The Day France Stood Still

Yes, this would be a great great movie title! Plus, the casting would be so big that would beat any Hollywood super-production!

"What the hell is he talking about?" you might ask. Well there's a national strike in France. At first you might consider that's normal, everyone has the right to strike, to fight for their rights.
But here, striking is a national sport because any reason is a good reason to stop working! :)

Today is a jeudi noir (french for "black Thursday"), which means almost everything will be closed, stopped or very very delayed. Some cities are more impacted than others, like Paris, where many people take their day off in the absence of public transportation.
Cars? Well, some people drive their way to the city, while others don't dare to face the traffic caos!

To make things even more interesting... I have a plane to catch tonight! Without trains and buses it will be difficult to reach the airport. And then I'll pray not to have my flight cancelled! eheh

Besides transportation, you have all other services on strike too: postal services, hospital, schools, radio, TV, airports... even people who works on ski resorts (during the ski season, of course!). No matter what kind of service, you name it and for sure they're on too! eheheh

Happy New Ox!

Each year the tradition is the same: every time the western world changes the year's number, the eastern world changes the year's animal. It's like a yin-yang relation between both worlds.

I love the eastern culture, their people, their natural landscapes... and of course, the food! But today I'm not here to talk about food (really? Am I sick? eheh) but to wish you another happy new year. In this case, a happy new chinese year, the year of the Ox.

That's a unique animal name because I believe it's the only one with two letters (in english, of course).
So what does this mean? Are we going to have a short year? It can't be, because accordingly to the Mayan calendar the end of the world will be in 2012! eheheh
It could also mean short of money, now that the so-called "world crisis" became popular!
I know: maybe my tax bill will be shorter this year! I hope so, because I don't wish to get anything else short! :-P

Naaaa... I prefer to believe that this will be an unique year: short on problems and full of energy!
Like the chinese running man on the picture here! eheh

I have just to say... Ox you all! ;-)

Australia

One resolution I have this year is to update more this small internet garden! eheh And that means movies must be a high priority... followed by gastronomy and travel! eheh

I have to try to write smaller posts, because that's the main reason which I don't update that much. Everytime I think about posting it's like "Hmmm... I'll do it later because now I don't have to write as I would like"! eheheh
So let's get started...

By now you already know which movie I'll be talking about: Australia. It was not the last movie I've seen, but the last one I've enjoyed.
It's a 2h30m adventure in the australian outback, but it doesn't look like it. I enjoyed the film, with nice acting from Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackmand and Will Smith's... son! eheh

Regarding the director, the australian Baz Luhrmann, I was expecting more, a personal touch, like he did for the romance genre with "Romeo + Juliet" and for the musical genre with "Moulin Rouge". Still, I enjoyed the cinematography and the story.
Yes, it's a war drama with a touch of romance, but don't worry... it's not another "Pearl Harbor"!

Go see it if you can, I recommend it.

So here is my first movie "review" for this year! eheh
Let's see if I'll go forward with the other 2009 resolutions! eheheh I'll keep you posted! ;-)

Charity? No thank you!

I believe that everyone should share, give, help those who aren't fortunate in life. I also believe if you want to give, donate, people shouldn't be too picky.
Everytime I see old shoes in my closet or clothes I don't use anymore, I always think in donating them... unless they are unsuitable for charity (like my old tiger patterned thong! eheh)

Kitchen tools, houseware items, etc... usually I don't throw them to garbage. And what about a mattress? Should I open a window and kick it away? No! (although it could be an amusing activity! eheheh)
Recently I had an old mattress replaced, so I thought the right thing would be to donate it to charity... and I couldn't be more wrong!

I've been trying to get in touch with the Red Cross in Paris but with no luck. I call but no one answers. But I did manage to call to Caritas, the international catholic charity organization.
They were very pleased to know that I was willing to donate the mattress... but before asking for my address (to pick it up) they asked me if I also had the bed base (bedspring). When I answered "no" she immediately refused my offer because, and I quote "we need both mattress and the bed spring, for the reason we SELL the items afterwards"!!
That's right ladies and gentlemen: I give for charity and then they sell!

I understand that they can profit from selling stuff, but... just the mattress is not enough?
Well... charity isn't the same anymore!

Ah, by the way, before hanging up the phone they suggested me to ... put the mattress in the garbage, because city services would take care of the problem.

Hmmm... maybe I'll put it on eBay and then I'll call Caritas again to say I managed to sell it by myself! eheheh

Cold, cold, cold...

I don't feel my hands! I don't feel my ears! I believe I'm becoming the first human ice cone in history! eheheh
In Paris, like other cities in Europe, the temperature dropped like crazy! Everything is covered in snow! Recently I described the snowy Paris, but the it's getting worse and worse. Besides having much more snow than usual, it's the icy pavements and roads that are the real danger now!
People walk like they were stepping on eggs... I mean, walk so gently in order to avoid to break... a leg! eheheh

When I thought I couldn't be more surprise by this, the incredible happened. This week the region of Marseille and Côte d'Azur (south of France), known for their sunny and nice mediterranean weather, was literally invaded by snow and ice! Instead of having cars covered with snow, they had boats and yachts turned into iglos! eheh
Yes, the end of the world must be really near! ;-)

I must get a toilet seat warmer! :-P

2009: no fireworks but with "car fires"

I welcome you all to this new year of 2009! All hopes and dreams are revived at the beginning of each new year... and they we wait 365 (or 366 days) to review the initial to-do list! eheheh

Yes, I survived cold from last night so it means I've started with the right foot so far! Most of the people prefer to stay at home or at private parties. I like to go outdoors, to see people celebrate, to cheer and to see the fireworks.

The problem in Paris is.... they don't have fireworks at midnight. When the clock reaches 12 the Eiffel tower lights up with some blinking lights. People stay along the Seine river and on the bridges just to watch these lights and open a bottle of champagne! ;-) But like I said on my previous post, I open a special bottle! eheh

It's sad to receive the new year without a small pyrotechnics show. I think they save budget for the big fireworks show for the 14th July, France's national day.
Ah, right... there's another type of "fire show", it's called "let's burn cars". Usually this happens around Paris city limits and is done by groups of people from these regions, usually immigrants from the poor and minority communities.
It's a very weird "sport", because each year the record of burnt cars is beaten! eheheh This year journalists say around 450 cars were burn in France, but the last official number is 1150! Yes, you read it right.

We have to agree this problem has its advantages: fewer cars means less polution and for the auto industry means more sales!
Who knows if in the future we'll have a special model: Auto Flambé! eheheh

Happy 2009 and keep up the spirit!