Bonjour...

So my final week in Paris has arrived, occupied mostly by a 20 page paper due on Wednesday morning. I have been plenty busy writing that and doing significant research for it, but I did spend the weekend in Normandy again. We went to Giverny, which is the site of Monet's house and gardens and the place where he painted many of his most famous works. We happened to miss the museum's hours but we did wander around the town-very cute-and drive around the French countryside.

My views on Paris and France have changed since I've been here. I was not expecting language and culture shock, at least to some degree, in Western Europe, because it is considered the most like America in every regard. Yet, there is significant shock. First and foremost, outside of the ultra-touristy districts, there really is no way to get by without either knowing or learning some French. Most shopkeepers, restaurant owners, and just generally helpful people don't speak or understand very much English. It is not as though they expect you to accommodate them (surely some do), but more so that they really do not have any idea what you are saying if you don't speak to them in their native tongue.

Culturally, the kisses on the cheek (one for little kids, two for most everyone else, and three only if you are Italian or very drunk, from what I've been told) shocked me the most. I didn't realize it was customary to do this, and it was interesting to me when people started to do it simply as a greeting. I had no idea what that meant or how to appropriately interact. There have been other examples, for instance...French people are often impatient and negative, according to my new Sciences-Po friends. I haven't personally experienced this because I do not understand enough French to know what is happening most of the time, but I can tell simply from the tone of voice most often. Also, there really are no overweight people here, as previously stated, even though every corner has a bakery, a bread shop, and a cheese shop. The key is walking and not snacking.

The pictures above are from Giverny and one of my host mother, Marie, and her two daughters. Florence is 9 and Alexandra is 6.

Au revoir!

On cereal

Bonsoir, again...

When I first came to France, a mere three or so weeks ago, I spoke no French. My mother tried to give me survival phrases, which still lay promptly on a hotel notepad tucked in the depths of my yet-to-be-unpacked suitcase (sorry Mom!). I didn't know how to order, shop for, or make food here, and I didn't have any language skills in which to buy food. At the time, I wasn't well enough acquainted with my host family to ask one of them to come with me to the grocery store to translate and so to survive I relied on some of the best advice I've ever gotten: eat cereal. A very good friend relies on cereal as a staple, often, she says, eating five or six bowls in a day. I've never done that, mostly because cereal has never filled me up, and I don't find much nutritional value in what Americans like to call breakfast food.

My host family in France has an addiction to Special K. Let me tell you, kids, this Special K is like magic. I don't have any idea what they do to it in France, but there are a million different varieties and it tastes great. There's Special K with fruit, with milk chocolate, with hazelnuts, with dark chocolate, and all kinds of other assorted goodies. Suddenly I find myself eating those five or six bowls (some days) that I never thought I could.

As the weeks have passed, I've shopped by myself in grocery stores, navigating the French aisles, the French customers, and the silly French credit card machines that are so difficult to work. I've spoken plenty of French when ordering, discovered that there is no such thing as a turkey sandwich here, and learned that snacking is essentially prohibited, or at least highly frowned upon. Even though I now have the ability to actually acquire food I want to eat, I still rely on cereal, morning, noon, and night, for a little taste of home and a great snack. Fascinating, perhaps, but maybe not. I just finished an excellent bowl of Special K with dark chocolate and let me tell you that's better than any piece of cheesecake in the US. MMM.

Au revoir for now......

M

Bonsoir!

So this will be short, and hopefully sweet. Tonight I cooked dinner for my host mother as a one day belated birthday gift. The kids and I made balsamic pan-seared scallops and an asparagus, goat cheese, and grape tomato salad. The scallops had a celery-cilantro sauce with lime wedges attached to them. For dinner we had the French equivalent of dark chocolate volcano cake. It was a really delicious meal and I am glad I go to enjoy it with them.

