Paris...Petro...Protest!

Ma vie est une telle bénédiction ... Je tiens à remercier Dieu (God) pour tout cela! Paris n'était que le début. L'ouverture de mon esprit ... la révélation de mon âme! - Tonya Michelle

It's been a while since I updated the blog...but I've been in the midst of LIVING my life to the fullest, which definitely presents it's own challenges along the way...




This is just another wonderful meal that I had in Versailles.  I even started having a sip (or two) of wine with dinner.  When in France...




Let me recount my travels...

On 19-10-2010 a Mardi (Tuesday)...

The French people took a stand against the government's decision to raise the age of retirement from age 60 to 62 with a country wide protest.  The President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy is definitely under fire for this increase, and for his desire to rid France of all the Roma (Gypsy) people.

I was very happy to be in France during the protest, although it can definitely cause MAJOR convenience problems to citizens and travelers alike.

First of all the oil refinery workers all went on strike!  Obtaining fuel in Paris and Versailles took almost TWO HOURS for most people.  For me...well it took about 10 minutes.  We simply drove down a one way street (the wrong direction) and cut the line under the pretense of being lost and not understanding what was meant when they tried to explain that the end of the line was actually down the street.

Mairie DV XIII Arrondissement

 Once we got fueled up...we decided to head to the midst of the protest.  We parked the car at Place d'italie which is in the heart of the 13th arrondissement of Paris.  The 13th is like where the majority of businesses are located in Paris and a huge Metro entrance point for people entering the city from the suburbs.  The moment we parked the car...the crowd was electric!




The crowd was thick and extremely energized.  We made sure that we wore sneakers and only a few minimal possessions.   There were reports all over France that some of the protest sites turned violent when clashes arose between the police, students, and protesters.  Fortunately for me, I seemed to be walking with a "peaceful and purposeful" mob.

I found myself outraged on behalf of the french people too.  The way they live, and their philosophy about life is very different than my American ways.  For one thing...EVERYONE in France takes holiday (vacation) at least 6 to 8 weeks per year.  It's standard.  American's are often so excited to receive a paltry two weeks.

Americans often live to work.  In France...they work to live and the LIVING is much more important.

It puts the French government into an awful predicament.  On the one hand, the government cannot afford to indefinitely pay full pensions to France's growing senior population.  However, the majority of France's citizens are not accepting of the new change.  They want what has always been given.

The protest definitely helped me to concentrate on what is most important in my own life.  I don't want to be like the drones in the office who think that the job is the most important thing in life, and punish any and all who rebel against their narrow minded ways.  I'm an artist first.

Laura Kpegli

During the protest, we ran into Laura Kpegli who co-stars in the fabulous film Donoma.   The film is directed by my play brother Djinn Carrenard.  I couldn't be more PROUD!

 

Africa meets America in Paris Metro

Ad and I hungout with Laura and her friends for a while before we began walking back to Montparnasse.  Once we made our way through the massive crowd we hopped on the Metro and headed back to Place d'italie.  I think it's my spirit that made the protest so appealing to me.  I've always been a rebel.

After the protest, Ad and I went back to Versailles and had a great dinner.  We had salmon, rice, and soup with fresh bread and wine.

Salmon and Rice with Cream Sauce

Carrot Ginger Soup and Nut Bread

I stayed home the rest of the evening and wrote.  Everyday I was inspired to push myself creatively and professionally.