and right now (yesterday, today, who knows when its going to end) is strike numero dos of my life in Paris!!! Fortunately, I actually have survived this one. I went into Paris both days and did not have any complications with the train or metro or buses and I am so very thankful for that! Hallelujah!
I am learning that I am not a fan of getting lost! Who is, really? But I really really am not a fan of it! It can be fun and sometimes funny if its the day and you get a lost in a nice part of town and there is fun stuff to look at or you're not in a rush, but lately its just become flat out annoying! haha. When I had a car, it was easy to know where I was going, I always had a feeling about how far to go and when to turn and where I was. But after moving here, its like my ability to know directions has gone completely out the window. ha. Maybe its that my car had a direction thingy on the rear view mirror so I always knew what cardinal direction I was going or that driving is a lot faster to reverse the wrong direction you've been going but I find myself a lot in Paris. The one good thing about getting lost is that I normally am able to find my way and once I have, I feel as though I know the area better and won't get as lost the next time.
So back to the strike. Yesterday started another strike here in the lovely place that I live. Hopefully this won't last too long as it can have some major effects depending on how severe the strike it. I was in Paris the other night and decided to stay the night but needed to be on the first train back home as I still had to take my kids to school and its roughly a 2 hour commute. This strike isn't so bad and so the RER A was still running pretty frequently and the buses were still running on time so I made it back but I was so nervous. But yesterday when I was in Saint Germain-en-laye I passed by the park that I've mentioned numerous times before, the one at the Chateau, and it was closed because of the strike. I found that very interesting. There was a typed up piece of paper stuck to the locked up gate and it read (in French of coarse), "Because of the social movement for the defense of the pensions this area will be closed on Thursday, 23 September. We appologize for the inconvenience.". Interesting, eh? Didn't know that public parks when on strike did you? Neither did I!!
Yesterday I went and took my exam for my French classes to see where I was to be placed and I basically had no clue how to do any of it and it made me feel so stupid. haha. I mean, I've had 4 years of lessons, but that was 10 years ago (gasp!) and then I had a very intensive session last fall but when you don't use it, intensive or not, how do you remember that well? And then I'm around a 4 and 6 year old a lot and I understand what they say, but I've memorized and understand what they say, which is basically the same 5 phrases over and over again. "Je suis fatigue" "Maman, gateau!" "On va l'ecole" "On va le parc" haha. Translated, incase some of you are clueless, translated these say, "I am tired," "Mom, candy!", "go to school" and "go to the park". Anyways, I am being put in the 2nd level of beginners classes with the option of moving up if I feel as though I already know what they are teaching. I really want to learn French. The lazy part of me says, geez, everyone speaks English everywhere you go and its a lot of work to learn another language and a lot of confidence to use it, but I really am and want to stay deteremined! I want to stay here (in France) for a while and that requires that I integrate myself into the culture as much as possible. So, come Monday, I will be learning French three times a week for two hours at a time and I am excited about it!!!
Well, I have to cut this lovely blog post short as its now time to go pick up the kids from school. And lovely for me...its raining!
Hope everyone is having a great Friday and enjoy your weekend, I will be enjoying mine!!!
Love, me!
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