Yesterday, there was a sciopero.

What’s that?

A strike–a common occurrence here.

This time it was the public schools that were on strike.

I asked a girl (maybe 10-years old) why there was a strike.

Without batting an eye, she responded, “Because it’s hot today.”

HA!

I didn’t laugh (on the outside), but REALLY, that sounded sooo possible! Italians simply don’t operate the way Americans do, and after all, it was an an abnormally hot day!

However, I was pretty sure there was another, more sophisticated, reason.

Yes, yes…This time, the strike was because the Prime Minister picked a new Minister of Education, and the Minister of Education wants to shorten the summer school break from 3 to 1 months.

STRIKE!!!!–led by none other than our Prime Minister himself.

–smb