Back on the buses
There is a choice of three buses that I can take in the morning to get to work. One of them is the university bus, I’ve taken this one 4 times so far. Every morning It’s loaded up with classes of school children on their way to learn about marine biology. They are 5 to 6 year olds which means that this year they have learnt to read. I’ve really enjoyed listening in to their conversation and the spelling out of words that goes on; everyone knows exactly which stop we are coming to as place names are called out as they show up on the electronic notice board. I’ve enjoyed listening to the personalities too. There always seems to be a bossy one. Making sure his friends take it in turn to speak, remain sat down etc. Then there is the one who has so much to tell everyone that he can’t quite get in out in the right order, the cynic corrects him and makes him feel small.

An interesting one was the boy who pointed out his mother’s car to everyone (what a coincidence!). Unfortunately his act wore a bit thin when we reached the Maritime Museum and he told us that The Calypso was his grandfather’s boat. Everyone here knows that it belonged to Jacques Cousteau. The Cousteau family don’t live locally as there is always plenty about it in the local press if they visit La Rochelle in order to see how The Calypso is disintegrating. I have to get off the bus before the children do. I would love to see how the personalities organize themselves for that.