This is the official note from Paris...just released online...
U.S. EMBASSY PARIS, FRANCE
SECURITY UPDATE
This Warden Message alerts U.S. citizens to a large demonstration in Paris scheduled for this Thursday, January 29, 2009.
According to local police, there will be a large demonstration organized by the major French trade unions this Thursday, January 29, 2009, beginning at 1:00 p.m. A march will begin at Place de la Bastille and end at Place de l'Opéra. Areas affected will be Place de la Bastille, boulevard Beaumarchais, boulevard Filles du Calvaire, boulevard du Temple, Place de la République, boulevard Saint Martin, boulevard Saint Denis, boulevard Poissonnière, boulevard Montmartre, boulevard des Italiens, boulevard des Capucines, and Place de l'Opéra. Local police estimate the demonstration should end around 8:00 p.m.
French police expect at least 40,000-50,000 participants. Public transportation will be heavily disrupted. Automobile traffic is expected to be disrupted in various areas throughout Paris; routes should be planned accordingly.
We remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid these areas, if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity. American citizens should stay current with media coverage of local events and be aware of their surroundings at all times.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris can be reached at 01-43-12-22-22 during regular hours and for after-hours emergencies. Our website address is http://france.usembassy.gov. For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the
Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs' website at http://travel.state.gov, where Country Specific Information, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Worldwide Caution can be found.
Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada; or, for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday
through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
Americans living or traveling in France or Monaco are encouraged to register with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate through the State Department's travel registration website and to obtain updated information on travel and security within France and Monaco. Americans
without Internet access may register directly with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy or Consulate to contact them in cases of emergency.
United States Embassy
American Citizen Services Unit
4, avenue Gabriel
75382 Paris Cedex 08
France
Telephone in France: 01 43 12 22 22
Telephone from U.S.: (011 33) 1 43 12 22 22
Website: http://france.usembassy.gov
E-mail: mailto:citizeninfo@state.gov
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
La Greve grave, or, Freefallin'
In case you know what that means...yes...France is, once again, on strike. All of it. Everything. No railways. No public service. No school.
No school = no credits.
no credits = I don't graduate early.
You're Welcome.
Thank France.
Ce lundi 26 janvier 2009, les dirigeants syndicaux appellent à la grève de tous les services publics et demandent la mobilisation du privé lors de la manifestation prévue le 29 janvier 2009 partout en France.
La journée de grève et les manifestations sont un “cri de colère” contre les mesures jugées insuffisantes par les organisations syndicales pour le plan de relance économique du gouvernement.
Il faudra s’attendre à une mobilisation plus importante encore que par le passé.
OR
This Monday January 26, 2009, the trade union leaders call with the strike of all the public services and ask for the mobilization of private at the time of the demonstration envisaged everywhere on January 29, 2009 in France. The day of strike and the demonstrations are a “cry of anger” against the measurements considered to be insufficient by the trade-union organizations for the economic revival program of the government. One will have to still expect a more important mobilization than in the past.
so...more than in 2005 when people were out of school for 3 months, you may ask...yes, friends, that is exactly what that means.
Pensons tout de suite à la reconduction de la grève pour gagner !
La grève du 29 janvier sera très suivie, certes. Mais nous le savons, elle ne suffira pas à obtenir satisfaction sur nos très nombreuses revendications, face à un gouvernement extrêmement solide et déterminé. Pour gagner, nous devons l'être autant, dans la solidarité et avec l'espoir de changer le cours de l'histoire ! Lors des AG du 29 janvier, votons la reconduction immédiate !
Let us think immediately of the renewal of the strike to gain! The strike of January 29 will be very followed, certainly. But let us know, it will not be enough to obtain satisfaction on our very many claims, vis-a-vis an extremely solid and given government. To gain, we must be as much in solidarity and with hope to change the course of history! At the time of AG (apres greve--after strike) of January 29, let us vote the immediate renewal!
So, when it is over, i could potentially be in a completely different school system anyway...
haha
this trip is starting to be just funny...
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Disco Malaria
I'm sick. I have a cough and a stuffy nose and a headache. on an upnote, i may have found an ice rink here in aubagne...the allstar game is tomorrow night...and the mistral have arrived...
Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence:
"Meanwhile, a thousand miles to the north, the wind that had started in Siberia was picking up speed for the final part of its journey. We had heard stories about the Mistral. It drove people, and animals, mad. It was an extenuating circumstance in crimes of violence. It blew for fifteen days on end, uprooting trees, overturning cars, smashing windows, tossing old ladies into the gutter, splintering telegraph poles, moaning through houses like a cold and baleful ghost, causing la grippe, domestic squabbles, absenteeism from work, toothache, migraine-every problem in Provence that couldn't be blamed on the politicians was the fault of the vent which the Provenaux spoke about with a kind of masochistic pride.
