Thursday, July 19, 2007

Ordinary Life 4


I have been in some doubt about how much I can write here.Just brief notes, the book will of course reveal all!

Some time late in 1973, at a school christmas disco, Christine and I tried to figure out how best to shuffle all the extra noses and teeth. We weren’t kissing with confidence but it was a start.
A few months later, Susan the professor ( though she was only 14 at the time you understand) gave me generous access to her vest and its mysteries.
Then, just after my fifteenth birthday, I was again dropped into another new world.
I took part in a school exchange with a student from a small village near Bordeaux. For a glorious month, I lived the life of a French boy. Shared his family, his cigarettes, his friends, his moped, a new world of food. I learned a language, driven by necessity beyond the ‘plume de ma tante’. I made a friend for life. I learned a passion for a country and a language that overtook my interest in astronomy.
While I was there, his elder sisters friend Chantal, took me aside one drunken evening, and I lost my innocence with no regrets.

Archbishop Makarios had a spot of bother in Cyprus, and Lord Lucan dissapeared. I took, and passed, a mathematics O’level a year early and then a year later passed ten more subjects, the one in which I had made a dramatic improvement, beyond expectation, being French.

10 comments:

buffalodick said...

To a French chick, no less!! Good job!

Lori said...

That was a memorable year for you! It sounds like France made a great impression on you.

Bittersweet said...

cool, and snap (11 'O's)

Unknown said...

Lori, sounds like he made a fair impression on France!!

Jayne said...

"I tried to figure out how best to shuffle all the extra noses and teeth"


Your descriptions are great. :0)

Unknown said...

I agree with lori that must of been a memorable year for you, and also it seem you had a good time back then.

Anonymous said...

Oo la la! I enjoyed this episode - but not half as much as you did, I'll bet.

Anonymous said...

education, education, education

Anonymous said...

An impressive (and memorable) year - look forward to reading the book...!!

meredic said...

buffalodickdy - for god sake man don't let them hear the word chick. The PC crowd will give me an ear bashing.

Lori - I have a certain fondness for the country.....

me - sounds like a busy afternoon.

john.g. - well bits of it.

jayne - thank you, I'm sure you remember what it was like...

rosy - I still have a good time!

sablonneuse - ooh la la indeed! *Groan*

rivergirlie - *amused by the quote*

sarah - I couldn't possibly embarrass them more than I have already. Unless of course someone offered me a great deal of money to spill the beans and then I would have no qualms at all.

Dear dear... 'chick' indeed!
*duck*

Right I am off for a weekend camping in the rain. Feel free to speculate. www.sesiwnfawr.co.uk