Thursday, November 11, 2010

One Hundred 70 days in Sceaux

Cold.  Rainy.  Windy.  Raw.  So is my 170th day in Sceaux.  The best part about today is that it is a national holiday, and businesses are closed.  Which holiday?  Armistice Day, the day the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end the "Great War", a.k.a., World War I.  Even a young Frenchman, in his early 30s, told me, "We must always remember, because Germany is still nearby".  There are no longer events held at Versailles, as all the WWI vets have passed away (I think one yet lives in the USA).  This, the 92nd anniversary of the end of the "War to end all Wars" (we wish it had only been true).

This past Tuesday, I attended a Bible Study at the French Baptist church I visited on Sunday.  It was a 45 minute walk, as the Parc de Sceaux closes at 18h00, so I had to walk around the park itself.  It was a little tricky, because I needed nor could see (due to the trees) any landmarks along the way while in the Parc de Sceaux, but walking along the outside, it is a different experience.  Judging distance was the hardest aspect, then I remembered, "DOH!, I have my T-Mobile myTouch 3G Slide in my pocket, and it has GPS!".  Well, problem solved, except for the part about navigating crossing a major street intersection with traffic from six different directions.  Obviously, I made it, or I would not be here now.

The Bible Study was a challenge, as it was all in French, but it was nice, as well.  We sang several songs, and I got to try and decipher what hymn numbers were given.  Unlike the Southern Baptists in America I know, who never sing the third verse of a four verse hymn ("OK everyone, first, second, and last verse of ..."), these French Baptists sing every verse (I know this makes my Presbyterian brothers happy).  Singing helps my vocabulary and enunciation, as it is slower than speaking and you can hear sounds better.  I was asked to introduce myself, and I did my best in French:

"Je m'appelle Marc; je travaille chez Schlumberger dans Clamart; je suis geophysiciste; et evangeliste et missionaire; j'ai evangelizer dans Romanie, Liberia, India, Nepal...nous enseignons l'eglise (au) evangelizer...maintinant, je suis en France"

Spoken, it was much more broken and uneasy, and I am not sure about all the syntax, but they were very accommodating and understanding.  They began to ask questions, and I asked if I could respond in English.  They all seemed to understand English, and the couple of people who did not, their friends translated for them.  The Bible Study was about the Wilderness Tabernacle, and it was eventually tied to the tearing of the veil that guarded the Holy of Holies upon Christ's death.  I used my trusty smartphone and an excellent Bible app called CadreBible to flip between English and French versions (it is easier to follow their reading in French, then I would flip to English; again vocabulary, vocabulary).  Hearing brothers and sisters pray in French, sing in French, and study the Word in French was very uplifting, for as it is anywhere with the Lord's flock, we are among family.

I have found that one needs multiple outer wear (coats and jackets) in these "four season" climates.  Sometimes you need a little warmth, sometimes a lot; sometimes water repellent is an important trait, other times it is not (now it seems it is ALWAYS important).  Some of you have heard me say, and I stole this from a Louisiana gentleman with whom I worked in Houston, "We have two seasons in Houston, summer and August".  I mean, a jacket gets you through the year easily enough, and all that late fall/winter gear I had from my days in places north of the Red River are long gone.  Here, I have a coat that feels great in the morning, but is too much in the afternoon (as I have to walk to bus stops and wait, I notice such subtleties more, otherwise I would go light and be done with it).  Eighteen years in a place that gives you 300 days of sunshine a year has its advantages, but a sudden shift to an antithetical place reveals the weaknesses in one's preparation.

Sunrise is moving ever so closely to 8AM (08h00 per the French), and I have a couple of pictures for your viewing pleasure below:

A little over an hour before sunrise, in the "alley" behind my apartment, where I exit to walk the 500 meters to the bus stop.


Sunrise this morning, and yes, take warning, after my run, which finished over an hour earlier, the rain and wind came.


Passez un bon week-end,

Mark

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