Lots of stuff has happened! First, I had a wonderful end of break, spending 3 days each in London, Dublin, and Nice in the south of France. It was super good. One word to describe each location London: Royal. Dublin: Guinness. Nice: Nice.
The past two weeks (this week included) have been full of work. Tonight is the first week night I've had free in a while. I hope to blog a bit more about my last month here in Paris, but we'll see how it goes.
Bizarre news for day- my host dad bought a Houdon statue of Louis XVI. He's pretty sure it's an original. I'm pretty sure my host parents are royalists.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Day 7 (Posted a day late): Last day in Stockholm
Sitting in Stockholm Skvaska Airport, past check-in and security, in the one café area of the airport. No wifi here, so I will post this when in London. One little anectdote about this airport- I can seek at least 10 people near to hwere I’m sitting having beer or wine. It’s 8:15am.
So after spending two full days in Stockholm, I was already set to head on to London. While I really enjoyed the museums, the attractions, the café culture and all the Swedes that surrounded me (and being spoken to in Swedish and being mistaken for a real Swede all the time), it was a little lonely being a tourist by myself for two days. I had planned to meet my cousin Martin at 2:30 for coffee. I wasn’t sure what to expect, as I had hardly heard of the man before this trip, however, I was looking forward to doing something other than sightseeing by myself.
I spent the early part of the day at Skansen, an open-air museum with old houses from all over Sweden, brought to Stockholm. Also, it includes a mini-zoo of Scandinavian animals, like bears, seals, wild boar, etc. Also, as I was entering the museum, this random girl approaches me and starts asking me questions in mediocre English, thinking that I’m Swedish. We ended up seeing the museum together and chatting for an hour plus. The best was when, after telling her that I’m from New York and American, she asks how do you ask “what’s your name in Swedish”. My heritage, yet lack of actually being Swedish really confuses people in this country. Every person at stores or cafes always speaks to me in Swedish, and when I get to the point of the conversation where I cannot continue without blowing my cover (usually when they say the price) they always jump a little bit, like I duped them a bit. Hilarious.
My second event of the day was visiting the Royal Palace, specifically the Royal Treasury where they keep the Royal sparkalies, such as the crowns, scepters, orbs, and baptismal pools. Ver interesting and a little bizarre. Definetly a very foreign thing for an American.
At 2:30, I met up with Martin by the train station, and we walked to go meet his wife. Both work for a major TV station in Stockholm. When we finally met up with Anna, we sat down at a café, but coffee quickly became a pint, as Martin was finished with work for the day and it was a nce day outside. We sat for maybe an hour, when Martin asked what my plans were for the rest of the day, and that I should come over for dinner. I ended up going with Martin to pick up his adorable 7 year old daughter from kindergarten, and going grocery shopping with him before we finally went back to the family apartment. They have a beautiful apartment overlooking Lake Malern. I ended up spending the rest of the evening at their appartement, chatting with Martin about all sorts of things (like his tattoo of the family crest on his arm!), splitting a bottle of Austrian wine (definitely not my plan at the beginning of the evening as I had to get up at 5AM this morning to catch a bus to the airport), and watching the Swedish hockey championship. He also made a very good mushroom risotto, and after not having very much Italian food at all in several months was a delicious meal. Anna resturned later because she had a meeting, so I stayed a little later than her return, but I left their house at around 10:30 PM, very happy to have spent the eveing with them and getting to meet another part of my father’s side of the family.
My grandfather was one of six children, and he was the only one to move to the US. The rest all stayed in Denmark or Sweden, so there are still plenty of other family memebers to meet when I return to Scandinavia. However, this was definetly one of the best and most interesting trps I’ve ever done. Meeting or getting reaquanited with family is so much fun!
