Friday, May 2, 2008

No work = Extra vacay!

Over the course of the next two weeks I will be teaching two days out of my normal six. I should have just stayed home an extra month! There are a bunch of vacations in May, and guess what, another grève!

This Thursday was ferié for Labor Day. I'm working Monday, Tuesday is an in-house day for teachers at one school so I don't have to work, Thursday is Victory in Europe Day (WWII), Monday is the Monday of Pentecost (Whit Monday??), I teach Tuesday, and Thursday is the big teaching strike. I guess I shouldn't count my eggs before they're hatched though, because only one of my schools told me they're all striking, but I'm pretty sure the other one will be. The government is in the middle of some hefty education reforms and the teachers are upset, so what do they do? Refuse to work. That's right, let's punish the kids to show the government that we're serious.

Next week I'm going to London and I am soooo excited! I really hope it's as good as I want it to be. I may be joined by a buddy of mine. The week after I think I'll head to Budapest if I really do have Thursday totally off. I really want to make it to Hungary since that's where my dad's family is from and where my grandfather immigrated from. Of course the part of Hungary where he lived (Transylvania!) is no longer Hungarian but part of Romania (WWI territory redivision). If not Budapest then I'll do either a Bruges/Brussels trip or a Vienna/Salzburg trip. I know that if I don't go to Budapest now I'll make time for it in July, but the other ones, esp Austria, I'l not sure if I'd get there this year. If anyone has any input or suggestions I'd love to hear them!

3 comments:

Monique Geisler said...

wow strikes.... anyways, this should fill your American tv curiosities :) It kept me sane when I was living in France (before the American strikes that is, who would have ever thought...?)

http://www.sidereel.com/Grey%27s_Anatomy

nicole said...

hip hip hooray for jour feries and strikes! good luck in getting budapest, i'm jealous! :)

BlondeInFrance said...

Bruges is awesome! I was there in November and it was lovely, so now it must be gorgeous, and I did this bike tour (pink bear bicycle company) that was super interesting and pretty cheap. My roommate studied in Gent and said it's great, I didn't get a chance this time, but she is usually trustworthy about these types of things. And Antwerp was neat for a day, wish I could have stayed at night, it's a pretty happening town. If you're using the train in Belgium a lot, get the GOpass, it's 45 euros for 10 trips, and it doesn't have your name so you could split it with a friend or sell it or something when you're done.

Sorry to ramble, I loved Belgium! But have fun whatever you decide!