Zoo! -On Strike?

Our Spanish teacher has been loading us up with homework as a means to make up for the class time that we were going to miss today because of a field trip! The Zoo! While we were walking to it from the bus stop, our teacher was joking with us that we were going to just look from the sidewalk and not go inside.  When we arrived, the gates were closed, and there was a sign that said the workers were gone... on a strike! Our teacher's joke ironically became reality!  I cannot say that I have ever experienced the random "striking" that takes place here.  This has not been the first time either; their striking that randomly shuts down business or even the whole city [if the bus system goes on strike] is a frequent occurence.  When the people strike, they do not usually picket, they simply do not come to work.  I believe their reasoning is, "If I am not going to be working, why go and be out in the heat wasting energy if I can enjoy relaxation at home?"  I enjoy this different mentality; it is very opposite to that of an American mindset.