Rainy day haiku

Dear comrades,
Hello. The weather here has been quite stormy recently, rendering my a little sad and homesick. I have written some haiku for you to express some of my recent days.

Swallowing the sun
the clouds feast for days and then
a thunderous burp

Backwards umbrella
Victim of furious wind
Stays erect for life

Optimistic girl
wears sunglasses on her head
unprepared for snow

Baguette: crisp crust crunch
Bolt home for lunch between drops
Baguette: soft, sad, soaked

La greve continues

I tried to go to class today. When I got to la fac (the university), there was the usual bustle-clusters of chain smokers perched just outside of the academic buildings,students socializing and eating their breakfast on the stairs approaching the amphitheaters, and social activists with long dreadlocks posting signs and talking dynamically amongst themselves in the corridors. The only difference was that all of the classrooms and amphitheaters were locked, and there were no teachers to be seen. Everyone at la fac seemed to know the drill except me and another exchange student (she was Hungarian) who waited patiently for the teacher to arrive. Finally we decided to go to the department bulletin board to see what was up, and sure enough, on a lovely lavender flier there was an announcement that teachers from all departments would be having a meeting today to discuss the continuation of la greve and so all classes would be canceled.

Will la greve continue?? Who knows. For the next week there is supposed to be a student blockade preventing students and teachers from getting in to the academic buildings...I guess I'll find out on Monday what that's all about. Also, I talked to a french university student last week who told me that once a student blockade successfully shut down the university for 6 continuous weeks. Apparently that was years ago though, I guess all I can do for now is wait and see. And take advantage of my extra free time!

Miss you and love you!

Lauren