On to London and part 2 of spring break. London-Dublin-Nice in the next week plus.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Day 6
Today- City Hall, Prince Eugene's Museum, Sodermalm (and Millenium Trilogy self-tour!) and lots of coffee and pastries. Wonderful day!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Day 5: Stockholm
So, after arriving late last night, I did not have any time to explore Stockholm. However, today I spent all day exploring the city. Can definetly sense the difference between here and Denmark (And it's not just that if feels like it felt during February in Paris here...). Went to three different museums today. Started by going to the Vasa, then the Nordiska Museum of Swedish culture. Had to return back to my hostel to register for classes for next fall, but had lunch before that at a cute cafe. Then went back out to the Historical Museum, then walked around for a bit. Long day, as I walked a lot between places, but very pleased with what I got to see. The Vasa Museum and the Historical Museum were both very cool. Also, hoping to get coffee with my cousin who lives here on Thursday.
Topping the day off by watching The Girl Who Played With Fire and eating a Swedish pastry. Also- they sell Marabou Chocolate in vending machines here. WIN.
Topping the day off by watching The Girl Who Played With Fire and eating a Swedish pastry. Also- they sell Marabou Chocolate in vending machines here. WIN.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Spring Break Day 3 and 4
So, things I left out from Day 2. Asa made swedish meatballs for dinner. It was delicious. Also, we had a sort of Funen Island birthday cake, a gooier coffee cake. And we talked a lot about the family tree! Oh and dinner day 1 was a very Danish fried fish with potatoes. Very very good as well.
Day 3: Pancakes for breakfast, biking around Odense. I borrowed Olaf's bike while he and Asa used their tandem bike. It was too cute for words. We went to Funen Village, a place where they gathered different old farm houses from around Funen Island to display in a sort of outdoor museum, complete with cows, chickens, and a brewing demonstration. Also, it was a beautiful day for being outside, which made the experience even better. We ate at a Jensen's Bofhus for dinner, a nice and inexepensive steak house, sort of reminded me of Applebees, but Scandinavian. In the evening, Olaf cooked a pork roast (very Danish, as Denmark provides the UK with all it's pork and still has lots left over), then he showed me many old family documents and photos, and even the family coat of arms!
Day 4: Said goodbye to Asa and Nils in the morning. Very sad, as I had a wonderful time getting reacquainted with them. Olaf and I took the train to Copenhagen, then up to Helsingor, walked around the town for a bit, took the ferry to Helsingborg, walked around and had lunch (a beef stew like my mom makes) at a nice restaurant, then travelled to Lund. In Lund saw the university, the cathedral and heard about the story of Finn the giant, learned about "fika", and heard many stories from Olaf's past in Lund. Then parted ways in Lund, as he headed back home and I made my way up to Stockholm, where I will be staying until early Friday morning.
Day 3: Pancakes for breakfast, biking around Odense. I borrowed Olaf's bike while he and Asa used their tandem bike. It was too cute for words. We went to Funen Village, a place where they gathered different old farm houses from around Funen Island to display in a sort of outdoor museum, complete with cows, chickens, and a brewing demonstration. Also, it was a beautiful day for being outside, which made the experience even better. We ate at a Jensen's Bofhus for dinner, a nice and inexepensive steak house, sort of reminded me of Applebees, but Scandinavian. In the evening, Olaf cooked a pork roast (very Danish, as Denmark provides the UK with all it's pork and still has lots left over), then he showed me many old family documents and photos, and even the family coat of arms!
Day 4: Said goodbye to Asa and Nils in the morning. Very sad, as I had a wonderful time getting reacquainted with them. Olaf and I took the train to Copenhagen, then up to Helsingor, walked around the town for a bit, took the ferry to Helsingborg, walked around and had lunch (a beef stew like my mom makes) at a nice restaurant, then travelled to Lund. In Lund saw the university, the cathedral and heard about the story of Finn the giant, learned about "fika", and heard many stories from Olaf's past in Lund. Then parted ways in Lund, as he headed back home and I made my way up to Stockholm, where I will be staying until early Friday morning.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Spring Break Day 2: Copenhagen
So today has been a very long day. Started at 7am, figured out how to use the shower (Scandinavian design is fantastic. So much more livable than France, but some things are not exactly intuitive in how one uses them, like the shower, or the faucet, or the spray bottle for oil and vinegar...), then had a typical Danish breakfast of various types of rolls and cheese, jam, or flat chocolate! Delicious! (even the gouda with stinging nettles). We got on the road by around 8:30 and were off to Copenhagen, arriving in a little over an hour and a half. First we stopped at the house where my grandfather and great uncle (Olaf's grandfather) grew up in Hellerup, a very nice residential district on the north side of Copenhagen. After that we went to small memorial garden where many of my relatives are buried. Seeing my last name on a grave stone is very odd (even more so for Olaf' and his son, who were named after relatives buried there). However, it's not as uncommon of a last name in Scandinavia, and there are apparently many other Svens here, including many unknown ones living in Denmark (however most are not related).
