First day of the new school year. The little ones stand waiting at the war memorial for the crack of dawn bus that will take them off to school. They wave and say a cheerful ''Bonjour ! " to Bob and Sophie. Their new satchels ( oh what a source of pride a new satchel is when you're six years old ) are almost as big as they are. This morning there's a small crowd waiting for the arrival of the bus. Three of the local farmers are there, joining slightly flustered wives for their first borns great adventure. The men folk pretending that they're oblivious to the quiet enormity of this rite of passage. The village teenagers look as though they're about to go to the gallows and stare silently at their mobile phones. Has anyone told them that mobile phones have been banned from all French schools as of today ? Good luck with that.
The PONs head through the sunflower field to the stream and the waterfall. Angus follows along behind doing his best to keep on the flat ground between the furrows. Even though it's early the bees are out and about. So too are lots of small insects of the type that you just know will be silently biting your ankles as you walk.
To the bakers in the covered market. This morning two millefeuilles are chosen.
The square where we stop and have a morning coffee is deserted. Service is quick. The young waiter brings a bowl of water, an excellent croissant and a cup of coffee for Angus. Bob and Sophie's tails maintain a constant percussion beat against the aluminium legs of the table. They get the curvy ends of the still warm croissant.
So starts a Monday morning in deepest, deepest France profonde. Routine for some, memorable for others, a source of wonder to the PONs. The best day ever.
Precision flying. The 'missing man' formation. Someone married to a naval aviators daughter tells me the pull up and transition into full 'soaring' took place directly overhead. A pilots shout of acclamation : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7vo313Eps4
11 comments:
My neighbor, who is quite the bon vivant and experts on things gourmand, advises turning a mille-feuille on its side, so it can be cut without squishing all the crème out of the layers. It is good advice.
My kid's school successfully banned phones some years ago. A strict confiscation policy. The kids all have phones, but they must stay turned off and hidden, or they are taken away and the parents have to show up to get them back. It means they use their phones on the bus to and from school, and occasionally a secretive but urgent SMS from a toilet stall ("Fell in mud. Bring me clean pants"), but no disruption in class. Which seems entirely reasonable.
Ah, an excellent, still warm croissant. So much better than going to school! (Oh no, wait, full disclosure here, I thoroughly enjoyed most of my time at school). I wait with interest to find out how things go with Macron's mobile phone ban...
Cheers, Gail.
hari om
...and young lives face their first major change...
Angus and dogs, I broke my wrist last night so commrnting will be curtailed as thr one handed typing is a pain for the other one... but will be watching!!! YAMxx
Poor you ! Wishing a speedy and pain free recovery.
Good luck to those teachers trying to enforce a phone ban .
An alternative method is to turn it on its side, remove and eat the bottom layer, and then turn your attention to the more manageable remainder.
The bakery looks stocked up - do the kids get cakes on the first day of school? As you say good luck to them with banning mobile phones at school. Even work colleagues do not understand that they need to be discrete using their phones, that they are paid to work, not to browse instagram.
We shouldn't forget all those who manage to drive while texting. They usually weave into my lane just as we're passing them !
The roar of that jet as it headed for the heavens seems quite befitting of John McCain.
A cynic might say you can type the exact coordinates into the GPS before takeoff but seeing an aircraft soar like a soul is still a charming out of time ritual.
That flyover is most impressive.
Yamini, hope your wrist heals fast. Broken things hurt!
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