French elections

So, of course I can't stay out of politics even when they're in another language and country. France is electing a new president on Sunday!

The French electoral process is much different than the U.S. They have primary and secondary elections, but during the primary each political party has a candidate that can be voted for. There were 12 parties to choose from: the main two being the UMP (Chirac's party, to the right) and the Socialist party, which is more to the left. Right now the UMP has the most control in the government. So, after the primary elections a week and a half ago, two candidates were chosen for the secondary election (and you can only vote for those two, no write-ins). They are Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP, but very right and he and Chirac don't get along, former Minister of the Interior) and Segolene Royale (Socialist, former head of the education sector of the gov't).

Last night was the debate between the two, as elections are on Sunday. As of right now, Sarko is slightly ahead of Segolene, but it's well-known that in France people don't like to participate in surveys.

The topics of the debate were as follows: violence against women, raising the 35-hour work week, unemployment, taxes, the environment, education, immigration, the E.U., and international relations. I find this list very interesting, compared to the list that would be in a debate in the U.S. What about gun violence? War? Abortion? Gay marriage? Religion?

For one thing, religion cannot be discussed in politics in France. So to say, a candidate cannot use his/her religion to attract voters or as a reason for certain opinions, like the way politicans in the U.S. use it concerning abortion and homosexual unions. And murder rates in France are nothing compared to those in the U.S. (hmm, could this maybe have something to do a certain ammendent?) And of course France is currently not involved in a war. As for gay marriage, its not legal in France, but there is something called PACS that can be used by, from what I know about it, any two people. It's a legal union, but I don't know many details beyond that.

So who do I support? Segolene. She's goten flack for being too moderate, but comparing her to Sarko, there is no comparison.

Why I don't like Sarko: he believes pedophilia and suicide are caused by genetics and that they cannot be stopped or prevented. He thinks arresting parents as they get their children from school for not having papers and then deporting them back to their country is a good way of fixing the problem of illegal immigrants. In listening to the debate last night, he said that women are the only parents, and from what I saw, he doesn't seem to have much respect for women in general. The debate was him against Royale, with two tv journalists (a man and a woman). Even though he was debating Sego, he really only looked at the male journalist while talking. He also said "Madame" before nearly every phrase. It felt to me that he was trying to inforce that she was a woman, and therefore incapable of being president.

I could keep going on about why I don't like Sarko, but I think I'll stop here. Now you're informed about French politics. Oh, and Sarko thinks Bush is a great president. Segolene Presidente!

My work is finished...

...but my time in France is not!

Yesterday was my final day of work at the high school, and also the final performance of the play I was in with the high school. It was called "Le Spectacle Continu(e)" and translates mostly into exactly what you think it does. It was about dead musicians in a train. Most of them were French or very old (Mozart, Gainsbourg, Edith Piaf), but there were also some Americans (Ray, Louis Armstrong) and I played Billie Holiday. I didn't have many lines, but the ones I did was Billie speaking in poor French/ English combinations for comical effect. I also played oboe in the band.

I've really loved teaching--the people I work with and the students, too. In the beginning it was slightly more difficult, but the more French I learned made communicating and translating easier. With some of the older students I began having friendly relationships outside of class (usually in French, except for the exceptional excellent English student). It made it easier that my fellow teachers really helped involve me in projects outside of class, like going to plays, and also visiting the French equivilent of the House of Representatives. I met the former Prime Minister and Speaker of the House, Laurent Fabius, who was also a potential presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, but was beat by Segolene Royale, hopefully you've heard of her.

Anyway, this is just me being a little sentimental and nostalgic about my work being over...but now vacation is starting and I can't complain! Here's a picture of Fabius and me looking a little too happy.

My sweet vacation...

So, tonight is my last night of vacation and I'm trying to savor it. Watched my final episode of the Gilmore Girls and might move on the Sex and the City if it doesn't get to late.

Anyway, this is not what my vacation has consisted of, thank goodness! It started with a lovely visit from my lovely friend Margo from MN! I met her and her sister who's living in Ireland in Paris the last weekend of February. I had made hotel reservations, and we planned on meeting at the hotel. When I got there, I told the owner that i had a reservation and that I thought the 2 others for the room were already there. He became completely flustered and kept saying, "How many are there in your room? 3? I don't have a reservation for that! They aren't here!" I started plotting in my brain how they could've gotten lost, and how maybe I was at the wrong hotel, but then no, they were there and all was fine.

