Winter climate comes after winter time

As the inhabitants of Angers who passed from the summer time for the winter time on october 31st, the weather change a week later from mild to cold temperatures. It is not yet winter but the climate in Angers passed to the autumn atmosphere during the last weekend. While temperatures ranged from 15 to 18° on the last afternoons, on sunday they hardly exceeded 10°.

Moreover, after dry months of september and october, november started wiht heavy rains on saturday and even hail on sunday making for exemple the Bodinier street, presently in works, a true marsh impossible to cross otherwise by using big floorboards laying on the surface. Such a weather could make easier the new green carefully unrolled on the streetcar line along Foch boulevard to take roots.

The trees of course took their autumnal colors unrolling a yellow and red carpet along the streets. While people were drinking at the open air terraces of the cafés in Foch boulevard and Saint-Laud street till the end of october, the consumers were scarce on sunday afternoon. Pedestrians who nevertheless took fresh air were this time wraped up warmly. "Summer will not last forever"...

Death in loneliness in the silence of the summer

News analysis.- A local media announced on november 6th the discovery of a woman died six months ago in her flat at Saint-Georges street, in the down town of Angers. Any neighbour noticed the disappearance of the person, 66 years old. The syndic, who manage the building, intrigued by the silence of the inhabitant warned the authorities. So a distress has probably been discovered on the occasion of a professional (it means unpersonal) issue.

This tragic news item illustrates, once again, the loneliness of many persons. If, this phenomena becomes common in our society, the men as well as the women, the poor household is concerned as well as the wealthy, and the young as well as the elder, it is nevertheless more acute for the last category as the surge of death among seniors in France showed it during the scorching summer of 2003 (the death of that inhabitant of Angers occured precisely in july when many persons are gone for holidays).

But this sad news illustrates the gap between the "solidarity" the "modern" society promotes (or tries to convince itself of being like that) and its actual behaviour. We are able to communicate with many people at the same time, wherever they are, but we don't pay attention to what is next to us. The world of communications acting like a screen between us and the others.

Blake and the mother

The works of british draughtsman will soon decorate the hall of the new maternity hospital in the CHU of Angers. The drawings of this artist, Quentin Blake, 78, who lives in London, are already exhibited in others hospital and, among them, the Trousseau hospital (Paris).

Quentin Blake works since a year to this project. About fifty works in large size will be posted on the front side of the maternity and, later, will be set in all the hall of the building even in those dedicated to the deliveries or the wake up rooms. His pictures consist in blue forms drawn with blue ink stood out from watercours. They show on a poetic mood the moment of the delivery in order to make the parturient more comfortable.

The british artist, who confess, he is not a husband nor a father, had illustrated more than 250 books and, among them, the famous Charlie and the chocolate factory, received several prizes. The initiative of this exhibition was sponsorized by multinational companies like Danone and Nestlé as well as public institutions like Mécène et Loire and the city of Angers. An exhibition of the Blake's drawings could be hosted next year in the Toussaint Library.

The pedestrians of Angers deserve better ways for moving

Town hall which promotes walk as a mode of displacement throughout Angers for years should reconsider carefully the condition of the pavements. Many of them, in spite of the fact they have not been affected by the works of the street car, should be entirely resurfaced.

Over the years, their surfaces are just a patchwork of tars, cobblestones, concrete, rocks, soil often dented by the roots of the trees, when they are not obstructed by garbage cans, cars parked outside the spaces dedicated, or made dirty by the shit of dogs...

But this is not the worse. Sometimes the pavements are absolutely impassable because they are too sloping and/or lower than the street. At times, in the zone of construction of the trolley line, they disappear entirely then reappears according a new trail with, all along, pipes, sacks of cement, fences displaced or turned upside down.

Initiatives of town hall regarding the promotion of cycling in Angers are not always happy. The ways for cycles and pedestrians are frequently arranged side by side what can be dangerous for the lasts.
These are the conditions of displacement for no disabled persons or people familiar to the city. How can the blinds, disabled persons or simply seniors to move throughout Angers?

The incomprehensible lifelessness of Angers on sundays and legal days

In many stores, supermarkets or restaurants of Angers which open on the weekends, or during short holidays like those of mid autumn, it is frequently difficult to be served in short times. In some places, the majority of the cash desks are closed so the clients have to queue; in others, when several customers want to lunch together, they can't do so because the meals are served one after the other because there is no enough staff...

Such circumstances are difficult to understand because, at the same time, there are a lot of customers available and eager to consume and a lot of the numerous students Angers counts who would be happy to work during the weekends to get money (without even mentionning the fact that many shops are closed on sundays what makes the city quite sad and the economic situation would deserve more freedom for the people to work if they want to).

