Half term

So let’s start with the guitar lessons which I mentioned in passing last time: I’ve started playing the guitar, which has been very enjoyable. I had been wanting to play for a while and so when the chance came up to start learning alongside Manqi and Loïc with a guy from church, and I didn’t even need to buy a guitar because there was an old one lying around in the house that would do, I said yes. Jan Niels who teaches us is a very talented guitarist and a good teacher. We’ve been having two lessons a week because he’s going to go to New Zealand soon to earn some money to carry on studying so we’re making the most of him before he goes. I am now impressed by all guitarists as they make playing look easy!

Last Saturday I celebrated Manqi’s birthday with her and on Tuesday I celebrated another friend’s birthday by going to a crêperie and the cinema in a small group of girls, we saw ‘The Descendants’. I went to the ‘Champs Libres’ for the first time on Wednesday. Quite a lot of people had talked about it saying it was an interesting place to go to, and it comprises a library, the Museum of Brittany, a planetarium and a science exhibition space. I went there with a Welsh girl who works at the university like me and we booked a session at the planetarium then went around the science bit. In the planetarium we learnt about ‘Rennes, cette nuit’ (Tonight in Rennes) which was a presentation about stars and planets and what we could see from Rennes. With it being half term there were lots of kids in there and some of their comments made us laugh.

On Friday a young couple from church had me, Manqi and Halle round for dinner which was really lovely, I felt comfortable there. Then late that evening two of Manqi’s Chinese friends arrived from Amiens where she lived in France before coming to Rennes, so on Saturday we got treated to a Chinese meal which they wanted to cook for us with six dishes spread out on the table.

A large part of my week was also spent marking tests for hours upon hours, and aside from that I’ve enjoyed not having to get up early, went to church, caught up with two good friends on Skype, ate out with a couple of colleagues, did a bit of exercise, played board games and played the guitar.

I'm really missing my family at the moment. Just as well my sister is coming over to visit on Friday - can't wait!

Fiona x