Tropic thunder

I woke up on Monday morning, fresh and ready to begin a long day of two 3-hour lectures... until I looked out of my balcony window and saw this:

The "sunny" south of France.

It was like I'd just entered a parallel world. The blue skies of Antibes were no more. Heavy clouds formed and rain almost instantly started to beat down. It was worse than any rain I've experienced in England (I've had my fair share of rain experiences), and that's saying something! I was dressed for a average hot day in the South - shorts and a simple top - so I took necessary precautions before I left: I took off my flip-flops and put on some leather boots. As long as I had my umbrella, I was fine.

But I wasn't fine. Something wasn't right. My throat started to tingle and I knew this was the onslaught of, and I hesitate to say this, a cold! Sitting in my lectures, I tried to ignore the symptoms.  But I had to accept my fate eventually. I wasn't the only one with a cold; I think the sudden change in temperature got to everybody. My friends recommended I drink ginger tea so, instead of buying a couple of tea bags, I bought some root ginger to make it myself. The tea I made was very, very strong, so strong that it had to have some effect on me in one way or another. There's nothing worse than sitting in a lecture and constantly being distracted by a runny nose or itchy throat or, even worse, the fear to talk with a hoarse voice (especially in my Speech class).

I was quite worried to go to my fitness class on Wednesday because 1) it was my third day of having a cold, the peak of the symptoms if you will and 2) I had been moved to the late evening class and it would take me at least an hour to get home. But I'm a fighter you see. I went, accompanied by a friend who was also sick. We had to do cardiovascular endurance tests which completely took my mind off my cold. I was sweating it out of me (excuse the imagery). I'd say this was Day 1 of recovery.

We had our first family meal in a while on Thursday, a homely casserole, cooked by my dear Filipino friends. This made me feel a whole lot better!

The master at work.

As a consequence of my poor immune system, most of my weekend will be spent studying. I was meant to do my homework during the week but the comfort of stuffing my face with piles of biscuits took priority. C'est la vie.

"It is precisely because we battle with sickness that we are able to experience firsthand the best and worst in life, allowing us to forge the strength within ourselves that will never succumb. That time of struggle enables one to empathise with the suffering of the sick" - Daisaku Ikeda

My first...

This week has been pretty hectic on the university front - hectic but full of fruitful first-time experiences, of course.

I had to deliver my first assessed speech on Monday. I had the whole 3-minute talk typed out in large font.  I'd planned when to put emphasis certain words, when to slow down particular sentences. I'd even planned where to look during the speech. As soon as I got up to the podium, I actually thought I was going to melt. I felt like a best man at a wedding who forgets to prepare a speech but decides to make the most of his time in the spotlight anyway.

I know how you feel, bud.

I could just tell I was talking a bit too fast. I'm a native English speaker (it's in my nature!) and I was nervous! This isn't my first time doing public speaking. I've even danced in front of a thousand people before. This was different. I was being judged, I mean graded, and this grade will go on my transcript sent back to my home university. The deed was done and I eventually stopped shaking after about 10 minutes. It can only get better from here, right?

I'm sure I was better than this guy though:

I had my first fitness class on Wednesday evening. It wasn't until I got into my gym gear that I realised everyone around me was speaking in French - including the instructor! I was just going to wing it, but it got to the point where I had to say something. I couldn't just constantly nod in agreement at everything she was saying. Luckily, she told me she would just explain the structure of the class in French but then instruct the actual moves in English - phew!

Beautiful sunset from my bedroom window

in the midst of  trying to do homework.

The rest of my week - lectures, lectures and more lectures to be exact - went swimmingly well. Talking of swimming, I went to the beach in Juan-les-Pins on Saturday and swam (well, floated) for the first time since being here in France. I'll definitely be returning...

Today, my friend and I went to the flea market in Antibes. It only happens twice a year, so we thought we'd go along and see what was happening. Little did we know how many amazing bargains and antiques there would be.