Typical Gallic exaggeration, we thought. If they had to put up with the gales that come off the English Channel and bend the rain so that it hits you in the face almost horizontally, then they might know what a real wind was like. We listened to their stories and, to humor the tellers, pretended to be impressed.
And so we were poorly prepared when the first Mistral of the year came howling down the Rh?ne valley, turned left, and smacked into the west side of the house with enough force to skim roof tiles into the swimming pool and rip a window that had carelessly been left open off its hinges. The temperature dropped twenty degrees in twenty-four hours. It went to zero, then six below. Readings taken in Marseilles showed a wind speed of 180 kilometers an hour. My wife was cooking in an overcoat. I was trying to type in gloves. We stopped talking about our first swim and thought wistfully about central heating. And then one morning, with the sound of branches snapping, the pipes burst one after the other under the pressure of water that had frozen in them overnight."
yeha...its like that outside...haha
Peter Mayle, A Year in Provence:
"Meanwhile, a thousand miles to the north, the wind that had started in Siberia was picking up speed for the final part of its journey. We had heard stories about the Mistral. It drove people, and animals, mad. It was an extenuating circumstance in crimes of violence. It blew for fifteen days on end, uprooting trees, overturning cars, smashing windows, tossing old ladies into the gutter, splintering telegraph poles, moaning through houses like a cold and baleful ghost, causing la grippe, domestic squabbles, absenteeism from work, toothache, migraine-every problem in Provence that couldn't be blamed on the politicians was the fault of the vent which the Provenaux spoke about with a kind of masochistic pride.
Typical Gallic exaggeration, we thought. If they had to put up with the gales that come off the English Channel and bend the rain so that it hits you in the face almost horizontally, then they might know what a real wind was like. We listened to their stories and, to humor the tellers, pretended to be impressed.
And so we were poorly prepared when the first Mistral of the year came howling down the Rh?ne valley, turned left, and smacked into the west side of the house with enough force to skim roof tiles into the swimming pool and rip a window that had carelessly been left open off its hinges. The temperature dropped twenty degrees in twenty-four hours. It went to zero, then six below. Readings taken in Marseilles showed a wind speed of 180 kilometers an hour. My wife was cooking in an overcoat. I was trying to type in gloves. We stopped talking about our first swim and thought wistfully about central heating. And then one morning, with the sound of branches snapping, the pipes burst one after the other under the pressure of water that had frozen in them overnight."
yeha...its like that outside...haha
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
I FINALLY HAVE INTERNET!
Thur, January 8 2009. 11: 48: 19
Munich, Germany
So, let me tell you a cool story about snow. It doesn’t happen in Marseille. The only reason for a delayed flight to Marseille, in fact, is rain. Which also doesn’t happen, so there really isn’t a reason. WRONG!
I have been sitting in various German airports for nearly two days, and I’m still there now. I have never in my life experienced worse travel conditions, and do you know why? ... FREAKIN’ SNOW!
IT SNOWED 15 CM IN MARSEILLE OVERNIGHT WHILE I FLEW TO GERMANY AND THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR TWO DAYS!
I have rescheduled my flight to Marseille alone 4 times now, once, the plane never left, and two hours after boarding they took us back into Frankfurt. Twice else I have rescheduled Direct. Once from Frankfurt, then I got a connection one from Munich to Marseille, which was also cancelled by the time the first plane landed. I gave up. I stayed in the airport « hotel » overnight (aka. Slept for 6 hours for the first time since 6h30 two days before.)
Finally, this morning I got up at 4h00 to catch my 6h15 flight that would finally get me there…. nope. Delayed four hours. Then cancelled. Am I going crazy, or did Marseille completely DIE from FLUFFY WATER?! So, on my fifth meal voucher from Lufthansa airlines, I’m sitting in a cafe about to eat something and have a good cold German beer. I had to write this in word because I won’t pay 8 euros for an hour of Internet.
My next flight is not to Marseille. I learned my lesson, the hard way, yes, but it was learned. I am flying to Nice. Provided that the roads are not still closed at 16h50 when I arrive there, I will catch a bus to the main train station, then a train to Aix-en-Provence, completely avoiding Marseille.
So. I’ve killed about an hour and I have 3 more until boarding. Maybe this time. I called Kelly Conway like 300 times in the past 48 hours, she probably knows me better than any of the other students in the system by now (or at least my weary voice).
