Bits, INCEPTION, Greek backgammon and bobs

Ok, so I'd totally forgotten these were on my phone but check out the firemen heroically climbing up to save the mythical dying old person from my first day here:

And a totally rad car I saw one day:

As far as bits and bobs go, Amel accosted me on my way downstairs yesterday morning and ominously asked me if I was scared of mice...

In chocolate-related news, I had a mars bar from the vending machine at work the other day and was surprised to discover that the nougat within was whiter and exactly like the filling in milky way! It is utterly beautiful and I know not why it is not so in England. Get your requests in and I'll bring a load home.

I also purchased this beauty tonight and as well as being good news for traders and (believe it or not) my health, it is utterly GORGEOUS!

The chocolate itself has a very pretty swirly pattern and contains delicious nutella-like substance inside (Becky, I'm making the most of this in your absence!)

In amusingly-named food products-related news I saw this in the supermarket tonight:

In book-related news on Tuesday night I got home early and so ran round to the library and got Les Nombrils out. It's the second book in the series (the only one they had there!) and I like it.

In work-related news, Chris left for holiday today and it was far too quiet in the office for me. Bernard's not in tomorrow and I'm thinking about moving into someone else's office for the company!

I got paid yesterday!! (But need to go into the bank on Saturday to get my bank card!) This was announced to me this morning as I was brushing my teeth by a text message!

In a quick tidy-up I found that the half-finished bottle of coke that has been left open on the windowsill at least since my arrival now has mould growing on the surface. It is intriguing and I almost want to save it for Chris to see when he returns in 3 weeks time but I fear its evolution into a huge hairy creature of doom which would barely fit into the office and the subsequent death of my co-worker when it then eats him as he opens the door a little too much to do so.

In toilet-related news I have found that in women-only areas the toilet seat is up far too often than is normal for me. Both here in the Foyer on the second floor where boys aren't allowed beyond the ground floor (how high-school are we? Becky, I thought of you and the LRGS room!) and at work, where men have their own toilets right opposite, I have come across an upped-loo seat at least 3 times a week.

I wonder, if it's not intruders, then is it because French women do something different? I really want to ask but I haven't found the right moment with anyone yet...

In Inception-related news, last night the trains were on my side - I swear the driver held the train for Diana and I coming from work and then when I arrived in the centre of Paris, all the metro trains arrived just as I walked down the stairs, so I FINALLY made it to Inception and it was jaw-droppingly awesome and everything I had hoped for and I am SO suggestible because I genuinely exited the cinema looking at everything around me, going "that's not real; that's going to explode" and it all looked exactly like the set in the film I'd just seen as bits were set in Paris and I want to see it again but at the IMAX! Ugh. Just brilliant.

"But what about your dinner tonight, Soph?" I hear you cry. Well, I was just getting to that.

I was STARVING on the train home and so I went out to the shops but couldn't see anything I really wanted and so thought I'd go down the road to find that place where I got those stuffed tomatoes and parma ham before but on my way I passed this tiny Greek place which is nothing more than a counter and two tiny cafe tables indoors and as I slowed to inspect the menu the man inside called out to me in the middle of his conversation with a customer, so I came inside to see what food there was and realised it was exactly what I wanted.

So I began with the usual apologies for my french and he said "Oh no! It's fine, I'm Greek, I learn French too. You speak Greek?" I replied that I didn't but that I did know Spanish and German. He then counted to four, said please, thank you and hello, all in spanish and looked at me proudly. I loved him.

There was an older couple sat sat the table by the counter and they started talking to me and I asked what was good and the lady got up and jabbered on about everything but pointed out some definite winners and so I asked for that and he told me to sit down (I thought I'd bring it home but didn't feel able to say no and besides, I really wanted to spend more time with them!) so I sat and spoke with this lovely couple who told me they were house sitting for some friends in Paris who were away on holiday, they really liked Greek food.

The lovely Greek man then asked me if I wanted some Ouzo, I wasn't really sure but the encouraging lady nodded and smiled and said "Yes you do!" they all laughed and said it'd make your head spin and the man offered me red wine and I said I thought it wasn't such a good idea when I was so hungry but they insisted it was meant to go with the food and the lady had been drinking it and clearly wasn't on the floor so I decided I to try it. He then brought me my food (along with the drink) and it looked BEAUTIFUL:

Sadly, I didn't bring my camera but I used my phone (it is good for something after all!*) I surreptitiously asked the lady how one went about eating it and she showed me and then they got up and left and a man walked in who appeared to be a friend of the owner-man (who, incidentally, looks exactly like Andy Murgatroyd!) and sat himself down whilst helping himself to food. Then along with a girl, who I couldn't work out if she was someone's daughter/waitress or what, we all had Ouzo and they said "Yassou" just like on My Big Fat Greek Wedding and so I joined in and then said "Oopah!" ... and they didn't. But they did laugh.

We were then talking about my Big Fat Greek Wedding and all the phrases I'd learnt from it, Christos Anesti, Nice boobs, I have three testicles, etc. and the girl flew to the laptop on the sideboard and put it on!

I'm not sure what language they were speaking but I don't think it was French as I genuinely couldn't catch a word but every now and then they'd include me and I'd understand. Halfway through the meal the girl came round with some salad-y thing and offered some for me to try. It was good. And then when the old man had finished he brought out this box which looked like chess. I asked if he was going to play chess and he said "Oh no, wait, you'll see..." and he opened it up to reveal backgammon! He then began to play a very loud and excited game with the owner, alas he was not well-matched and lost stupendously in the first game whilst the girl was stood there shouting at him. Greek-Andy was looking very smug (which served to further remind me of Andy!) and then explained that the girl was really good at backgammon and so in the next games she decided to help this old man who really had an adorable-looking face and seemed quite helpless against the owner. Alas, he was also obstinate and didn't always like the young girl's advice, which led to a lot of shouting, slapping and throwing of the counters! The owner just sat back and laughed and called out to his friend in the hotel bar across the road to come and watch!

It ended the owner winning 3-2. He did ask me halfway through who I was rooting for and I felt obliged to reply that I wanted him to win, since he had just fed me such wonderful food but in my heart of hearts I wanted the poor old other man to win as I was really quite fond of him. Greek-Andy seemed to possess black magic in his fingers as he would roll the dice, declare the exact combination he needed and 4 times out of 5 he got it! This was another reason I decided to tell him I wanted him to win. If he has power over dice, who knows what kind of curse he could bestow upon me!

After their game they brought me round this sweet:

It was lemon jelly and just delightful.

(*It is however, crap at voicemail; every day I receive a text, sometimes two, telling me I have a message and to dial 660. I do and it then asks me for my pin. I have never been given a pin. So I've tried a number of combinations - none of which have worked - and now get even more annoyed when these texts arrive, remindind me I still have a message. I feel my phone is mocking me and I have no idea how to make them shut up but I think I'm going to have to go and search for a mobile shop this weekend to find someone French and mobile-telephonically-minded who can help!)