Reflections on two and a half months.

For those of you who have never had an extended stay in a country where the language is unfamiliar (to say the least), the culture is distinct, the cars are small, the streets are small, and the buildings are old - some very old, and where many wars were fought; this may be hard to relate.  France is a country with a VERY secular approach to life; yet where traditions based on faith abound.  Grenoble is a high technology center with MEMS and IC foundries, research centers, universities, and a 1600 year old baptistry recently unearthed beneath 3 meters of crushed stone and soil.  Relics of the stone age are found; and a fort (bastille) built in the 19th century against an invasion from Italy - which never came - overlooks the city with a few remains of a Roman wall at the base of the hill.  If you are willing to shop every day, the breads, fruits, vegetables, cheeses, sausages, etc. are wonderful; and you can get no better than to ask the proprietor to pick something out for you.  (Just don't try to shop on Monday - the sidewalks are rolled up.)  Going out to eat for an evening meal just cannot be done before 19:30 (7:30 PM por Les Americains).  Our dinner at a home ended when we pled age and fatigue at nearly midnight.  The little International Church of Grenoble where we worship has all of the difficulties of a transient congregation - Nancy and I are the "Seniors" of the group.  Three missionary families have been here for years; and they work with both the English speaking assembly and the French assembly.  I can hardly describe myself as being conversant in French; but most of the time I can tease out the meaning of written phrases; but can only pick out every third or fourth word (if I am lucky) of the rapidly spoken French.

So, how would I sum up this time?  Absolutely wonderful.  I am blessed with a wife who is my companion and friend in travel; brave enough to fly 6,000 miles home alone to prep for Christmas; be supportive of the sometimes strange and demanding hours I am working; put up with my sometimes mono-maniacal focus on tasks she does not know of or comprehend; and amuse away a number of hours with reading - since TV is either incomprensible or awful (and that describes the BBC channels) (well, not always :-) ) or in French.  Awesome!!!