Severin came to Corrie's hse at 8+, i dont noe y.

I tot he wd like to have breakfast with us.

So I took my time to eat my breakfast and cleared the table. I didnt noe tt he was in fact waiting for me to join Agnes and Jean-Paul at the Mallemort mkt.

 

So, we left tog and I didnt expect also tt he wd hold my hand and walk the entire mkt tog. hmmm.....

It felt weird to run into his auntie and sister seeing us hand in hand, when we arent a couple.

Apparently he didnt feel weird.

John and his companion took ages to buy gifts and shop for clothes.

The mkt was like any other Provencale mkts I have seen - veges, fruits, cheeses, meat, charcuterie, olives, clothes etc...

I got bored quickly and sat at a corner watching Corrie and her fren try out clothes. =(

 

The youngsters left to find a seat in a nearby brasserie where I tagged along.

After, Severin and Jean-Paul became our guides and brought Agnes and me ard the town all 4 of us tog.

We found an orientation table and mounted a little to take a group photo tog, Agnes, JP, Severin et moi.

 

After the little tour of Mallemort, we rtned back to Bruna's hse.

Did noth special just swimmed in the swimming pool while observing Severin work on the cables in the garden and Gaby work on the soil.

It felt funny to be watched by Severin when I swam in the pool. hmmm.....

 

Severin suggested it wd be better if i stayed over at his place tt nite, coz we were leaving the hse late and gg back late too in the morning.

So i packed my stuff, showered, changed into a semi party gear - jeans with my bahtik, translucent top, and went to his place.

He was quite a poor chap, but i appreciated his sensitive heart and good naturedness.

I drank SOHO Litchi for apero and b4 we headed for the disco.

He cooked couscous with meatballs for us 4.

 

The boys were really hilarious as they put on suit and tie for a nite out at the disco! bizarre!!! haha....

They really reminded me of Men in Black - I call them Men in SUITS.

They looked either mafia or stupid. I didnt like their dress sense at all but bore with it.

 

It took abt 40 mins drive to Cavaillon.

We settled down first in a bar to have our first drink.

I tot i saw 2 cute guys.

About 12am, we left for a disco, which had an average clientele age of 18-20.

GOSH.... =(

The music was house electro punk. Not oo bad, danceable.

The only prob was tt Severin stuck too close to me the whole nite and only wanted to dance with me, which I wd have very much preferred to be left alone to dance alone and maybe chat up a cute boy when my eyes found one.... PITY.....

I disappeared into the crowd once to escape from Severin coz it felt suffocating the feelings when I didnt like the person. PITY.... if only it was a man i like, if only....

 

I went outside to the pseudo beach bar style corner to take in some fresh air and spotted Jean Paul and Severin in the midst of a serious discussion about 200m away from my table. I didnt wanna be spotted and went further away.

After I ensured they had left the bar and I was alone at ease, I re-entered the interior discotheque to dance alone next to our table. 

A guy from the next table tried to pick me up but with no sucess, coz as soon as he approached me, Severin wd also come close to me and dance with me, like we were a couple. sigh.....

 

Hunting and being hunted - I think i have gotten over this exciting & interesting phase of my life.

Now, I am only looking for a man who loves me and accepts me as who I am, will be there for me whenever I need him. he understds how he can best profit from life and is open minded and receptive to different cultures and practices and thinking. he is ready for a serious and committed relationship. he is sporty and active, has a good heart, and noes how to look deep into a person's heart and soul....

I myself lack the depth and clarity for the moment, and im still shallow and prefer goodlooking men, but I think im changing along the way....

 

After we had finished about 3am, we left the club and it was the first time I slept next to Severin. 

I held his hand and hugged him coz I saw so much pain in his eyes. I didnt have the heart to reject him when he needed sb next to him for some support.

I didnt feel completely at ease but even so, I managed to fall asleep next to a man i dont like but have very much empathy for.....

 

 

 

 

 

Severin had arranged ith me to be my guide on a hiking trip.

We met at 8am, set out with Christian's and Monique's bicycles but then realised that the pedal of Christian's bike still kept falling out.

We had to return to the hse and re set out hiking on feet, still motivated and excited about the half day journey.

 

Saw beautiful rock houses on the hills of Luberon, dry yellow grass and nice crisp green forest at some parts.

Severin and I chatted well about his problems, about what im looking for in life, about the region, the history of the villages etc...

For an electrician I think tt he is quite knowledgeable about his hometown region's history and architectural knowledge.

 

We finished at 12+, and rtned home to have lunch with the family and Dutch visitors John Mandola and his special fren/companion.

John does clown shows for a living, and when he was younger he was in a rock band in holland and hoped to make it big.

He said his band had some fans tho not big.

After he met his wife and decided to have kids, he decided he had to change his job to earn a better living to raise his family.

He did the clown show with his wife, and after she passed away, he nvr re married or tot of getting his companion to replace the role of his wife at work.

He also wored a pendant with the photo of his wife, a gift from his parents-in-law after the funeral of their daughter in remembrance of her.

He nvr took it off.

I think tt is a romantic and deep loving relationship. Im envious.

