In the total year-and-semester I have spent in La Belle France, there is one undeniable inconvenience to everyday life - they like to go on strike. Announced, unannounced, for a few hours or a few weeks, it is the weapon of choice for social movements. For those on strike, it becomes a wonderful holiday of protesting and chatting with friends about whatever political issue du jour. However, for the rest of us who would like to ride that tram rather than blocking it, life becomes unnecessarily yet substantially more difficult, involving sometimes hour long walks to classes only to find out the other students are on strike as well.
During my time in Montpellier, I had the (good?) fortune of experiencing more than my share of strikes. The tram would stop running for a few hours a week due to protestors of (fill in the blank issue). I was even present during Student Strikes of Spring 2006, which lasted from about the last week in February until mid-April. During that time, the tables and chairs from the classrooms were stacked in front of the main gates to the university and all the building doors. Spray paint lined the walls, with various slogans and many choice words about the governments plans for the CPE. Students, every Tuesday starting at 1pm, would march down the tramway line holding placards and banners, all the way to the center square called La Place de la Comédie, where music played and people danced to their general enjoyment of halting all life for those few hours. On those days, I would stand in the sunny Esplanade playing chess with the law students (who were - of course - also on strike), watching the hordes of chanting protesters go by.
While to some this may seem like a horrible waste of precious study-abroad time, I thought of it as an exciting and insightful experience. Being an American student, I could never have fathomed actually going on strike from classes (no matter how many times I wish I could), and here I had the chance to be a part of it. Granted, the whole 'no class' bit certainly helped, but I knew this was history in the making. The last time the students were able to create mass strike of that nature was in 1968, and no one could imagine it happening again anytime soon. I took advantage, taking those sunny Tuesday afternoons to chat with students, find out what and why they were protesting, giving me an in-depth view of the workings of the French mind.
Since then, I have actually returned to France as an intern in Strasbourg. During that time, I became friends with some of the medical students who were - again - on strike. All the same actions, many of the same conversations, only this time I more quickly discovered the walking routes to my office rather then depending on the very undependable tram service.
Don't get me wrong, it is certainly not easy living amongst such dissatisfaction and turmoil. However, that's what makes study abroad worthwhile - the chance to face challenges we would never dream of just sitting here in Happy Valley. I do believe my friend who is currently teaching in Orléans says it best;
"Just thought I'd let you know that I'm having on those great French days. You know, when you go to the bus stop and find out the buses are on strike. So you walk, then when you get to school you find out your students are on strike too...are you sure you're willing to sign up for more of this?
I know the answer to that. Of course you are! we all are. Even though I was being sarcastic when I said it was a 'great' day, it still makes me just smile and shake my head."
On the 2 year anniversary of the end of the student strikes in my city, all I can still do is smile and shake my head.
- Danielle Kukwa
Montpellier Fall '05 - Spring '06
Strasbourg Fall '07
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