Settling In

     These last two weeks have been such a whirlwind of art museums, cafés, language classes, and lots of walking! Last week was our 'orientation' session: we had conversational workshops in the mornings and then a few activities in the afternoon or evening. There was lots of time to explore Paris on our own. Here is my attempt at listing everywhere I visited: the Salvador Dali museum, the wax museum of Paris, Montparnasse tower, the Catacombs, the Paris museum of photography, Tokyo Palace (a modern art museum), and Musée de l'Orangerie (a museum of impressionist art) - not to mention countless cafés and brasseries. I always try to take my camera with me when I go somewhere particularly exciting, so I'm really starting to have a lot of photos. With Flickr, I can organize the pictures on a map showing exactly where they were taken: you can view that map by clicking here.

     Last weekend, the group took a mini-trip out to the country outside of Paris to see Royaumont Abbey and Chantilly Chateau. Both were very pretty - it was nice to get out of the city for a few hours. Also, the program set up three special tours - one of a boulangerie (bakery), one at a chocolaterie, and a wine-and-cheese tasting.  All of them were interesting, not to mention delicious. I'm really enjoying the fact that food plays such a central role in French culture - I've never eaten so well in my life!

     'Real' classes began this week, both at Reid Hall (where courses are taught by French professors but are only open to the people on our program) and at the Parisian universities. At Reid Hall, I am taking Réagir sur la France d'aujourd'hui (Responding to Today's France), Paris 1789 à 1939: Histoire, Littérature, et Beaux Arts (Paris 1789-1939: History, Literature and Fine Arts), and L'histoire non-officielle de la construction européenne (The Unofficial History of European Construction).  I've attended two classes at Paris 7 (one of the public Parisian universities): sociology of the family and sociology of inequalities.  Both were large classes, and in both I felt like the professor was a little questionable. I guess Wesleyan has just spoiled me. I'm hoping instead to attend a few lecture series at the International School of Philosophy, and work with a private tutor to individually discuss what I learn there.

     To complicate matters, all of the Parisian university professors are probably going on strike next week... and tomorrow all of the public transportation workers are going on strike. I always knew that the strike is an integral part of French life, but you never really understand it until you have to experience one yourself! Since the Métro and the buses probably won't be running tomorrow, it looks like I'll have to walk the 45 minutes to Reid Hall. I'm just grateful that I don't live too far away (like some of my friends).

     Well it's almost 8:30 - dinnertime in France. A bientôt!