The biggest news this past week was the assembly of 20,000 National Guard troops to protect the Presidential Inauguration. I am 64 years-old and would have never believed citizens of United States of America would become so emotionally charged and violent that the military branch designed to protect our country from foreign invaders would be used as a deterrent to potential threats of its citizens. This action conveys the government expects chaos and lacks the respect of the citizens. I am saddened that the few who riot, loot, and destroy believe they have the right to destroy and take things that others worked so hard for.
January 18, 2021
France has started a 9pm-6am curfew. I don't feel as if it will affect me at all since I'm never out and about then, but in a few weeks when I start teaching my evening class I suppose it could be an issue. I wonder how much of an effect it will have. I still feel pessimistic about what's happening on the university campus but there is absolutely no discussion about moving to online. I don't know how much students will be controlled in their apartments as far as social gatherings go, especially since we're outside of Paris proper...so I'm skeptical that we'll see numbers going down drastically as a result of these new measures. Every week I feel like I go into a battle zone to get my teaching over and done with. Thank goodness there's a week of break after this one.
November 9, 2020