 

As John's companion has asthma and another smokers' disease, she cd not hike with john.

So Corrie asked me to accompnay him to hike while she, her good fren and Gaby cd go look at tiles for the hse.

So I did another half a day of hiking in the Gorges de Regalon with John.

Along the way, we discussed about his job as a clown, how he loved to bring joy and laughters to children, about how chasing a dream as a band is difficult, and how the little bands need to carry their own equipment and set up the stage etc...

 

John is gentlemanly and from time to time on slightly difficult climbs or descent, he wd ask if I needed help.

Severin takes care of me well also when we hike.

We fnished hiking about 5 or 6pm and walked the main road home.

 

The dutch visitors came ard 8pm and they as usual had their apero of beers for 2-3 hrs.

Severin, Agnes, Jean-Paul & I were famished by 9 or 10pm when the bbq had not started.

Severin suggested we took a walk up the ruins of the chateau of Merindol.

I brought along my touchlight, clever me, well prepared.

I always felt uncomfor if Severin tried to hold my hand or look me in the eyes. I tried to run away each time.

When we snacked and chatted outside the living room while waiting for dinner to start, Severin disturbed me saying he wd try to throw me into the swimming pool.

JP replied saying i noe chinese kung fu, hahaha.... ;P

After we finished our bbq dinner & the dutch carried on chatting n drinking, we cleared our place and I decided to go to bed and they went back to Severin's place at Mallemort.

B4 they left, Severin cornered me in the kitchen and hugged me and said he liked me well. hmmm......

He asked if he cd kiss my lips n i replied no.

It felt funny, coz i didnt like him but had a lot of sympathy to want to console him, since he told me tt morning tt his ex fiancee had left him for 3 mths, and he had also lost his job.

I understood how it hurt to lose sb u love.

For a man i liked for 4.5mths it took me 8 mths to get over.

Severin and his ex fiancee were tog for 3 yrs since he was 22 and she 27.

Now he is 25 and she 30, she decided she didnt love him anymore?? How cd love vanish so quickly without a valid reason?? I dont understd but my heart went out to him.

I gave him a nice big hug, and the usual bisous on the cheeks to say goodnite.

 

The next day we were gg to the Mallemort mkt.

 

 

 

 

 I didnt do much again.

Stayed at home and listened to some music with Corrie in front of her pc.

Loved Lynda Lemay's Je suis Grande and Cheri tu ronfles - reminded me of Olivier's thunderous snoring at night that sometimes I cdnt sleep next to him and had to migrate to the sofa or to the other guest room. hahaha....;P

Then there is Dans chacun de mes Silence by Marie xxxx Thebault, sth like tt.

And Laurence Falbert Il m'a demande xxxxx.

 

Watched Corrie and Monique's singing performance in March 2007 in Aurons.

 

Severin volunteered to drive me to the Vieux Vernergue to show me the ruins of the old remparts and remains of the castle.

Very kind of him....

We chatted about what I feel about life, my goals in France, how I felt lost and needed to noe myself and what I want better etc.

 

It was a short excursion of about 1.5 hrs.

After he sent me home, Corrie told me there was a gathering of the Dutch who had come to Luberon with their camping cars or caravans.

They brought me along with them.

Yupp was the friendliest of all the Dutch present.

There was another frenly sir who spoke English well enuf.

Thru'out the entire nite, the Dutch couples, Yupp and his and his wife, the teacher who spoke good English and his wife, Corrie Dutch and Gaby French-Italian chatted from like 7-11pm!!!

I tried my very best to listen to Dutch and tried to spot the few similarities wit English words.

The teacher was kind enuf to translate some of the jokes they yalled about to me in English.

He told me when he was younger and went camping, international communities sat side by side to discuss.

And they had to translate from one language to the next.

I did not sense any racism from this gp of Dutch men. All were generous; kept asking me if I wanted to have another beer.

Maybe coz they were more well-travelled.

Maybe coz they live in smaller towns and villages like Merindol in Holland.

They were not rich, middle income, comfortable, but generous in their souls and open to unde'rstd and welcome the exitance of another culture.

This was what made me felt welcomed despite the fact i cdnt understd a single word of Dutch.

By the time we got back, i had like 5 beers and bread and cheese during the aperitif.

There was no need for dinner.

We all went to bed, happy and satisfied. =)

 

Did nothing much except to chill at home with Corrie and met 2nd time Severin at their hse.

He works everyday in their garden to finish up laying the cable for the lights around the swimming pool and in the extended area of the living room.

He has a small built, about my height maybe 1.6m.

Lean, tanned, toned, with tribal tatoos on his chest and his arms.

We only exchanged our second bonjour and bisous in a frenly way.

 

I followed Corrie in the afternoon to change the swimming pool cleanning robot as the first cd not clean with enuf power at the depth.

 

Rtned home, did noth, chatted with Corrie.

 

Realised Gaby had skin cancer b4 and he had overworked under the sun, and was badly burned on his back.

He had an infection and boils on his back and needed to go see the doc the next day.

 

It was dinner, catching up, some reading on my part then to bed.

