A room of one’s own

Because my camera and I are finally in the same place, I am able to begin publishing snapshots of my daily life. I have nothing too exciting to show just yet, as I have yet to take my camera around town. Above you can see my little “corner office” in my bedroom. It’s where I’m seated right now, and where I write my lesson plans, complete status reports on my students, watch newscasts online, and of course write to the people I care about.

This week should be exciting: on Thursday I will have the dubious pleasure of experiencing my first French general strike (there have already been two “regular”, little strikes in the 6 weeks I’ve been here). Walking off the job and into the streets (for a massive demonstration in Paris) will be members of: the 8 unions representing civil servants, the 5 unions representing teachers, the 2 unions representing airport workers, the police union, the union representing doctors working in hospitals and the union representing emergency workers, the 3 unions representing federal bank workers, the postal workers union, the union representing the state telephone company, the 5 unions representing meteorologists (who knew the weather reporters were so well-organised?), the union representing stock market traders, the union representing Yoplait factory workers (who produce much of the yogurt and assorted dairy products in France), the union representing train conductors, the union representing university researchers, and the unions representing most of the major newspapers. And several student unions will be walking out in support of their striking teachers. Despite this, I’m expected to show up at work as usual, just in case a few stray students decide to come to school. (Oddly enough, language assistants in France aren’t allowed to strike! As one of my fellow assistants mused, we should strike for our right to strike…)

Tomorrow morning I must go to another town for my medical visit (mandatory for all employees of l’Education Nationale), then bring that report to my local préfecture to finally apply for my carte de séjour. I’m told one is lucky to receive one’s work card by January or February… so I most likely will at some point be an “illegal”, working in France without papers, as my work visa expires at the end of December. Apparently this happens all the time and the standard reply from authorities is: “don’t worry about it”!

Disconnected

Above, a view of the Parc de Sceaux, in autumn.

It’s chilly – not by Prairie standards, but still, 3° with rain and wind isn’t the loveliest of autumn weather reports.

I haven’t been making too many virtual appearances lately, as I’ve been without an Internet connection for a week. Since my arrival here one month ago, I’ve been relying on an unrestricted wifi connection that I could access from my apartment. I had no idea where it was coming from, whose airwaves I was “sharing”… Until last Saturday, when my next-door neighbours took off on holiday; the wifi signal disappeared the same morning. This lead me to conclude that I had probably been living off of my neighbours’ unintentional generosity.

Now that I have (finally!) had a payday, I am in the process of setting up my own little network of communications. Unfortunately, as with just about everything in France, it’s a long, drawn-out process… For now, I’m sneaking into the English office, where there’s a computer connected to the school network; it blocks many websites, and shuts down at 9pm, but at least I’m able to check my email. But one of these days, I’ll get back in the game, on my own terms.

In the meantime, of course, the holidays will be over in less than a week, so I may once again have free access in my home soon…

Photo: pps.jussieu.fr