What a noisy evening!
A friend from DEFLE got engaged on Friday. It was great news. He had been planning it for months, a small circle of us were in on it, helping him with the ring and things like that. He popped the question and she said yes.
So they had a quick engagement and football party last night. They were away somewhere watching the England match so they said not to arrive before 8. So we all drove down to their apartment to chat with their mates, enjoy salads and pizzas and watch France play. Sort of. I can't watch a whole football match. They're too long! It's like those films that last two hours. I know I will never watch Narnia all the way through. But one of their friends is a professional footballer, so he was very entertaining as he shouted instructions to the team (and they did seem to follow his advice.)
It's great that you're never off duty as a pastor - a guy there said that in his home country of Chile he used to go to an evangelical church, but he hadn't found one in Bordeaux. He lives in Pessac so I said I'd get him the address of the two churches I know of there. I'll also give him details of our church, but we're a long way for him really.
When France scores you hear shouts and cheers from all the houses around - even out in our sleepy suburb. And when they finally won - well there were fireworks, people running round the streets congratulating each other, singing down their mobile phones. Utter lunacy. It's also the fête des vins in Bordeaux at the moment, so I imagine today at Quinconces will be even more festive.
The match finished at about 11 pm, so we drove home pretty well straight afterwards and discovered another custom - to drive round the streets hanging out of the the car window with massive French flags, everybody honking like crazy. The kids thought it was wonderful, and I quite liked it too! It took a very noisy half hour to get home.
The only drawback - I have never been drunk so much in my life. Those mosquitos were sucking their fill, going off for crisps and nuts and then coming back for more! I have HUGE bumps EVERYWHERE today. (You didn't think I meant....?)
When we got home I warned the kids to be quiet now and to stop whistling and shouting, and they told me to stop honking the horn, but our neighbour was having a barbecue out front, so we had a quick shout and cheer at each other, then went over for a late night chat. Pat and the kids left when the kids were on the verge of collapse, and I stayed till everyone left because we have been itching to have a good chat with this lady. It was a pretty good chat, too.
And to be honest I am not sure that we saw anybody drunk even last night. There was one chap who wandered into the middle of the road and back again, but he wasn't staggering or anything, and he did meet a lady half-way across. The behaviour was rowdy and cheerful, but nobody was carrying bottles and there were lots of children about. And even at the party there was a little drink, but not that much, certainly not by British standards.
I sent a brief message of condolence to a friend who is English and works in Brazil, and went to bed, tired but happy.
So they had a quick engagement and football party last night. They were away somewhere watching the England match so they said not to arrive before 8. So we all drove down to their apartment to chat with their mates, enjoy salads and pizzas and watch France play. Sort of. I can't watch a whole football match. They're too long! It's like those films that last two hours. I know I will never watch Narnia all the way through. But one of their friends is a professional footballer, so he was very entertaining as he shouted instructions to the team (and they did seem to follow his advice.)
It's great that you're never off duty as a pastor - a guy there said that in his home country of Chile he used to go to an evangelical church, but he hadn't found one in Bordeaux. He lives in Pessac so I said I'd get him the address of the two churches I know of there. I'll also give him details of our church, but we're a long way for him really.
When France scores you hear shouts and cheers from all the houses around - even out in our sleepy suburb. And when they finally won - well there were fireworks, people running round the streets congratulating each other, singing down their mobile phones. Utter lunacy. It's also the fête des vins in Bordeaux at the moment, so I imagine today at Quinconces will be even more festive.
The match finished at about 11 pm, so we drove home pretty well straight afterwards and discovered another custom - to drive round the streets hanging out of the the car window with massive French flags, everybody honking like crazy. The kids thought it was wonderful, and I quite liked it too! It took a very noisy half hour to get home.
The only drawback - I have never been drunk so much in my life. Those mosquitos were sucking their fill, going off for crisps and nuts and then coming back for more! I have HUGE bumps EVERYWHERE today. (You didn't think I meant....?)
When we got home I warned the kids to be quiet now and to stop whistling and shouting, and they told me to stop honking the horn, but our neighbour was having a barbecue out front, so we had a quick shout and cheer at each other, then went over for a late night chat. Pat and the kids left when the kids were on the verge of collapse, and I stayed till everyone left because we have been itching to have a good chat with this lady. It was a pretty good chat, too.
And to be honest I am not sure that we saw anybody drunk even last night. There was one chap who wandered into the middle of the road and back again, but he wasn't staggering or anything, and he did meet a lady half-way across. The behaviour was rowdy and cheerful, but nobody was carrying bottles and there were lots of children about. And even at the party there was a little drink, but not that much, certainly not by British standards.
I sent a brief message of condolence to a friend who is English and works in Brazil, and went to bed, tired but happy.
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