Réforme des retraites

Sarkozy satisfait de la tactique gouvernementale..... les syndicats peinent à mobiliser en masse.... le Grand Sud mobilisé.... Retraite à 42 ans !!!

Montmorency, May 26, 2010. Val-d'Oise (Paris), France.

I'm tired after an almost sleepless night, preparing myself for another hard day at headquarter. The dreaded date of June will soon arrive to Paris. The date on which we have to prove that we can deliver better results, even in France. We are placed under heavy stress from the finance department and expected to deliver good results now...

I feel affection for France and to live here but the cost-effectiveness in France is too low, compared with Europe and the rest of the world. Many says; Too many Frenchmen talks too much and work too little and still calls for higher wages...
Il est impossible de concilier!

So right now I feel I want to escape from negotiations with unions and my own Executive Board. I want to saddle my horse and ride away ... but I have no horse and no saddle so I can only dream me away. Right now everything feels heavy, as a long uphill climb in the freezing cold rain.

It is difficult to see any reward on the horizon and the wind is blowing cold today. – Would you like to Come Away With Me?

"Come Away With Me"
(NORAH JONES)
Come away with me in the night
Come away with me
And I will write you a song

Come away with me on a bus
Come away where they can't tempt us
With their lies

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I'll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I'm safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me in the night
Come away with me

Paris or Papeete ?

Help the sun is shining and we are pleased to discover that the temperature is on the plus scale !!!!!!!!! – What happened ?

OK, Paris is the capital of France, but the weather is usually boring “gray & dull” but now the sun shines in Paris, even if it's only for a few hours...
PARIS + SUN (+2 °C) = Almost SPRING FEVER !!!

Everyone who lives here knows that the normal weather forecasts for Paris are usually:

• Light, mixture of precipitation. Mostly cloudy and Cool.
• Scattered flurries. Passing clouds and Chilly.
• Rain changing to an icy mix. Afternoon clouds. Cool.
• Snow changing to rain. Afternoon clouds. Cool.
• Rain changing to snow. Afternoon clouds. Cool.

But we actually had "winter" and 2 cm of snow for almost three days, only a few days ago. It was exciting, exotic and cheered all at our office. Everyone started to throw snowballs at each other. The snow even made the old rigid bureaucrats playing like children.
– Why can’t we get sun and snow at the same time ? – Please, please, please..... please

Many of us have talked and dreamed about the weather in Polynésie française. – But is it so much better than Paris ?

Papeete is capital of the island Tahiti (French Polynesia) and today reporting:

• 28 °C Partly cloudy. Warm. Thunderstorms. Partly sunny. Mild.
• 31 °C Mostly cloudy. Mild.
• 28 °C Tons of rain. Mostly cloudy. Warm.
• 29 °C Strong thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Warm

– What do you think a French bureaucrat could do in the rain and heat ?

Cry or Smile ???

Current conditions in Paris, France

2008-11-30, 23:33:31 CET

Light rain, Passing clouds, Chilly.

Temperature: 2 °C
Comfort level: -3 °C
Dew point: 2 °C
Barometer: 993 millibars
Humidity: 93%
Visibility: 7 km
Wind: 15 km/h from 190° South by westWind blowing from South by west to North by east

That's Current conditions in Paris...
the capital of France is freezing cold !!!

A Torrid Start for the French EU Presidency

As I write, July 1st, France takes over the six-month Presidency of the EU. And they're off to a rough start, for this morning's news is that Polish President Lech Kaczynski has refused to sign off the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty, on the very reasonable grounds that after the Irish NO vote, the Treaty is dead. The splendid Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic is also delaying ratification.

Meantime other EU leaders mouth platitudes about "respecting the Irish vote", yet they press ahead with ratification in defiance of public opinion. The EU loves to talk about "democracy and the rule of law", yet if you want to find those values you have to look not in London, or Paris, or Berlin, but in Prague and Warsaw. At least Poland and the Czech Republic are prepared to stand up for freedom and democracy. Well done them.

