I have a feeling I may have worried some of you with that last post. I just wanted to add a brief note to tell everyone that, after some chocolate tartelettes and a good night's sleep, I am in much better spirits today. Of course I am worried about my friend, but she's safe now, and my worrying from 4,000 miles away isn't going to do either of us any good. All I can do is remind myself that I knew studying abroad would have its difficult, home-sick moments -- in the same way that going to school halfway across the country occasionally brings those same moments -- but now it is time to press forward and take advantage of my time here. After sending up a prayer of thanks for the safety of my friends and family at home, that is exactly what I intend to do.
Today is an absolutely beautiful, practically spring-like day in Paris. I'm meeting up with one of my friends from orientation this afternoon, and we're going to take a self-guided walking tour of the 9th arrondissement. I have no idea what is in the 9th, but I will let you all know once I find out!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
While walking home tonight, I was thinking about the post I planned to write about my first week of classes. Then I turned on my computer and checked my email. I found out that one of my best friends from high school was hit by a drunk driver last night. She and the guy she was with are both okay, just a little bruised, but they could have been killed. I can't even think about that.
My initial reaction when I read the message was to grab my US cell phone, intended for emergencies only. Infuriatingly, when I tried to place the call to my friend, an automated voice came on the line spouting some sort of French gibberish, then disconnected the call. I was too upset to figure out exactly what the problem was.
A few deep breaths later, I'm focusing on the fact that she's okay. That is all that matters right now. In the back of my mind, though, a dozen voices are asking, "why on earth would I decide to live on the other side of the ocean for six months?" "What if something horrible were to happen, and I couldn't be there?" "Why did I think it was okay to miss my little brother's 18th birthday and high school graduation?" "How am I supposed to contemplate living abroad long-term in the future if I can't even handle this?" "Why won't my (expletive) phone work when it is supposed to?"
This is clearly not focusing on the positive. She's okay. I'm remembering that. I will deal with the rest of it later. Right now, I think I need to get a glass of water and a piece of chocolate. Maybe I will try writing about my classes in a little bit.
My initial reaction when I read the message was to grab my US cell phone, intended for emergencies only. Infuriatingly, when I tried to place the call to my friend, an automated voice came on the line spouting some sort of French gibberish, then disconnected the call. I was too upset to figure out exactly what the problem was.
A few deep breaths later, I'm focusing on the fact that she's okay. That is all that matters right now. In the back of my mind, though, a dozen voices are asking, "why on earth would I decide to live on the other side of the ocean for six months?" "What if something horrible were to happen, and I couldn't be there?" "Why did I think it was okay to miss my little brother's 18th birthday and high school graduation?" "How am I supposed to contemplate living abroad long-term in the future if I can't even handle this?" "Why won't my (expletive) phone work when it is supposed to?"
This is clearly not focusing on the positive. She's okay. I'm remembering that. I will deal with the rest of it later. Right now, I think I need to get a glass of water and a piece of chocolate. Maybe I will try writing about my classes in a little bit.
Saturday, February 21, 2009
La fin du debut
I realize that this title is an anglicism, but it is appropriate: this weekend marks the end of the beginning. My semester officially begins on Monday at 12h30 with my Arabic class (Arabic taught in French? Oy. At some point I must have thought this was a good idea.)
A recap of this whirlwind of a week:
On Tuesday, I met up with Agnes, a friend from high school, for lunch in the Marais district near the Bastille. We munched on delicious falafel and wandered around the trendy neighborhoods -- think Dupont Circle in D.C., only artsier.
My French class went back to the Marais on Wednesday after class, and our professor gave us a tour of some of the art galleries there. I have to admit that most of it was over my head; I guess I just don't get most modern art. I had a much easier time appreciating the creperie where we went for dinner afterward. I had a galette "les vosges" which was made with goat cheese, pesto, and tomato sauce. Yum.
On Thursday, my French class ventured out on another cultural excursion with our professor, this time to la Comedie-Francaise. We saw a play called L'Ordinaire, which is a dark comedy/satire based loosely on the story of a plane that crashed in the Andes in the 1970s. The few passengers that survived were forced to resort to cannibalism. Unfortunately, my French was not sharp enough to keep up with the pace of the dialogue. I understood the basic plot, but not most of the humor, so instead of being funny it was mostly just disturbing. However, the theater was absolutely beautiful, and at least I can say that I saw la Comedie-Francaise perform live!
Yesterday was my last day of orientation classes, and I went back to the Louvre afterward for a tour led by a Sciences Po professor. Yes, for the two weeks that I have been in Paris, I have spent both of my Friday nights wandering a museum. But it's the Louvre!
