I just got home from spending the afternoon with Christine, its really lovely to have made such a good friend here. We walked home, after having a superb chocolate chaud(look above), arm in arm laughing as we both pulled different words out of our respective vocab hats trying to communicate effectively. We are both interested in discussing all the similarities and differences between our two cultures. Earlier in the day Christine accompanied me to the post office, where I have been everyday this week either sending packages and cards or picking up packages (thanks mum & Peta, you’ve made it feel like Xmas!). I was posting 20 something cards today and if I was in Australia, after buying the stamps, I would just head over to the bench and using the wet sponge made available, get on with it. But there are no such comforts at La Poste, nor bench space or pens on a chain to help get yourself sorted, so I normally just head home and use a clean wet sponge. But today I didn’t want to hold up my afternoon with Christine so I asked her how I could ask for a wet sponge or what ever it is the french use for such a situation. She looked at me blankly and said “we just lick them”! I said I would not be licking 22 stamps, I was not ending my life like Susan (you know from Seinfeld?)! When I explained Australia Post she could not believe that we had such luxuries made available to us! So next time you are at the post office bumping elbows with your neighbour at the narrow benches trying to get the pen on a chain to work or applying stamps whilst wrinkling your nose at the always grotty little sponge and wishing they changed them more frequently, be thankful for these luxuries. Who would of thought!