Monday 17th March

Morgane arrived home this morning. Haven’t seen her since Saturday evening. Read more of ‘The Kite Runner’ so i’m now down to the last two chapters. Trying to save them until tonight. Went to the art school at 12 and spent a couple of hours reading critical studies stuff - I think i’m starting to understand it now - and saw Grace and Liz. I sat near the window and must have seen about 30 different people entering the courtyard and taking photos. I read in my guide book yesterday that the courtyard was a burial ground of victims of the plague. I don’t think i’d like to be there at night. Then Grace and Liz went off to get some lunch and I suddenly felt very alone, which I haven’t felt in a couple of weeks. I don’t even know where it came from. So I gave up on reading and decided to have a wander around on my way home, peering into shop windows (its a monday) and finding new streets. It is really sunny and warm again today and there are loads of tourists milling about. Went in to a librarie to see if they had any books in english - nothing, nada. And also had a look in FNAC but they also had nothing. It seems like the only place to buy them is in the Virgin Megastore and i’ve got most of the small collection they have at home already. Stopped to buy a baguette and a couple of croissants at the bread stall and a homeless man seemed very interested in my money. The lady on the stall told him to get a move on or something along those lines in french and he went away. Then she said in english that he always stands there, eyeing up the bread and peoples money. So now its 3pm and i’m back in my room writing this and about to have some bread and cheese for lunch. Then I think i will go to the internet cafe for a cafe frappe and some surfing. Oh what an exciting life I lead!
Later: I did indeed go to the internet cafe. Got some sweets with my cafe frappe this time. A dinosaur shaped one, and two strawberry ones. Spent an peaceful hour checking emails, facebook etc. An email from dad nearly made me cry - what is up with me today? Anyway, when I got home I read the rest of the book sitting in my bed and then just fell asleep. I didn’t even feel tired. I think it was mental exhaustion. I slept for about an hour and a half and when I woke up Grace rang and asked if I wanted to go to the Irish pub for St Patricks day later that evening so I said yes hoping i’d wake up a little. I didn’t feel like cooking and didn’t feel very hungry so I had baguette and cheese for supper followed by a nectarine and a couple of left over croquettes, and then while I was waiting to go out I watch ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ in french while sorting out questions to take to tomorrows english class. We met at 9.30pm at the pub. Well me and Mary did anyway. Rang Grace and she said she would be 20 mins and Liz was just leaving, so we got a beer and waited. There was live music and tents had been set up outside, loads of green and orange balloons and lots of people wearing the big hats, it was a good atmosphere, although a bit chilly standing outside. While we were waiting two guys - one called Raphael and I didn’t get his friends name started to talk to me and Mary which was ok, but when Liz arrived (Grace went with Christophe to meet some other friends) Raphael disappeared and his friend followed us into get drinks. He then bought us our drinks even though we said no and tried to push money in his hand, and stuck with us the whole time we were there asking weird questions about car insurance and similar things. He then (I think he had had too much beer!) dropped his drink over Liz’s foot and my knee and all over the floor, and we decided to pretend we were going home and to try somewhere new. We wanted to stay but needed to get rid of him. After saying goodbye we went to Le vieux Marche to find another pub but everywhere was really quiet, I think everyone was at the Irish Pub. We didn’t want to go to Broite-a-Biere so the other two said they were going to go back to the Irish Pub and try to hide from the guy, but as I was very close to home by now (actually on the right road) and tired I said i’d see them tommorrow and went back to the flat. So here I am writing this. It is now 12.30am and there is a lot of noise coming from the flat downstairs again. Not a big party this time but laughter, door banging and shouting. Time for bed I think.