We then proceeded south, visiting the very famous Little Mermaid statue (nice but not incredibly impressive), then proceeded to walk around the old town, climbing the Roundtower, eating lunch at Nyhavn. We then walked around and saw more sights in the old town like the City Hall, Parliament, and a very interestingly redesigned waterfront on the harbor, and major modern architectural redevelopment that has occurred over the past 10 years or so. After this, we walked back north along the harbor, took the very new driverless metro system (you can watch out the front as you go!), then back to the car to drive home.
Right before lunch, we passed through the square where the main palace of the Queen is located, and this was right at the time of the changing of the guard, however, today is an important day in Danish history, as April 9th was the day the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940. It is still remember as a day of mourning, as before noon, all the flags are at half mast. However, when the guard changes, they symbolically raise the flag. One thing that fascinates me about Europe is how the war is still very much in the public consciousness, even with 65 years of peace and "European Integration". It was a moving and powerful sight to see the guards, marching from a long distance away in silence, with only a drum to keep the pace of the march.
Another issue that I have talked about with my cousins quite a bit is the legal and widespread abuse of alcohol by teenagers here. Apparently there is no drinking age, only an age to buy (16) and this results in Danish teens drinking at twice the level of their Swedish counterparts (legal drinking age is 20). Something you wouldn't know about Danish culture from the outside, but a HUGE problem here (saw some of it going on in Copenhagen on the side of the canals. Very strange sight).
Sleep now. Biking around Odense and Funen tomorrow.
We then proceeded south, visiting the very famous Little Mermaid statue (nice but not incredibly impressive), then proceeded to walk around the old town, climbing the Roundtower, eating lunch at Nyhavn. We then walked around and saw more sights in the old town like the City Hall, Parliament, and a very interestingly redesigned waterfront on the harbor, and major modern architectural redevelopment that has occurred over the past 10 years or so. After this, we walked back north along the harbor, took the very new driverless metro system (you can watch out the front as you go!), then back to the car to drive home.
Right before lunch, we passed through the square where the main palace of the Queen is located, and this was right at the time of the changing of the guard, however, today is an important day in Danish history, as April 9th was the day the Germans invaded Denmark in 1940. It is still remember as a day of mourning, as before noon, all the flags are at half mast. However, when the guard changes, they symbolically raise the flag. One thing that fascinates me about Europe is how the war is still very much in the public consciousness, even with 65 years of peace and "European Integration". It was a moving and powerful sight to see the guards, marching from a long distance away in silence, with only a drum to keep the pace of the march.
Another issue that I have talked about with my cousins quite a bit is the legal and widespread abuse of alcohol by teenagers here. Apparently there is no drinking age, only an age to buy (16) and this results in Danish teens drinking at twice the level of their Swedish counterparts (legal drinking age is 20). Something you wouldn't know about Danish culture from the outside, but a HUGE problem here (saw some of it going on in Copenhagen on the side of the canals. Very strange sight).
Sleep now. Biking around Odense and Funen tomorrow.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Odense, Denmark
Long day of travel- waking up at 7AM to take the Metro, to take the RER, to take a plane, to take a train- but I am in Odense Denmark! With other Svens! And it's awesome! They are incredibly nice, and made a nice typically Danish meal for me, then showed me around Odense a little bit (saw Hans Christian Andersen's boyhood home today!) and then we had tea and conversation for a long time. It's been tons of fun, as they are very nice and incredibly funny (if you want to know a bizarre story, ask me about the cat and what it does to sweaters...) and friendly people. Also, they do an incredibly amount of genealogy, so I now have a 62 page document to read about my ancestry! PSYCHED!
