If you can't beat 'em, join 'em

Sigh.

Today there is a grève générale in France. This is the second general strike in France since Molly and I arrived in France and the 8th strike that We have witnessed in any number of ways since arriving (this includes a strike we read about where life drawing models protested nude in Paris in the dead of winter... idiots).

Normally this strike business is kind of laughable. It seems to be the only tool that the French populous has to tell the government that they are unhappy about an issue. When you discuss other tool, e.g. boycotts or letter writing campaigns, they look at you as though you have enormous eyes, green skin and antennae. The strike in France is an institution. In Paris, and some other cities, the place in front of the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) is called the Place de la Grève. This is just an example of the way the strike penetrates the lives of the French.

Also, I need to explain that a French strike has very little in common with its' American counterpart. That is unless a specific factory strikes. That is the only time you see a picket line in France. The general strike is more of a come-if-you-want-to kind of situation. It is not uncommon for people who cannot afford to strike to work for the day. Trade unions are not unique to specific trades necessarily, but instead are tied to, leftist mostly, political parties.

I mention the strike today not because of how effective it is in getting anyone in the government's attention (it doesn't really), but by how inconvenient the French make the day simply because they can! Follow me as I take you on four different journeys to the train station.

Molly and I have some friends coming to visit us in Paris for a week. In general, the best, easiest and usually the cheapest way to travel in France is with the trains run by the SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français) which is run by the French State. We bought our tickets online in advance to get the best prices and Molly and I walked to the train station to print the tickets out. This was on Tuesday morning. Upon returning home I swung by our mailbox at the school to discover that there was a flyer advertising the strike. We immediately walked back to the train station to ask someone about how this would affect Molly's traveling (as she left this morning ahead of me). On our second trip we were told that the postings of what trains would be running would be posted the following day.

Wednesday Molly and I woke up and headed down to the train station with our fingers crossed that Molly's train would not be effected. Sure enough, Molly train was cancelled and that flash of worry filled her eyes! We went to the ticket window and asked about what trains would be running Thursday morning and whether we could exchange Molly's ticket. There was a train running! The trouble is that it left from another train station nearby and Molly would have to take a bus there. We double checked that all the buses would, in fact, be running. We were assured that, yes, all of the buses would be running. Can you guess where I'm going here?

Well, relieved, Molly and I went home and began packing her bags for her trip, and then may bags for the train on Friday. Everything was fine and we emailed our friends before they went to the airport to explain that Molly would be running behind schedule . It was hard to sleep last night for all the excitement of seeing people from back home as well as getting away from Valence for a little while and see some art, beggars, tourists and monuments... and a store or restaurant that stays open later than 7:30!

6:00: Molly woke up.
6:05: I woke up.
6:20: Molly and I left for the train station (#4)

Molly and I wanted to get her to the train station early in case there should be any funny business with this here strike. Every thing seemed in order and we waited at the "gate" for her bus to arrive. 7:00 bus to the train station, 7:36 TGV to Paris. Things were gonna be fine.

6:50: The bus had not yet arrived.
6:55: The bus had not yet arrived.
7:00: The bus had not yet arrived.
7:05: Molly's eyes went from quiet anxiety and wishful thinking to that look she gives me when, well when that bus you were promised would take you to the train station so that you could meet your friends in Paris and get to the rented apartment on time so that you have a place to stay, where you already put 200 euros down, and no one has cell phones like in the States because cell phones are an over-priced joke over here and there's the fear that even though you planned everything so carefully it may all go down the expensive tubes, well when that bus doesn't arrive... that's the look she gave me.

We waited another moment, debated running to the house of someone we know who has a car and would not be going to work that day to ask them for a ride. There was, of course, no one working at the train station to ask questions. Finally we flagged a passing taxi and put Molly in the back. Hopefully she would make it to the train station in time and hopefully that train would in fact be running today.

That train was scheduled to leave the station at 7:36 this morning. I haven't heard that it was cancelled, so I am expecting that Molly has made it to Paris. I am expecting that Molly has met with our friends and is now taking photos of Parisians in the Place de la Grève where she is showing our friends that real slice of France that so many tourists miss!

So I was scheduled to have a class today. One teacher would not be taking part in the strike and I was expected to take my half of her class. Well you know, if France is going to cause me this kind of stress at such an early hour of the morning with broken promises and assurances, I don't think I have to put up with it. I have made a sign that I plan to parade around the streets of Valence today. It says, "The French State Lies!" SNCF is, after all, run by the state.

