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.