Nothing much to say

So during the past week I've been feeling a little bit guilty (maybe not the right word) that I haven't written anything for a while. Every now and then I have the thought that I really should add to my blog. This thought is then quickly interrupted by the realisation that I have nothing to say and hence i refrain from posting anything as I don't want my blog to become a boring dribble of tireless notes on what I do every minute of every day...Somehow though the first half of January has already passed by and I find myself wondering what I can write about 2008? Just this morning I had the realisation that in fact there are enough things that have happened this year that if I put them all together it might appear like an exciting cocktail rather than a mundane vodka orange.

So 2008 has begun with continuing a few obsessions that I started in late 2007 - the most notable being my addiction to Grey's Anatomy. After having watched a few episodes in Australia and France and being a bit lost and all over the place in terms of seasons, I stupidly decided to start right again from the beginning. In December my boss introduced me to the wonderful world of internet streaming, where I can get all the grey's I want for free, legally and without clogging up space on my computer....after a month of intense watching, '08 began with the end of Grey's anatomy for me (at least for a while) as I have reached the final episode that was filmed before the writers went on strike and am now waiting ever so eagerly for their return...

To counteract this first obsession, my other addiction has been the gym. When a Fitness First opened up at the bottom of my street in October I took it as a sign - even those watching from above must be able to see me getting fat. So I've now become a bit of a gym junkie and go 4 to 6 times a week.

January also means one unmissable event in Paris - les soldes!!!!!!! (Sales!) and as of January 9th (day 1) I have been doing my duty as a Parisian citizen and going shopping most days to see just how much money I can save (by of course spending)...Thankfully for my bank account I have been quite restrained thus far, as I've become far more picky in my selections - although this could all change in the 5 weeks of les soldes that remain.

French president Nicholas Sarkozy has also lost his head in more ways than one this year - starting off with his relationship and supposed upcoming marriage to an ex-model, singer, self-confessed polygamist - Carla Bruni...His popularity has plummeted since this new relationship (co-incidence? I think not!) and the French media are making claims that the prime minister could soon become more popular than the president - who the hell cares?!!! But Sarkozy's stupidity did not stop there - on the 7th of Jan came the announcement that Sarko wants to axe France 24 - my dream job could turn back into my dream without the job part in the near future. Apparently it is unthinkable to have French taxpayers paying for a channel in French, English and Arabic - all tv should be in French and if people want to see English or Arabic stations they can bugger off - Sarko who is supposed to be Mr. ''moving forward, keeping up with the times, breath of fresh air for France" has just succeeded in reenforcing the oldest stereotype in the book of the French being arrogant and unwilling to speak English. So now I am once again a bit confused, disillusioned and keeping my fingers crossed that this is yet another case of nothing ever coming of a politician's word.

This year I have also experienced another of the joys of French working life - the 'visite medicale', where you get the doctor's go-ahead that you are in fact healthy to work. This is always a strange ritual which involves peeing in a cup, getting undressed so that you can sit in front of the doctor for the following 15 minutes in your underwear in the middle of winter whilst you try to give your medical history since the day you were born in French (and I always forget to do my research - I'm shit on organs of the body and illnesses) which then becomes a game of charades, and you begin to wish you were allowed to keep your clothes on, as naked charades isn't really your style, and then you're told you need to be vaccinated against whooping cough, and polio (should you ever go to Marrakesh) until finally they find out that the group of antibiotics you're allergic to doesn't exist in France, which scares them enough to tell you not to go ahead with the vaccination anyway...and the best part of it all is I have to have this 'visite medicale' every six months...yay France!

So, in just a little over 2 weeks I guess quite enough has happened to warrant a post - and to add to all of that I have also made 2 new discoveries - an amazing restaurant called le petit prince, and the best falafel in Paris....not bad considering I had nothing to say.