Tomorrow we are driving to Copenhagen, so it should be a good day for sightseeing, both typical and Sven-specific. It's also a very important and somber day for Denmark, as April 9th was the day that marked the beginning of the German occupation during World War II. It should be interesting to see what kind of memorials or tributes I see in the Capital. Will post tomorrow when I get the chance.
Tomorrow we are driving to Copenhagen, so it should be a good day for sightseeing, both typical and Sven-specific. It's also a very important and somber day for Denmark, as April 9th was the day that marked the beginning of the German occupation during World War II. It should be interesting to see what kind of memorials or tributes I see in the Capital. Will post tomorrow when I get the chance.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The French Way
So after being here for almost 3 months, it's strange to look back on my attitudes towards certain things at the beginning, and how many French customs i've adopted. While there are the obvious, like the cheek kiss and saying bonjour and au revoir whenever you enter or leave a shop, there are certain small things that I'm used to know that would be super bizarre in the US. Here, when one has bread with the meal, one puts their slice of bread on the table. Not on the plate, but right on the table. In the US that never happens (also we don't eat nearly as much bread in the US). At first I was kind of thrown off, but now I do it by instinct, and at the end of each course, rip a chunk of bread, put on in my plate, stick my fork in it and sop every bit of what's left on plate.
Also, no one is in a rush here. Sunday, I spent 2 hours just sitting around with friends after lunch, just because. And it didn't matter either, because the wait staff will (generally) allow you to sit for as long as you like. Very different from New York, where if you sit for a while after your meal you will be prodded to leave.
However, the odd thing is that if you don't follow the relaxed norms, you get starred at! Eating while walking is considered eating "comme des Américains". Eating on the Metro is considered "dégueulasse"! And if you don't say hi or goodbye, or offer something at dinner, no matter what or how smal, to the person next you before you serve yourself, is considered "mal élevé", or poorly raised. All of these additional social norms and customs can be a bit tiring for an Ameri-Sven living in Paris, especailly considering how American culture is, while rushed, very laid back. You can wear what you want, do what you want, and be how you want so long as it doesn't effect others.
Also, no one is in a rush here. Sunday, I spent 2 hours just sitting around with friends after lunch, just because. And it didn't matter either, because the wait staff will (generally) allow you to sit for as long as you like. Very different from New York, where if you sit for a while after your meal you will be prodded to leave.
However, the odd thing is that if you don't follow the relaxed norms, you get starred at! Eating while walking is considered eating "comme des Américains". Eating on the Metro is considered "dégueulasse"! And if you don't say hi or goodbye, or offer something at dinner, no matter what or how smal, to the person next you before you serve yourself, is considered "mal élevé", or poorly raised. All of these additional social norms and customs can be a bit tiring for an Ameri-Sven living in Paris, especailly considering how American culture is, while rushed, very laid back. You can wear what you want, do what you want, and be how you want so long as it doesn't effect others.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Family update
So the host family situation is still going well, though a couple moments have really stuck out in the past week as being incredibly amusing.
A) Coming home today to see my 16 year old host brother playing playstation, which isn't unusual, except this time he was playing Grand Theft Auto. Awesome.
B) Last week when my host mom confronted my 19 year old host brother about how he coughs all the time. She finally got him to fess up about smoking, but then went even further, saying "I used to have a pack in the desk as reserve, but now they're all gone. Did you steal them??" After 5 minutes of back and forth, she finally threw down the "I'd rather have my son be a thief than a liar". He then point blank admitted he stole them. A little awkward since, as they keep making reference to it. Not sure if she was angry or amused by it, at the time or now. She goes back and forth sounding pissed, but then laughing about it later. Confusing and hilarious.
