Solidaire

8h France time

Today I'm celebrating a personal victory over rain and French red tape. I wanted to get my bus pass today, so I went to the bus information center to get it. The center had moved due to construction, and I was about to walk home when I decided to go there anyway. I hopped onto line 2 to go somewhere I'd never been, and when I got off the bus, I couldn't figure out at all where I was. I got some wrong directions from a couple of people, but then began to head in the right direction as it started to rain. By the time I found the center (after almost turning back again and asking a bunch of people), I was absolutely soaked. And there were lines outside of the center because the bus system has recently changed and everyone wanted a new bus pass. A nice man let me stand under his umbrella while we waited outside, and half an hour later I had my shiny new bus pass. Then I made my way back and got rained on some more, but I was laughing and smiling and confusing the Frenchies because I was proud of myself for actually getting that damn pass.

Cuter than this story is what happened as I was on my way back home. As I was making my way through the mall (the best way to go home), I saw my friend Andreea, who sprained her ankle recently and has to get around using crutches. I chatted with her for a bit, then offered to help her get home. As we left the mall, I heard a man saying, "On est solidaire (we're united). You see? She has crutches, too." I turned around and saw a dad talking to his six or seven-year-old son, who was also using crutches. The little boy was looking at Andreea, and I said to his dad, "Solidaire?" The man said, "Oui!" I told them goodbye, and the little boy said "au revoir" to me. Then his dad picked him up and took him to their car.