This morning, I finally braved the Monoprix (a Target-esque enterprise which by my American standards turned out not to be so overwhelming, after all) to run my errands. For some reason, which I don't understand, the American brands were actually less expensive than the French ones, so I am now equipped with Dove shampoo and Colgate toothpaste, in addition to French notebooks (which come with graph paper instead of horizontally lined paper) and folders (which look like fancy portfolios and have elastic bands). In the afternoon, I went to the Marche aux Puces at St. Ouen, a giant flea market that is actually composed of about a dozen separate markets and sells everything from knock-off designer purses to art deco jewelry to museum-caliber furniture and artwork. It was quite an experience, but so absorbing that I forgot to take any pictures.
Tomorrow, I plan to go to church at the American Cathedral, followed by lunch with some friends. Then I will need to get myself organized and well-rested for class on Monday!
A recap of this whirlwind of a week:
On Tuesday, I met up with Agnes, a friend from high school, for lunch in the Marais district near the Bastille. We munched on delicious falafel and wandered around the trendy neighborhoods -- think Dupont Circle in D.C., only artsier.
My French class went back to the Marais on Wednesday after class, and our professor gave us a tour of some of the art galleries there. I have to admit that most of it was over my head; I guess I just don't get most modern art. I had a much easier time appreciating the creperie where we went for dinner afterward. I had a galette "les vosges" which was made with goat cheese, pesto, and tomato sauce. Yum.
On Thursday, my French class ventured out on another cultural excursion with our professor, this time to la Comedie-Francaise. We saw a play called L'Ordinaire, which is a dark comedy/satire based loosely on the story of a plane that crashed in the Andes in the 1970s. The few passengers that survived were forced to resort to cannibalism. Unfortunately, my French was not sharp enough to keep up with the pace of the dialogue. I understood the basic plot, but not most of the humor, so instead of being funny it was mostly just disturbing. However, the theater was absolutely beautiful, and at least I can say that I saw la Comedie-Francaise perform live!
Yesterday was my last day of orientation classes, and I went back to the Louvre afterward for a tour led by a Sciences Po professor. Yes, for the two weeks that I have been in Paris, I have spent both of my Friday nights wandering a museum. But it's the Louvre!
This morning, I finally braved the Monoprix (a Target-esque enterprise which by my American standards turned out not to be so overwhelming, after all) to run my errands. For some reason, which I don't understand, the American brands were actually less expensive than the French ones, so I am now equipped with Dove shampoo and Colgate toothpaste, in addition to French notebooks (which come with graph paper instead of horizontally lined paper) and folders (which look like fancy portfolios and have elastic bands). In the afternoon, I went to the Marche aux Puces at St. Ouen, a giant flea market that is actually composed of about a dozen separate markets and sells everything from knock-off designer purses to art deco jewelry to museum-caliber furniture and artwork. It was quite an experience, but so absorbing that I forgot to take any pictures.
Tomorrow, I plan to go to church at the American Cathedral, followed by lunch with some friends. Then I will need to get myself organized and well-rested for class on Monday!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Ma famille, etc.
I realized that I never gave a full explanation or description of my host family, so now seems like as good a time as any:
My host mother is Janine. She is around 60 years old, and she has 4 grown children. Two of the girls live nearby in Paris (and one of them is the director of the housing agency that placed me), and one daughter and a son live in Toulouse. She also has three grandchildren: Pablo (8), Maya (7), and Simon (5). Pablo and Simon's families are the ones in Paris, whereas Maya normally lives in Toulouse. However, she is staying with her Ya-Ya for 2 weeks during the school holidays. By the way, all three kids are absolutely adorable. They can be a little difficult to understand at times -- children have higher voices and tend to mumble more -- but a lot of kid-oriented games and jokes transcend language and culture. (Side-note: I have now watched Pirates of the Caribbean, Ivanhoe, and Princess Bride in French. The kids particularly love Princess Bride, but the language is much stronger in the French voiceovers than in the English original! It took me by surprise.) Maya in particular is my buddy, and she likes to explain things to me. I think she gets a kick out of the fact that she can help a "grown up", haha.
Back to Janine, she is an interesting woman. She has been warm and friendly from the beginning, and she reminds me that I am to come and go as I please, but I am always welcome to join in family activities. On my first day here, she told me her life story. She was born in Fez, grew up in Morocco, married the editor of Maison Francaise (a prominent French magazine which appears to be something like our Better Homes and Gardens), and then proceded to live in Egypt, Washington, DC, Guatemala, and Switzerland for varying lengths of time. Somewhere along the way, she raised 4 children, and sometime in the not-too-distant past, her husband left her for a younger woman. She is now caring for her bed-ridden mother-in-law (who lives in the apartment but is not fully conscious), working in a dentist's office a few floors down, and pontificating on the virtues of the French Socialist party. Whew. What a woman.