Many foreign students living in Angers for short periods are astonished in front of the difference of the city during the week (alive and young) and on sundays and legal holidays (empty and even gloomy). During the last All Soul's Day, some stores were opened in down town and consumers were in at the end of the day. They looked like "candles in the night".

Parents want their children to call the teacher by her christian name

A young female teacher in a primary school in the surroundings of Angers has recently been criticized by the parents of her pupils because she had prohibited the children to talk her otherwise than by using the title "Mrs". The families of the pupils complained about this teacher, recently appointed in that school, because she changed a use which, previously, authorized the children to call the teacher by her christian name.

The collegues of this teacher choose, years ago, to be called in their classrooms by their christian names (even if the children didn't ask this right). The young teacher refused to toe the line as her collegues hoped she would do so, arguing that she needed a distance to teach and that the children have to practise the two ways, familiar and unfamiliar, to talk to anybody in daily life.

Formerly, in private as well as public schools in France, it was compulsory for pupils to adress to their teachers using "Mr", "Miss" or "Mrs". Moreover, in France, when a person come in a store, a bank, or a public service, familiar words are never used. Why would the children have a right the adults have not? This evolution toward more direct relationships between teachers and pupils backfired very often since years in France, a situation whom the teachers suffer. So, who is to blame?

New stores with english sounding names will operate soon in Angers down town

"Green is better", "City Bike" and "Eatalie" are the names or the catch-phrases new stores choose for their next opening in Angers down town. "Green is better" is the slogan of a new vegetables restaurant which will take place in Botanique street up from mid november.

Not far, and up from november 2nd, "City Bikes" will welcome bikers who need a quick repair. Moreover, the store will rent electric bikes. These will be necessary to climb the Roe street where, apparently, no way for cycles has beee planned. "Eatalie" is (truly) an italian restaurant located on the place of the former "Kfé du jour", Bodinier street.

These businesses which clearly refer to english language join others recently ("Loding", Sainte-Croix square) or soon ("My favourite place", L'Espine street) operated in down town. It is in the owners'best interest to warn consumers, on their front doors, that "Here, french spoken" and "euro accepted".

A young inhabitant promote Angers on You Tube and Facebook

Born from a taiwainese father and a laotian mother, Delphine is a pure product of ... Angers : native from that city and proud to be part of it. Its interest for Angers lead her to conceive and record, with the help of a friend, a serie of video sequences broadcasted on Facebook which generate an affluence of internauts. According to an article of Maville published in october 29th, the website of Ouest France, the sequences were viewed a 3 000 times and 1 200 persons recorded themselves on Facebook as friend of Delphine who makes discover, with passion, her city.

Seven episodes yet are visible on You Tube like Delphine at the photo booth, at Ouest-France editorial office in Angers, at the open air market, at the streetcar hall, on the Maine river and so.

Living and dynamic sequences introduce Angers and some of its inhabitants on a mood sometimes... original. The comment are direct and use familiar terms while mentionning some useful figures. The whole looks too to Delphine, alert woman of about 20, with sense of humour studying in Belle-Beille, whom fingernails are red and the hairs blow in the wind. So, as each sequence concludes, "to be continued".

The news coverage on marches against the reform of pensions between lie and lie-in

News Analysis.- What is the subtle difference between mobilization and determination? About the demonstrations which took place on october 28th against the law changing the retirement age, what could explain mobilization may decrease while, at the same time, determination may stay stable? Logically, the quantitative importance of a demonstration depend on the resoluteness some persons have to demonstrate. We don't gather to march if we are not conviced of the necessity to do so.

But, according to the medias of Angers, this is possible, even if, between the marches before and during the Toussaint holidays, the number of demonstrators decrease up to 50%. This may confirm the own interest of the press to keep pressure on the social forces opposed to the law. This interest coud have two origins. First, many editors are not neutral face to the reform and their professionnal trade union didn't hide its opposition to the change. Secondly, demonstrations are always a dramatic event who can help to increase the sales of newspapers issues.

So, quite frequently, the treatment of that sort of events is guided more by corporatist reactions than concern of objectivity. A testimony published on the following day reveals the link between determination and mobilization. Interviewed about his assiduity to demonstrate on saturday, a worker of a state entreprise told he didn't come because "From time to time, it's good to lie-in"...

The possibilities of training to english language increase

The interest to the english language is an issue that parents and children may have in common. The last initiative in Angers regarding the teen-aged training to english takes place in Saint-Serge and is due to neighbours in that district. They are helped by an english inhabitants of Angers who already teach that language to pupils of Saint-Martin primary school.

