Sooooooooooo it's been a while since I last posted. I have a few bits of experience to share.

Those of you wondering what other crazy shenanigans I've gotten into while in Toulouse - here are a few more France 101 lessons:

Lesson 11: If you decide you want to sit on one of those little cylinder things on the side of the sidewalk that keeps cars from going onto the sidewalk, make sure it is NOT an adjustable one. About a week and a half ago, we had taken a tour of Toulouse, the Basilica, etc, and we had been walking around for about three hours, and after the tour, I just wanted to sit. So I go over to one of these divider thingies, sit down on it, and the second I do it sinks down into the ground, and there I am just lying in the streets of Toulouse. Clearly the French were amused.

Lesson 12: The French do not clean up after their dogs. And they have a lot of dogs. I have stepped in sooo much dog poop just walking along the sidewalk that I literally walk down the sidewalk now with my head towards the ground.


So last week, we went to the Pyrenees to see the Cathare fortresses. Yes, we hiked two mountains, and at the top of each was a fortress where the Cathares (a religious people, essentially the first Protestants) would hide from the Catholics. It was amazing and if I can figure out how to put them up on the blog I will try (in the meantime they are on my facebook).

We also got to see the Basilica of Saint Sernin. Saint Sernin was a martyr saint, and he was the first bishop of Toulouse. Now Toulouse is an ancient Roman city, so at the time that Saint Sernin was bishop, Christians were not well regarded, but merely tolerated. One day however, Saint Sernin was kidnapped by a group of Pagans, taken to the Capitole in Toulouse, and tied to a bull. He was dragged along the streets of Toulouse until the cord snapped just in front of the Garonne River. His body was taken by the other Christians and buried, and now a Basilica stands in his honor. The Basilica is Toulouse's most famous landmark.

Now my blog is going to get somewhat political. Considering the recent effort by the Democrats to get a universal healthcare plan, I find France somewhat of a fascinating place to be. Often, in America when the government is trying to fix something they only look at the problem and ways to fix it. But we can also foresee the consequences by putting other countries under the microscope and see what works for them - this idea is called "Laboratory of Democracy" (my high school Law & Ethics teacher, Mrs. King, is loving this right now). So one time last week, I got into a discussion with my host mother about all the student strikes in France. For example, at one of the Universities in Toulouse this year, the students were on strike from January until June. Yes, the STUDENTS were on strike. I still can't exactly wrap my mind around it. They go on strike to demand better conditions, classes, etc., etc., etc. I explain how if that were to happen in the US, the professors would just fail the students. My host family explains to me, though, that in France, higher education is completely free, and thus there are virtually no consequences when the students go on strike. In America, higher education is expensive, and thus, PEOPLE PLACE VALUE ON IT. I told her of the effort in America to universalize healthcare. She just goes on to say that as soon as we do, it will completely lose any value, and it's status in our society. She says now, people don't care about trying to limit their visits to the doctor, and how some people will get a cut, and instead of just taking care of it at home, will go to the doctor because they know it's free. They just take up the time and services of the doctors that could be used for people who need it, just because it's free. So what happens when in a universalized America, the people decide that the hospitals are not in a good enough condition? Are the people going to go on strike? Demand better conditions from the government, well still wanting to not pay more? I think it is clear, through using the principle of Laboratory of Democracy, that that is exactly what will happen. When something is a hardship, it has value. And while, yes, we might need reform in America, hopefully we will not make the mistake of universalized healthcare. It also goes back to a fundamental difference between socialist countries and capitalist countries. In America, the emphasis has always been placed on the INDIVIDUAL. In more socialist countries, for example France, the emphasis is on the COLLECTIVE. In fact, it is important in France to NOT be an individual, to not stick out from the crowd, but to just go with the flow. Another example: there is no word in French for accountability. Because of the universalist society, it is commonplace to try to place any responsibility on someone else. This is not the direction we want America to go in.


Ok there was my political rant that I haven't been able to do since I've been in France. Take from it what you will. In the meantime, I have a test this afternoon, and then I am off the Mediterranean! See you later!