Strike Two

There will be another strike (un autre greve) in Nantes tomorrow! I am actually pretty excited because I might get to see some extra chaos in le centre-ville as people fill the streets with unrest. I have not looked up the complete effects of this greve, but I know all the trams and bus lines are limited which means I might get to walk to school (Many nights when I go out, I end up walking to le centre-ville because the tram only comes every twenty minutes and I can walk to my destination before the tram even arrives. If I follow the tram line, it takes about 30 minutes to walk to class. I walk along l'Erdre river and past dozens of cafes, the round tables and umbrellas just a few feet from the tracks, and it is a really safe way to walk from my neighborhood into town. I really enjoy walking everywhere, so if it were up to me, the transportation workers could go on strike every week). My host brother does not have class tomorrow because of the greve, so he is even more excited than me. Les greves usually happen on Thursdays or Fridays so they can "bridge" the weekend (how convenient).

Speaking of the weekend, Sundays (le dimanche) in France give people another reason to take the day off to relax. Except for the necessities (police, hospitals, and transportation), almost all businesses are closed. I personally love it- the sun is warm on your back, you can pique-nique beside le chateau, the streets are calm- it really makes the day feel like a relaxing Sunday. However, there is a little controversy about whether stores should open on Sundays now. Apparently, Michele Obama wanted to go shopping in Paris with her girls, but because it was a Sunday, Nicolas Sarkozy had to call the owners to have them open their stores
for her. Many workers feel like they do not have a choice in whether or not to work on Sundays because those who refuse to work can have their vacation days cut. They are trying to pass a law to open more stores, but I say let the french be french and take the day off!

I feel like you know you are a real part of the family when arguments are not hidden during dinner. My family has really taken me in just like another child, and with that acceptance comes the responsibility of listening to family drama. Like any other family with children, there are little disputes fairly often. My family has been open to telling me beaucoup d'information about grades, daily mistakes, and the topic of a dinner-time argument (During a conflicting discussion, my host dad will ask if I understand, and then he will explain the two sides of the argument). Tonight there was a discussion about internet access and the idea of addictions to computers and tobacco. I usually sit patiently and sip on my shot glass of water during the uncomfortable silences. I try not to take sides because I often agree with my host siblings but I want to please my host parents.

My host sister's birthday is tomorrow so that is another reason to be excited. I am going to probably buy her some flowers to spread around her room before she comes home. We already have a cake (un gateau) for her and there is going to be a special meal for dinner. I asked if french kids have cake and ice cream for their birthdays (since they go so well together at birthday parties across the States), and although they usually do not pair the two together, my host mom is going to buy some ice cream to have an "American" birthday.

My host mom said my french is already much better than before because I can understand and speak with less hesitation (I agree and je suis tres content). I can definitely feel when my mind is in French-mode versus English-mode. I went to my first Conversation Club in Nantes which grouped IES students with native french students. It was actually really exciting and helpful and I already met a french guy who is interested in hanging out with us (Everyone who has been in the program before regrets not making more native french friends. I am going to try to nuzzle my way into some genuine french friendships before the semester is over). We spoke half the time in french and half the time in english so we could all practice our foreign language skills. The people who show up are interested in speaking/foreign languages and can carry a conversation, so it is a great place to practice and learn about french culture. I will deinitely find a conversation club in the States so I can continue to speak french with people while I am away from France. I will also probably just continue speaking in Franglais because some words just make more sense in french.