What was I thinking?
The last few weeks have been fun (if stressful) and I've met a ton of really neat people from all over the US, but now it's crunch time.
That's right folks, classes have begun for real.
Now that we're past the whole "introduce yourself with your name and one interesting fact about yourself" part of classes, we're actually learning content. Or at least, we're supposed to be. While I can gasp generally what the profs are getting at, I generally speaking have trouble transcribing it into notes that will actually help me come exam time. Also, every class is either 1h45, 2h, or 3h, so I get bored and twitchy. Anyone who has ever sat next to me for an extended period of time knows that my legs shake, I crack my knuckles compulsively, and I doodle song lyrics and half-formed people on every available surface. Such behavior is not acceptable in France.
I was just starting to doodle on the edge of my notebook during French class while another student answered a question when the prof slammed her hand down next to me and bellowed, "EM!"
Se then asked me to answer the question (I couldn't) and when I gave a half-hearted attempt she smiled at me in a way that made me nervous. I've either been forgiven, or I'm on her bad side now. I'm not quite sure.
After reading through the first act of Phedre and then going to class and discovering that I hadn't comprehended any of the important plot points (I missed both the romantic allusions and the incest) I decided enough was enough. I checked the available classes and decided to do what I manage to do time and time again: take the easy road out while simultaneously boosting my resume. I dropped the class and picked up a university class, which I had been adamantly against, but I asked around and found out that the Translation class I'm picking up is literally just translating English to French, then French to English. So much easier than tackled ancient Greek tragedies in Old French. So now on my transcript I will have a grade from a legitimate French university and I won't spend agonizing hours trying to understand the French equivalent of Oedipus.
All academic drama aside, I had a major emotional breakthrough today. Up to this point I've gone from homesick to ok to having a good time. Today, the sun came out. It literally lifted me up to an entirely different place. I was carefree and exuberant and I even went exploring a bit on my own (which makes me nervous even when I'm not in a foreign country). I walked home along the tram line instead of the bus line because Addie and I did that last night after attending a small local concert at a cramped bar. The rivière is beautiful and I walked along it, rocking out to Green Day, until it got dark and I noticed the same guy had been walking in my direction for a while. I'm almost positive he was just headed the same way, but I have no idea how to tell the difference between that and being followed, and in that area I know someone who was actually pulled aside by a creepy man. She was fine, but I decided it was time to hop on the next tram. I rode a few stops down and then made my way home.
I'm so excited for this weekend. I'm full of energy and all I want to do is go exploring and eat more delicious food.
Speaking of food, my lunch today consisted of:
*Goat cheese with pesto
*Perrier
*Strawberry apple sauce
*A crêpe with Nutella
*Fries fresh from a local Kabob place
I literally reached the full point and then kept eating. It was all delicious and I couldn't get enough. I'm such a huge fan of French food...this really is the best I have ever eaten (maybe not health-wise, but in terms of pleasure).
I'm really excited to do some international travel and try food in other European countries. My friends and I were hoping to hit up Ireland for St. Patrick's Day, but everything is already completely booked.
I've been going and going at full speed for 11 hours, so I need to take a break and rest a bit before dinner.
Bon appetite!
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