Strikes, Divorces, and Studios

Hey all,

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted but I can now deliver the good news that I've found an apartment! It's a pretty small studio but it has its own bathroom complete with toilet and shower. I don't have to share! I'm really looking forward to moving in on Saturday and starting to make it my new home. After sharing a room for four years, I am so happy to have a place of my own that I can do whatever I want to it. Also, after three weeks of looking and getting pretty hopeless, I and finally start to settle down and start a life here.

So, the past two weeks have had a common theme: strikes. Long story short, Sarkosy raised the age of retirement from 62 to 67. So naturally people are pissed. Last tuesday there was a national transportation strike and so I had my first grève day at school. Most of the classes I went to had at most 5 or 6 people in them, so obviously it was not a productive day. The strike was continued into the next day and since I had to be in Lille thursday for a training day for assistants, I was a little worried about making it there. So, one of my colleagues, Hélène offered to put me up for the night in Lille. When I got to the school, there were 4 assistants there. For the better part of 2 hrs, more assistants arrived each with their own harrowing story of how they got there. But b/c of the delay, I was able to chit chat with fellow assistants and I met one who had studied abroad in Grenoble a semester before me. So that was obviously awesome. When I got back to Avion, I found out that it was another nulle day at school w/ very few students there because of the continuing demonstrations. Friday was the same. Yesterday, Tuesday, was declared another national strike day so again, not many students. However, those teachers who choose not to go on strike still have to show up and teach. So I was at school all day yesterday yet not doing much. Today, I don't have class, but there are ongoing barricades and demonstrations in Lens and throughout the country. Most of my colleagues don't think their is going to be a normal day of school until after fall vacation. Basically, not much has changed since I was here a year and a half ago.

The next odd thing that has happened to me was that I was invited to the divorce party for one of my colleagues, Gaetane. Yes, that's right, a divorce party. She signed her divorce friday morning, so naturally we had to have a party that night. There were 4-5 english teachers there from my school and some other friends and colleagues. It was fantastically awkward and fun at the same time. I also got to finally meet Laura, the assistant at my school the past two years and her boyfriend, Alban who's a really weird guitar teacher. It should be noted that Gaetane's nickname among the teachers at school is Lady Gaga b/c she's so crazy. En fait, most of the teachers at my school are crazy and going to school is pretty fun. Marie Agnes is extremely sassy so we have a lot of laughs poking fun at each other. My other colleagues are similar. Normally it's a good mix of French and English b/c let's face it, I'm really not that funny in French. Anyways, back to the divorce party. We had cake and champagne to toast Gaetane's new single life. The cake had the traditional bride and groom on top, with a few alterations. The bride was holding up a knife and the groom was face down next to her. Perfect. The night was accompanied by good french food and of course, wine. We also played a few games, one of which included trying to eat 4 french biscuits in 1min. No one was able to do it b/c apparently they're really dry and chalk up in your mouth. However. It is my personal opinion that an American, with their fierce competitive nature and considerable capacity to eat large quantities of things very fast could do it. I have to test this theory. All in all it was a fun night and I can now check off divorce party from my list of things to do (even though it really wasn't originally on it.)

Lastly, it should be noted that I am an absolutely shameful daughter for having forgotten my mother's birthday on Sunday. So, officially Happy Belated Birthday Mom! I'm sorry I suck. I promise to make it up to you when you come to visit in a couple months.

Well, sorry this was such a long post and I promise to be more regular in posting in the future when I settle down in my new place and get internet. Take care, Emily.