Cinte Everywhere: France 2012 - Part 3

We took TGV around 8.30am to Brittany (Bregtane) on saturday the 4th and ticket cost us around 175 euro person since it was a peak season. Our journey are smooth and fast. Nothing much can see along the way except field and more field. I get excited to see hays everywhere since we don't have this in Malaysia. We arrived in Brittany around noon. It was cold since its been raining the whole journey. Nico live in Surzur which is another 20min drive by car from train station.

It was windy and cold. As my clothes are more suitable for summer (i expect lot of sun and not lot of rain) i was freezing to death. Short walk to the car feel like eternity. Nico's friend fetch us since we didn't tell his parents that we coming for the party. We wanted to surprise his mom after one year and to see their expressions. Its my 1st time meeting his parents and i was quite nervous.

Nico live in a small town call surzur. We didn't find time to walk around the town but they have an old church which look nice and a quite neighborhood. My 1st impression was, the place is quite and where is everybody. His home surrounded by corn and barley field, when we arrived his mom was doing some work outside the house and not really sure whose coming. When she saw nico came out of the car she's burst into tears and been hugging him. His dad wasn't home at that time and after received a call he immediately came back. When he hugged nico i can see how proud he is with him.

Since we are in Brittany and these people are french, his dad suggest to have apero (drinking session) as early as lunch. We chat a lot during lunch and i was a bit upset cos i cant make conversation since they speak little english and i speak little french. Nico become translator most of the time. Nevertheless i received a very warm welcome from his family and i didn't feel so awkward as i expected.

Culture different is something that i try to adapt very fast. French people really proud with what they have so if you want to see their house, just let them know and they will be more than happy to show you around. I get a tour around the house, field and nico's dad workshop. I've been told that most people who live there are farmer. Nico told me the reason he want to be engineer was because there's a construction site in front of his house which at that time only have one excavator and nothing much build. So i make fun of him saying how one excavator can change him. ^_^

People in Brittany well known for their ability to drink like crazy and didn't get drunk and they eat a lot of pork. "Je ne manger pas le porc", is the 1st thing nico teach me so there wont be any incident of me eating pork since i am muslim. Before i eat anything i will ask what in the serving and thank god both party respect each other. When his parents took us dinner outside they make sure we take seafood or at least no pork in my plate.

Eating out in France are usually a special event. Most family will cook at home since eating out consider luxury. Unlike here in malaysia where you can get food anywhere and everywhere with cheap price.

Kissing each other cheek is a way of greeting in France. Usually you have to kiss at both cheek BUT if they consider you as family you have to do it 4 times, twice at each side. So you can imagine how many people kiss me and i kiss.

During apero, when they cheers with the glass its really important that you look them in the eyes, its consider impolite if you didn't look. One thing that i don't understand until now they sure love standing and standing a lot. Even when they are inside the house and chairs available, they will form a circle and talk. Its look like they only can seat when dinner is ready and invited by the owner. Its a mystery that i need solve.