What the Irish Commissioner said...
Ireland's EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy (a fairly sensible man for a Commissioner) has passed some trenchant remarks on the Irish referendum result. According to the Irish Independent, he said the turnout for the referendum had been very high; the people had spoken; and the treaty as planned could not go ahead. He told Irish radio, "I somehow suspect that if many other member states of the EU had to put it before their people, the result would be the same". According to EUobserver, McCreevy added: "We should remember that Ireland is not alone in being unable to secure a popular endorsement of a European Treaty. As politicians this is something we need to learn from."

What the French President said...
"The Irish are bloody fools. They have been stuffing their faces at Europe's expense for years, and now they dump us in the s**t" (reported in The Times, June 20th). This is what is known in Brussels as "Respecting the Irish vote".

And an Irish view on the US elections: 'We in Ireland can't figure out why people are even bothering to hold an election in the United States. On one side, you have a gal who is a lawyer, married to a lawyer, running against a lawyer who is married to a gal who is a lawyer. On the other side, you have a war hero married to a good looking woman who owns a beer distributorship.
- What are you lads thinking over there?'

... Rainfall in Paris today... what’s about tomorrow, Nicolas?

It's August -- have a great holiday!

Do you know the difference between Paris and New York?

– NO ?

Paris

Back home

Back home: Not really sure its “back home” but it's a sort of home and yeee I’m back. So, I suppose you can say I’m back home… I’m back in Montmorency after a weekend in Cannes. Not too Bad weekend. Not too bad at all...

It’s good to be back home, I’m not exhausted but a bit tired after a long day. I'm living in Montmorency in Val-d'Oise (Paris), France. Its lovely and beautiful and the house is in a quiet area like back home…

There is a note on my fridge saying “Le Val-d'Oise est un département français, appartenant à la région Île-de-France…” But all French people here call it “RP” the Région Parisienne. They are like dogs… when the master is out of control you can do what ever you like… and when the master is back you can always bark… and many Frenchmen is barking on the streets nowadays, not too happy with «Sarko» (Nicolas Sarkozy). Not too happy at all...

It’s time to say goodnight… Tomorrow will be an exciting day in many prospective. Oh yeee, I have a brand new car outside waiting for me tomorrow morning…AND its only 21 days left before the big happening, it’s only 3 weeks before the big anniversary. – What do you want for your birthday present, after 40 years of waiting ?

Oh yeee, it’s good to be "back home"....
Bon voyage !

Paris love and Champ-de-Mars

Champ-de-Mars is a lovely green area and public park between the Eiffel Tower and the Military Academy (École militaire) suitable for love & kisses and picnic... and a French pique-nique in Paris includes many kisses !

All French party contains much wine, (often) little music, a lot of talk and some new smiling faces. Today, I bought olives, bread and many good cheeses plus fresh papayas & honey melons. Sally was carrying blankets and a backpack with many bottles of win. A good start to a real party!
We were hoping to see Mme Agnès Cadart, but she didn’t show up today. – You are invited to my picnic next Monday, two week from now, as all my friends.
Bienvenue, Welcome, Herzlich Willkommen,
Accueillons Chaleureusement!

Happy couple, bride and groom... ?

Gasto Flosse & Chirac

Paris in love, happy people walking around...

Paris in love, happy people walking around...

Paris & Beijing Olympic

Whoops, someone tried to distinguish the torch.
I've never seen the Olympic like this.

Paris Love With A Little Help From My Friends!

Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends
Lyrics

I can admit that my feelings for Paris are strong and my feelings for you, my friends and music even stronger.
So in combination… Yheeeee that feeling makes me just happy !!!!
So join me for a ride in Paris, you will not regret it, you are my friend !

Joe Cocker, Yes, this guy is amazing, he is an incredible singer, musician and he makes the music living as no one else. Enjoy !

Joe Cocker (WideScreen & New Window)
________________________________________________________________

Whitney Houston - Close your eyes and listen to her lovely voice, a great voice to remember when you start to doubt about yourself and maybe you begin to believe your own fears.
- But never loose hope, your friends will always wait for you !


Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
Soundtrack from "The Bodyguard"
Lyrics


Whitney Houston - My Love Is Your Love
Lyrics