It is so weird for me to think that I have only 9 full days left in Paris. In some ways, that is good. It will be really nice to go back to the United States and enjoy modern conveniences because until yesterday I had never felt "in love" with Paris the way I had other places. But today, I simply decided to stop trying to fall in love with the place, and instead simply enjoy its surroundings, and I find myself truly enjoying it. I have days where I don't want to be anywhere else and days where I'd love to go home, but overall, this place has done wonders for me. I've met great people, made great friends, pushed myself, learned, and most of all, enjoyed. That should be, and to me is, all that could ever matter.

Au revoir,

M

Bonsoir!

It's been a few days, I know. Failure on my part. I've been busy, and tired, and doing a lot. But that's not an excuse, so here I am again. I was in Normandy this weekend. Nothing much happened, except I went to a chateau, with a moat, which was pretty cool. The inside of the chateau wasn't as ornate as previously expected, but it was very cool to see. The preservationists kept most of it intact, and there is a library inside that has books from the 18th and 19th centuries. Very very old...I'm surprised they haven't crumbled.

Last night, Marie's very international family came over for dinner/dessert/etc. Her brother Tom lives in Ankara, Turkey, and works for the US Government doing something with finance, I believe, but I could have that detail wrong. He served in the Peace Corps in Mali and then as a director of the programs in Senegal in the mid and late nineties. We had great conversations and I plan on keeping touch with him. His wife, Francisca, is Senegalese. She speaks great French and great English and was very sweet. It was nice to see how involved they are with their nieces and nephews.

Her sister, husband, and three daughters came later for dessert. They were returning to Maryland today after having spent a year in Paris. The girls were close in age to their cousins...I think 12, 9, and 6. The oldest, Juliette, rides, so we had some common ground there. The younger two were much more shy, but they were quite nice as well.

That's all for now!

I went to France and all I got was national pride....

Salut...

Ca va? Ca va bien. I hope everyone else is doing well too. Last night and today have all blurred together into one giant blurb of time. We went to the French theatre last night-interesting experience. 2 hours and 20 minutes of French humor in french meant that I took a nap and laughed when everyone else did. I couldn't tell you what happened though. We went out afterwards to the Sciences-Po "hangout", a bar called The Frog and Princess, a semi-French, quite loud pub with some gorgeous boys. None spoke English though, which was a major bummer haha. http://www.frogpubs.com/ is the website. Interesting place.

Today we went to Arte, which is a major French and German television station that is looking to unite the EU by featuring television programs in French and German with producers, directors, and stories from each country that are relevant to both and the entire union. It's a cool concept and one not found in many places. Yet, here it seems to work quite well. We had to delay Versailles due to the unplanned Arte trip, but it was worth it to see a major television station.

Anyways, I'm now in Normandie, the host kids are calling, and I must go!

Au revoir!

Salut!

That means hello, or something along those lines. We have had some not so great weather here in Paris for the last few days...55-65 degrees and rainy or overcast. That's not necessarily a bad thing, especially for doing work. We have a lot of work here. By the end of the eight week term, I will have completed 600 pages of articles, 7 non-fiction books on American identity, and a 50 page research paper on the perception of Islam in the United States after 9/11 and in Europe with Turkey's potential joining of the EU.

I have to say, for the intense workload, it's all very interesting. I think I am most excited about the paper, even though it will be a difficult and potentially stressful experience, because I'm covering a topic that I've never covered before, and one that is especially relevant in today's world. Islam is an incredible religion, not simply because of its inner workings but because it is perceived so badly, even though there is nothing in the religion, culture, or peoples' behaviour to truly legitimize that.

At the end of the eight week session, each paper from the sixteen participants in the program will be presented to professors and a myriad of "important people" at the Watson Center for International Affairs at Brown. That's a very exciting prospect because it means feedback, and feedback is always good, even if in the moment it's not exactly what you want to hear.

Au revoir for now, as I have to read.