Life is always interesting around here, and I am quickly feeling more and more at home. Even keeping up with the rapid-fire French that inevitably follows whenever people come over is getting much easier, although I still can't keep up to speed if and when I try to join in. Still, no one seems to mind. They are all very patient and continue to include me in the conversation. So take that, anyone who claims that Parisians are rude and snobby! Even my experience with waiters and store clerks has been a positive one so far.
A (hopefully) brief summary of the weekend:
On Friday, I went to dinner with some friends after class and then to the Louvre. It stays open late on Friday nights with free admission for students. I got to use my Sciences Po ID for the first time, which made me feel very official.
On Saturday, I met up with a few friends again to go exploring. We visited Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle and then walked around Ile de la Cite and Ile St-Louis, the two natural islands in the Seine. (In case anyone is interested, there is a third island, but it's artificial.) We then trekked back across town to Montmartre for dinner and a gorgeous sunset.
On Sunday, I had planned to go to church at the American Cathedral, apparently the go-to place for American ex-pats, but alas, I was thwarted by my methodology homework. My partner and I worked on our "expose", a specific type of oral presentation that is oh-so French, in the morning and finished just in time for my host family's Sunday lunch. And what a Sunday lunch it was. About 10 guests joined us for a meal that lasted, from aperitifs to dessert, a good 3.5 hours. We had olives and cheese, Greek moussaka (something that I can only describe as akin to eggplant lasagna), salad, bread and more cheese, two types of cake (chocolate and pineapple), and several types of wine. It was delicious.
I was adopted during the meal by a grandfatherly gentleman who was either Janine's brother or her daughter's father-in-law...I was never quite clear on that. However, in another example of how some things transcend cultural barriers, he very kindly took me under his wing and wanted to know all about my education (he was a student at Sciences Po himself, about 40 years ago). He also tried to teach me about French wine and cheese, but unfortunately the only thing that stuck is that one type of cheese, called Roquefort, has penicillin in it, and you're not allowed to bring it to the US. He informed me quite seriously that this makes it very good for one's health, though. After lunch, we all walked a few blocks to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and the kids played in the park for a bit. All in all, a lovely Parisian Sunday, and I hope to experience many more.
That brings us to today. My partner (a girl from McGill in Montreal) and I had to give our expose in class. The professor said that we did a great job on the presentation aspect of things -- I believe his words were, "this is what an expose is supposed to sound like." Go, us! -- but he had a few critiques regarding the organization of our content. (Side-note: Again, this is very French. It is also why I am taking a two week course solely devoted to "methodology". There are very specific expectations here regarding written and oral work. I might write a post about this later, once I've had more experience with it. On the other hand, that could very well be incredibly boring.) Oh, well. At least now I know so that next time, when I'm being graded, I can get everything right...theoretically. After class, we all went out to dinner with the professor, a tradition at Sciences Po. We went to a sushi restaurant, something I had never tried before, but to my slight surprise I really liked it. As with many things, if you think about it too much it's a little disgusting, but it certainly tastes good.
Now that I've written such a massive update, it is time for bed. Bonne nuit a tous!
My host mother is Janine. She is around 60 years old, and she has 4 grown children. Two of the girls live nearby in Paris (and one of them is the director of the housing agency that placed me), and one daughter and a son live in Toulouse. She also has three grandchildren: Pablo (8), Maya (7), and Simon (5). Pablo and Simon's families are the ones in Paris, whereas Maya normally lives in Toulouse. However, she is staying with her Ya-Ya for 2 weeks during the school holidays. By the way, all three kids are absolutely adorable. They can be a little difficult to understand at times -- children have higher voices and tend to mumble more -- but a lot of kid-oriented games and jokes transcend language and culture. (Side-note: I have now watched Pirates of the Caribbean, Ivanhoe, and Princess Bride in French. The kids particularly love Princess Bride, but the language is much stronger in the French voiceovers than in the English original! It took me by surprise.) Maya in particular is my buddy, and she likes to explain things to me. I think she gets a kick out of the fact that she can help a "grown up", haha.
Back to Janine, she is an interesting woman. She has been warm and friendly from the beginning, and she reminds me that I am to come and go as I please, but I am always welcome to join in family activities. On my first day here, she told me her life story. She was born in Fez, grew up in Morocco, married the editor of Maison Francaise (a prominent French magazine which appears to be something like our Better Homes and Gardens), and then proceded to live in Egypt, Washington, DC, Guatemala, and Switzerland for varying lengths of time. Somewhere along the way, she raised 4 children, and sometime in the not-too-distant past, her husband left her for a younger woman. She is now caring for her bed-ridden mother-in-law (who lives in the apartment but is not fully conscious), working in a dentist's office a few floors down, and pontificating on the virtues of the French Socialist party. Whew. What a woman.
