nothing too horrible, I'm just in a fabulously foul mood.
to refrain from complaining too much and giving a false image of France while in said foul mood, I will simply say this: I miss Wooster. yes, I miss my friends. yes, I miss the dancing. yes, I miss Lilly House and creative journalling. today, however, I particullarly miss the academics. I miss classes where people don't TALK through the entire class -even when the prof's speaking. I miss classes where said prof is respected. basically, I miss the responsibility and accountability that is a part of paying an arm and a leg for our education.
and I'm very tired, which makes me grumpier than usual.
but on a positive note, more pictures are up!
à +
28 January 2008
22 January 2008
You have now entered the Twilight Zone...
something I forgot to report: the unthinkable has happened here in France. In the country where the stereotypical cartoon ALWAYS includes a cigarette dangling at an angle with plein (plenty) of attitude, the bars, restaurants and nightclubs have gone smoke free.
Yes, dear readers...as of the first of the year, il est interdit de fumer -it is forbidden to smoke -in public places. I can not tell you how much of a relief it is to be able to go dancing and NOT come home smelling like an ashtray. Finally, I can come home and immediately crash into bed, rather than having to (as quitely as possible) take a shower during the wee hours of the morning so that the smell of my hair doesn't choke me while I sleep. Of course, it is highly entertaining to watch all of the smokers cluster around the doors taking a smoke break or choosing to dine on the patios - on which the patrons of the restaurants have kindly installed space heaters. I personally love being able to breathe clean air inside - even if I have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to it!
There are drawbacks, though, even for us non-smokers. Some bars now require that you get something to drink if you're just sitting around, hanging out (even if you're just waiting for the dance scene to start up). Speaking of that dance scene, it's starting later and later (which is obnoxious when you just want to start dancing at 11 but there's NO ONE on the dance floor) and I'm pretty sure a lot of places have lost some business.
But franchement (frankly) - I LOVE IT!
à+!
Yes, dear readers...as of the first of the year, il est interdit de fumer -it is forbidden to smoke -in public places. I can not tell you how much of a relief it is to be able to go dancing and NOT come home smelling like an ashtray. Finally, I can come home and immediately crash into bed, rather than having to (as quitely as possible) take a shower during the wee hours of the morning so that the smell of my hair doesn't choke me while I sleep. Of course, it is highly entertaining to watch all of the smokers cluster around the doors taking a smoke break or choosing to dine on the patios - on which the patrons of the restaurants have kindly installed space heaters. I personally love being able to breathe clean air inside - even if I have to walk through a cloud of smoke to get to it!
There are drawbacks, though, even for us non-smokers. Some bars now require that you get something to drink if you're just sitting around, hanging out (even if you're just waiting for the dance scene to start up). Speaking of that dance scene, it's starting later and later (which is obnoxious when you just want to start dancing at 11 but there's NO ONE on the dance floor) and I'm pretty sure a lot of places have lost some business.
But franchement (frankly) - I LOVE IT!
à+!
20 January 2008
It's a small world after all...
now that I've gotten that obnoxious Disney earworm stuck in your head, let me explain. After a good night of dancing to bad 70s/80s music at the Tower Bar last night, I went to the tram stop to catch the last tram home. As Lindsay and I approached (and yes, there's another Lindsay G in my program) Commerce, we saw a very drunk french boy talking in what little english he knew to a group of girls. I thought one of them was one of the new IES girls I met last night who lives on the same tramline as me, so I smiled at her and waited for her to recognize me. She gave me that "I know you, I think?" look and then blurts out - "Oh my God! Wooster!!" That's when I realize that it's not from IES that I know Lindsey (just to confuse this story even further, her name is Lindsey too), but Wooster! she was in my Intro to Francophone Texts class last year...she graduated and is now teaching english here in Nantes. She's been here since september too...it's just so weird. People at Wooster say you'll find Wooster people in all corners of the world, but I wasn't actually expecting it to be true!
Aside from the freaky small world connections, it's been a relatively smooth and easy transition back into life in Nantes. Classes start tomorrow (thank goodness!) and my first class is Sociologie de l'emploi féminin -Sociology of female employment. "The behaviors of women's activites are transforming themselves and bringing themselves closer to those of men. However, this evolution remains marked by the survival of profound inequalities" I actually found a Womens Studies course!! I'm thinking it's gonna be a good semester...
and I bought a carnet de croquis - a sketchbook. I had bought a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain over Christmas break. It's a book that teaches you how to draw - or rather, "how to see the world through an artist's eyes." It's designed on the principle that everyone can draw, we're just never taught to see everything the right way. but I'm doing pretty well so far...my goal is to take my newly purchased sketchbook to Carcassonne (an old medieval city that I had done a report on in 10th grade french class) and spend an afternoon drawing. actually, I have a lot of goals for this semester...last semester was just a warm-up =D
à+!
Aside from the freaky small world connections, it's been a relatively smooth and easy transition back into life in Nantes. Classes start tomorrow (thank goodness!) and my first class is Sociologie de l'emploi féminin -Sociology of female employment. "The behaviors of women's activites are transforming themselves and bringing themselves closer to those of men. However, this evolution remains marked by the survival of profound inequalities" I actually found a Womens Studies course!! I'm thinking it's gonna be a good semester...
and I bought a carnet de croquis - a sketchbook. I had bought a book called Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain over Christmas break. It's a book that teaches you how to draw - or rather, "how to see the world through an artist's eyes." It's designed on the principle that everyone can draw, we're just never taught to see everything the right way. but I'm doing pretty well so far...my goal is to take my newly purchased sketchbook to Carcassonne (an old medieval city that I had done a report on in 10th grade french class) and spend an afternoon drawing. actually, I have a lot of goals for this semester...last semester was just a warm-up =D
à+!
