Part I: la grève, Part II: Rick Steves is My Homeboy (Week 4)

Part I: la grève (the strike)

Last week there was a general strike throughout France on Thursday to speak out against many of Sarkozy's reforms lately. 70% of the country is an agreement with those on strike. Since one of the main reforms has to do with education and universities, my school was in a tizzy all week. We had classes that were banalisé, meaning that the teacher wouldn't teach and would only give us information about the grève during class. I have a pretty good understanding of what they're upset about, but I am still a little fuzzy on the details.

We went to a demonstration in one of the amphitheatres and it was really incredible- standing room only. People talked way too fast, the sound wasn't great, and there were a whole lot of idioms in there. But I could understand that when the head of the history department took the mic to speak, the entire amphitheatre cheered and clapped for this little old man in tweed and glasses. (by the way, the history department is leading a lot of the strike- yay!) In fact, almost all of the professors got rounds of applause before and after they gave short talks about how the government is trying to take away our most fundamental right- our right to learn. (yes, they really talk like that) Crowds of people were cheering on professors. Later on in the week, the streets of Bordeaux were packed with more protestors- a lot of teachers, parents, and students, especially. Once again, crowds of people who were very, very angry about the state of their education system. I keep thinking- if only the US could be like that! If only we could love and respect our professors and teachers so much that we cheered for them and marched for them and went on strike for them.

EDIT 2/11: This pic is of the meeting in the amphitheatre- there have been many more good opportunities lately to take pics at school but who would think to bring their camera to school? Guess I have to start! Photo credit: my friend Elita, traveling companion and badass photographer.


I don't think France is perfect or that we can really compare France with the US very well since the countries and the citizens are so different. But there is a certain love and respect for intellectualism here that I think we are really missing at home.

So no class last Thursday because of the grève and no class on Monday because the history professors are still not satisfied, and I'm never actually quite sure if we will have class or not.

Part II: Rick Steves is My Homeboy

His book was my Bible this weekend in Paris- and the map inside of it started getting worn at the edges. I actually got into Paris alone and navigated the metro system to get to where I was staying with my friends. But I was never actually alone because I always had Rick! (sorry, lame, but I seriously love this guy)

I rented an apartment for the weekend that I found on Craigslist with two other girls. The area was nice, very central (3rd arrondissement, near the Marais), and it was cool to have our own, safe place! It was also cheaper than anything, even the hostels. Bummers were that it smelled like smoke and was kinda dirty in that way that guy's studios tend to be. But the owner was very nice- he even showed us around a little bit and fed lunch to my friend who met him in the morning to get the keys.

We did a good amount of the touristy things but definitely not all of them, and a lot of them not very thoroughly. My trip to the Louvre was short because it was free after 8 for students and we only had about an hour and a half- so it was like Mona Lisa! Winged Victory! Venus de Milo is closed! We have to leave! But we did get some cool shots of the pyramid.

I saw Versailles and though the inside was interesting and beautiful, the gardens were freezing and depressing. All the planters were covered like this one.

Paris itself was really really cold the entire time- at or below freezing, and it snowed the morning I left. The top of the Eiffel Tower was colder than I have ever been in my life and it was also kind of terrifying to be up so high with the wind so strong. The only picture of me there is out of focus because I was so scared and cold to be up there. (I know- wuss.)

Montmartre, where the movie Amelie takes place, was very cool and pretty and Sacré-Coeur basilica was one of the most beautiful things I saw in Paris. We got there just when the nuns were singing in the evening and it was so beautiful, peaceful, and spiritual after a day of absolute craziness. Here's a shot from Sacré-Coeur looking down on all of Paris.

Anyway I can't wait to go back to Paris, especially when the weather is better- maybe with Mike this summer? And really do it thoroughly. I heard that I will never get the 20 minute line to see the Eiffel Tower again- but there's a reason why it was only 20 minutes.

Interesting facts for you:
- first Sunday of every month museums are free in Paris (maybe the rest of France?)
- Friday nights museums are free for students
- I never get asked if I'm American- only English (anglaise), and I take that as a compliment
- instead of Groundhog Day they have a holiday where they eat crêpes on February 2
- the movie Groundhog Day is called the Never-ending Day in French
- the West Wing is called the White House (la maison blanche)
- there are little to no commercials here on TV, and none after 8pm (which my host dad said is because Sarkozy has buddies on certain channels)
- the Jewish Quarter in Paris is one of the only places really busy on Sundays because most places are closed. I tasted the best falafel/gyro of my entire life there. (thanks to Rick Steves)
- French primary schools don't have school on Wednesdays so my little host sisters have been underfoot all day today.

I also have a small Part III about French medicine. It's a little different. See, I've had a cold for the entire four weeks that I have been here (yes- four weeks! crazy, huh?) I haven't slept very well, had a crazy 3 days in Paris, and can get pretty stressed out about things when they are out of my control, as they have been often in the past month. So I thought it was just an ongoing cold. But coughing for weeks, and a continued fever are worrisome so I listened to my French mom and my real mom and went to the doctor. "A homeopathic doctor or a traditional doctor?," my host mom asked. Um, traditional, please.

The doc wasn't too weird but at the end she was like, "I'm going to give you some medicine and if after 5 days you don't feel better we can start antibiotics because I don't know if it's a virus or an infection." To me, this was a bit odd. Either I have a cold, in which case you tell me to sleep, drink fluids, and take tylenol, or I have an infection, in which case you give me antibiotics. But no. I got 4 prescriptions: one for fever, one for throat pain, one for coughing, and one for prescription cough drops-- what? I mentioned I have a slight heart defect (well I actually said something like, "Um, my heart? There is something to pay attention infection to my heart," in French) and immediately got some antibiotics too.

So now I'm taking antibiotics that I'm not sure I need, and staying in bed and watching Scrubs on www.surfthechannel.com all day. (By the way, a wonderful website for all TV shows and a lifesaver for me here. ) I'm missing a trip to Lyon this weekend, but will at least get to go to my little host sister's 8th birthday party! No, not sarcastic, I am actually excited for it.

I'm off to drink some tea my host mom made for me- Mariage Frères, a really nice French tea! I hope everything in California (in the Latin American rainforests, Hayley, and in Budapest, Ali) is doing well and I miss you all.