I feel lied to! And damnit, I'm taking to the streets!

- Patrick

p.s. Yeah, I didn't make a sign.

French Engineering

So those of you don't know but Patrick and I live at the school where Patrick teaches. It is like living in the dorms your freshmen year of college only we have a kitchen. Granted, we have to walk outside and through another door to get to our kitchen BUT it is super cheap.

So the other day some work men from Orange, which is like a Comcast, came to our residence to work on phone lines or internet lines or something, who knows what they were working on, but they are still working on it. Now I don't know that much about engineering but I am pretty sure their rigging for this new line is not safe. Let's Take a look at the photos, shall we?



This is a photo of the line running in front of the other building where the other assistants live at the school. Let's continue to follow it.



I realize it is hard to see since it is an electric line hung from the building and is hanging in the middle of the air, but what is it attached to?



It is a tree! Yes that is right folks they hung a line from a building to a tree. I don't know if this is legal, but I am pretty sure it is not safe. Maybe I am just seeing things; maybe it is something else?



Nope it is a tree alright. Well wait to be precise, they have a tiny little black plastic thing attached to the line, which is then attached to a metal hook, which is then attached to the tree. Is it is not in the tree, persay, but it is attached to something in the tree. Well, where does it go from there?



Why, I don't know? Let's get a closer look.


Why it is the transister box that holds all of the cable lines for the area! Now I wonder what would happen if the tree, or the box, or the fense that the line runs through, or the bushes that the line also runs through were to be hit by lighting?

Please let me know if I made a mistake in assuming that this "rig" is unsafe, okay?

Thank you for taking a moment to view French Engineering.
Molly

Vacation Part 2 plus March

All in all the second part of vacation was wonderful. I have to say I understand why so many people go to the South of France because it is beautiful and warm. I think Nice is not only really nice but an excellent city. Here are the highlights of the trip:

1. The weather. It was so nice to just sit on the beach and let the sun hit your face as you watched little waves roll up onto the rocky beach. I took so many photos of the whole coast.

2. Going to Italy. Patrick and I left France and walked to Italy. It total we walked, maybe 11 miles to get the the city of Ventimigilia, which is 6 miles or so from the border. The other five miles came from walking from Menton to the border. This does not include the 2 mile walk to the bus station that morning in Nice or the 2 to 3 mile walk back into town from the wrong Menton train station. However, it was so strange to truly see how different Italy is to France on every level; including how cheap everything is in Italy, at least in Ventimigilia. As for the hike there it was all along the road, which followed the beautiful coast, but it was long. My feet were killing me by the end of the day.

3. Carnival was amazing. There is no way really to describe the energy and excitement of Carnival; it is just something that your should do in life. I look forward to planning a trip to see Carnival in Brazil. So if you want to go, start saving your money now.

4. I got to see Fireworks in Menton, France! We had gone down to the South of France to go to the Fete des Citrons, the Lemon Festival, which takes place in Menton. While the town is full of dying Brits, the fete was neat to see. Although the timing of the parade was a little off, I could let it pass because of the fireworks. As well as the tiny French lady, with the biggest glasses to eye ratio I have seen in a while, who stood behind us the whole time make little noises and singing along to the Elvis music, which accompanied the fireworks. 'Oh lala!' she would ring out.

5. How cheap it is to travel along the French Rivera. For a euro, you can take the bus all along the coast; however, get the bus at the station and sit in the back so you have a seat. It is a long bus ride if you have to stand the whole way. Did I mention we had to stand the whole way on the bus to Menton, the same day we walked 11 miles and stood for an hour to watch the parade.

As for March, we went to Romans for another Carnival. Yeah, they celebrate Carnival here after Ash Wednesday, because everyone needs a break a week into Lent! It was a cool experience to see a small town really throw quite the party. It was no Nice Carnival, but it was far more political. So well done to Romans!

In 16 days our dear friends Devon, Rosie, and Kevin are coming to visit us in Paris, which I am super excited for and cannot wait! I might go into shock once I see them but it will be fun to get to explore more of the city with them.

Interesting observations:
1. It seems that all young French children are pawned off on their grandparents, who all seem to live in the South.

2. Old British people go to the South of France to die; therefore, they take away from the area's charm.

3. Monoco is worth maybe two hours during the day and an hour at night. Other than that amount of time, it is a boring place, full of bad art and high rise buildings erected in the '70s.

4. March weather has been warmer but now that I have said something I am sure it will return to its usual awful rain.

That is all for now.
Molly