This was just part of it.

Luckily I only took a small amount of cash, otherwise I would have bought everything in sight. We used some leftover cash to treat ourselves to one of the best French meals (in my opinion, that is).

Not my first Croque Madame.

“The important thing is to take that first step. Bravely overcoming one small fear gives you the courage to take on the next” - Daisaku Ikeda

Come on girls!

I have lectures everyday apart from Thursdays, so Thursday has become my best day of the week. A day to have a break from learning (academic stuff anyway) and time to explore my surroundings! My housemate, my friend and I took the bus to Juan-les-Pins, a town in the west of Antibes.

Juan-les-Pins: sun, sea and shopping central!

Before heading to the beach, we took a stroll around the town. My American housemate (who speaks French) arrived in France a week before I did and stayed at a hotel in Juan-les-Pins, so he knows the area quite well.

Visiting the hotel: my friend's new best friend!

A beautiful park in the shade.

Even though I didn't have a bikini, I was still tempted to get in the water. I've never seen the ocean so blue before...

Fight the temptation, Gabrielle!

Wow, what a view!

A model in the making.

I'm trying so hard not to be jealous.

Luckily, the crave for food dragged me away.

Galette with cheese.

La Mikado: cream, white chocolate ice cream,

hot chocolate cause and Mikado sticks (oh, and a crêpe).

Complimentary cider (or cidre).

After a 3-hour lecture on Friday, I arranged to meet some family friends in Antibes for dinner who moved from England to the south of France last year. Little did I know how surreal it would feel... And I had the biggest crème brûlée ever.

And, of course, a photo to commemorate the moment.

As the boys had gone to Spain for the weekend, it was up to the girls to go on their own adventure to Nice once again! Our plan for Saturday was to go to Cap 3000, the largest shopping mall in the region. The only problem was we didn't know exactly where it was. We got off the bus, intending to walk and occasionally ask for directions until we found it.

It's like I haven't left England!

But as per usual, We got a bit sidetracked:

Bacon, steak and cheese baguette with homemade chips.

My future yacht.

Three hours later, we arrived at Cap 3000. We must have walked the whole length of Nice. We seriously wanted to kiss the floor when we arrived. My legs were killing me; I went to the toilet just to sit down!

Our final destination - Cap 3000 shopping mall.

It was worth it though:

"Muuuuum, I want this in my bedroom"

With our full tourist looks (camera in hand, gazing at the sights), we were firmly told "no photography allowed". My bad...

Living life the French way!

And so to Sunday, the supposed day of rest... not for us international students. We travel at every chance we get! To celebrate my housemate's birthday, the girls decided to visit "Marineland", an animal exhibition park in Antibes. 

An interesting breakfast: homemade doughnuts, a good attempt 

at making crêpes and microwave-cooked bacon. 

My friend's birthday cake (and our second breakfast).

Humboldt penguin.

South American sea lion.

And pose!

Baryonyx.

Apatosaure.

Coelophysis.

Omnisaure.

Triceratops.

Allosaure.

Triceratops.

It looks like it's singing!

The one and only T-Rex.

Dimetrodon.

Dilophosaure (or the chicken dinosaur to my friends and I)

It was so hot that even the T-Rex was sweating!

The famous Jurassic Park eye.

Our "scared" looks.

Poseidon, king of the ocean.

Titanic!

"I'm flying Jack, I'm flying"

Pingu!

Waddle waddle:

Mum and her pup!

"I can see you..."

The sea lion show (and yep, I got splashed):

Sea lion tricks!

And to my favourite part of the day:

Bottlenose dolphins!

Flips!

They lifted him into the air!

Then they pushed him back to the ledge.

Picture perfect!

My childhood is now complete.

I don't usually like coffee but this is something special!

I'm a turtle!

The real deal.

Dun dun, dun dun

Rrraaaawwrrrr!

A great way to end a great birthday and weekend!

The birthday girl in the middle!