Thanksgiving

I tutored English again this week. This time the youngest asked me what I knew about thanksgiving. I got really excited and asked him what he wanted to know. He said he was just supposed to write about it for his class for Thursday. So I was then supposed to just tell him whatever I knew about the story of Thanksgiving. This was about the point that I realized that I didn't really know that much about thanksgiving. He mentioned the Mayflower- but I didn't know the date that the mayflower arrived. I feel that is a failing. So I just told him about pilgrims and indians and how they supposidly had this feast together but I couldn't decide whether this story was just sort of a myth that they tell you or if you're actually supposed to believe it. I just told him that that's what american school children learn. And then I proceded to talk about all the food- which I was much better at explaining. I didn't actually get to talk about the football that also occurs.. but I suppose that's not actually "traditional". Also his mom roasted chestnuts and gave me some to take with me- I had never eaten a chestnut before.

Oh and I just realized that I never recounted my events of Monday night. -

The metro is still on strike here- which really just means that there are a lot less trains running. And those that are running are stuffed with people half the time. So i tried to take my metro line to meet people for dinner across the city and after waiting while two trains came and went- stuffed with people. the likes of which abby so well described on her marshrutka. And I decided to walk to the next station because sometimes that helps. But even there I had to squish myself into an overfull train. This was all uncomfortable but ok until we got to "Charles de Gaulle- Etoile" I think i've memorized every stop on my metro and can even pronounce them the same way the loudspeaker lady does. And I knew that lots of people get off at this stop. So the second the doors opened the entire mass of people I was squished up against gave one huge shove and I was pushed out of the train. This would have been ok but as I stepped backward to catch myself my right foot slipped between the train and the platform and I just sort of fell backward with my leg and ankle caught and people attempting to step over me. I had one of those weird flash backs and I just remembered the scene in the lion king with the wildebeast stampede and all the times I'd ever heard of someone being trampled to death. But I was saved by this group of women that i'd been pressed up against as they started shouting- "hey hey, stop" and various other french words that basically meant "hey, watch it" to the people who were pressing upon me preventing me from standing up again and getting out of the way. I then could lift myself, and leg up off the platform, and other than a twisted ankle and a bump on my shin I had not met the same fate as Mufasa. I also appreciated the woman asking me if i was ok, saying "ca va?" the same phrase as I'd heard some kid's dad ask him after he feel down running one day. And I also appreciated the woman muttering about Sarkozy- apparently blaming him due to his unwillingness to fold to the will of the metro workers and therefore causing all of this. I'm not sure if I'm willing to blame my injuries on the French presidentm, but it was nice that they were upset about it.

I still managed to get to my dinner, after more crammed train riding in which I stayed far away from the door and some limping. But I found the jewish quarter by accident due to my unwillingness to attempt to take the correct metro because I was sure it would just be another nightmare. Now I really want to go buy some bread there. But that will have to wait for another day.

I just heard the news that my university has decided to continue the blockade until at least next tuesday, when there will be another vote. That will make it two weeks since i've had courses at Paris 3. So now the Middlebury center is talking about opening up replacement courses. But for now that means that an exam I was supposed to have tomorrow is definitly not happening. I'm not going to lie, that makes me happy. It's at least interesting to be a part of all the chaos that is currenlty occuring here. Though I really wouldn't mind having a working metro once again.