En Grève

Last semester, I had the following discussion with a French colleague:

Me: “Are you going to have classes this Thursday? I heard there was going to be a strike.”
Him (smiling): “Yeah, I’ll be here.”
…at this point, I think he could see that I was a little confused.
Him (still smiling, kind of laughing): “Is this your first strike in France?”
Me: “Yeah…”
Him: “Haha, well it won’t be your last one!”

Well, he was correct. This has been an especially active year in terms of French strikes due to the reforms proposed by Sarkozy’s government. I have become the most familiar with the “Darkos reform,” Darkos being the Minister of Education and his reform a significant change to the structure of French high schools. This Thursday (Jan. 29th) will be the fourth strike by either teachers or students (or both) this school year. And, apparently Thursday’s strike isn’t just for the education sector.

According to tonight’s news, the strike will include teachers, SNCF workers (the French train network), and administrative workers. My first thought upon hearing this was, “Crap! How am I going to get to Valence to see the teachers’ protest if the trains are on strike?!”

I wish I could say this is the first time I’ve had that problem…rather, I have to say that anyone learning to speak French should learn the word “Grève” (strike) around the same time they learn “Bonjour,” “Merci,” “Pardon,” and “Oui.” That is to say, it’s one of the most basic and commonly used words in the French vocabulary.

One would think that a right used so commonly would be effective, right? Well, the following conversation occurred tonight with the girl I tutor:
Me: “So, why do the French strike so much? Does it accomplish anything?”
Her (laughing): “No, it never accomplishes anything.”
Me: “Okay, well…”
Her: “I guess it’s just a way to remind them that we’re there. That we have a voice.”

Okay, I get that. I understand that even if your action hasn’t accomplished anything, you can at least live with the satisfaction that you weren’t silent while changes occurred. HOWEVER, isn’t the fact that the French “over-strike” part of the reason that no changes are made? After all, there’s a reason that the government isn’t responsive to strikes, the same way that there’s a reason the government can’t be over-ambitious in their reforms. Both are directly related to the fact that strikes are so predictable that while the government cannot take drastic actions toward change (invoking too much striking), they can still take petites actions as long as they put up with a day of repos (and maybe a protest) in related sectors.

This morning, I heard an interesting comment on the radio (a comment which, in turn, enraged the radio show’s host). The show’s guest claimed, “You can’t strike against the economic crisis.” I found this to be incredibly accurate, as the majority of Thursday’s strikes are in response to job cuts (or fewer renewals of temporary contracts). Due to the large percentage of the French population that is employed by the government, of course the government is cutting jobs! Just as Americans, Japanese, Brits, Australians, etc. are losing jobs due to the crisis, so are the French. However, the French tend to point fingers at the government rather than acknowledging the gravity of the world’s economic crisis. Naturally, they respond à la Français and take a day off of work to fight against that which is simply reality.

The French are simply resistant…any American word that begins to make it into their language is replaced by an official French word (e.g., “Chewing gum” and “Internet” both have official French versions which nobody knows/uses). However, it is inevitable that France’s resistance to change will catch up with it eventually, and it will likely be during the current economic crisis. If the power of Thursday’s strike proves me wrong and the people get everything they want, you can all say, “I told you so.” But, I have to say: the odds (and basic logic) are against the people on this one.

(For an great article that includes a reference to France's love of striking, see the following link: http://bygonebureau.com/2009/01/23/the-rambling-american-mirror-mirror-on-the-wall/)

Way too much has happened lately...

I have this horrible habit – whenever there is a lot going on that is worth writing about, I procrastinate until there is too much to write about and I can no longer do justice to any of it. So, that’s my current dilemma, and I will try to recount the past few weeks’ worth of events without (a) making this entry obnoxiously long, or (b) omitting any of the exciting and/or entertaining events.

My first week back, I was teaching at the middle school. This turned out to be a great transition back to “working life” (can I really call my paid vacation here “work”?) because teachers kept forgetting to send their students to me. I decided not to make them aware of the fact because I was using the open class time to finish reading The Bell Jar and really didn’t mind the peace and quiet. I taught the class that I wrote about previously (see “But, I do not speak zee English!”) for the first time since the “confrontation,” and actually had a fairly positive experience. I think I’m growing on them…they actually participated! Either I’m getting better at teaching or they’re getting better at respecting…maybe both.

Anyway, after a week of cold, wet, slushy snow during the first week back, Molly, Patrick and I decided to migrate south to Nîmes. We did Couch Surfing with a fantastic host named Thomas. He wasn’t able to stay home that weekend, but was willing to leave us his keys for the weekend anyway. It was a great experience – saw some Roman architecture, absorbed as much 60+ degree weather, sun, and cloudless sky as we could, and remembered what it was like to be in a town with a young population and vibrant atmosphere. Needless to say, we will most likely be returning to Nîmes as soon as the cold weather and unbearable wind start to wear on us again.

