LIZ SAYS: Okay, so tomorrow is my birthday and there is a General Strike, meaning no transport plus, Dick and I both have colds, I am on asthma meds and the syndic's (co-ops) plumbers are working on the 2 main pipes, which means the water is off for 5 hours each day starting 3 days ago. Brush your teeth and shower before the water is turned off, former wine bottles turn to saved bottles of water in the fridge, pans of water on the stove. Oh and don't use the toilet at home or it will be there all day.
I have to admit the water thing makes me feel like I live in a third world country. The well is dry for 5 hours a day, but I imagine Haiti doesn't have cafes where you can sit and watch the cops stop every motorbike, and ticket them or not within 3-4 minutes, for entertainment.
We had gone to a magnificent park, and I had fantastic photos. But, I started to feel ill on the endless metro ride out to the 19th arrondisment. My eyes started to water ferociously and my nose itched way back in my throat. Uh oh, bad news said the asthmatic. Sure enough, I caught a bug.
I hate the metro anyway. Its in a hole in the ground and if that isn't enough, it squeaks, it seems filthy and its in a hole in the ground. Hello, Chilean coal miners, my brothers in claustrophobia!
Riding on the damned thing for 30 minutes is hell and I have a bug to prove it!
While there are some nice metro stations, when you venture further out, things get a little oh, how should I say this, ugly! It reminds me of New York.
Anyway, the park was fab and I will put up pictures later, but now I am in the depths of 'isone' meds, as in cortisone, prednisone or whatever plus anti-biotics.
Then there is the fruitless I want to retire at 60 not 62 strike. I mean seriously, I'm sorry but that battle is over. But, another 2 million in the streets, no transport, blah blah blah. Now, the terrorist threat has heightened and the press openly wonders whether it is a Bush-like move to prop up the ever unpopular Sarko.
But, despite all of the above, there is no place I would rather be.
Today, with our stuffy heads and runny noses,we ordered a cafe latte as we actually timed the cops stopping the motorbikes, vespas, scooters. The cops work right in front of a great place for cafe lattes, right across the street from our apartment. They seem to stop most motorbikes and an occasional auto. Everyone gets out the various stamped papers and either goes on their way, gets a ticket or in the case of one guy, gets arrested. It takes 3 minutes to get on your way and 4 minutes to get a ticket. Very efficient, although we originally thought it was such a waste of resources. As it turns out, it looks pretty profitable.
The photo is the plumber working on the colom (one of the 3 main waste pipes) in the shaft of the building. His foot is by our window. Looks rather exciting, but then he doesn't have a cold and no water!
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