 

Olivier was very kind to send me to Gare de Lyon with his car.

We left the hse like 615am.

He waited with me until 6.40am until I boarded the train for Avignon.

We kissed again as we parted at the train station.

 

The ride was long, 3 hrs.

I read a little of the guidebook then took my nap and set the alarm clock to ensure I did not miss my stop.

 

It costed me like 4 euros to deposit my backpack at the baggage locker.

The first thing I aimed for as usual was the Tourist Office.

I tried to see if the Avignon Festival of arts and music was still gg on, but unfortunately, it had finished the Fri b4 I arrived.

There was a paying Jazz festival of 30 euros. felt ex. I was not prep to part with my money so decided to skip it.

 

I started with the Palais de Papes.

It was huge with 3 storeys and different sections were built by different Papes/Popes in different eras.

If i didnt rememb wrongly, the earliest was built in 9th century.

I followed with visiting the Pont d'Avignon/St Benezet.

It was built by the Saint Benezet after he received a vision from God.

I took the free navette/little boat to cross the river to the Villeneuve d'Avignon.

Initially intended to explore the monuments on foot, but was chatted up by a faux Arab.

He told me he was not an Arab, but sth else and spoke this other language.

He was born in Middle East, parents immigrated to Australia Sydney, and he was staying in Avignon to travel, visit his cousins, study learn French whilst working as a waitor in a restau.

His youngest cousin was cute, but pity not keen to chat with me.

We chatted abt differences between Arabic pple and their race, how Christianity was branched out from Islam, about Africa and Eygpt.

They treated me to a cup of Coca Cola.

I left the 3 of them after 2 hrs of conversation to carry on exploring the Villeneuve.

Was not sure of the road to find the monuments.

Only managed to cover un Tour for the evening.

Rushed back on the main road and bridge back into Avignon to see the garden.

Tried to find the pub which was housing a free jazz performance over aperatif, but by the time I got there, the gig was finished.

 

I was a little disppted coz I had to wait a good hour b4 Gaby wd come to pick me up at the Avignon train station at 9pm. sigh....

I walked off into a square and there again, I was chatted up by another French man whom I had forgotten his name.

He was in his 30s, either shaven or bald naturally.

He said he had an extra tic for that night's jazz concert as his fren cdnt make it last minute. I wonder if it was true.

Anyways tho I was really tempted to accept the offer of the free tic, I cd not as I had already requestd for Gaby to pick me up at 9.

I explained myself and said since he had some time b4 the concert, maybe we cd catch a coffee tog.

He kindly obliged and we chatted about his profession, abt his upcoming holiday, and what I cd visit in Luberon region.

By the time I had to go at 840pm, i offered to pay my share of the coffee but he declined and insisted that he wd like to treat me. How nice...

 

I rushed back to pick up my backpack, and waited for Gaby patiently.

When I still didnt see him by 915pm, I got kind of anxious and just when I was about to call Corrie, Gaby's white van arrived and he instantly recognised me. =)

He alighted from the van, a tall broad figure of 1.8 or more approached me and greeted me with 3 bisous left, right then left. hehe....

We chatted as he drove back to Merindol.

Discussed about my family, his family, he told me about Christian being depressed for the past 3 mths after he lost his gf, and that he had not been working. And Jean-Paul had quitted his job and looking for one now in the north near his gf, or here.

And Monique had been fired and just found a job to commence in Sept.

 

We arrived at Merindol about 1015pm.

Same old salle de fete/festival function room.

There were many villagers already seated, waiting for the summer festival to start.

Grey haired grandparents, parents with their kids, kids running around playing with their frens and toy guns, gaie and cheery.

Corrie was dressed in a white top and pants, with silver and blue jewellery.

She bent to hug and kiss me. Monique was sitting just next to her, whom I did not recognise as she had lost a fair bit of weight.

Then I saw 6 yrs old William. A fine, blond, handsome young lad with clear blue eyes just like his mother.

The last time I was in Merindol was in Aug 2002 and he was only 2yrs old, and Monique and Francisse were still married.

Now, he was a big boy and his parents divorced. How fast can things change....

 

We waited until like 11pm b4 the festival began.

It was interesting for a small village.

A French lady singing both french and english songs, with her elaborate costumes and cast of dancers skimpily dressed.

There was also magic show to humour the kids.

The dancers changed into translucent or shd i say nude top half costume for a can can cum erotic provocative dance.

The emcee, the Monsieur in black and red chinese atire cracked superb jokes and made the whole world laughed non-stop.

 

After the festival ended, there was disco, pop dancing amongst the old and the teens.

Corrie, Monique and I stayed to dance. For me, it was liberating to dance as I had not danced for 1+ mth! hahaha.... felt so deprived.

I loved the custom where the teenagers form a straight line, seatted down, and 1 guy or gal will run and throw himself into the arms of his comrades to be passed on to the end of the line.

Then the next person repeated the chain. Very amusing and full of support and comaraderie.

 

We returned to the hse about 1am.

I chatted with Corrie until about 2am then we retired to bed.

 

A very long and eventful day.