Coffee, Cake and Conversation

So this week has been a blur, possibly induced by too much caffeine. The first coffee morning of the week was Sunday, and took place at The Patio in El Biar, I asked my beloved to organise for Azzdine to collect me, and gave the preferred time plus a little extra for tardiness. I have found over the last few weeks that tardiness is a fact of life therefore I always add tardiness to my travel plans.. And as usual I was correct in my assumption, so as we were on time we arrived not first but just a little after first.  It was a lovely day and we sat outside in the sunshine, lots of ladies arrived little by little and name tags were written, never underestimate the value of a name tag, especially when it is written in large print. So many ladies, so many nationalities but at least you could see what their names where as they were emblazoned across their chests.

I met ladies from France, Turkey, Russia, Switzerland and South Africa, plus ladies from England and Ireland and so many other nationalities I have forgotten, it was really lovely to chatter away in English because this was the English speaking group after all.  Whilst we were there another coffee afternoon was organised by the French speaking group but it was for English speakers to meet and organise a French conversational group for beginners, so I had my name down for that one straight away.

Azzdine collected me and we headed home to La Maison, see my French is improving...We are still waiting finalisation of our new apartment, Inshallah this will not be long now because I really don't want to be in this house much longer, there is a rain problem and you can't even walk to the street without being attacked by ants, nasty nippy things they are too. The rain which was torrential through the night Tuesday welcomed me into  La cuisine on Wednesday, it comes down through the walls trickles over the work tops and actually managed to get right across to the washing machine, I was working the wrong way thinking the machine had leaked which I thought was odd as I had not used it for 24hours, but no! when I investigated by slip sliding across the kitchen it had in fact been through the wall, the sooner we leave the happier I will be, and lets hope the ants don't follow us, surely not if I don't leave any Hansel and Gretel breadcrumbs....

My next coffee event occurred on Tuesday and this time it was at Sophie's house, and a lovely house it was too, once again I was early so as not to be late, I think I have that driver sorted now, everyone began to arrive and we chatted and chatted, oh and ate some cake, what a beautiful spread Sophie had laid on for us, I felt quite posh sitting with my little pinky finger in the air nibbling on my melting moment, homemade no less.  Names and mobiles were taken for us non speakers of French and hopefully that will be us getting organised very soon for a French conversational group,  whilst there I was asked if I would lead an English speakers group for the non native English speakers to which I agreed, oh lordy, lord I hope I don't teach anyone conversational English with a hint of London Baby!