My girls are getting so BIG

My nieces are growing up faster than I can keep up, and it'll only get worse if I end up moving away from home. Caiti had her 10th birthday last Wednesday and we went out to Outback to celebrate after her softball game. Mya "helped" her open presents too, which that daredevil is so big she can pick up a ten lb. bowling ball and wants to go down the slides at Ebeling on her own. Their childhood is flying by and I hope I'm not letting it go without spending enough time with them. When I came home from college on the weekends I was usually busy with homework or seeing friends, and now when Caiti is home from school she either has a friend over or I'm filling out job applications. I need to work on spending more time with them before they grow up and they have no free time anymore either.

Les Politiques

By the end of my stay in France, I couldn't get away from the topic of politics if I was around French people. Whether at the pub or the lunch table there was no getting away from the subject, which was a bit hard for someone who tries hard to even understand the politics of her own country. I started to get the gist of their system though, which consists of three main parts. First the person who wants to run has to get 500 official signatures (basically votes) from the "grands elus" which are mayors/governors/etc, then whoever has those by a certain deadline is in the running for the Premier Tour (like first round of voting). The top two people who get the most votes from this round end up being the two candidates for the presidential election. So while I was there 12 people got enough signatures and were trying to run, which there were political campaign posters everywhere on specific metal boards set up around the city (one often defaced right outside our school). The Premier Tour was the Sunday right before I left and Segolene Royal of the Partie Socialiste (PS) was running against Nicolas Sarkozy of the more conservative right (I forget his party at the moment). So they went on to the Second Tour (which the candidate with the most votes becomes the president).

Every candidate recieves the same amount of government funding, but you can tell automatically who the media prefers to focus more on, therefore who probably will go on to the second round. What I found odd is that many people hated Sarkozy, many of my students with a passion. And they warned me that if Sarko won there would be riots. I think because he is conservative he is considered by them to be racist and I have heard he wants to increase the amount of police. Other than that I don't know much about him or why he is hated so, but I have heard from some people that he was a lot more organized in his plans for France's future and probably that is why he won. Many said Segolene just wished to be "a mother to France" but didn't saw how she was going to meet all of the lofty goals, whereas Sarkozy said exactly what he wanted to do. Either way the youth were much more pro-Sego.

Being here in the States I haven't been kept up-to-date on what's been happening since the elections. I would like to know what the reaction was when Sarkozy won by such a small margin. But I find if funny if its true that 700 cars were burned being that it was a democratic election and 85% of the population voted. He was slightly in the lead after the 1er Tour, but many felt the people who voted for the Centrist Francois Bayrou might sway towards Segolene. The only way I knew he won is by watching "The Daily Show" where Jon Stewart joked about Sarkozy being considered pro-American and we know so because he was even pictured shaking Bush's hand, something he joked even American politicians don't want to do. I'm curious in the face of globalization how pro-American he is and what that means. I am a bit worried for France's future with so many steadfast against him, but America was the same way when Bush won...wait a minute and I don't like where my country has been going either...

Well Bonne Chance la France at reuiniting and finding some common ground. Hopefully the country will find a balance between keeping culture and letting in diversity. Hopefully they can help those looking for a better life by emigrating there while still fixing the problem of unemployment and too expensive housing. Hopefully they can continue their socialist practices of universal health care and housing aid amongst the many things we don't have much of here, but without bankrupting themselves. And that they will open up to trade but not to the extreme where McCafes take over the real thing because they're faster and cheaper, and where French music and movies still have a chance in the wave of Americanization.

The images above this entry are of political campaign posters (some defaced by students by putting a picture of a butt over Sarkozy and Le Pen's faces), and some from my friend Heather who was still in Paris the day of the Second Tour and the announcement that Sarkozy won. She saw Segolene's speech with the paparazzi all around her and Sarkozy's celebration party/concert.

Chez mes parents

Its interesting being back in Macomb, the place where I grew up but isn't really my home anymore. I love my family and knowing where things are in Macomb, but its not a place I would want to live. I hate that I have to drive if I want to go to places like the bank or post office, and that people look at you like you're crazy or you must be poor if you walk/ride a bike. I hate that all of the trees have been cut down to build new homes and that my subdivision looks empty because the trees there were cut too due to "diseases." All of the cookie cutter homes that have been built have created horrible traffic and people that want to get everywhere the fastest way possible in their SUV's. Almost all of the restaurants and stores are chains and public transportation basically doesn't exist even though many people work in the city of Detroit. All of this is the reason I want to stay with Chris and my friends in Grand Rapids, not to hurt the feelings of my family, but because there is still somewhat of a downtown and a community there. I can still walk along the river and ride my bike to do my chores. Sure there is suburban sprawl there too, as there is everywhere in the US, but the city seems to be on a comeback. It will just be sad to spend more time away from my family after being gone so long. I can't believe how fast my nieces have grown, it seems like almost without me, and it made me tear up when Mya walked up to me at the airport with a big toothy smile. Hopefully I will still be able to see a lot of them this summer.

Living on Cherry

Chris just moved into his new studio apartment in Heritage Hill, the area of Grand Rapids with huge dollhouse looking homes, often converted into apartments because they are so big. His place had a house party the Saturday of my Dad's bowling tournament so I was able to meet some of his 22 neighbors while eating burgers and brats around a bonfire. His place is small but everyone in the house seems great and it'll be nice to be just me and him for the couple of months I stay there this summer while working part-time and finding a job for the fall. I can't get my own place until I start making money and know where I will work since most leases are for a year. Plus if I move out of state for work it would be a hassle to get a moving truck twice for all of my things. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll find a summer job within walking distance of his place, since I miss walking and gas is now over three dollars a gallon. I may have luck since he's not far from downtown.