Strike!.....yes, again!
Well, well, haven't been able to get my pictures up because I have been too busy just trying to get to work and back home. Haven't had much time for anything else. So, I am quickly sending this shout out so you know what is up over here.
It seems that French people DO like to strike a lot to show their discontent. It used to work, I am told, but now it is just not as effective...especially when it comes to train strikes.
Here is the rundown from yesterday. We were told a few days in advance there would 1 train for work in the morning and 1 at night on the 2nd of June. Thankfully they added another one to the list, but we were still like sardines in a can. Everyone is really nice though. I grabbed a seat and made eye contact with another young woman so she knew she could have my seat when I got off.
Each stop got progressively more crowded as we all sighed each time we took on a couple hundred more people. One station had several hundred waiting that ran in and then they made an announcement that there was another train leaving before ours! So people quickly turned around and jumped back only to hear a correction no, in fact, our train was the first in line after all. So, now they turned back around and reboarded our can of sardines. It was very amusing watching the flow of people change at an announcement's notice and the staircases overflow and change direction in correlation with the announcements.
Now, we are right up next to each other just trying to avoid each other's eye contact because personal space is just non-existent. I am still seated trying to take up as little room as possible. A man came and stood next to my seat, but saw me make eye contact with the same young woman and sure enough...when I got off the young woman walked across the train car and took my seat just like we had communicated (without even a word or having to tell the man with whom I was getting quite personal since he had nowhere else to stand!)
anyways...I got off at my connection and made the transfer with no more weirdness and got to school just a little bit late.
Have to run to make the bus, or I am stuck here for 5 hours! So need to go.
More next week on today's strike...yes, the strike goes on! and yes, I know the above is a mess when it comes to verb tense..sorry I am rushing!
peace,
Grace
It seems that French people DO like to strike a lot to show their discontent. It used to work, I am told, but now it is just not as effective...especially when it comes to train strikes.
Here is the rundown from yesterday. We were told a few days in advance there would 1 train for work in the morning and 1 at night on the 2nd of June. Thankfully they added another one to the list, but we were still like sardines in a can. Everyone is really nice though. I grabbed a seat and made eye contact with another young woman so she knew she could have my seat when I got off.
Each stop got progressively more crowded as we all sighed each time we took on a couple hundred more people. One station had several hundred waiting that ran in and then they made an announcement that there was another train leaving before ours! So people quickly turned around and jumped back only to hear a correction no, in fact, our train was the first in line after all. So, now they turned back around and reboarded our can of sardines. It was very amusing watching the flow of people change at an announcement's notice and the staircases overflow and change direction in correlation with the announcements.
Now, we are right up next to each other just trying to avoid each other's eye contact because personal space is just non-existent. I am still seated trying to take up as little room as possible. A man came and stood next to my seat, but saw me make eye contact with the same young woman and sure enough...when I got off the young woman walked across the train car and took my seat just like we had communicated (without even a word or having to tell the man with whom I was getting quite personal since he had nowhere else to stand!)
anyways...I got off at my connection and made the transfer with no more weirdness and got to school just a little bit late.
Have to run to make the bus, or I am stuck here for 5 hours! So need to go.
More next week on today's strike...yes, the strike goes on! and yes, I know the above is a mess when it comes to verb tense..sorry I am rushing!
peace,
Grace
posted by gracy at 12:41 PM
1 Comments:
Yeah, I've heard about the strikes. What is it, do you think, about the general French disposition/thinking that leads to so many strikes? I suppose they might say that they're not so committed to being hardcore capitalists.
Are they more committed to the idea of social equity, or is there something I'm missing? Not every aspect of any society can stand up to "objective" scrutiny from other cultures/views. Is this wackiness, or are these strikes necessary in a way they aren't in the States?
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