On the up side, I started a patch collection of all the awkward places I have been so far (and got Mel a Germany patch for when I get back, as well as a Frankfurtien spoon for Danielle). I’ve seen more of Germany than I ever thought I would, and I have even learned basic « how the hell do I survive? » words in German; so, not fruitless…. :-/
For now I leave you with that:
Auf wieteshein und Gutentag
Good riddance.
Friday/Saturday January whatever wheneverthehell--EVERY WINDOW IN ALCATRAZ HAS A VIEW OF THE CITY
My room is a closet. At least I can see Aix in all its glory.
I’MSOFUCKINGPISSEDOFFRIGHTNOWICANBARELYBREATHE!
I finally made it into Marseille after spending another night in Munich, and I got the only cab driver in france who doesn’t know how to get to the cite de cuques. 60 euros later, I found myself at the gazelles (note, not the cite) and had to walk over 1.5 k to the place I was supposed to be with ALL MY SHIT! Meaning, two huge suitcases, an backpack to capacity and my purse which Im surprised wasn’t stolen.
I went to bed. Trying to be happy I was here. Nope. The bottom sheet is loose, and it squeaks, so I can’t sleep, either. I’m exhausted, and cant even fucking sleep. So, I thought: I’ll get up and create my Internet account so that I can at least talk to familiar people, its like 930 in the us. NEITHER FUCKING PASSWORD THEY GAVE ME WORKS!
So, nix that.
Whats next?
Seriously, I’m probably gonna fail all my classes anyway.
I don’t speak French.
I hate everything right now.
I wanna go home…
Wednesday, January 21 19h17
Wow that last one was depressing.
I am now sitting here listening to jason mraz much happier thank you. I have already made pleusiers amis... most from paris ironically enough.
Im totally gonna lose a ton of weight here...i eat well, but like not a ton and i walk EVERYWHERE. not even kidding...45 minutes...whatever, man. cake.
so...I found an oxygen/hooka bar here and were gonna go this weekend...next weekend im going to saint paul de vince on of the prettiest villages in france...
dont you think?
Were going to the museum of picasso's work there...and then to the 2 chateaux on the top there...finally going to the church at the base of the mountain...
The beautiful scenery in Aix makes up for the hideous yellow wallpaper with leaves in my room. I got a purple comforter. And wine. And smirnoff ice. And bread. And cheese. And pate. And Stella Artois for 1 euro. And, oh yeah, chocolate...oh dear god, chocolate.
I may go to venice for Carnival with a bunch of French people. I can't wait. Costumes, cake, champagne, capes, masks, pretty people... heh.
I met some quebecois. they're pretty cool. One's really hot.
I saw someone last night a ladies free champagne night at Cuba Libre who literally danced like John travolta in Saturday Night Fever...didn't help that they were playing Grease.
This is the only place where one club plays grease, salsa, zouc, and techno in the same night... hehe. i love france, no matter how often i want to just be the ugly american here, too, my clothes fit in too well and they just think im british. plus, my friends and i are now the shizznit because of obama...everyone keeps saying "yes we can" in precious french accents....
thats all for now...no more long posts. i just had to catch you all up...plus i had to write those other ones in word cause of no interwebs...hehe
peace. love. and crackers.
kerch
Munich, Germany
So, let me tell you a cool story about snow. It doesn’t happen in Marseille. The only reason for a delayed flight to Marseille, in fact, is rain. Which also doesn’t happen, so there really isn’t a reason. WRONG!
I have been sitting in various German airports for nearly two days, and I’m still there now. I have never in my life experienced worse travel conditions, and do you know why? ... FREAKIN’ SNOW!
IT SNOWED 15 CM IN MARSEILLE OVERNIGHT WHILE I FLEW TO GERMANY AND THE AIRPORT HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR TWO DAYS!
I have rescheduled my flight to Marseille alone 4 times now, once, the plane never left, and two hours after boarding they took us back into Frankfurt. Twice else I have rescheduled Direct. Once from Frankfurt, then I got a connection one from Munich to Marseille, which was also cancelled by the time the first plane landed. I gave up. I stayed in the airport « hotel » overnight (aka. Slept for 6 hours for the first time since 6h30 two days before.)
Finally, this morning I got up at 4h00 to catch my 6h15 flight that would finally get me there…. nope. Delayed four hours. Then cancelled. Am I going crazy, or did Marseille completely DIE from FLUFFY WATER?! So, on my fifth meal voucher from Lufthansa airlines, I’m sitting in a cafe about to eat something and have a good cold German beer. I had to write this in word because I won’t pay 8 euros for an hour of Internet.
