Author: Emmanuel

Remembrance Day, 11th November 2014

11th November is always a bank holiday in France. We remember the end of World War One. In every town and village, there is a civil ceremony at the war memorial. I never used to go to the ceremony but in recent years, I’ve made a point to be there with the family.
I was impressed by the number of people who had turned up in Cognin on Tuesday. There were between 200 and 300 people I would say, maybe a bit more. The ceremonies are the same everywhere, but there is one thing I noticed. A choice sang the Savoy national anthem “les Allobroges”. I had never heard it before. I don’t recall hearing the Bro Gozh in Brittany though. Why is that? I wonder.
Anyway, it was a good ceremony. Jean-Baptiste and Maxime took part and put candles at the feet of the monument when asked. The ceremony was followed by an aperitif. It was an opportunity to chat with the school headmistress and get to know her better.

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Lyon-Guingamp in Gerland

Since we can’t go to the Roudourou stadium in Guingamp anymore, I had told Jean-Baptiste we would go and see them play in Lyon and Annecy. So last Sunday, we were in Lyon for one of the big games of the year. The stadium was packed.
We found the visitors entrance fairly easily and were among the first ones to arrive. Some joined us later. There were about 100 of us, most of us had come all the way from Brittany, but a fair number were from the region. It was good fun. We lost, but we had a great time with Guingamp supporters, singing and supporting the team.
At the end of the game, it was a new experience for us. We had to stay in until the stadium was empty before we could leave the place.
We went back to the tube under the rain, queued with everyone else, but by the time we got into the tube, most people had gone. We met a few other Guingamp supporters who had made the journey especially from a village near Guingamp for the event. We arrived home safely after an uneventful train journey.

Eglise Protestante Evangélique Lyon 3eme

On Sunday, I was in Lyon with my two older boys. We were there for the football match: Lyon vs Guingamp. Kick off being at 2pm, we left early so that we could be in church in the morning. I wanted the closest church to the train station for easy access, but also to get to the stadium quickly at the end of the service.

We found the church easily. They meet in what was probably a shop. There is a big window and people walking past it can see what’s going on inside. That is great as there was a market up the road, and some shops were open in the street. Many people walked past the church during the service.

We had a warm welcome. We were there early, and the pastor welcomed us, as well as a Korean missionary. People arrived slowly. It is a small work, but I was struck by the diversity. It is a Korean church plant by the JDM (Jesus Disciple Movement). So there were Koreans. But there were some French and Cambodians too, as well as two black men. The service was straightforward, and I enjoyed the sermon from Acts 13.

If you are looking for a church in Lyon, there is no doubt you’ll be warmly welcomed there.

What I like in using public transport

Most people don’t like public transport. They would rather be on their own in their car, stuck in a traffic jam, rather than crushed in a smelly bus. But I like public transport. Apart from the fact that there is no need to find a parking space in town, it is a good place to observe people from all sorts of backgrounds. Some things struck me recently both in Chambéry and Aix-En-Provence.
First is that some people are willing to have a chat while waiting for the bus. I recently had a long chat with an elderly from a village near Cognin. She knew my home village very well. Her daughter lives near my mum and she knows some of my mum’s neighbours. This morning also, I had a quick chat with a man while waiting for a bus in Aix-en-Provence. It didn’t go far, but he was willing to chat.
What struck me also is that I noticed young and older men actually stand up to let women and elderly folks sit. Also, when you leave a French bus, you thank the driver and say goodbye aloud, even if the bus is packed and the driver can’t hear you. It is probably not true everywhere, but it is true where I have been so far.

The school council

I was part of the school council when we were in Pabu. It was interesting. Meetings went smoothly. There was a good relationship between the teaching staff and the parents. The village council was committed to the school. It was a small village as well. But I think the Breton mentality with their hard working ethos helped make things go well.
Things are so different here. I thought it would be interesting to get elected here again. So, I am a member of the primary school council here. The first meeting was yesterday. It was the complete opposite to the situation in Brittany. The relationship with the town council could be better, and the relationship between the headmistress and the parents is not the best ever.
There were long discussions on various topics, and everyone wanted to have a say. But it is still good to be part of this.