Les Jours de Patromonie

Bonjour à tous!

Classes are continuing, and not only have they brought a deeper understanding of the french language and methodology, but furthermore, they have been helping me learn a great deal of humility ; )

Paris has gotten colder recently unfortunately, making my rotating jeans a bit more important, and given me a few blisters from wearing in the boots. However, increased cold, makes one appreciate warmth even more. For example, a couple of us braved the freezing night air to see Carmen outside, and well, froze a bit, but thawed with some hot beverages in a nice café (us pre-freezing time below). Thank you Paris for loving late night espresso. Also, it makes it almost mandatory to lie about in a park whenever there is the least bit of sun (Arenes de Lutece below as well, new fav reading spot).

International welcoming has continued, from tours around the city's sights, bars, and a bit of the discos. It has been amazing to hear all the different languages and discuss the different nuances between words. For example a group of us were working on a presentation at the uni café area, and asked a few french girls what would be an appropriate term for a citizen born in the country, so basically a non-immigrant, to which they answered, native. We all paused, and inquired as to the possible negative connotation of such a term, but they assured us it was perfectly politically correct, but it was still a bit difficult to use. Somewhat comfortingly though, a Moroccan friend assured us that as international visitors, we would be forgiven any serious language blunders.


This weekend brings about more pomp to Paris, as the Jours de Patromonie are upon us. This lovely time each year the usually closed to the public government buildings are opened up to visitors and all museums are free. A sweet girl from the lovely state of Georgia joined me on a tour of l'assemblée national and the Pantheon. The assemblée is the french congress basically, and their was lots of lovely gold leaf and expensive looking pieces throughout the buildings that reminded me quite frankly of a castle. Above is the dining area and the lust inducing library (I thought it wouldn't be polite to start looking through all the books, even though I REALLY wanted to). This was followed by tombs of amazingly well known frenchmen and women at the Pantheon, including but not limited to the recent arrival Zola, Voltaire, Rousseau, Marie Curie, Hugo, Dumas, and a plaque for Antoine de Saint Exupery, the author of Le Petit Prince (apparently his body was never recovered from a plane crash). We also enjoyed a bit of home with a afternoon lunch of pancakes at an American diner. That evening was an excellent sushi place followed by 'Mexican' night at an Irish bar, where a friend from Australia introduced us to her bud from back home who is studying in Turkey! Oh it is amazing to hear all about adventures of other students in such different places. All in all, I don't think I will ever tire of asking questions of people who through their own culture and upbringing have such a fresh way of seeing the world, or seeing the way that it all comes together.

Love and pomp from Paris!

Le Pape à Paris

You may have heard that the honorable (is that the right adjective?) Pope, or as it is in France, Le Pape Beniot XVI was in Paris these past two days. Unfortunately I had class and int'l student bonding time during his first day in Paris (but we did see his entourage around Notre Dame on our way to a cute salsa club last night). Then this morning, thanks to the lovely dismantling of Pope paraphernalia at the Bernadines next door I woke up in time to catch the last bit of his mass at Les Invalides. Overall a very beautiful outdoor service, if somewhat frustratingly difficult to actually arrive at the site thanks to the lovely law enforcement's vague directions, but all in all very worth the early morning and lots of walking around police barriers. Unfortunately I have yet to recharge my camera, so I have zero pictures : (

This afternoon was an overcast picnic in a lovely little park in the 19th with many of the other SciencesPo newbies, and it was a great chance to see the area. I have had little opportunity to explore outside of Paris central, so this was a welcome time away from the norm.

Now it is off to see a free showing of Carmen (if the rain holds off) and hopefully get some work done later tonight... and sleep, sleep would be good.

hugs!

La Rentrée pt. 2 de 3

La Rentrée part 2 is my second 'first day of school'. During the month of September Sciences Po hosts all its exchange students at a welcome program where we learn all the logistics of life here, take language classes, methodology classes, have mixers, and meet tons of new people from everywhere.

I believe I have been introduced to a students from every continent this week, from Australia to South Africa, Japan, Hong Kong, India, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, and Mexico. It is quite amazing to hear about school and life in all these different places, not to mention the languages! I feel like a simpleton barely speaking two as it seems that everyone here knows usually three or four. The most impressive combo of language abilities I have heard so far is Greek, German, English, French, a little Dutch, and Japanese!

Now, I know I am here to completely experience the culture of France, but I desperately wish the system for enrollment were a little more like back home, you know, organized. We were given a list of possible classes without info on duration, enrollment capacity, or even the day it might be offered. However the uni offered wifi and comps at the campus so we could easily have help if needed. So after one fire alarm (yes the fire alarm went off during registration, it was a bit of a mess), much fidgeting, and 3 hours sitting on a marble floor at the university campus I officially have a class schedule. May I say, I am pretty excited about it, everything from Economic Development, History of France, Economics of Northern Africa, EU immigration, a french language class, and a class on constraints of waging war with a focus on humanitarian law. I have to confess to a bit of nerdy joy over the amazing subjects offered here, I hope they all are as good as the titles make them sound...

Now I am off to nap, as I am once again fighting illness, then off to classes. Thank heavens for the kind pharmacie lady and her magic pills. I hope to be in better health soon!

much love!

La Rentrée pt. 1 de 3

La Rentrée is the time at the beginning of September when all of Paris returns with bronzed skin to the lovely city in order to go back to school/work as fall settles into the ville. I will have a sort of 3 parts rentrée as I had my first one at the UC center this week, a second one with all the international students next week, and finally the first day of classes at Sciences Po late this month.

Part 1. In keeping with the culture the UC center in Paris provided our first little orientation session Tuesday (I wonder if its an unwritten rule that school cannot commence on a Monday). We, all 20 of the UC kids in the SciencesPo program, were given the dos and don'ts of our time as students here. I am actually really happy to know that we have two very formidable women who seem quite ready to support and work with us in everything from classes to apartment logistics. This happy and reassuring chat was followed by what I will call the 'what have I gotten myself into' time. The "workshop" was led by a PhD canidate at SciencesPo who speaks 5 languages fluently, has written several books, and teaches elective courses at the university. He basically gave us the rundown of the structure of the french system, assignments, grading, professors temperemants, etc. Basically, we have to work our tails off, which is to be expected, as well as being very well informed. He suggested reading several different papers daily and NEVER offer an opinion to a prof. You must present just facts to show what your opinion is during classes and discussions. Then the grading, oh dear. The french scale is from 1 to 20, and the saying in the french system goes something like the smartest pupil achieves an 18, the 19 is for the professor, and 20 goes to God. We were told to be ecstatic if we had the chance to receive a 12.

A couple of us checked out the school grounds yesterday and then had a french snack of bread, cheese, and wine in our lovely hostess' apartment to discuss possible classes and our expectations/worries for next year. It is quite comforting to have a group of kids going through the same craziness as we all start our year here together.

Oh, and while the construction next door has stoppped, it has now started on the other side of my bedroom wall. The building is installing an elevator and I get to hear every lovely moment of this birthing process. At least the construction men occasionally whistle while they are sawing, hammering, and dropping what sounds like tons of metal around the stairwell.

love from the slightly deaf in Paris ; )
xxoo