~* Standstill *~

Huoh now I've learned what it's like to try to try work when surrounded by 5,6 million angry Frenchmen on strike... And these guys sure take their strikes seriously. Taxi drivers, who were let's say a little less than satisfied with their benefits, blocked all possible roads. Overnight, Paris became dead empty, a deserted city. Tires were burned on highways leading to airports... Flights cancelled... One temperamental bus driver got fed up with the taxi drivers blocking him and drove head on into the demonstrating crowd... Police and soldiers with machine guns everywhere.

And there I was, in my hotel, with altogether 50 kilos of cargo. Not realising a strike was imminent, I'd dragged all my newfound LadyBohemia treasures to the hotel, thinking I'd ship them to Finland the next. morning. A day fully booked with meetings, this amount of clothes shoes and bags to carry, and I was so heavily charged I couldn't even move.

It took half a day and dozens of help begging phone calls to get a lift from anyone – just anyone. At the end I just asked drivers to name their price to take me around for a few hours so I could make my purchases and ship the goods By the time I was almost in tears along came Lee, a wonderful gentleman who agreed to be my private chauffeur for the day. He carried my bags, boxes, suitcases; took me all around the city for my meetings… Took me to airport next morning … And even carried my suitcases all the way to the check-in counter. Salvation.

I made it, was able to send my goods to LadyBohemia, and was able to even get to the plane I'm sitting in when writing this. Just yesterday all this would have been impossible.

Huoh.