Week 17

I feel like I’m getting into a nice rhythm these days. Here’s how my week went.

Challenges

I attended the Photo Club again this week. I joined the club to improve my French but now realize how lazy I’ve become as a photographer. I’m challenged to improve my technical skills.

My photos are good but, when projected on the large screen, look like they are lacking in … je ne sais quois. That’s because I’ve been using my phone.

My Sony mirrorless cameras aren’t as heavy or bulky as many other mirrorless or DSL cameras, but it’s still so much more convenient to just use my phone. I can crop and edit within the app and even remove people in the background if I want. It takes little effort and skill beyond composition. And it shows.

Photography used to be a meditative exercise for me. It was one of the only things that would get me out of my head when my thoughts were swirling. I’ll continue to use my phone to grab day-to-day shots, but I’m going to make a concerted effort to go out with my cameras. I look forward to getting in the zone again.

This week’s Photo Club theme is simply to photograph objects. Here are two of the images I’ll show at the meeting on Monday, both taken with my Sony A6000.

Lessons

Timing

I tried to throw a joke into the conversation at Photo Club and it fell flat. It wasn’t a particularly good joke – just my usual comment on the redundancy of the phrase ‘botanical garden’ – as if there is any other kind of garden. I get a chuckle out of it myself, but it’s much too soon to attempt a joke in another language! Thankfully I didn’t say anything inappropriate. I hear some of you heaving a sigh of relief.

Etiquette

I recently made some attempts to introduce myself to people I talk to on the regular. Shop keepers, restaurant proprietors, people I meet on the street. Hand proffered, ‘Hi, I’m Sue.’

I’ve tried a few times and not one person has offered up their name. This week, I finally asked someone about etiquette. It seems that it’s probably puzzling to others that I’m introducing myself. It’s just not done.

It brings to mind the dog park etiquette I experienced years ago. A group of us formed a social circle without knowing everyone’s name. We just knew people as Lassie’s mom or Skipper’s dad. Occasionally someone new would show up and stick out their hand to introduce themselves by name. I remember almost recoiling. Too much!

It’s a bit of a relief to take a step back, to simply enjoy each exchange and let relationships emerge slowly and naturally.

Joys

Language Skills

My French seems to improve daily and I’m so pleased with some of the conversations I’m having. As a writer, when I try to express a thought and find that a sentence just doesn’t work, I scrap it and try completely different phrasing. That’s the beauty of playing with words. I’m applying the same tactic with my conversations. When I just can’t think of a word and my mind starts to get jumbled, I start fresh.

For the last four months, I’ve enjoyed morning coffee outside on a café patio next to my apartment. It’s quiet and I can read or write uninterrupted. But it’s dawned on me that ‘quiet and uninterrupted’ will not lead to speaking French. This week, I started going to a café that is frequented by the Piscénois, or inhabitants of Pézenas. I sit in the corner with my book or laptop and listen to people talking around me. It’s a start. I hope that, with time and frequency, I’ll be regarded as a regular and can start to participate in conversations.

Hair cut

I got my hair cut this week! It’s been nearly 6 months since my last cut and I’ve been avoiding the inevitable. I find it hard to put my head in someone’s hands, both literally and figuratively. I don’t see myself as a particularly vain person, but I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to express my wishes in French. As it turns out, my language skills and a bit of trust went a long way. I’m pleased with the result.

Christmas Decorations

Pézenas is starting to look very Christmasy. I have a complicated relationship with Christmas for a bunch of reasons. It can be a painful time for me, but I knew I needed to have my ornaments in France. They represent pieces of my life that I cherish. People, experiences and gifts. Love. Memories. Joy.

It seems a bit early to put up a tree, but I’ll be away for the last 10 days of December and time is ticking. I bought a small artificial tree and decorated it this week. As I added each ornament, I enjoyed that familiar ritual of remembrance and gratitude.

The coming week includes some administrative tasks, a few appointments and some socializing. And maybe a day in Montpellier to see the Christmas lights!

À bientôt .