Yesterday was a really long day. I got up early and went au centre-ville (down town) because I heard there was going to be a strike. Apparently it's very common for the french to have strikes. Especially the train system, which can be inconvinient when you're planning to travel. Once I arrived downtown, I saw a plethora of people all walking somewhere. So I unknowingly followed them to where the strike was to commence. It was an amazing site to see. 
Tons of people all gathered to protect their rights. My friend Cory came and met me about the time everyone started marching. We joined the student section and marched with them around the city. There were shouting things in french that I never quite figured out. So now I can say I've particapated in a french strike! How cool; even though I didn't really know the exact reason for striking. I think it had something to do with teachers wanting a bigger salary and there not being enough job opportunities for those coming out of college.After that, I went to the huge Carrefour, which is kinda like a Target, but bigger and it was in a mall sort of place. I bought a few food items for chinese cuisine. I've been cooking
all the time, now that I have a pot and skillet. So I'm going to try to make some delicous chinese food. We'll see.
So lots of people have been leaving this week and more are leaving today and tomorrow. I've gotten lots of free things from them, such as kitchen items, food, toilet paper, and cleaning products. And last night they had a huge party for everyone leaving. There were probably 30 or more people in the kitchen partying. We were all packed into this tiny room. But it was fun. The kitchen closes at 11pm, so once we were all kicked out, we decided to go out. But because of the strike there was no bus to take into town. So a few people took taxis, some people drove, and I got to ride someone's bike. It was really fun. We went to the New Jazz Cafe and there was a DJ there. I had fun dancing. Overall a fun night. I think my french is getting better. I get nervous when I talk because I don't want to use bad grammar and I have to think of how to say things first.
Things are settling down here. I've been here for 2 weeks now. It's starting to feel like home. I finally went around town and took a few pics. This is the biggest one of the Cathedrals in Angers. There's still more of the city to see, but it's fun to go outside when it's cold and rainy. I'm sure that the city will look beautiful in the Spring. I can't wait!
I've been reading a lot of John Piper lately. I finally finished When I Don't Desire God this morning. And I started reading through Piper's famous article, "Let the Nations be Glad!" I also listened to a few of his sermons. They are very good. I'm stunned at the things that God has taught him through his many years of faithful serving. The main point of Let the Nations be Glad, is "Missions exist because worship doesn't." He talks about how we need to be God focused people who use worship as fuel to do missions. I would suggest everyone take some time (maybe 30 min) to at least read, if not study the article. Here's the link to the PDF if you have time.
Also I am uploading my pics to Picasa Web Albums. If you'd like to view them, here's the link:
Jordan goes on strike...haha. Thanks for the update and all the pictures. I will have to have you on Skype when I look at them again so you can tell me more about them :-)
ReplyDeleteYeah Jordan, those pictures are amazing. Looks like some cute girls over there too. Don't be afraid to come back with a wife.
ReplyDeleteDemocracy in action. I'm proud of you Jordan. I once went on a strike myself, I refused to eat brussel sprouts because my mom always made them and I hated them. I just got sent to my room with no dinner.
ReplyDeleteSarah