Life is always interesting around here, and I am quickly feeling more and more at home. Even keeping up with the rapid-fire French that inevitably follows whenever people come over is getting much easier, although I still can't keep up to speed if and when I try to join in. Still, no one seems to mind. They are all very patient and continue to include me in the conversation. So take that, anyone who claims that Parisians are rude and snobby! Even my experience with waiters and store clerks has been a positive one so far.
A (hopefully) brief summary of the weekend:
On Friday, I went to dinner with some friends after class and then to the Louvre. It stays open late on Friday nights with free admission for students. I got to use my Sciences Po ID for the first time, which made me feel very official.
On Saturday, I met up with a few friends again to go exploring. We visited Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle and then walked around Ile de la Cite and Ile St-Louis, the two natural islands in the Seine. (In case anyone is interested, there is a third island, but it's artificial.) We then trekked back across town to Montmartre for dinner and a gorgeous sunset.
On Sunday, I had planned to go to church at the American Cathedral, apparently the go-to place for American ex-pats, but alas, I was thwarted by my methodology homework. My partner and I worked on our "expose", a specific type of oral presentation that is oh-so French, in the morning and finished just in time for my host family's Sunday lunch. And what a Sunday lunch it was. About 10 guests joined us for a meal that lasted, from aperitifs to dessert, a good 3.5 hours. We had olives and cheese, Greek moussaka (something that I can only describe as akin to eggplant lasagna), salad, bread and more cheese, two types of cake (chocolate and pineapple), and several types of wine. It was delicious.
I was adopted during the meal by a grandfatherly gentleman who was either Janine's brother or her daughter's father-in-law...I was never quite clear on that. However, in another example of how some things transcend cultural barriers, he very kindly took me under his wing and wanted to know all about my education (he was a student at Sciences Po himself, about 40 years ago). He also tried to teach me about French wine and cheese, but unfortunately the only thing that stuck is that one type of cheese, called Roquefort, has penicillin in it, and you're not allowed to bring it to the US. He informed me quite seriously that this makes it very good for one's health, though. After lunch, we all walked a few blocks to the Jardin du Luxembourg, and the kids played in the park for a bit. All in all, a lovely Parisian Sunday, and I hope to experience many more.
That brings us to today. My partner (a girl from McGill in Montreal) and I had to give our expose in class. The professor said that we did a great job on the presentation aspect of things -- I believe his words were, "this is what an expose is supposed to sound like." Go, us! -- but he had a few critiques regarding the organization of our content. (Side-note: Again, this is very French. It is also why I am taking a two week course solely devoted to "methodology". There are very specific expectations here regarding written and oral work. I might write a post about this later, once I've had more experience with it. On the other hand, that could very well be incredibly boring.) Oh, well. At least now I know so that next time, when I'm being graded, I can get everything right...theoretically. After class, we all went out to dinner with the professor, a tradition at Sciences Po. We went to a sushi restaurant, something I had never tried before, but to my slight surprise I really liked it. As with many things, if you think about it too much it's a little disgusting, but it certainly tastes good.
Now that I've written such a massive update, it is time for bed. Bonne nuit a tous!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Culture shock?
I suspect I may be experiencing the first pangs of culture shock. According to the good folks at OIP (Georgetown's study abroad office), there are 4 main phases:
1. The Honeymoon phase. Pretty self-explanatory. Everything is wonderful and exotic, and you wonder how you ever survived in your boring previous life.
2. The Negotiation phase. This is characterized by a running internal commentary: "You expect me to eat what?", "Okay, now that's just ridiculous", and my personal favorite, "why the heck would you DO that?" According to wikipedia, "this phase is often marked by mood swings caused by minor issues or without apparent reason. Depression is not uncommon." Honeymoon over.
3. The Adjustment phase. Life begins to feel normal again. This is what we strive towards!
4. Reverse culture shock. Turns out we get to go through it all again when we go home, only this time it can actually be worse because we often underestimate it. Aii.
What OIP forgot to mention is that it is possible to experience the first 3 phases all at once, within a few hours. Let's take today, for example:
10:30 I struggle to stay awake in my "Paris par cinema et litterature" lecture. Nothing exotic there (not that this ever happens at Georgetown, of course.)
12:30 I misread the ingredients listed on the menu in the student cafeteria and accidentally order a quiche with "jambon" (ham). Ugh. I do not appreciate how easy my life -- or at least my vegetarianism -- is in the U.S.
1:45 I finally sort out the confusion surrounding my student ID card. In order to obtain said card, I must choose a social security center, even though Georgetown is paying my fees. Did I mention that the 2 options are identical and located within blocks of each other? Yeah.
3:00 I conclude that le subjonctif imparfait is ridiculous, and my professors at home were right to tell us to skip that chapter in the grammar book. Even my Parisian professor tells the class that we will sounds pretentious if we ever use it in spoken French. So there. I feel vindicated, slightly.