The next two days we did Paris--the Sacre Coeur, Eiffel Tower, shopping, Opera, and the fabulous Latin Quarter. We ate at a Greek restaurant where they break plates when they're happy! It was fantastic, and a great time, except at the Sacre Coeur there are so many men preying on tourists who don't speak French, and then became pissed at me when I spoke French to them, at least that's all I can figure. So I don't know if I'll go back there, definitely not by myself.

Then Margo and I got on a train to Rouen where we spent the next couple days. I showed her the area, and we also took an afternoon trip out to the ruins of an abbaye, Jumieges, which was absolutely amazing. We were also filmed while we were there, so we'll probably be on on French travel channel or something, who knows. I went down to Paris with her because we both had flights leaving the same day. Hers was in the morning and mine was in the evening, so I roamed Paris and found an English used bookstore, which I do believe I will go back to. And then I got on a plane to Bratislava, Slovakia to visit my camp friend Juraj who lives there!

We spent the first day in Bratislava, first going to the ruins of an ancient castle that was destroyed 200 years ago by Napolean, and then walking around the downtown. The castle was huge and amazing, but not as amazing as the words I heard coming out of another American tourist's mouth! At the castle I heard him say to the two people he was with, "It's easy to know someone is Slovakian because they are very slender in the thighs. Just like French people all look alike too [motions with his hand to his face], and Americans look English because most people who settled there were English." At this point he saw me staring at him slack-jawed. Most people who live in the U.S. are from England? Um...has he heard of the term, melting-pot? So, that was very amusing. I also liked the reference to slim-thighed Slovakians.

That night we took a bus to Juraj's hometown to stay with his family. He has the cutest neice and nephew (age 4 and 5)!! We also used Juraj as translator for a couple days. We went to another castle, this time one in which the rooms still have furniture from the time period. That evening Juraj and I went out and met up with some of his friends in a local bar. We teamed up for some games of Fooseball and kicked butt, and then didn't kick so much butt. I had a great time, though! Slovakian people, at least the ones I met, are very kind and outgoing. It was refreshing because although on the whole I do really like French people, they can be more difficult to get to know as they tend to not be very open, at least not right away.

The next day we took a walk through the fields and hills outside the town and even saw some bear tracks in the snow! (the only snow I saw all winter) Then we headed back to Bratislava to repose before our day trip to Vienna!!! Bratislava is only 50 km and a cheap train ticket away from Vienna, so we made the most of it. The weather was fantastic, and Vienna is the most beautiful city in the world, just possibly. We spent the day walking around and going into building churches, opera houses, government buildings, and whatever was open. There were horse-drawn carriages everywhere, and statues on every corner. Such a beautiful city. When we finally decided on a place for lunch (because we couldn't read the menus and really wanted a bratwurst), we chose a tiny cafe that didn't have choices, just one meal, which luckily had bratwurst that day. We also wanted beer, obviously. The bottles were quite large and the server asked us if we wanted to split one. We decided to each have one instead, to which she replied, "You must be very strong!" Oh, great lunch. The food and the beer was very good.

On my final day, we had lunch with a couple of Juraj's friends, and then walked around the city a little, and of course, had to go to one final castle. Slovakia is beautiful, and the food is very good and cheap. I even tried a shot of liquor that had bacon in it. Can't say it was my favorite, but I can say I had a shot of bacon.

Then, from Bratislava I flew all by my lonesome to Milan. I arrived at night, and had to walk to my hostel. In the 2 city blocks between the metro stop and the hostel, I walked past 4 prostitutes. But it was a nice area, even, with houses and a school. So I think prostitutes just might be everywhere in Milan. Oh well. The next day I took a metro to the Duomo and walked around the old part of the city all day. It was rather depressing, as it rained all day and I couldn't see Da Vinci, but Milan was still fabulous. And there were hundreds of Scots there for the soccer game that night, so I heard cheers all day. There you have it.

After my 24 hours in Milan, I took a plane back to Paris where Sid picked me up. When I got my bags and went to the pick-up area, I couldn't find him. I knew he was there because I'd just talked to him on the phone, but I couldn't see him anywhere. Then, I saw a police officer talking to someone in a car parked in a non-parking area, and I knew exactly where to find my boyfriend.

