settling in

Somehow even after wandering the streets around my little apartment and looking at all the very French shutters and beautiful Toulousian tiled roofs, it still doesn't quite feel real that I'm here.  Without a routine yet, I still can't quite picture what the next year will include.  This morning I did a lot of research, looking into the various farmers and flea markets, the bus system (guess my adventure planned for tomorrow), and the places I need to visit to get my carte du sèjour so I can stay here legally (imagine that, me following the rules).  

This afternoon, I took a walk to a little park, 15-20 min away, ambling along towards whatever looked interesting (it's a holiday weekend in August, so almost everything is closed) on my way there.  I parked myself on a little green bench and finished the last pages of my journal, watching the little French toddlers run around on the playground and being very proud of myself when I could understand the pieces of conversation that floated my way (yes, I'm almost as good as a 2 year old.  Almost...).  Watching one of the little boys try to dribble (dreeb-luh in French) a basketball, jumping with every bounce, was pretty much the essence of adorable, especially when he decided to throw it over the fence to me, and we had a whole exchange tossing the ball back and forth.  Of course, tossing is a bit of an overstatement, he couldn't quite coordinate himself to throw the ball, but he could hold it proudly over his head for a few seconds before it dropped behind him or his grandmother tapped it just enough to send it over the fence to me, whereupon I'd grab it, and hold it back over the fence until he hit it hard enough for it to fall and bounce on his side.  It's good to know that no matter where you are, kids still love and need to play, and that it looks almost exactly the same.  

Here's the view out my big double window, of the neighbour's house over the garden and street: 

And this is the street sign for Rue Maxime Jouret, which is where I'm living for the next year!