Back to blogging - throw away revision notes!

Here I am! I've missed all of you over the last three weeks. I've been popping in and out of your blogs, sometimes too tired to leave a remark but you have been in my thoughts.

It's been a strange time really. I do not know why I have become so obsessive about this OU degree. But that is indeed what has happened and these last few weeks I have revised as if I had to take the most important exam in the world, instead of it being the third in a series of six (one after every course, except occasionally there will be a course assessment instead) before I get my BA (Hons) Humanities.

I've had flash cards and pages sellotaped to backs of chairs, walls, tables, bathroom, bedroom and car. I've committed to memory dates, quotes, bios and various things that didn't even matter - but I just wanted to stuff them into the neurons in case they would be of use on The Day.

What was the day like? Well, here is a little synopsis of how it went:

I got the train to Paris on Sunday, on a very sticky and close afternoon, checked into the hotel at around 7.30. Had fanciful plans about sitting in the bar, glass of cider in hand and practicing my French on people (halfheartedly revising all the while). What actually happened is that I stayed in my room, ate the sandwiches I'd made that morning (didn't want to chance any hotel food in case I got a tum upset for 'The Day Itself'), got my revision books out and went through them (not the course books but my own notebook), watched a bit of Austin Powers dubbed into French and then went to bed.

Had great sleep (air conditioning was just the job), had breakfast at 6am and then set to with some more revision and a watch of Ali G dubbed into French. (Staines massive is impossible to translate). I went down to the exam room about 9.45 , and 'did' the exam. The questions were more straightforward than I had anticipated and I knew all the information to get me a decent mark - if only I hadn't waffled, repeated myself or been woolly. If only indeed!

So, even though I was the only one out of the four of us sitting the exam who was disturbed by a man in a nearby office talking on the phone and various vehicles turning up outside the window, I had a huge grin on my face at the end of the paper about the fact that this course (Enlightenment to Romantic. 1780 - 1830) was actually over. I then had a great cab ride back to Montparnasse past all my favourite buildings (Louvre, Madeleine, Vendome). Mr FF and the two dogs were waiting for me at our local station and I felt very happy to be home.

I don't even feel too bad today - but I have put a complaint in to the OU about the external noise. This exact same scenario happened last year and I thought the hotel (Ibis at Clichy) would have put us in an internal conference room, goodness knows there were enough of them.

Oh and my last TMA came in at 83% which gave me a lot of encouragement but there is no way I will get anything like that for the exam. They always reckon on about 10% below your average essay mark - if I get 70% for the exam I will be happy.

Now I have to tackle all the things that have gone to pot a bit lately. Weeds in the garden, washing the windows and paintwork, sending our accounts off to the UK accountant (the French end has been sorted), catching up on people and places.

Why is there a picture of a French Fancy? Well, it is actually made out of felt and was custom made for me by Ouissi at British Cream Teas. I'm intending to have it as my avatar and it is currently on the edge of the table; it's a very cheery thing to have around. Fun, frivolous and quite inexpensive - can't say that about much these days. (the prices are only in dollars because Etsy is an American site - Ouissi is actually a Brit and you can pay in real money).