One Last Try

Hubbie had a third-round interview with a consultancy firm today. As expected, the firm didn't have a project to put him on right away, so they claimed they would only be able to offer him a job in early January. We will wait, like we have before, for this hope to become reality and for the job to materialise... but we have decided that if it does not happen by the 5th Jan, we will start looking for work in Paris.

Paris is not so bad, with its grandes rues, cafés, museums and large ex-pat community. I mean, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. But to us, it's just another big city containing big city people and offering a big city (speedy) lifestyle. We have never felt drawn to live in Paris. Where we live now, people strike up conversations with neighbours, with mail carriers, with people in the metro, anywhere, anytime. I often chat with moms in the playground, even with my limited franςais. I love that gift of gab most French have and their willingness to use it. When we were in Paris in October, we went to a playground, and our 17-month old son fell flat on his back after being intimidated by a bigger kid. The kid's mom was on her cellular phone the whole time, vaguely watching us. She didn't say a word to me. She did not offer an apologetic look. She did not even look me in the eye. That, to me, symbolised the general feel of being Parisian.

If Paris is where we are meant to be, then that is where we will end up. It will make me sad to leave this place. We've made some friends through the church we attend here, and had hoped we could stick around to serve in this congregation. Being older now, our son will probably notice the change of environment and it would probably affect him more than our move from London. We hope it won't cause behavioural problems or problems sleeping! The stress of moving again may cause me to have behavioural problems.

Of course, there are a few churches we know of that we could serve in in Paris or in the suburbs. That may well be where God wants us to be. We will wait and see.