C) Coming home last night and seeing the family captivated by a 60 Minutes style news report about the prostitues of the Bois de Boulogne. Apparently the park, which is about a 10 minute walk from my house and really nice during the day, becomes the biggest red light district in Paris after dark. I knew it was sketch at night, but never realized how freaky it actually is! I ended up watching for 25 minutes with them. Interesting yet bizarre. Not sure they would report on something like that in the US. And I still find it hard to believe that the whole family was immersed in a report about transexual prostitues. Oh and the report had a 10 minute thing about a dog trainer that works in the park. Super weird.
Time to do work. I have way too much to do within the next 2 weeks, including plan my spring break to Scandinavia and the UK!
A) Coming home today to see my 16 year old host brother playing playstation, which isn't unusual, except this time he was playing Grand Theft Auto. Awesome.
B) Last week when my host mom confronted my 19 year old host brother about how he coughs all the time. She finally got him to fess up about smoking, but then went even further, saying "I used to have a pack in the desk as reserve, but now they're all gone. Did you steal them??" After 5 minutes of back and forth, she finally threw down the "I'd rather have my son be a thief than a liar". He then point blank admitted he stole them. A little awkward since, as they keep making reference to it. Not sure if she was angry or amused by it, at the time or now. She goes back and forth sounding pissed, but then laughing about it later. Confusing and hilarious.
C) Coming home last night and seeing the family captivated by a 60 Minutes style news report about the prostitues of the Bois de Boulogne. Apparently the park, which is about a 10 minute walk from my house and really nice during the day, becomes the biggest red light district in Paris after dark. I knew it was sketch at night, but never realized how freaky it actually is! I ended up watching for 25 minutes with them. Interesting yet bizarre. Not sure they would report on something like that in the US. And I still find it hard to believe that the whole family was immersed in a report about transexual prostitues. Oh and the report had a 10 minute thing about a dog trainer that works in the park. Super weird.
Time to do work. I have way too much to do within the next 2 weeks, including plan my spring break to Scandinavia and the UK!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
two great weeks, one hard week.
The past two weeks (from last Saturday) were amazing! While not particullarly immersing or "french", they were incredibly fun. The first week, my girlfriend Alex came to visit, and from last Sunday until today my family was here to see me. In these two weeks were visits and dinners with various families, a meeting of my real family and my "famille d'acceuil" and of course, a family trip to Disneyland! All was very fun and may write about individual parts of it in more detail at a later time.
This week has been back to reality. Lots of work and even more planning for vacation. Right now I'm deep in the process of planning a trip to Scandinavia, the homeland!
Going to my host brother's gallery opening tonight. Should be fun. Maybe I'll put up pictures or a link when I get back.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Germany! A bientot! Auf Wiedersehen!
This week has been back to reality. Lots of work and even more planning for vacation. Right now I'm deep in the process of planning a trip to Scandinavia, the homeland!
Going to my host brother's gallery opening tonight. Should be fun. Maybe I'll put up pictures or a link when I get back.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Germany! A bientot! Auf Wiedersehen!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Long time since I last posted
Since then, I've done a trip to Amsterdam, got a bad haircut, and done more school work then I've done all semester. Hopefully I'll be able to share some of the stories soon, but no time tonight.
One picture though- it's of the courtyard of my house
A bientôt!
One picture though- it's of the courtyard of my house
A bientôt!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Barca!
Just got back from the weekend trip to Barcelona. Will write more on it later, but it was incredible. Now need to work on a 5 page paper for tomorrow...
Thursday, February 17, 2011
My host family has the best taste in music
They play Simon and Garfunkel all the time. Also, lots of 60s music. It's awesome, hilarious, and all in english. The best is when they sing along.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Best Dinner Yet
So tonight there was a random dinner party here. I think it was because Myriam, the 24 year old daughter who lives in Jerusalem, is back for a couple weeks. She only just got in last night, so lots of people were over. Marie-Aimee, the 27 year old daughter was over, as was her husband Jerome, and 2 older women (not sure the relationship to the family but very nice). While big dinners usually mean they talk and I listen the whole time, that didn't happen this time! Because there were lots of new people around, I got asked lots of questions, but I also had some great conversations with Maximillien and Florence. We talked about Franco-American relations, Europe, and about family origins (Their family came from Corsica in the late 1800s! They were privateers!) The dinner party lasted about 3 hours, but it was a lot of fun and a great opportunity to get to know the family a little better.
