A fairly long catch up (sorry)

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It is so strange that I’ve been here over a week now without really being able to contact anyone or tell anyone I care about what is going on with me.

It’s also weird to start at the beginning. But I shall try.

I arrived with Fabien (I’ve already told you guys that he was the complete opposite of what I had imagined) but he spent most of the car journey (in which I was thankfully not sick) telling me about why he started up the animation/entertainment company. This is apparently because he is part of a band, composes, plays the guitar, dances and sings. I can’t do any of those things – small tendrils of panic started to unwind in my belly. Upon arrival the first thing I saw was my soon-to-be teammates putting up some stage lighting – as it can safely be said technology and DIY are not my area of expertise I now had visions of an all singing, all dancing technical crew with me the English monkey in the background unable to do anything but smile and nod.

Turns out we are all in similar boats – which is much better for me, but I kind of feel sorry for all those campers who were promised a sports and entertainment team and ended up with us/me instead.
But there we go. The team is Vincent (25), who is responsible for our little unit. Marc (22) and Charlotte (23) – a couple from Nice who both study sport, Marie (20) my mobile home mate and who just obtained the first part of her chemistry degree – for which there are celebrations this weekend (although the same age this is her third summer as an animateur so I am very much the baby here) and then Me.
My daily routine has been decided – I’m in charge of Aerobics and Aquagym – which means I’m pretty busy nearly every morning.
Aerobics - 10.15 am Tues, Thurs and Sat
Aquagym - 11am every day except Sunday

Can now appreciate the difficulty that instructors face – you think you have hundreds of moves for your class to do and then 10 minutes later its finished and you have to come up with 20more minutes for all those people waiting expectantly.

But I’m getting better I think, more self confident at least – which is good – by that I mean I took a small power trip today and yelled at a woman to “give me more energy – FASTER!”

Not really many kids here yet – we are still in low season (today is 01/07/11) so my Miniclub afternoon from 4-6pm at the minute is almost irrelevant – although saying that spent 2 hours drawing and playing It with 2 brothers today and that was quite fun – bit embarrassing that my drawing was almost as unrecognizable as theirs but they didn’t seem to notice and I hid it from Marie – so someone will find it in the week and throw it away thinking some idiot child has left behind their crap drawing but meh.
But I don’t know why I was worried about getting chubby out here – with 2 hours of exercise a day and the rest chasing after kids, planning shows, dancing and making costumes, I’ll have to be careful not to become a stick. Well probably not as a stone could easily come off before I started to look ill but the sentiment is there.

I also have to be around at the weekend to welcome the English who will apparently be arriving – as I have yet to meet anyone English here I am sceptical – oh apart from an Australian couple (why are they here?) who were affronted to be called English by Charlotte.

Lost my mobile the first day here – left it in Fabien’s car, swiftly followed by my purse and sunglasses (have since found all of them) but Marie carries the caravan key always now – so at least they are starting to get to know me.

We get lots of free time here but the days are really long. And I’m always knackered – probably as my brain has to work just as hard as my body out here. Am always free between 12.30 and 4 and also normally 6.30 to 9, so am bronzing nicely – yay! But don’t finish until midnight most days which gets a bit tiring.

Almost forgot the Dune – will send postcards of it fairly soon as I have bought both them and stamps – now just need addresses. Can everyone who would like to receive a postcard get their address to me please! So I climbed the dune my first evening here – over 100m climb in sand is knackering – we aren’t really near any stairs – anyway was I rewarded when I got to the top? Well yes in the sense that the view was amazing – this whole area is a huge nature reserve so everything is protected and in lovely condition. There is a big sand bank area further out to sea which makes the water all different shades of blue and green – Gorgeous. (see postcards) HOWEVER this was also the night before a huge storm which knocked over trees etc in Bordeaux and so there was actually just a huge sandstorm at the top – my legs have only just recovered they were covered in a huge graze like rash for a few days afterwards. But there you go.

Most importantly (and if you have read this far you deserve it) I have given everyone an incorrect address - the necessary one follows. The other one was for the head office of the animation company.

La forêt Camping
Route de Biscarosse
33115 Pyla Sur Mer
France

Big love to everyone xxxxxxxxxx (bit homesick – so send me messages)
p.s i potted 3 snooker balls consecutively the other day – minor miracle?

Also people you have to accept the invitations to become a subscriber - it still says waiting next to all your names!!!!

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