I know I've said it before, but people here are SOOOOO nice. Just friendly and easy-going and always taking the option of being helpful rather than not.
The latest example was this morning. Joe decided he'd like to do Tennis while we're here, so, knowing that the kids tennis is on Wednesday mornings, we trundled down to the tennis courts. Once I'd explained why we were there (in my rubbish, but (I'm beginning to realise) functional French) the instructor warmly welcomed him, lent him a tennis racket and said he could do join the group for free trial today. He even said that if Joe likes it then they will only charge a third of the annual cost as he will only be there for a third of the year. Of course that is the nice and obvious way to react to a strange child with an incoherent mother turning up at your class, but he didn't have to be nice.
It was exactly the same when Andy signed up for Judo, they were amazingly welcoming. In fact, it has been the same for everything: getting a library card (we didn't quite have the necessary documents, but they gave us one anyway, along with a tour of the library), signing up for school, and all the other day-to-day things. People in the stores here are nice too. It's different, I know, because they are selling things, but they could be surly and unwelcoming and they aren't, they are just friendly and kind. The boys and I had quite the adventure last week getting the boys' hair cut - the barber was so nice to the kids, made us all giggle and it was the first time I had really heard the boys having a conversation in French - they're good!
I don't know whether it is because Marseillan is a small town, or something to do with the Mediterranean culture, or the French culture, but whatever it is, I love it. People just always choosing to be kind, it fills life with little smiles.
(More photos coming soon, I lost but now have found the camera).
Aucun commentaire:
Enregistrer un commentaire