One moment that struck me was when I first met Marie Aimee and told her I'm from New York, her immediate reaction was "Oh, there's a store there when you can get any color M&M!" Powerful statement of how American culture is viewed overseas....
One moment that struck me was when I first met Marie Aimee and told her I'm from New York, her immediate reaction was "Oh, there's a store there when you can get any color M&M!" Powerful statement of how American culture is viewed overseas....
Strange Happenings
So I think I've met 6 of the 9 children (three of them live here, two of them come by fairly frequently and one arrived in Paris last night after taking a plane-maybe the one that lives in Israel? Not sure, and didn't want to interrupt family time last night by asking stupid questions in my poor french at 11PM). They all seem really nice, and the family in general has been super welcoming and very friendly, but after being here for almost a month, there is always something odd and amusing going on! Yesterday, someone (not sure if it was above my room or next to my room) played R.E.M.'s "Losing my Religion" eight times in a row! A bit odd. Then shortly after, they played "Awesome God", the song that's always featured on the inspirational music infomercials.
Also, my host family likes asking me about politics all the time! They always ask "So...what do you think of..." The people they have asked about so far are Obama, Bush, McCain, Donald Rumsfeld, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, and JFK/the Kennedys (apparently Gabriel, my host father, really liked Bobby). Elliot Spitzer even came up in conversation once. Very odd!
I want to ask them questions about French politics, but I don't want to rub them the wrong way or come off rude. The only thing I've found out about their political leanings is that they are droite, meaning on the right/conservative, but I'm not sure if they support Sarkozy or not. They are super Catholic, so they are very against abortion (avortement en français. It took me a couple minutes to figure out what they were talking about at first), and that they don't like Le Monde- essentially the French New York Times. They have issues with La Croix, a French Catholic paper, because they think it is a bit Marxist sometimes, and they think Le Figaro, essentially the Wall Street Journal, can be weak on moral issues. (On a side note, you can figure out French newspapers' political leanings by the color on the front page- blue means conservative and red means leftist). Still need to observe more/ maybe start asking bolder questions.
Other strange occurrences include the fact that my google chrome or Mac spell check has automatically switched to French, so please excuse my spelling mistakes. I haven't taken the time to fix it, but it's pretty weird.
In other news, the Paris weather took a turn for the better the past couple days. There was actually sun! And no clouds on Monday! It was incredible. Here's a picture I took on Monday afternoon on my phone (Monday was one of the few days when I forgot my camera) at Place Trocadero, right across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.
Hopefully spring comes a bit earlier here than in New York. Right now, the forecast shows the high staying above 45 degrees up until next Friday, when I leave for Barcelona. Perfect timing!
Need to do the very minimal amount of work I have for class today. A bientôt!
Also, my host family likes asking me about politics all the time! They always ask "So...what do you think of..." The people they have asked about so far are Obama, Bush, McCain, Donald Rumsfeld, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, and JFK/the Kennedys (apparently Gabriel, my host father, really liked Bobby). Elliot Spitzer even came up in conversation once. Very odd!
I want to ask them questions about French politics, but I don't want to rub them the wrong way or come off rude. The only thing I've found out about their political leanings is that they are droite, meaning on the right/conservative, but I'm not sure if they support Sarkozy or not. They are super Catholic, so they are very against abortion (avortement en français. It took me a couple minutes to figure out what they were talking about at first), and that they don't like Le Monde- essentially the French New York Times. They have issues with La Croix, a French Catholic paper, because they think it is a bit Marxist sometimes, and they think Le Figaro, essentially the Wall Street Journal, can be weak on moral issues. (On a side note, you can figure out French newspapers' political leanings by the color on the front page- blue means conservative and red means leftist). Still need to observe more/ maybe start asking bolder questions.
Other strange occurrences include the fact that my google chrome or Mac spell check has automatically switched to French, so please excuse my spelling mistakes. I haven't taken the time to fix it, but it's pretty weird.