Bonsoir-

I almost didn't post because I'm pretty tired but I thought I would give a quick recap. I went to the Louvre yesterday. That museum, including the outside, the inside, the entire thing, is magnificent. It's a beautiful structure. Entrance was free yesterday which was very nice, and gave our group a pressure free atmosphere for which to introduce ourselves to the basics of the museum. I entirely plan on going back and doing the Da Vinci Code tour...it sounds ridiculously great. I have to see the Mona Lisa as well-it was majorly crowded and we decided to bypass it the first time around. Anyways, that's all that's going on, and here are some pictures.

Au revoir!

Bonsoir!

So I've gotten to thinking today about education in general, and the radically distinct differences between something akin to the type of program that I am currently on and university experiences in the United States. While many will claim that it does not matter where one completes their undergraduate degree, because of the assumption that their graduate degree, provided they are set to attain one, will provide them all the opportunity they could need, I would beg to differ. I used to believe that, mostly as compensation because I am surrounded by a pool of friends that are incredibly smart, talented, and motivated students and people. Yet somehow, in the last week, I've come to see the previous statement as entirely dysfunctional.

The distinct difference in the undergraduate experience, from the graduate experience, is just that: the experience. The top US colleges, and I am going to be very picky when say that and limit it pretty narrowly to the Ivies and a small handful of others, including a few liberal arts colleges, along with Duke and Stanford, are an entirely different experience than most others. The difference in the academics is not that large-many of the same classes and subjects are taught, and often the same textbooks are used. The distinction, then, for these schools, comes in two different places. First, these schools have the ability to hire the best of professors to teach their students, and to be in place for further research and undergraduate study. While they often get grief for not being easily accessible to the undergraduate population, I would argue that that is not as relevant as it is proclaimed to be.

The second is the student body. These top colleges have their pick of students, all vying for their spot at any school that will take them. That affords admissions departments the ability to choose whomever they feel fit, which creates often bright, motivated, and very interesting students who want to work in whatever subject they choose because they want to. It's vastly different when students are in their classrooms and have the distinct desire to be there, to do the work, to contribute to the environment that their educational opportunities present.

This summer program is one such idea. This is a radically different educational experience. This is a group that is talented, motivated, and brilliant-they are dedicated to their work and interested in doing what is best for their education because it is truly what they want. The Ivy League really isn't just about name as I'm realizing...it's instead about groups of students who really want to be there, to be present, to live in the moment and drink in the privilege and ability they have to stand in front of some of the greatest professors with assertive opinions and an open mind.

That's all for now, mostly because I'm exhausted.

Au revoir!

Bonjour!

I'm still in Normandy, going to a French dinner and party of sorts tonight at my host family's friend's home. It is a beautiful, very relaxed area. There is not much to do, but in a lot of ways, that is good. My host mother, Marie, compared leaving Paris on the weekends for the French to New Yorkers going to the Hamptons during the summer months. In a lot of ways, she is right. Everyone who can afford to leave the city on the weekends when tourists flock and the temperature rises does so for a country house either in France or in a neighboring country, such as Belgium or parts of Western Germany. It's very easy to drive to these places because the European Union is a passport free zone for all European citizens, so the state boundaries melt by barely recognized...that is, until the language on nearby road signs becomes apparently different.

The French countryside is just as it has been painted for centuries. There are shoots of grass, plants, and trees everywhere. Livestock, including cows, horses, chickens, goats, etc. roam around, most of them fenced in but sometimes not. Everyone here goes to the market on the weekend, and often once or twice a week, to get just the food supplies that they will need, completely fresh, for that day or the following one.

Everything tastes better when it is fresh, I have noticed. While this makes complete sense, it is interesting to really taste the difference between what can be purchased at a French market and what can be purchased at an American grocery store. The value of preservatives in American culture is much more significant than their value here. Eggs are given to the neighbors from working farms, cheese and bread are picked up and eaten that day, and strawberries, raspberries, pears, and any kind of vegetable you can imagine is picked from a homegrown garden. The way of life is entirely different, but that isn't to say I prefer it more.

