fact that probably most of the audience speak English too, and probably three other languages apiece. But I feel a bit pleased with myself, and like oh well obviously I get the jokes even better than anyone else here so I laugh extra hard to show how English-understanding I am. Aren't you glad I'm abroad for you, flying the British flag?

Ella and Nick came to visit, and we went on an outside Paris excursion, to see a house built be Le Corbusier, the Villa Savoye. We took the RER west to Poissy, a quiet (actually it seemed totally dead) suburb on the Seine and wandered the wrong way thanks to my map skills for a while until we got to the house. It was big and stark and white, and there was a special route you were meant to take through it. I thought it was interesting, but not in a very nice surrounding. I think if I'd had the money to commission such a house I would have wanted it overlooking the river or some other charming scene. Although maybe it was just the grey day.

First sight of Villa Savoye

Els and Nick

Els in the main living room

Parisian ladies in their dining out finery

An odd side-effect of being here lately has been all the games we've been playing. Poker with Alex and Lily, German boardgame San Juan with Cameron and an as yet unspecified games night this Saturday. And when Richard's friends Jenny and Andy came last weekend we played a favourite of theirs, Quoridor (which was really good, and reminded me of my old favourite, Pente). Does this happen to everyone who moves abroad? Or just to Paris? Lucky I'm no longer the terrible bad sport I used to be, or I'd be losing pals all over the city.