Enjoy the pictures!

Greve!!

So, I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow. Well, not really leaving at first, just meeting Margo in Paris and showing her around for a week, and then I'm leaving to Slovakia for about4 days, and then 24 hours in Milan!! When I get back I'll put up more pictures, as it's been so long...sorry.

This will just be a short little post, but lately there has been very interesting going-ons at school. Since school started up again, there have been 3 teachers strikes (or greve) and today was a lycee mort (dead high school), meaning the students were on strike. I think I saw about a total of 30 students that came for classes today, out of 1500. The teachers were all there, however. But I didn't have to do anything, surprise surprise.

The strikes have all been over the same thing. Once a student trying to be a teacher passes a test, they have a job, but not necessarily a post. So, what the government wants to do is condense class sizes so they are up to 35 students per group. This will take away jobs in every school and make it that much more difficult for new teachers to find a post. They will also take away paid work time. I think there might be more to it as well, but that's all I know about it. I haven't been allowed to participate in the strikes as I'm not French, but when there is a strike it generally means that I don't have anything to do. According to the teachers I work with, it could be like this until the school year is over! It's insane. When the teachers strike, only half (or less) of the students come to school because if their teachers are striking, they don't have class. (They only do long-term substitutes here, no one-day substitutes when teachers are sick or gone)

Well, that's been my life this week, as there have been 2 strikes in just the last 3 days. So... I've taught 2 out of my last 6 classes...life's hard.

My new dream in life...

So, this is an idea that Sidney and I have been talking about for the last month or so (since he doesn't read my blog as I've never told him the address, I'll be honest: it's my idea, as he doesn't know Minnesota). I want to open a Boulangerie in Minnesota.

A boulangerie is like a bakery, but so much better. They sell bread of various kinds--baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, croissants covered in chocolate, apple/raspberry struddle-type things, then little pattisseries made of various fruits and chocolates, and specialty desserts depending on the season. Cakes, too. There are boulangeries everywhere in France, and everything they sell is always made that day and absolutely delicious. So, I want to open one of these, as croissants are never fresh in MN, I feel, and baguettes are so much better than slices of sandwich bread.

But, I would not just sell bread, so it wouldn't be exactly the same as a French boulangerie. I don't think that I could make enough money to stay open like that, so I'd sell several coffee drinks, too, but coffee and hot chocolate would not be the main part of the Boulangerie, just a huge help to have enough funds to cover/ supplement the bread mission.

I would open this shop on Grand Avenue in Saint Paul, as I feel the people who would shop at a Boulangerie live on Grand or Summit Avenues. Then, after the money starts rolling in, I would start selling French wine and champagne, not to drink there, but to sell. Then, once the first one is well-known over the Cities, I'll open one in Minneapolis, probably the France Avenue neighborhood. Then, I'll take it to Chicago...then....and then....

Ok, this is my idea. The only problem is I don't know how to make bread. And I don't have money for this sort of thing. (Or ovens, a building, or basically anything except an idea). So, if you feel like donating to this cause, feel free...

And I'm an aunt! Eva Marie Kotero was born on Jan. 31st and she is healthy and beautiful!

Amusing public transportation stories...

So, I take the bus to work every day, and the train to Rouen at least once a week. It's quite interesting what can happen on the bus or the train. We'll start with the bus:

-There is a man in Elbeuf who really likes me. He's never tried to really talk to me, but whenever we ride the same bus, he stares at me, unblinkingly, with the hugest smile on his face. He proceeds to talk to me, or himself, I don't really know which, in some foreign language I don't understand. When he sees me through the bus window he does the same thing.

-I have gotten on the wrong bus before. No idea how. It took me in exactly the wrong direction and I had to talk 45 minutes to get home.

-The bus doesn't necessarily come when it's supposed to. I run. A lot. Or wait for a very long time. Amazingly I've never been late for work, but I have missed several trains because of this.

-One day when I was waiting for the bus, I was resting my foot on a cement ledge that ran the length of the street to fix something on my bag. A man came up and told me to move so he could sit down because he was very tired. Now, something was wrong with this picture, as the ledge ran the length of the street, so he had meters and meters to sit down on. He asked me what time the bus was supposed to come, and I told him. He continued to stare at my butt and my thighs as he talked to me, so I moved away. The bus came. I was relieved. Then on the bus, he felt it was better to yell at the driver to stop when he wanted then press the "arret demande" button. Interesting man

Ok, now for the train. The best story happened the same day as the last bus story.