Others possibilities fof adults exist in the city. Some, designed for pupils of secondary school, may be found in Angers. They may consist in private tuitions in class or at home (Acadomia, Aladom...). Adults involved in professionnal life may have lessons at the Wall Street Institute at their own rythm (like if they were in a body building center). The english-language library in Angers is another possibility through conversation groups and especially for unemployed persons.

A lot a Angers bars relate their atmosphere to english culture The James Joyce, Matt Murphy's and the Inishmore are the most known. But these are only complementaries to the former places. A tea room will come soon. And what not a restaurant?

A new video "Meetinangers" on Facebook

Facebook host a video produced by the city of Angers and, apparently, designed to attract the business tourism and some economic activities the town is lacking in that period of slow growth.

If the movie untitled "Angers get surprised!" attemps to keep rythm and show the interest of the city to foreign companies, some sequences look a little bit has been (like the Cadre Noir, from Saumur) while others are still very influenced by the desire to ensure Angers is not so far from Paris. On the other hand, the video mixes some legends written in english (website adress : www.meetinangers.com) what denotes a wish toward more openness.

Perhaps it would be more appropriate to point out the differences the city of the Plantagnet dynasty has face to the capital, not only in the "way of life with a french touch" but also in the transition between worktime and personnal life, that one being, as many people recognize it, quite difficult in Paris and its region.

Wilkinson is not ready for an "essay", according to French

Some national radios broadcast presently an advertisement staring Jonny Wilkinson, one of the most famous rugby player in the world. This english sportsman promotes SFR, a french mobile phone operator which just launched a new fixed rate called "Illimythics" in favor of which Jonny Wilkinson explains his choice. In order to add humor to the "ad", the advertiser points out (friendly) the mistakes of the rugby player in french pronunciation when he spells the words "Illimythics", "professionnal" and "euro".

Its clear that for english locutors, some french words are difficult to pronounce because the same letters in english produce other voicing. For example the end "thycs" doesn' sound like "thé" in french, and so for "pro" and "euro". But would the french people (and almost rugby players of the South-West) be able to pronounce correctly usual words of Wilkinson's language?

French people are pround of their own language (and they are right) and this advertisment only reveals a latent feeling of superiority face to others. But they ought to improve their own abilities in english up to let Wilkinson express himself in his mother's tongue. It will be more helpful.

"Esccapegoat"

Once again, the Ecole supérieure des sciences économiques et commerciales d'Angers was in the spolight in the news for an evening party which, unfortunately, lead seven students at the Cholet hospital for slight injuries. The floor of the discotheque of Saint-Quentin-en-Mauges where they stayed on october 23rd was just a little wet and a few persons slipped on it...

Was it really worth to call a meeting at the prefecture of Maine-et-Loire? Did a school, whom seven students were slightly injured in a gathering of more than 1 300 persons, and for a pure accident, in a nightclub, deserve such new attacks?

In spite of the number of students, universities and high schools in Angers, only these last were called on the Prefecture. They have a point in common. They are not free institutions. So this repeated charge against the Escca could hide a critic of what it represents : business, companies, money and so... The Essca could be in Angers an easy scapegoat.

A new garnments english style store in Sainte-Croix square

Angers inner city becomes anglicized. "Loding", a garnment store, launched a month ago at Sainte-Croix square, is the second UK inspired store to be opened since the summer holidays. Within a few weeks, an irish tea room will also welcome consumers in L'Espine street.

If "loding" has no meaning in english, the atmosphere of the store clearly shows the origin of its inspiration : furnitures with patina, learher armchair, thick green carpet. The garnments proceed of course from an english inspiration : brightly colored stripes ties. And the manager seems to arrive directly from a London upper district but is native from Angers. And Fortunately, the prices are not in english currency.

Let us hope for "Loding", many Angers inhabitants will come in and say "My tailor is rich"...

When a local media adds fuel to the flames after the demonstrations

(News analysis).- The article dedicated by an Angers media on october 23rd to the involvment of a canadian student presently in that city in the demonstrations against the reform of the pensions sytem raises questions about the role of the media in keeping pressures on the opponents to the government's project (an issue already evoked in this blog) and the absence of reserve on internal issues from foreign people living in France without paying their taxes (or any taxe) there (or anywhere).

In the article, the media quote the comments of the student regarding the damages of the demonstrations : "For me, the view of garbage cans scattered upside down, the buses and trains stopped is beautiful" (Did he have to travel on these days?). As for the the excesses of the demonstrations, the person consider them as "not desirable but normal".

