Caretaker 24- The French Convention

Ok before we start, let me just state that I am French-thru heritage- and the following did not offend me in anyway. Nor is it intended to offend anything with that-how do you say- "je ne sais que"...of Frenchness. :) Then again I am one of those "quiet in the elevator" type of French females...I am what I am.

As told by Matt Dellaquila:

It was a weekend just like another... but then the French came. Why is that such a difference? You may wonder? Well the French have a reputation. When we say French, we are talking about the French from the islands. There is a distinct difference between the French from France, or Canada... and the French from the islands...

To illustrate: To be on an elevator with French from France... not a word is said. Most of the girls are quiet, petite, very lady like.
The French from the islands have a history of throwing away their used chicken bones in our fountains, or flushing them down the toilet.

This past weekend, the smell of "colligreens" was stronger than normal at lunch time. This was because of the STOVE that the friends thought was ok to set up in the first floor cafeteria. Keep in mind, that this is indoors. One of the friends said she wasn't aware of the "bring food arrangement".

Typically the assembly hall has coffee for the tour guides that come everyday. The only time this provision is not available is on the days of the French convention. Ice cream is locked up, and coffee hidden in the basement. Why you ask? The French.

I hate to be be dogmatic, or generalize in speaking about the "the French"....but the great thing about the French is that most of them are so easy going that they are able to laugh at these things. They have a very warm spirit, and the brothers always greet you, even if you can only communicate a few words.

Rehearsals for the drama were always something funny. One night when I was on duty,I asked the brothers what time they would be finished practicing, he told me no later than 10pm.... At 10pm one of the sisters was asking me where the nearest Dunkin Donuts was. Drama rehearsals ran until 11:30 at night.

The French love to talk after the session is over. A few months earlier when I worked during their circuit assembly, it was getting close to 8pm. I made the announcement that the assembly hall would be closing in 5 minutes.... please exit the building. The friends in the lobby busted out laughing at the announcement.... and continued talking for another 20 minutes. I found myself at their mercy.

You've gotta love it. Jehovah accepts people over all backgrounds, customs, and languages. And so must we. This weekend is French # 2. There is a huge chiller that will be lifted with a crane on top of the building during the session... I hope to get some pictures of that.... Overall the convention was a huge success, sure there were some spills, some coffee missing, and some minor property damage... but we love our brothers don't we? Yes we do.... Yes we do.