Late Summer '96

It's mid August, lots of Parisians have already left for holidays or are about to leave. I've just left my job at Berlitz and started a new job at Computer Intelligence selling specialist databases to IT and telecoms companies. Just as I began a two week training course in my new job my little sister Rosanna , Edward and John (two of my brothers - Edmund never made it), Joey and Eva (two cousins) and two of their friends (Teresa and Kevin) arrive in Paris for their planned two week holiday.

It was great to see my family again and to share some 'quality' time with them. We visited all the famous monuments and places of note. My enduring memory is the picture of the kids forming the word PARIS in the Jardin de Tuilières with the Pyramid of the Louvre in the background. I'll post the picture on this site when I have more time.

It must have been a great two weeks for them. They had free roam of Paris for two weeks and had my place in Puteaux, near La Défense, as their base camp. John, the next-to-oldest brother was their 'leader', or 'coach'. The went to Disneyland several times, Aquaboulevard once, the Parc Floral in the Bois de Vincennes, the Eiffel tower. We even played football in the Jardin de Tuilières.

As much as it was fun during the weekend, I found the pace of the week-days tough-going. Not only did I have to contend with job training from 9 am til 6pm everyday, I also had to do groceries, cook, entertain and manage logistical problems for my new flat-mates! I didn't always get as much sleep as I would have liked and found myself struggling to keep my eyes open. On the last day of training, my new managing director launched into a marathon training session that defied all norms of formal training (remember - I had just spent the last two years honing my teaching skills). So not only was it boring, it was badly taught and I was having trouble staying awake. It must have been 30-35°C outside and I found myself excusing myself to splash water on my face more than once that day.

It was also during this time I met some other important people in my life. Roberto, the Italian golden boy and I shared a passion for Formula 1 racing. We hit it off straight away. I eventually became his flatmate and then his witness at his wedding. There was Bill, the curious character from Milton Keynes. Eager to share his inner most secrets at a whim, we also hit it off as we discovered we shared the same birthday, the 24th July. Bill had been working there for some years before me. He couldn't speak french and always seemed to be broke. That explained his unwaivering regime of chips, ketchup, lots of bread and water every lunchtime. This is what you can eat for 'free' at the company canteen using the company-subsidized canteen card. Some weeks after my family left, towards the end of the month, he asked if he could 'stay and eat' in my home for a few days until his next pay cheque arrived. Not being sure what to do, in the knowledge that whatever my reaction the repercussions would be lasting, and adding a splash of naivety with equal amounts of charity, I agreed to his request. Although both of our characters have evolved over the years, and the fact that we don't see each other as often as before, Bill is like family to me now.

When I got back to my flat in the evenings I found my family and their friends still as fresh as when I'd left them on the mornings. I fed them, entertained them and once even scolded them for the water-fight in my apartment. One day I got a bollocking from Thierry, the manager of the Foyer. Apparently there had been 'complaints' from neighbours about a 'gang' of young asian kids 'playing' in the neighbourhood. I was warned that if they got more complaints they would re-examine my status at the Foyer. Even if I thought Thierry's remark was a little heavy for 'kids playing in the complex', I had to respect the wishes of the Foyer or I risked being kicked out of my cosy little flat. The gravity of the situation was absurdly disproportionate to the cause and my family and their friends were so disbelieving and unruly that I really had a tough time getting them to heed the warning. Between the all-day training, the shopping, the cooking, the entertaining, the chiding, not to mention the lack of sleep, the stress was getting to me. I was only 26 years old and I actually began to look forward to going to work to get a break. It was just too much for too long.

Then one day, they left. I saw them to the train station. The flat was now empty. No water fights, no keeping me up late at night with their jokes and giggling, no more whining about not liking the food I prepared for them, no more stress. The sudden change from full-volume domestic family scene to empty, silent flat was almost a shock. I missed them already. I missed their closeness and the feeling of sharing immediately. Then I fell into a deep and well-deserved sleep.