Voleur!!!

Today our group experienced our first "episode" with thieves on the train. Due to the grieve (the strike, which I will discuss later) we arrived early to catch the train that was leaving at 12:56. We had all grabbed something to eat and were sitting around. There were two teenage boys behind us, that quite frankly looked like no good, possibly due to the fact that they were making kissing noises at us and then they would sit with their legs in the entry way so they had to both move so you could get out to throw something away while we waited. All is well, we leave...everyone is laughing and having a dandy-ole-time and suddenly at the 3rd or 4th stop one of the boys snatched my friend's bag (it was under her chair). One of the boys was holding the door open with his foot and then they both escaped and the doors shut. My friend, Myra, who hasn't said one curse word the whole trip, stood up and said Shit really loud and Dr. Patton, knowing Myra's conservative and shy nature, instantly knew it must be an emergency, opened the doors and started running after them (he is 60). Then, the one guy on our trip, Houston, opened the set of doors closest to him and started running as well (he is 19 and an athlete). Fortunately, Houston caught up to them relatively quickly, and according to Dr. Patton, he was yelling and screaming and sounded like a "damn near crazy person," and just before he could grab the little SOB he dropped her bag kept running. Fortunately, this story ended happily ever after. I think Mrya will hold her bag with a death grip from now on and all of us are a little more suspicious than before. You like to trust people but then you realize not everyone is nice and of upstanding character.

I certainly do NOT understand strikes in France. In this case, SNCF, the train company, was going on strike (I think over job firing) but the crazy thing about it is that they have to announce the strikes like months in advance and even though there is a "strike" there are still several trains that run AND they post when they arrive and leave as normal. Therefore, although it is rather "annoying" it doesn't exactly have a very strong effect- you simply rearrange your plans or schedule. Whereas in the states, there are less major strikes and when they strike they do it right, they get you at the worst time, say at christmas or thanksgiving, and you're SOL.

I haven't read who has the majority in the senate yet but I am trés trés contente that the house now has a democratic majority. Do we really have to suffer through this yankydoodledandy bs for 2 more years with Bush? I'm ready for change ASAP.

Oh, other news. I found out the other day that one of my french teachers, Dr. David Morgan, is the world's leading Latin expert. I knew that he "spoke and wrote" latin, but I had no idea that he travelled to the Vatican and areas in France several times a year to "create latin words for things" and translate manuscripts (He is a very humble man, as I spent all last year around him for the language house and never knew this). He also speaks Spanish and Italian fluently and I think a couple others relatively well. Genius!!! Oh, I almost forgot. He also has a law degree from Princeton (he decided it wasn't his thing) and now he is a specialist in 18th century french civilization. I will take his class this spring- wish me luck!

Vous me manquez (I miss you).