4:30 I go with a friend to a patisserie down the street between classes, and we treat ourselves to delicious chocolatey treats. La vie parisienne is marvelous, indeed.
7:00 After 6 hours of class (in French) and a day of walking on very sore feet, I arrive back at my host mother's apartment. I collapse on my bed and try to tackle my homework. I realize that this isn't any different from how I feel after a long day at home.
8:30 My stomach is growling as I wait for dinner. I'm a little confused by the music playing in the "salon" -- something about Don Quixote? That doesn't make any sense. The song switches to "Allo Maman Bobo", something I recognize! It's about a little kid telling his mom that he has a "booboo"...but I have no idea why.
8:40 I make plans to meet a friend for dinner and free admission to the Louvre tomorrow evening. I'm excited! Wait a second, is that a tipsy college student singing outside my window before 9 on a Thursday night? Apparently some things truly are universal.
That is my culture shock experience in a nutshell. Everything takes a little bit more energy here, but I am relieved to find that I am settling into a routine -- without losing the magic that is Paris!
1. The Honeymoon phase. Pretty self-explanatory. Everything is wonderful and exotic, and you wonder how you ever survived in your boring previous life.
2. The Negotiation phase. This is characterized by a running internal commentary: "You expect me to eat what?", "Okay, now that's just ridiculous", and my personal favorite, "why the heck would you DO that?" According to wikipedia, "this phase is often marked by mood swings caused by minor issues or without apparent reason. Depression is not uncommon." Honeymoon over.
3. The Adjustment phase. Life begins to feel normal again. This is what we strive towards!
4. Reverse culture shock. Turns out we get to go through it all again when we go home, only this time it can actually be worse because we often underestimate it. Aii.
What OIP forgot to mention is that it is possible to experience the first 3 phases all at once, within a few hours. Let's take today, for example:
10:30 I struggle to stay awake in my "Paris par cinema et litterature" lecture. Nothing exotic there (not that this ever happens at Georgetown, of course.)
12:30 I misread the ingredients listed on the menu in the student cafeteria and accidentally order a quiche with "jambon" (ham). Ugh. I do not appreciate how easy my life -- or at least my vegetarianism -- is in the U.S.
1:45 I finally sort out the confusion surrounding my student ID card. In order to obtain said card, I must choose a social security center, even though Georgetown is paying my fees. Did I mention that the 2 options are identical and located within blocks of each other? Yeah.
3:00 I conclude that le subjonctif imparfait is ridiculous, and my professors at home were right to tell us to skip that chapter in the grammar book. Even my Parisian professor tells the class that we will sounds pretentious if we ever use it in spoken French. So there. I feel vindicated, slightly.
4:30 I go with a friend to a patisserie down the street between classes, and we treat ourselves to delicious chocolatey treats. La vie parisienne is marvelous, indeed.
7:00 After 6 hours of class (in French) and a day of walking on very sore feet, I arrive back at my host mother's apartment. I collapse on my bed and try to tackle my homework. I realize that this isn't any different from how I feel after a long day at home.
8:30 My stomach is growling as I wait for dinner. I'm a little confused by the music playing in the "salon" -- something about Don Quixote? That doesn't make any sense. The song switches to "Allo Maman Bobo", something I recognize! It's about a little kid telling his mom that he has a "booboo"...but I have no idea why.
8:40 I make plans to meet a friend for dinner and free admission to the Louvre tomorrow evening. I'm excited! Wait a second, is that a tipsy college student singing outside my window before 9 on a Thursday night? Apparently some things truly are universal.
That is my culture shock experience in a nutshell. Everything takes a little bit more energy here, but I am relieved to find that I am settling into a routine -- without losing the magic that is Paris!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Le premier jour
That brings us to today, Monday. This was the first day of my orientation at Sciences Po, and a monumental day in other regards, too. This morning, I braved my combined fears of technology and Parisian store clerks to find a French cell phone. Success! I now have my phone, and it is pink (I'll take a picture later).
In case anyone is interested, I will point out that there are some significant differences between phone service here and at home -- most notably cost. It is very expensive to place phone calls here, especially from a landline to a cell phone. For a reason that apparently has something to do with poor cellular technology infrastructure, it costs quite a bit less to place calls to/from landlines, but even this is more expensive that we are used to. However, the cell phones themselves seem to be much more affordable (I chose the least expensive model at 9 euros), and pay-as-you-go plans appear to be more popular than monthly contracts, at least among students. Also, due to high cost per minute of phone calls, SMS (text messages) are the most common form of communication among young people. So to sum up: 9 euro phone + 29 euro mobicarte (a.k.a. SIM card) + 25 euro debit account for calls/SMS = less than the cost of a new phone from AT&T. Cool.
