Décembre

December in Lille started out with a bang, followed by a groan and a very loud sigh all coming from my direction. I remember specifically having a great first couple of days of the month, until Friday came, and I got what I can only describe as the flu. I was completely down all weekend, and when Monday afternoon rolled around, realizing I needed a note for my grammar class or I would be out, I dragged myself over to campus to see the nurse, not knowing where to find a real doctor. I feel like this was my fatal mistake. She proceeded to ignore everything I told her except that I had a cough, gave me some lozenges to suck on, a pat on the head, and sent me on my way. I feebly mentioned that I needed a note for a class I had missed in the morning and her response was "I can't prove you were sick this morning, you should have come earlier". And just like that, a semester's worth of work, good grades, and the $500 I paid to change my plane ticket were for nothing. Six credits out the window on the last day of class. I wasn't alone, though. Lorenzo, a very smart Italian kid in my class (who knows as much as I do after having studied French for only 7 months!), found himself in the same situation. That same weekend he contracted chicken pox, and was just as surprised as I was to find that he wasn't allowed to take the exam either, having missed one too many classes.

However, the incident led to my very first visit to a French doctor, which was really interesting. By Thursday my flu symptoms were gone but the cough had gotten really bad, to the point where I couldn't settle down and sleep. Asking around, I found out there was actually a doctor within a 5 minute walk from the residence, next to our metro stop. Who'da thunk it? Not knowing hours and having nothing on me but a little bit of cash, I made my way in that general direction. The building was very plain. I walked in and almost thought I had it wrong- there was a bare table, no secretary, just a plain waiting hall in front of individual office doors, and a few posters. A very friendly female doctor waved me in to her office and saw me right away. She showed an interest where I was from and how I was liking my studies, and made sure that I understood everything she was saying. She handled everything, appointments and money, and when she didn't have correct change for my 25 euros, she just took my 20 and told me to come back later with the two! It was pretty neat to have that direct contact with the doctor, instead of going through secretaries and nurses- very different from how things are handled in the States.

Being down for the first half of December meant I didn't get to spend as much time as I would have liked downtown. Lille was absolutely lovely decked out for the holidays. Not only in the main parts of town, but there seemed to be something no matter where you were. There were trees and lights strung up everywhere, a huge Ferris wheel in the Grande Place, roasted chestnuts, hot, spiced wine and cider, rides for children, food vendors with hot waffles, crepes and beignets (donuts), and of course the Marché de Noël.

Here it is on the first day it opened:



And here are some pictures I took the last Saturday before Christmas:

















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