La Grève!

I'm sure most everyone has heard about the crazy striking going on France. Basically, it's ridiculous! They are striking to change the retirement age from 62 to 60 and it is odd to see how much support it has been receiving.

It's been going on for a while but within the past week it has been starting to pick up the pace and getting a lot more people involved including my peers. Oh yeah!!! Kids I go to school with are striking which has to be the most pointless thing I could ever imagine. They haven't worked a day in their lives! Why would they care about retirement? The truth is they don't! They want the media attention and skip school. Uh huh! They skip school to protest in front of the school. They have done it about 3 times over the last week.

The first time I was walking into school and there was a ton of peope out in the front. I was just thinking "Shouldn't they be going to class right now..." And I get to my first hour and the class was so tiny! It's astounding how many kids were out there. While the good kids such as me were in class working, you could hear their intervalled cheers. We would all just laugh! After a bit, they parade in the streets, chanting. The teachers let us go look at the windows and it is crazy. They disturb the traffic flow. They stand on phone booths (I saw one that got totally shatered from the rioting) They throw trash cans and even jump on the cars. They go stand in front of city hall and cheer. They walk to other high schools to get more people. The police would be right there for all it but they can't do much. After they finish their parading, they are back at the school and get this... They actually got gased by the police! Some protests like in Paris get violent. They have to call in SWAT teams. Majorly intense.

 In Paris, Metro drivers strike and that is basically just catasrophic because that transportation is vital for the huge city! The bus drivers strike! For the bus I take, the 600, to and from school, it is so obnoxious because sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. There is no consistency. If I have a long break, I can go home but I don't know if the bus is gonna come to go back. I actually ended up waiting an hour for the bus one day but Pascaline just had to pick me up. I was with friends so it wasn't a total waste of time.

Teachers strike too! I'm not gonna lie. Seriously, this is the absolute best part of the strike. They just don't show up and like I've said, no substitutes. You just have to chill for your next class or go if you have enough time. Last Tuesday because I didn't have my 2 hour history class, I had a five hour break/lunch. I went to Amel's house for the first time and had lunch there and watched Confessions of a Shopaholic, a little of The Incredibles (in French Les Indestructibles), and Friends. Her room is decorated in a lot of British things. So cute! Anyways... This week I had one classs and then the same 5-hr break so I went home. When it was time to go back, I walked to the bus stop like a good little girl and I waited patiently but after 45 minutes I said "Screw This", went back, and took a nap. So I had 1 class that day and jut ened up missing the rest of the day. It wasn't a big deal because the 2 classes I missed were English ;-)

One of the suckish points of the strike is limited amounts of gas. I don't understand completely why but gas is in short supply but I know it is... The lines for the pumps are ridiculous!!! I was scared it was gonna ruin my Fall Break but I've been assured we are still going somewere no matter what. Big sight of relief...

Some striking that doen't neccessarily affect me. Sanitation workers strike in some places! The streets are just piled with filth. That is just a disgusting nightmare! :-/ Thank you sanitation workers of Cannes/Mougins for not striking! Also air traffic controlers are striking. Transportation in general has just been horrible!

 So while I think the whole reason for striking is absolutely and completely stupid, I think it has been kinda a cool experience for me. Everyone back home is just seeing pictures and reading about it and I'm living it and being directly affected by all of it. People here are like "Does this happen in the U.S.?" I just say "NEVER!" Haha which makes it interesting to be here for this. It's annoying at times (I do however wish the teachers will continue to strike) but that is just France... Well as the French say...Vive la France!