And oh, yeah, I also had school today. All of the international students attended an info session this afternoon in preparation for the beginning of orientation classes tomorrow. I was very surprised that most of the session was translated into English. According to the vice president's introductory speech, Sciences Po recognizes that English is the global standard, and as such proficiency in English has now become a key part of the Sciences Po curriculum. So what is a poor French major to do?! For some reason, it made me very sad to hear that (even though all of my classes will be in French). No, don't give in, Sciences Po! Vive le francais!
After orientation, I went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate and relax before the craziness begins. Tomorrow, I am taking a tour of the campus in the morning, followed by my French and "methodology" classes in the afternoon. I'm so excited to get started!
In case anyone is interested, I will point out that there are some significant differences between phone service here and at home -- most notably cost. It is very expensive to place phone calls here, especially from a landline to a cell phone. For a reason that apparently has something to do with poor cellular technology infrastructure, it costs quite a bit less to place calls to/from landlines, but even this is more expensive that we are used to. However, the cell phones themselves seem to be much more affordable (I chose the least expensive model at 9 euros), and pay-as-you-go plans appear to be more popular than monthly contracts, at least among students. Also, due to high cost per minute of phone calls, SMS (text messages) are the most common form of communication among young people. So to sum up: 9 euro phone + 29 euro mobicarte (a.k.a. SIM card) + 25 euro debit account for calls/SMS = less than the cost of a new phone from AT&T. Cool.
And oh, yeah, I also had school today. All of the international students attended an info session this afternoon in preparation for the beginning of orientation classes tomorrow. I was very surprised that most of the session was translated into English. According to the vice president's introductory speech, Sciences Po recognizes that English is the global standard, and as such proficiency in English has now become a key part of the Sciences Po curriculum. So what is a poor French major to do?! For some reason, it made me very sad to hear that (even though all of my classes will be in French). No, don't give in, Sciences Po! Vive le francais!
After orientation, I went out to dinner with some friends to celebrate and relax before the craziness begins. Tomorrow, I am taking a tour of the campus in the morning, followed by my French and "methodology" classes in the afternoon. I'm so excited to get started!
Bienvenue a Paris!
Yes, I know I was already in Paris the last time I wrote, but I was in such a fog then that a fresh start seems appropriate. After sleeping for 12 hours Saturday night, I woke up with a much sunnier outlook (and not only because the sun was actually shining -- Dad, that corny joke is for you.)
After a breakfast of Corn Flakes (yes, really) and cafe au lait, my host mother made a delicious couscous, and two of her daughters and one grandson joined us for lunch. Meals are much more leisurely and tend to take place later here. We didn't sit down at the table until nearly 2pm, and I finally excused myself after tea and dessert at around 3:15. The clear blue skies were too beautiful to waste, so I met up with some friends for a trip to Montmartre.
Montmartre is a neighborhood set on a hill in the 18th arrondissement. It is famous for its artistic inhabitants (Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, and many others lived or worked in the area at some point) and for the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur that is located at the highest point.
To get to Sacre Coeur, you have to climb. A lot.
We discovered the Parisian equivalent of the Exorcist steps in Georgetown. You can see them in the background here. They weren't quite as steep, but there were a lot more of them!
But once we made it to the top, it was well worth the trek! There is a square full of street artists drawing portraits and selling watercolors and oil paintings, a fitting throwback to the area's artistic history. Also, you can see the entire city from the steps of Sacre Coeur (above). This turned out to be the perfect destination for my first full day in Paris.
Since it was Sunday, there was a mass being held inside of Sacre Coeur. We listened to the sermon, took a look around, and went back outside...where we discovered a musician performing "I Will Survive" on the steps in front of a crowd of tourists! It was such an incongruous picture (see Sacre Coeur, right, and imagine disco music in the background) that we all had to laugh before singing along with the chorus. ;-)
After a breakfast of Corn Flakes (yes, really) and cafe au lait, my host mother made a delicious couscous, and two of her daughters and one grandson joined us for lunch. Meals are much more leisurely and tend to take place later here. We didn't sit down at the table until nearly 2pm, and I finally excused myself after tea and dessert at around 3:15. The clear blue skies were too beautiful to waste, so I met up with some friends for a trip to Montmartre.
Montmartre is a neighborhood set on a hill in the 18th arrondissement. It is famous for its artistic inhabitants (Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, and many others lived or worked in the area at some point) and for the Basilica of the Sacre Coeur that is located at the highest point.
To get to Sacre Coeur, you have to climb. A lot.
We discovered the Parisian equivalent of the Exorcist steps in Georgetown. You can see them in the background here. They weren't quite as steep, but there were a lot more of them!