My next flight is not to Marseille. I learned my lesson, the hard way, yes, but it was learned. I am flying to Nice. Provided that the roads are not still closed at 16h50 when I arrive there, I will catch a bus to the main train station, then a train to Aix-en-Provence, completely avoiding Marseille.
So. I’ve killed about an hour and I have 3 more until boarding. Maybe this time. I called Kelly Conway like 300 times in the past 48 hours, she probably knows me better than any of the other students in the system by now (or at least my weary voice).
On the up side, I started a patch collection of all the awkward places I have been so far (and got Mel a Germany patch for when I get back, as well as a Frankfurtien spoon for Danielle). I’ve seen more of Germany than I ever thought I would, and I have even learned basic « how the hell do I survive? » words in German; so, not fruitless…. :-/
For now I leave you with that:
Auf wieteshein und Gutentag
Good riddance.
Friday/Saturday January whatever wheneverthehell--EVERY WINDOW IN ALCATRAZ HAS A VIEW OF THE CITY
My room is a closet. At least I can see Aix in all its glory.
I’MSOFUCKINGPISSEDOFFRIGHTNOWICANBARELYBREATHE!
I finally made it into Marseille after spending another night in Munich, and I got the only cab driver in france who doesn’t know how to get to the cite de cuques. 60 euros later, I found myself at the gazelles (note, not the cite) and had to walk over 1.5 k to the place I was supposed to be with ALL MY SHIT! Meaning, two huge suitcases, an backpack to capacity and my purse which Im surprised wasn’t stolen.
I went to bed. Trying to be happy I was here. Nope. The bottom sheet is loose, and it squeaks, so I can’t sleep, either. I’m exhausted, and cant even fucking sleep. So, I thought: I’ll get up and create my Internet account so that I can at least talk to familiar people, its like 930 in the us. NEITHER FUCKING PASSWORD THEY GAVE ME WORKS!
So, nix that.
Whats next?
Seriously, I’m probably gonna fail all my classes anyway.
I don’t speak French.
I hate everything right now.
I wanna go home…
Wednesday, January 21 19h17
Wow that last one was depressing.
I am now sitting here listening to jason mraz much happier thank you. I have already made pleusiers amis... most from paris ironically enough.
Im totally gonna lose a ton of weight here...i eat well, but like not a ton and i walk EVERYWHERE. not even kidding...45 minutes...whatever, man. cake.
so...I found an oxygen/hooka bar here and were gonna go this weekend...next weekend im going to saint paul de vince on of the prettiest villages in france...
dont you think?Were going to the museum of picasso's work there...and then to the 2 chateaux on the top there...finally going to the church at the base of the mountain...
The beautiful scenery in Aix makes up for the hideous yellow wallpaper with leaves in my room. I got a purple comforter. And wine. And smirnoff ice. And bread. And cheese. And pate. And Stella Artois for 1 euro. And, oh yeah, chocolate...oh dear god, chocolate.
I may go to venice for Carnival with a bunch of French people. I can't wait. Costumes, cake, champagne, capes, masks, pretty people... heh.
I met some quebecois. they're pretty cool. One's really hot.
I saw someone last night a ladies free champagne night at Cuba Libre who literally danced like John travolta in Saturday Night Fever...didn't help that they were playing Grease.
This is the only place where one club plays grease, salsa, zouc, and techno in the same night... hehe. i love france, no matter how often i want to just be the ugly american here, too, my clothes fit in too well and they just think im british. plus, my friends and i are now the shizznit because of obama...everyone keeps saying "yes we can" in precious french accents....
thats all for now...no more long posts. i just had to catch you all up...plus i had to write those other ones in word cause of no interwebs...hehe
peace. love. and crackers.
kerch
Monday, January 5, 2009
SATAN SAYS DANCE
SO THIS IS GONNA BE IN ALL CAPS
IM GOING TO FRANCE
I GOT MY VISA
C-YA ALL IN AUGUST!
PEACE, LOVE, AND CRACKERS...
whatever that means....
IM GOING TO FRANCE
I GOT MY VISA
C-YA ALL IN AUGUST!
PEACE, LOVE, AND CRACKERS...
whatever that means....
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Till I Collapse...
Pardon the emenim lyrics, but seriously. I'm still waiting on the visa. I can't leave till i get it, and i cant get it until the mail decides to pay attention to the "express" label. So i guess i just sit here...and wait...till i collapse...
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