So, then we got it. For at least 4 weeks, more likely 6 weeks we not allowed out here in Paris between 21h00 to 06h00 cause its obviously more dangerous to sit outside at a café than it is to enter a crowded Metro at 06h15
I am sorry, but I am sure more people get infected in the Metro 13 each day than having a beer at “Café Gitanes” 23h00 if you sit outside.
Also, theaters etc already change their time schedule to play 18h00 to 20h00, so same amount of people will meet.
The, without a doubt, most stupid French invention is never as noticeable as when there is a strike going on… The door….
“What the fu** are you thinking of” you might think… Did the French invent the door?
Oh no, they might not have invented the door as such but in the way French are French and France is France they take a perfect normal invention and give it a French twist to make it look normal at first but in use its different from the rest of the world. Like doors.
A door, to save space and make life easier for people is opened outwardly but not in France, proud someone said: “A door, what an amazing invention, let’s open it inwards in France”.
And on a crowded bus, during strike, this means that the doors can’t open cause people is in the way. It also means, in a so called home, that the space behind the door cant be used for anything if you get the idea of what a door is made for, entrance.
Beside this morning and some reflection on life in France it only took 30 minutes today to get to work so I find myself at work kind of extra early and keep on the countdown to Christmas vacations. Today: 2 Tomorrow: 1 and then 0!
Björn
PS…
Working in a place not famous for it’s humor to find this in elevator this morning give some hope for the future. Just wonder who had the balls to do it?
So, the 13th of December passed and as you know the 13th of December is the day when we Swedes celebrate Lucia. So I went to the Swedish Church in Paris together with two friends, not Swedish, to marketing Lucia.
For me as a Swedish person the celebration is kind of normal but it is obvious that Lucia is a strange animal in the zoo of traditions outside Scandinavia. Nevertheless it was a great success and to bring some non Swedes to a Church in the middle of December is actually a great idea.
And with longer opening hours on the day some Julbord was offered at the Swedish store in Paris. Julbord, traditional Christmas food. Also a success, even if I thought this point on the program might have been a larger risk than seeing Lucia.
Pardon my French, but this fu***** strike! Seriously, the whole of Paris will spend the weeks up to Christmas AND Christmas in bed sick based on over crowded buses, long walks in the “fantastic” winter weather.
And to find out that none of the commercial unions don’t protest…. For me it’s mind blowing. If I was the owner of a shop, weeks before Christmas and the transport industry decided to strike… I mean, people do not shop when it’s impossible to bring your purchases home, so the income must drop. So, fire the store staff and blame the transport unions, maybe Mr Macron will wake up and not run around trying to save Russia and Ukraine.
Another thing I don’t get is that French people whom literally protest about everything buy this situation. It’s against all the rules you learn about the French.
The upcoming strike creates a lot of problems when it is at the same time as a huge Conference. People leaving earlier to be sure to get home at all, staff need to walk to work… Fine if you live close to the venue but from the suburbs?
First blog post in December 2019, and the last month of the year (where did it go????) – and start with one of the most hectic weeks of the year at work so there will be both good and bad stress during this week.
Hopefully my free Friday will stay where it is, we know on Thursday.
As you can see from the image above Crillon continues to get X-massed and today the Swedish Church open up their Christmas Market. So let’s see if weather allows to go there after work.
So, arrived to work this morning, and as I guessed, today the Hotel Crillon finally got their Christmas decorations up. I guess not in full yet but at least one of the trees are there
Strange enough the Hotel next to work not put up their Christmas decorations yet. I look at last years pictures in the app “TimeHop” and they have their Christmas Trees outside… But not this year. I guess we will see them after the weekend or Friday (to have some Christmas lights up for tourists over the weekend).
But beer is coming in, not to the Hotel though, it’s for the ACF Restaurant.