Prefering one over the other would be too difficult-the countryside to the cityscape presents entirely alternate realities. Each has its pros and cons, and both can easily be appreciated.

Au revoir for now! I have some reading to do for my classes on Monday.

Bonsoir-

Just a quick evening post. I just arrived in the Normandy area where the Mercat-Bruns family has kept a second residence, I've been told, since January. It's an adorable village, and one of the only ones not destroyed in the battles of World War II that has been kept mostly in its original state.

The grounds are gorgeous, with gardens everywhere and a tiny pond.

On a final note, I'd like to post a quote that a French friend told me, which I really liked (thanks Jonas):

Un homme médiocre, des foules haineuses en délire, un parti encore marginal, une République qui tolère, une idéologie floue, des mariages improbables ... "L'histoire ne se répète pas, elle bégaie."

The English translation is:

A mediocre man, from crowds full of hatred in a delirium, a still marginal party, a Republic which tolerates unlikely marriages, a blurred ideology,... " History is not repeated, it stutters."


I don't know where it is from, but my guess would be that it is somewhat in reference to the European elections this weekend that are taking place all over the Union. I thought the portion about history not being repeated but rather stuttering was partcularly important, especially in the wake of recent world events.

Au revoir for now...

Bonjour!

Today I had a picnic under the Eiffel Tower after French class and Starbucks were taken care of. (I ordered my Starbucks in French-fully!) Our lunch was traditionally Parisian in nature-bread, brie, grapes, wine, the works. We had a great berry tart and macaroons as well. Quite decadent. I've learned a few things here though, especially in regards to eating:

French women, men, children, etc. are not fat. Ever. It's because of two things. First, to get anywhere in Paris, you must walk somewhere. Even if you are taking the Metro, the stations are extensive. Secondly, when French people eat, they eat nothing. Many have just a piece of bread and cheese for lunch. That on top of the walking means that skinny figures are in the making.

I've also learned that it is far cheaper to buy a decent bottle of red wine than a diet coke. All coke products are extremely expensive here, for reasons I don't understand. Coffee is espresso as well, and people bring their dogs EVERYWHERE. Restaurants, bars, in the street, on the metro, in the elevator...everywhere.

Tonight I'm heading to Normandy, where President Obama will be through the end of the weekend to celebrate the 65th anniversary of D-Day. It should be fun!

Au revoir!

Bonsoir!

J'habite temporairement a Paris! My French host brother Adrien, who is 13, helped me to struggle with that sentence. To take credit, I got the j'habite right by myself. Working at a 3 year old level here haha. I had six hours of class today, including a two hour session on how to write a French paper. Very different than in the US. For today's post, I am going to tell you a little bit about my French life, in French of course, spelling courtesy of Adrien. He's the best, clearly. His sisters, Florence and Alexandra, are amazing as well. They are 9 and 6. So anyway, here we go.


J'ai un chien. Il s'appelle Brodie.

Day Two

Bonjour!

I think that must become customary at this rate. French is going to have to become a part of my life, I suppose. I have one class on National Identity, which thankfully, is in English, and a French class, which is, delightfully and difficultly, in French. Today's been interesting: I will have had 6 hours of class by 6.30 pm, which is a lot, especially for a summer term.

Today we met our French counterparts. They are all very nice but have some seriously thick accents. Each of them has a great handle on English though which makes the not speaking French a little bit easier. I think that's all for now-I might post again later.

Au Revoir!

First (customary) post

Bonjour from Paris!

So I think for memory's sake and to keep everyone in the loop a blog is a really good idea. I don't usually blog (I have once, semi-successfully), but this is a good task. I've spent four days as a tourist in the city of light and love and had a fantastic time-however, tomorrow, the real fun begins. I start school at Sciences-Po in the central part of Paris which should be entertaining. There's not much to say for now but I hope to update this every day or every few days with pictures and thoughts.

Au revoir!