But once we made it to the top, it was well worth the trek! There is a square full of street artists drawing portraits and selling watercolors and oil paintings, a fitting throwback to the area's artistic history. Also, you can see the entire city from the steps of Sacre Coeur (above). This turned out to be the perfect destination for my first full day in Paris.
Since it was Sunday, there was a mass being held inside of Sacre Coeur. We listened to the sermon, took a look around, and went back outside...where we discovered a musician performing "I Will Survive" on the steps in front of a crowd of tourists! It was such an incongruous picture (see Sacre Coeur, right, and imagine disco music in the background) that we all had to laugh before singing along with the chorus. ;-)
Saturday, February 7, 2009
I'm back. Change in plans: it's too cold and snowy for me to venture forth and try to accomplish my errands (namely finding a cell phone and an ATM). I came to this conclusion as I was tagging along while my host mother ran her errands earlier this afternoon. We went to the grocery store, an outdoor produce market, the jewelry repair store, and a bookstore -- the same bookstore where I bought my copy of Le petit prince when I was here with my family 2 summers ago. I did see several ATMs along the way, but I'm too cold and sleepy to go back outside. Instead, I am curled up in my room, debating whether or not to risk a hour-long nap. I'm going to try to hold off for a little longer, but I fear it's a losing battle.
In an attempt to keep myself awake, here is a recap of the past 24 hours:
Being a Nichols, I got to my gate at O'Hare far earlier than necessary, which gave me plenty of time to stop for magazines and snacks. My flight was barely half-full -- strange, but it meant I had plenty of room to spread out. However, despite being very tired, my adrenaline prevented me from sleeping. When I arrived at the airport, I had a bit of trouble finding my shuttle, but I called the company (from a French pay phone) and was able to sort everything out (in French). Yes, I am still pretty proud of myself for that.
My host mother was here to greet me, and she is as warm and friendly as she seemed in her email. As I mentioned, I went with her to run some errands and get reacquainted with the neighborhood (my family stayed right down the street when we were here). She made a yummy potato omelette for lunch, and now my full tummy combined with the heat from the radiator next to me is making me very sleepy again. I've tried to hold out, but I don't think I can do it any longer. I will set my alarm to wake me up in one hour...
Oh, and in case you couldn't tell: I got very lucky with this host family. In addition to the great location and friendly host mother (more on her later), I have wireless internet in my room! I don't want to sound like a spoiled American college student, but I guess in this case, I am one. I am so used to having constant internet access at home that I think having it here will help to make the transition that much less stressful.
Oh, and please excuse any spelling/grammar errors. Blame it on jet-lag.
In an attempt to keep myself awake, here is a recap of the past 24 hours:
Being a Nichols, I got to my gate at O'Hare far earlier than necessary, which gave me plenty of time to stop for magazines and snacks. My flight was barely half-full -- strange, but it meant I had plenty of room to spread out. However, despite being very tired, my adrenaline prevented me from sleeping. When I arrived at the airport, I had a bit of trouble finding my shuttle, but I called the company (from a French pay phone) and was able to sort everything out (in French). Yes, I am still pretty proud of myself for that.
My host mother was here to greet me, and she is as warm and friendly as she seemed in her email. As I mentioned, I went with her to run some errands and get reacquainted with the neighborhood (my family stayed right down the street when we were here). She made a yummy potato omelette for lunch, and now my full tummy combined with the heat from the radiator next to me is making me very sleepy again. I've tried to hold out, but I don't think I can do it any longer. I will set my alarm to wake me up in one hour...
Oh, and in case you couldn't tell: I got very lucky with this host family. In addition to the great location and friendly host mother (more on her later), I have wireless internet in my room! I don't want to sound like a spoiled American college student, but I guess in this case, I am one. I am so used to having constant internet access at home that I think having it here will help to make the transition that much less stressful.
Oh, and please excuse any spelling/grammar errors. Blame it on jet-lag.
I'm here. And exhausted -- partly from the time difference, partly from some stressful confusion at the airport (I'll explain later when I have better odds of forming coherent sentences), and party because it is grey and cloudy outside. The shuttle driver joked to me that my plane made a wrong turn and I ended up in London instead of Paris. I'm still pretty impressed that I understood him.
I know I'm not supposed to sleep, but all I really want is a nap! Or food. Maybe lunch first, in the hopes that it will wake me up. More later.
I know I'm not supposed to sleep, but all I really want is a nap! Or food. Maybe lunch first, in the hopes that it will wake me up. More later.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Last day in the States
Although it doesn't quite feel real yet, this is my last full day in the U.S. until the end of July. I've been receiving emails from the Welcome Programme over the past few days, and it sounds as though there are lots of opportunities for fun outings (ex. tours of various museums and parts of the city, including a late-night tour of the Louvre that sounds really cool) during the orientation, and I plan to participate in as many as possible. I also received the itinerary for my program in Morocco. It looks even more amazing than I was anticipating -- I copied it below if you want to check it out.