The next week was one of the most positive teaching weeks I’ve had. I was at my school with the most motivated and participatory students. Demos (the other American assistant) and I started an “English Club” that currently has only two members, but they both seem fully loyal and motivated ☺. I am also starting a letter exchange between students from this school and Columbine’s AP French class to create what will (hopefully) be a long-term connection between Romans and Littleton.

Since Nîmes, my weekends have been spent in Romans and Valence, which actually hasn’t been as monotonous as expected. I spent a day wine tasting with Abi, Patrick and Molly in Tain l’Hermitage, a small town only 10 minutes from Valence by train. The town is surrounded by hills of vineyards, so it is basically saturated with “caves,” or tasting rooms. Romans has been surprisingly “happening” this January – last night, there was even a concert at a bar in town. The bar was still open at 1:30 when we left, which should go down in a book somewhere as an exceptional event in the city’s existence. Of course, this is the first night that Patrick and Molly have hung out in Romans, so they are convinced that my tales of the lacking life in the town are false. If only they knew…

Last Wednesday, the Assistants in the area took advantage of the fact that schools in France close at noon on Wednesdays (logical, right?) and went skiing. The bus embarked from Die (pronounced “Dee,” but still makes for good jokes) and took us to Col de Rousset, a small ski resort in the Vercors mountains. For less than 20 euros, I got a ride to/from the mountain, a lift ticket, and ski rentals. I don’t ski in the States, but I’m pretty sure it’s way more expensive than that. So, I will be taking advantage of that fact and skiing on many of the future Wednesdays I have off of work. Any of you who have seen me try to ski (or can imagine it) can predict the types of stories I have from the day…I won’t get into them hear, but let me know if you want to hear more details from what was an incredibly entertaining day.

Other than that, I have been spending a decent amount of time training for an April 19th half marathon in Annecy. Annecy is a mountain town in the Alps, and the half marathon is along the lake, which is supposedly beautiful. Now, there's a little gang of assistants all planning on running, too, which should be fun. The other day on my run, I saw a falcon (which I originally thought was an owl…I’m not really a bird person…until I was corrected later and verified on Google images that it was, in fact, a falcon). Molly kindly commented, “Oh, you’re lucky it didn’t attack you. We spoke to a teacher yesterday who had a falcon attack his helmet while he was riding his bike.” So, I now have added falcons to my list of fears while running.

This has gotten to be too long, so I will stop rambling. Although this has been a fairly “factual” entry, I do have some funny stories from the past month. So, if you want to hear rants on any of the following subjects, let me know: (a) The boom box-style MP3 player trend amongst French youth, (b) The version of Classism that takes place between different high schools in one town, (c) Current trends in French men’s fashion…more specifically, their blue jeans, or (d) Dealing with Germans in a French context.

The best part of leaving home is going back...

I haven't always thought this. I mean, I've always enjoyed getting back to the comfort and security of home after some time traveling, but I have never considered it the highlight of the journey...until now. I'm not sure if it's my age or current position in life or what, but the past two weeks at home were exactly what I needed. They were the highlight of the last three months of my life, not only because they gave me a break from life in France, but also because they allowed me to gain some perspective on my experiences and the knowledge I have gained. The relative discomfort of life in France (as it compares to home) made couches, comfortable beds, easy-to-find and reliable internet connections, driving without fearing for my life, free and convenient laundry machines, American coffee, Mexican food, and the English language more refreshing that they have ever been. Most of all, the ease of communication with family and friends was one of the greatest comforts I have ever felt.

Of course, it also doesn't hurt to have caught up on this season of The Office, drank my weight in drip coffee, and fulfilled my Qdoba craving.

I don't mean to make life in my little French town sound bad...it's not, by any means. It's just that all of the comforts listed above are basically non-existent. It's also very different than the time I spent in Paris two years ago...in case anyone doubted it, Paris is not representative of the rest of France. So, adjusting to a much more "typical" French lifestyle has been a little bit of an adventure, with plenty of unexpected surprises thrown in.

The title of this post may be misleading...I do not mean to say that I don't appreciate or enjoy my experiences abroad. It is more that in coming home, these experiences are somewhat solidified. I am able to get a taste of how the things I learn will be valuable for the rest of my life, and it's amazing to see how my new perspective on the world has made even the smallest things look a little different. Beyond that, being home re-energized and re-directed me, allowing me to focus on what I want to accomplish during my next four months in France. I'm not sure that it should have taken me going back home to do this, but it turns out that it did. As I make my way back to Romans, I feel incredibly optimistic about the opportunities ahead of me.