At this stage in my abroad experience, I feel as though I can more properly compare the two cultures in which I have lived. I can more confidently say what I like and don't like, with enough life experience to back it up that it doesn't come across un-researched and unprofessional. Now, I feel confident to declare what things I dislike about French society without seeming petty, the things that I miss from back home. On the contrary, I I can also say what I love more about France. As a short list, I can confidently say that although my love for cheese was birthed in the U.S., French cheese has stolen my heart. I can say that popcorn at the movies in America is more suited to my tastes in comparison to the butter-less and salt-enhanced French popcorn. Besides matters of food, there is one aspect of French society that has me looking more to the East: the culture of striking.
La grève, the strike, the headache. Like the fact that winter is a constant rainfall in a sky of gray, the French do not advertise their culture of strikes. It was first presented to me in my "Business French" class when my professor joked about how to Parisians, protesting is like a sport. Whenever they feel passionate about a certain issue, they take it to the streets. You have to admire this action-based way of trying to make change happen. I am all too used to hearing strong-willed words from angry American citizens without seeing the mouths behind the statements. Strikes seemed like a proactive way to combat issues. They make a statement, and they sure are noisy.
However, what happens to the child who throws a fit every time that they don't get ice cream after a meal? They get ignored. As soon as the month of April hit, it was strike season, and the appeal wore off. Three days of work, two days of strikes. Like clockwork. Trains delay, flights are canceled, buses are stopped. Reform is all about progress, so why do we have to regress?
I believe in speaking your mind, and I am passionate about equal rights in the workforce. However, I feel as though la grève can inconvenience more than it aids its point. Is it not the lay public that you want to vote for your reform?
We, the people, want the metro.