That's all for now. The next time I write, it will be from Paris!
--------------------
Morocco itinerary:
Saturday, June 27 - arrival in Morocco and Ifrane
Sunday, June 28 - orientation to AUI
Monday, June 29 - first day of class
Tuesday, June 30 - morning departure to Rabat; afternoon meetings with Development agencies; overnight in Rabat
Wednesday, July 1 - full day in Rabat meeting with Islamic and secular political parties; tour of parliament; late afternoon/early evening departure for Ifrane
Thursday - Friday, July 2 - 3 - classes
Saturday, July 4 - morning departure for Fez; late afternoon/early evening return; meet with Peace Corps volunteers; overnight with the volunteers
Sunday, July 5 - full day with the volunteers at their work sites; late afternoon/early evening return to Ifrane
Monday - Tuesday, July 6 - 7 - classes
Wednesday, July 8 - morning departure for Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Thursday, July 9 - classes
Friday - Sunday, July 10 - 12 - morning departure for Tafilalt Oasis
Monday - Tuesday, July 13 - 14, classes
Wednesday, July 15 - morning departure for Meknes
Thursday, July 16 - classes
Friday - Sunday, July 17 - 19 - morning departure for Marrakech
Monday - Friday, July 20 - 24 - classes; final exams; farewell dinner?
Saturday, July 25 - last day of the program; Farewell dinner
That's all for now. The next time I write, it will be from Paris!
--------------------
Morocco itinerary:
Saturday, June 27 - arrival in Morocco and Ifrane
Sunday, June 28 - orientation to AUI
Monday, June 29 - first day of class
Tuesday, June 30 - morning departure to Rabat; afternoon meetings with Development agencies; overnight in Rabat
Wednesday, July 1 - full day in Rabat meeting with Islamic and secular political parties; tour of parliament; late afternoon/early evening departure for Ifrane
Thursday - Friday, July 2 - 3 - classes
Saturday, July 4 - morning departure for Fez; late afternoon/early evening return; meet with Peace Corps volunteers; overnight with the volunteers
Sunday, July 5 - full day with the volunteers at their work sites; late afternoon/early evening return to Ifrane
Monday - Tuesday, July 6 - 7 - classes
Wednesday, July 8 - morning departure for Volubilis and Moulay Idriss Zerhoun
Thursday, July 9 - classes
Friday - Sunday, July 10 - 12 - morning departure for Tafilalt Oasis
Monday - Tuesday, July 13 - 14, classes
Wednesday, July 15 - morning departure for Meknes
Thursday, July 16 - classes
Friday - Sunday, July 17 - 19 - morning departure for Marrakech
Monday - Friday, July 20 - 24 - classes; final exams; farewell dinner?
Saturday, July 25 - last day of the program; Farewell dinner
Monday, February 2, 2009
Linguistic mishap #1
I must admit, I'm pretty embarrassed about this one. Over the course of the past week, I've been trying to remember the French words for basic household items or daily activities -- in other words, the vocabulary that I learned in 7th or 8th grade and have since forgotten. You don't usually need to use the word for "washing machine" or "drugstore" in a literary analysis of Renaissance-era poetry. But I digress.
Based on the brief description I received from the housing agency, I believed until recently that my host mother has 7 children: 4 "grands enfants qui ne vivent plus chez elle," and 3 "petits enfants dont elle s'occupe regulierement." As I was printing out her contact information a few minutes ago, it hit me. "Petits enfants" does not mean "young children" as I assumed the first time I hastily read the sentence. It means "grandchildren." My 60 year-old host mother has 4 grown children "who no longer live at home" and 3 grandchildren "who regularly keep her busy." This makes much more sense. Mystery solved.
In other news, today is that most momentous of days: packing day! This should be interesting because I need to pack enough clothes and supplies to carry me from February in Paris to July in Morocco, all in 2 suitcases each weighing less than 50 pounds. Wish me "bon courage"!
Based on the brief description I received from the housing agency, I believed until recently that my host mother has 7 children: 4 "grands enfants qui ne vivent plus chez elle," and 3 "petits enfants dont elle s'occupe regulierement." As I was printing out her contact information a few minutes ago, it hit me. "Petits enfants" does not mean "young children" as I assumed the first time I hastily read the sentence. It means "grandchildren." My 60 year-old host mother has 4 grown children "who no longer live at home" and 3 grandchildren "who regularly keep her busy." This makes much more sense. Mystery solved.
In other news, today is that most momentous of days: packing day! This should be interesting because I need to pack enough clothes and supplies to carry me from February in Paris to July in Morocco, all in 2 suitcases each weighing less than 50 pounds. Wish me "bon courage"!
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