Girlfriends Rock!

Blue Buns for The Baby Shower

When I was thirty years old, we lived in Sunny Sydney and Mr Getrealfrance threw a surprise birthday party for me.He whisked me off for my birthday dinner and while we were enjoying my birthday meal ( at the Bondi Tratt - wonder is it still there now?), my buddies festooned the apartment with balloons and decorations and when we returned, our pad was bursting with well wishers and we partied until the wee hours.
I'm just past 40 now and apart from a few facebook chats, we are not in contact with anyone from that 30th bash.
That's just the bleedin' trouble with expat friends. Either They Leave or You Leave.
We now live in the South of France and apart from some fab French acquaintances, the majority of our friends are now expats. Why does one go to live in another country and seek out fellow expats to hang out with, you may ask? The reason, for me, is that I have found that French women don't really do the girlfriend thing.
You will never see a gang of French women out in Perpignan, giggling together, letting their hair down and enjoying each others company. Couples socialise together on their own. Couples who have known each other since La Maternelle hang out and look uber cool, sucking cigarettes, wearing black and trying ever so hard not to crack a smile.
So, how do the French survive without girlfriends? Who is going to tell them they have camel toe ( look it up!), that their eyebrows needs plucking, that their bum does look too big in those jeans and that their hair needs colouring (thanks girls!)
Who to go shopping with? Who to bitch to? Who to have a knicker wetting laugh with? Who to call on when the chips are down? Who to cry with over a soppy movie? Who to get rat arsed with when the sheet hits the fan? Who to just listen when you want someone to just listen and not come up with a practical solution? Who? Who? Who?
Last night, my gang of expat girlfriends got together for a baby shower. Everyone pulled together to make food, cakes and pressies. The craic was mighty and it made me think of all those French women who really do miss out. Yep, I'll take my chances with my Expat Buddies, even if they will inevitably leave me one day....

Girlfriends rock! Vivent les Copines!!!!