A new year begins--off to Paris again

A year ago was a painful time for me when I had to return to the US from Paris the day I was supposed to be heading to Burkina Faso.  I don't know what this new year will hold, as I recall the highs and lows of the previous one, but will simply have to wait and see. Since my time there last March, the woman I trained to work in the library has left the organization.  I, myself, will be volunteering under different auspices as Wycliffe Associates has changed its mission, and I will now be reporting to Wycliffe directly. And, of course, a thousand other mundane things.  Why just before leaving, I managed to break the little door covering the gas chamber of my VW Jetta--it was made of plastic! It will have to wait until I return to be repaired...

As in the past, even my travels there and back are often a form of courier service for others as the mail is slow, expensive, and unreliable. Although I complain from time to time here about the USPS or even UPS, our system is one of amazing trust and efficiency.  Below are some of the things I will be transporting this time--fortunately they are small and light, and no car parts!

If you recall, I bought a number of books by African authors at the Salon du Livre in Paris last spring, so I will be transporting them as well. This also includes a few additional copies of the children's books by Moussa Konaté that I ordered from Scolibris.

Salon du Livre in Paris March 2016

I have even brought along an extra suitcase so I can re-distribute the weight of the books and the other stuff I'm bringing so not go over Air France's weight limit of 50.7 lbs, but I may be able to get by with just the larger suitcase... I am fortunate to have a scale here in the apartment... 

books for African libraries

And more books

Just a few months ago my friend Fina, who works for SIL in Ouagadougou, has asked me about where she could find children's books in French suitable for African children! She is starting her own little neighborhood library, so I wish I could transport even more, but this will have for suffice for the time being. 

I arrived early at my gate

My flight over was smooth and went without a hitch. Although flying has by and large become a miserable experience, unless you can afford first class and benefit from many of the perks, I did fly on what appeared to be a brand new Air France plane this time. It had seats that actually reclined a decent amount, the media screens were larger than in the past, and the selection of entertainment was excellent.  The food has declined, it's true, but the electronic options have improved over time.  I could now pick from several dozen films, watch an episode from a French television series of my choice, learn a language, listen to music, or stress-reducing rhythms and mantras, or play video games. The time passes very quickly on these modern airlines if everything is functioning properly.

Then time came to a standstill. The wait to get through passport control in recent years in Paris has become unbearably long.  They have invested heavily in retractable crowd-control ropes that allow for all manner of byzantine line configurations. Gone are the days when, if you simply arrived early enough, the line might be short and you could hope to pass through it quickly...

But the RER was not on strike, I managed to jump on a direct train, avoiding all the milk-run stops and...

before long, I was in my French "home"!

I was greeted in the entrance to my apartment building with Maria's tree, santons and crèche.  I was delighted that they were still up, even if not lit at night.  Maria Ferreira is the gardienne of our  building and decorates every year.  Over time her crèche has become more elaborate as she collects more and more items. 

However, I arrived later than I did last year--too late to see the lights along the Champs Elysèes illuminated night, and too late for the Christmas market lining the upper part of that broad avenue towards the Grande Roue.  The other decorations were still in place, though, giving Paris an air of festivity.

But the Arc de Triompe was now illuminated brightly for the kick-off of a major handball tournament.

 

And the workers at the FNAC (a major electronics, and cultural products chain--music, books, films, video games, tickets for performances, etc.) were on strike.  I guess "plus ça change... "

 

Tomorrow the winter sales officially begin here, although I see that some special sales are already in progress... Signs that this past year has been a difficult one...