If this student has the absolute right to talk about the flaws and even the faults of France, he must not forget that (aside the medical and housing aids he gets or may get from France) in his province, the retirement age is not compulsory, the weekly work time is 40 hours and the vacations don't exceed 4 weeks per year. This young canadian student should look watchfully at his own country and demonstrate... at home.

"strAngers" in the night

Inaugurated a few days ago, and since enlighted, the profile of the Confluences bridge stands out in the night over the Maine river. Its roadway is emphasized by a kind of a ships'rail whose line is elegantly curved between the right bank and the left one in which it gives the impression of sinking.

Green lights make the bridge look like a simple dotted line in the space. Viewed from the bottom, Confluences gives the pedestrian the feeling he is under the white body of a giant plane, an idea accentuated by the absence of pillars in the bed of the river, which would fly over the Maine.

But this sensation of mass vanishes when Confluences is looked from the Haute-Chaîne bridge nearby. Then, the profile of the "harp" (the technical word is arrow-bridge), which, in reality, attaches the bridge to the banks, giving its force to the work, makes it appear like a delicate thing suspended in space.

A unexpected result of the garbage men strike

The result of the strike involving garbage men could be different in regard of what these expectated. On october 22th, some of the "mountains" of waste visible in Saint-Michel boulevard were destroyed by fire with the garbage cans provided by the city of Angers. That means the strikers will of course have much work for cleaning the streets. But these facts may have also other significations.

At best, these destroyed garbages cans and the scattered wastes all over the pavements were caused by persons who just thought it was fun to do so, or who were "just" drunk.

At worst, these incivilities may express, not only the disappointment, but also the anger of people who live nearby and, through these destructions, want to punish the strikers. These decided the pursuit of their strike. These mountains of garbage may give ideas in other places which could be damaging for the inhabitants.

Angers, after the garbage storm

After a week of strike of the garbage men in Angers, the streets are full of households and shops wastes. Tons of garbage (plastics cans, cards) are lying on the pavements and the inhabitants don't know how to limit their garbage production. So the city hall decided on october 20th to clean up the most critical places.

But the strike, and may be the strikers, point out, once again, the minor respect a lot of persons have about to the cleanliness of the city. After the demonstrations of the last tuesday, the course of the demonstrators was scattered by papers, cigarettes buts, and so. Even the green spaces are not respected. Many demonstrators walked on the greens as if the strike was giving them the right to do so. Since that day, Angers looks like devastated after a storm of wastes.

Finally, the city garbage men will a to work twice to make Angers quite clean again (what would be good because the local taxes are to be paid right now). The city estimates 800 tons will have to be collected. The sprinkler is sprinkled. (credit picture Tony)

No buses for students between down town and Belle-Beille campus after 7.00 pm in 2011

A point of the next year schedules of the Angers buses net could anger the students and drive them to demonstrate in the streets once again because the problem will occur before their retirement age... Angers Loire Métropole announced on october 13th that, from june 2011, precisely the day the trolley will run, "an express line will link Belle-Beille and its campus to down town and the railway station going through the express way every 6 minutes. The amplitude will be from 7.30 am to 7 pm".

That means after that hour, the students will have to manage on their own to come back home. the buses will not be there while a lot of them are in the campus because their courses aren't over at 7.00 pm!

The official announcement doesn't mention that fact though eight universities are there with a library, the university restaurant and, since 2010, a additional universitarian residence (how the students who live there will go to down town after their daily sessions are over?). A second trolley line will served Belle-Beille but not until 2015. In the meantime they will only have to read "A streetcar named desire"...

New in the news

"La Tribune d'Angers" is a new weekly available in that city since october 14th. Published every thursday, it will cover local issues like polical life, economy, environment, society and leisures. The newspaper may be found in almost 160 places of Angers, Beaucouzé, Les ponts de Cé and Saint-Barthélémy d'Anjou, stores, shopping malls, public places and the Saint-Laud railway station. And it's free.

This weekly newspaper was already published in two others towns of the Pays de la Loire province : Orléans and Tours. The first issue, printed at 20 000 copies, contains news about Angers itself and cities around and has its website.

This new title is added to those of the Sipa-Ouest France Groupe, the Ouest-France and Le Courrier de l'Ouest. Angers is on the web with Angers maville, Angers Mag Info and Angers Ville Actu. Recently a web tv channel appeared also in the city : Angers tv.

English is on the front page of La Tribune d'Angers because at the top and the bottom of the cover ads appear in that language : one talking about a new car described as "trendline" and the other is a well-established angers irish pub. Cheers!