17 January 2008
Back...home?
Well, France isn't technically home, but I definitely had that returning-home feeling. After 15 long hours of travel (during which the plane to Paris was missed because of a delay in Rochester due to (what else?) ice and I was thrown into a momentary panic -fortunately there was another one an hour and a half later) and only about 40 minutes of sleep (broken up in 20 minute sections, mind you), I'm finally back in Nantes!
It's so funny to do this the second time around. My French is SO much better and I don't have to think about it when I talk, which makes things infinitely easier -the words bascially just fall out of my mouth, it's kind of funny. I already know my way around town and have a Tram pass, so I don't need my host family to show me how to get to IES. I'm much more relaxed in my host family's house (mainly because it's a new family, but also because I know a little better how things work in a French family) and that reduces my stress level SO much. Basically, I already know the ropes and I'm SO happy.
Of course, it's intimidating to walk into IES and expect (even though I know they wont be there) all the familiar faces and see instead 36 strangers. It's especially intimidating when they're all in a room at once! I havent yet had the guts to say Hi...but I'm getting there. They all went on a tour of the Fac and then they're eating lunch at the RU (restaurante universitaire), so I was sitting in the computer lab all by my onesies (but that's okay, I had emails to catch up on!) when in walks Tim, one of the 14 of us returnees! It was so exciting to see a familiar face =D
I learned a new word yesterday - cafard. "avoir le cafard" means to be down in the dumps...but it also translates literally to Cockroach. so...being down in the dumps means having cockroaches? oh how I love idioms =D happily, I have no cockroaches right now =D
à+!
It's so funny to do this the second time around. My French is SO much better and I don't have to think about it when I talk, which makes things infinitely easier -the words bascially just fall out of my mouth, it's kind of funny. I already know my way around town and have a Tram pass, so I don't need my host family to show me how to get to IES. I'm much more relaxed in my host family's house (mainly because it's a new family, but also because I know a little better how things work in a French family) and that reduces my stress level SO much. Basically, I already know the ropes and I'm SO happy.
Of course, it's intimidating to walk into IES and expect (even though I know they wont be there) all the familiar faces and see instead 36 strangers. It's especially intimidating when they're all in a room at once! I havent yet had the guts to say Hi...but I'm getting there. They all went on a tour of the Fac and then they're eating lunch at the RU (restaurante universitaire), so I was sitting in the computer lab all by my onesies (but that's okay, I had emails to catch up on!) when in walks Tim, one of the 14 of us returnees! It was so exciting to see a familiar face =D
I learned a new word yesterday - cafard. "avoir le cafard" means to be down in the dumps...but it also translates literally to Cockroach. so...being down in the dumps means having cockroaches? oh how I love idioms =D happily, I have no cockroaches right now =D
à+!
14 January 2008
Nantes, la deuxième partie
Well. After a wonderful 25 days in the States, it's time for me return to La Belle France. This break has been everything I needed it to be - a chance to be with all of my family, spend time with my friends, sleep, read IN ENGLISH (I devoured Eat, Pray, Love in about 3 days because it was interesting, funny and in English!), eat food I'm used to - and drink milk, for that matter -, write in my journal (though THAT's nothing new!) tell my stories and show my pictures. More importantly, though, it was a chance to replenish the reserves that the end-of-the-semester crunch depleted.
Of course, the difference between the last pre-departure day and today is so entertaining for me. Travel isn't scary any more. Granted, overseas flights are still long and uncomfortable and tiring, but they aren't intimidating any more. This time around, I know the city in which I'm living. I know the family (even though I changed host families). I know what classes to take at the University and what to avoid (three french literature courses in one semester? NOT going to happen again). I'm ready.
My life theme song before going to Nantes was "How Astonishing" from the Little Women broadway musical (yes, there's a musical). It's still my theme song...
Here I go
And there's no turning back
My great adventure has begun
I may be small
But I've got giant plans
To shine as greatly as the sun
I will blaze until I find my time and place
I will be fearless
I'll be Astonishing...
At Last!
à+!
(EDIT: of course, just to remind myself that I'm human and keep me humble, I had a moment of anxiety/am I really doing this and not going back to wooster until august?! as I was trying to fall asleep last night...ah well. c'est la vie!)
Of course, the difference between the last pre-departure day and today is so entertaining for me. Travel isn't scary any more. Granted, overseas flights are still long and uncomfortable and tiring, but they aren't intimidating any more. This time around, I know the city in which I'm living. I know the family (even though I changed host families). I know what classes to take at the University and what to avoid (three french literature courses in one semester? NOT going to happen again). I'm ready.
My life theme song before going to Nantes was "How Astonishing" from the Little Women broadway musical (yes, there's a musical). It's still my theme song...
Here I go
And there's no turning back
My great adventure has begun
I may be small
But I've got giant plans
To shine as greatly as the sun
I will blaze until I find my time and place
I will be fearless
I'll be Astonishing...
At Last!
à+!
(EDIT: of course, just to remind myself that I'm human and keep me humble, I had a moment of anxiety/am I really doing this and not going back to wooster until august?! as I was trying to fall asleep last night...ah well. c'est la vie!)
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