-I was going to Rouen. The train was almost to the destination, so I moved to a seat by the door. There was a strong smell of marijuana in the air, but as I was next to the bathroom I figured someone had been smoking there. No. Just as the train was about the stop, a man falls down the stairs with a joint in his hands. He is obviously not sober, but I am forced to stand by him because there are so many people and I can't get away. I figure I can lose him on the stairs. I don't know if he decided the stairs were too difficult or what, but he leaned on the railing, and began screaming. At what? No idea. But I don't think he made it up the stairs.

-Ok, not much on the train can top that story. I did have a women push me down the stairs to get out once, as she was saying, "It's time to go go go" in English. Maybe hostility toward Americans, or just basic unpleasantness.

That's all I can think of right now. Just a stupid post for my sister to read as she waits to give birth.

Random story

So, this is something I should have posted long ago, but now I feel like the entire story is over, so I will write about it in detail.

Starting near the end of December, Sid's apartment had a fly infestation. Fly AND larva. At first it was unsure as to where they were coming from, but then we realized they were dropping from the ceiling. Of course it's an old building, so naturally it was assumed that there was a problem with insulation. Disgusting. Nothing was safe from these creatures, vacuuming insued day in and day out, multiple fly swatters were purchases along with bug spray. The apartment agency was called to get an exterminator to come in. In France, these things often take time. Within several weeks an expert did come, only to say "Yes, there is a problem, but I can't figure out why." There was no way to stop these things!!

So, I believe it was December 21st, a night when I was not there, Sid and a friend of his saw that the window to the upstairs apartment was open. Then, Sid thought to himself, "I haven't seen the neighbor for quite some time."

The building is not an average building, kind of difficult to explain. But Sid's apartment is 2 floors, but the second floor not being part of the original building. There is a window in the bathroom on the second floor that looks out to the window of the neighbor's apartment. Skylights to Sid's kitchen are between the two windows, so it's possible to walk from one to the other. Sid and his friend, after knocking at the apartment door and getting no answer, decided that it would be a great idea to walk to the neighbor's apartment to see what was going on inside that could be the cause of the fly problem.

Sid, with a flashlight in his hand, stepped into the apartment and was immediately hit by a rotten stench. He scanned the room, and his light beamed onto the decomposing corpse of his (former) neighbor. Half of her face no longer had skin on it, and he could see the bones.

And the reason behind the fly problem was solved.

Obviously shaken, he dropped the flashlight and jumped out the window. Afterwards, he reentered the apartment to find it as it was that important to him.

The police was called, and they came. But they only looked in the apartment through Sid's window to verify that the corpse was there. They were going to leave it to the firefighters to go into the apartment.

We don't really know who got her out. But she is out. The flies are no longer a problem.

So, to fill in the blanks. This neighbor was 65 years old, and had basically no friends. She had been dead between 1 1/2 to 2 months before Sid found her. Sid had seen her many times, and it seemed she had a serious drinking problem and also smoked all the time. Several days after she was found, her sister called Sid (the police had given her his number...what?) to get the story from him. They had been corresponding through letters, the last one received the end of October from the dead woman. The sister had been worried, trying to call her, as they were supposed to spend Christmas together in Paris. In fact, she had arranged for someone to come check her apartment the day after she was found.

As far as we know, they have not determined why she died (and probably will never). But she was clutching the telephone in her hands and the phone book was open. It's speculated by her family that she choked, but I don't think it's for sure.

Last week the woman's nephews came to clean out the apartment. They wore masks because of the stench, and left bags of her stuff to be thrown away. They did it very neatly and, in my opinion, the best way possible. But of course France has its own poor and homeless people, and in no time the bags were torn open and her things were everywhere. I was there that day, and saw so many people rummaging through her things. I wanted to tell them the story to dissuade them, as I was disgusted at the thought of touching those things. But as they were strewn on the ground, I saw the blanket on which she died, stained black from her decomposition. And also the telephone that she had held in her hand, with pieces of her still on it. And these people going through the items didn't know what it was. Undoubtedly people touched the phone and the blanket. Disgusting.

I hope I wasn't too detailed in my description. It's been quite the adventure, I must say, even though for the most exciting part I wasn't present.