Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Some work, others don't...


Here is a scene I photographed at the Luxembourg gardens and I thought it was a good illustration of yesterday, a day we call Pentecost Monday which is a Catholic feast commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the remaining eleven Apostles of Christ. It used to be a holiday, but in 2004, the Government decided to make it a working day to raise money for the elderly. Of course, this decision  gave way to many protests... resulting in a partial reinstatement of the holiday! Funny photo though!

13 comments:

  1. Great juxtaposition of stances and energy! My first visit from Seattle...

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  2. Really great illustrative photo about really interesting info on French current events. So what is the partial reinstatement? Is it an individual's choice to work or is it mandatory for some and not for others? The people who work are donating their pay!? Or perhaps the taxes of those who work are for the elderly? Its so different than what we do in the US that I can't begin to guess how the rules work!

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  3. What an interesting concept! A day of work to help others. I love how you have relaxing and working in this photo. I did some of both today as it was a day of remembrance here in the States, Memorial Day, to remember our soldiers who have died and those who serve.

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  4. The juxtaposition in this scene and the voyeur perspective is perfect. The position of the man seated appears almost as a king holding court. Love this one.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  5. I remember when they did that in 2004. What I don't get is that France is supposed to be a so-called secular state and still, the catholic references are deeply embedded into the culture .. to this day!

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  6. You are right, tomate facie, France is a secular state but God forbid, the state takes away all the religious holidays - like having the cake and eating it too!

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  7. @Carrie "So what is the partial reinstatement? Is it an individual's choice to work or is it mandatory for some and not for others? The people " It's mandatory in some companies and/or you can also choose to give one of your holiday. And yes, the people who work donate their pay. Apparently this allows to raise 2,3 billion euros for the elderly (which is very little in comparison to what we really need...)


    @Tomate "What I don't get is that France is supposed to be a so-called secular state and still, the catholic references are deeply embedded into the culture .. to this day!"
    Well, France remained Catholic for a long time, and even though it has been a secular state now since 1905 a lot of traditions remain.
    Now, I think most people don't actually think they are celebrating a Catholic fest when they don't go to the office on the Pentecoste, Assomption, Ascension... They are just happy to have a day off!

    FYI, some people are presently saying that since there are day offs for Catholic feats, there should also be some for Jewish and Muslim ones...

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  8. *Like* your unique public parc photo.

    Wikipedia: In 1612, Marie de Medicis planted 2,000 elm trees, and directed a series of gardeners, most notably Tommaso Francini, to build a park in the style she had known as a child in Florence.

    Victor Hugo writes about the Jardin du Luxembourg in his novel Les Misérables. The love story between Marius Pontmercy and Cosette is set in the parc -- very romantic reading.

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  9. Thanks for the further info, Eric! The photo, which alone is nice but wouldn't mean much,is now impossible to see without taking on symbolism and meaning. Its also ambiguous - in a good way. What motives or pressures causes each to work or not to work? How does each feel towards the other? Towards work itself? Towards the law? Towards the Church? Towards the elderly? Really great image for this text!!

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  10. When I was there in the '60s, they had "chair ladies" in the park (kind of like the "pee-pee ladies" in the rest rooms) who walked around and collected a small fee from people using the chairs. We usually tried to stay one step ahead of them, but if that money had gone to help the elderly . . . maybe we would have parted with a few sous a bit more willingly (though, to be perfectly honest, I doubt it). At any rate, it's a great shot, Eric.

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  11. @Alexa " When I was there in the '60s, they had "chair ladies" in the park" Yes I remember those times, I was a little boy and I remember thinking it was really unfair that my mother had to pay for us to sit in the park LOL

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  12. I love this photo, it is so sweet! Love the red slacks!

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