In other news, the Paris weather took a turn for the better the past couple days. There was actually sun! And no clouds on Monday! It was incredible. Here's a picture I took on Monday afternoon on my phone (Monday was one of the few days when I forgot my camera) at Place Trocadero, right across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.
Hopefully spring comes a bit earlier here than in New York. Right now, the forecast shows the high staying above 45 degrees up until next Friday, when I leave for Barcelona. Perfect timing!
Need to do the very minimal amount of work I have for class today. A bientôt!
Monday, February 7, 2011
So it's been a week...
since I last posted, and I've now spent 3 full weeks in Paris. Time has really flown since the first week. Once the first week passed and I felt like I got into more of a routine, every day seems to go by so quickly.
This weekend was touristy, but also fun. Went to see Versailles and the Pantheon, two of my favorite sites I've seen in Paris thus far. Also getting to spend more time with people in the group (and different people every day) has been a blast.
On a different note - I SORT OF MADE A FRENCH FRIEND! Well kind of, I mean I chatted with her in class. The goal of the cultural director of the program is for us all to make French friends, so it was good news to report back to AnnSo (Her response was, "Un ami ou une amie? Une petite amie potentielle?" - translation- a guy or a girl friend? A potential girlfriend?? Very amusing.)
Classes went well last week. I'm officially taking the Tufts-in-Paris Political Science course on France and the EU, and the required language course. The EU one has been awesome, while the Language one is language, not very exciting, but interesting sometimes. Outside of T.I.P. courses, I'm taking an art history class on contemporary art focusing on Paul Gauguin, and a history course on political ideologies of the 20th century. So far, the TDs (similar to discussion groups or recitations back home) are much better then the CMs (giant lecture courses with no discussion and for my two classes, pretty boring professors).
Today I have to go to a formality for my visa, that basically will make official my long-stay status here in France. It's a formality, and a pain, but at least it's at 2pm and not 9am. Also, the way it's getting done is kind of odd (a story not for the blog), but regardless, it will be done this afternoon, and I will be able to travel!
On the horizon- Mom and John come next weekend! And the week after that a weekend in Barcelona!
This weekend was touristy, but also fun. Went to see Versailles and the Pantheon, two of my favorite sites I've seen in Paris thus far. Also getting to spend more time with people in the group (and different people every day) has been a blast.
On a different note - I SORT OF MADE A FRENCH FRIEND! Well kind of, I mean I chatted with her in class. The goal of the cultural director of the program is for us all to make French friends, so it was good news to report back to AnnSo (Her response was, "Un ami ou une amie? Une petite amie potentielle?" - translation- a guy or a girl friend? A potential girlfriend?? Very amusing.)
Classes went well last week. I'm officially taking the Tufts-in-Paris Political Science course on France and the EU, and the required language course. The EU one has been awesome, while the Language one is language, not very exciting, but interesting sometimes. Outside of T.I.P. courses, I'm taking an art history class on contemporary art focusing on Paul Gauguin, and a history course on political ideologies of the 20th century. So far, the TDs (similar to discussion groups or recitations back home) are much better then the CMs (giant lecture courses with no discussion and for my two classes, pretty boring professors).
Today I have to go to a formality for my visa, that basically will make official my long-stay status here in France. It's a formality, and a pain, but at least it's at 2pm and not 9am. Also, the way it's getting done is kind of odd (a story not for the blog), but regardless, it will be done this afternoon, and I will be able to travel!
On the horizon- Mom and John come next weekend! And the week after that a weekend in Barcelona!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
First free weekend
So today marks the second full week I've been here in Paris. Time really flies, but I'm really happy because I definetly feel like I'm adjusting well and starting to get into a bit more a routine.
Yesterday was officially Le Jour des Hommes. Pat, Chris and I first got burgers for lunch, went to the Arc du Triomphe (a very manly monument), then went to Les Invalides, the military history museum and the site of Napoleon's giant tomb. The unexpected part of the day came when we stumbled upon a concept car show in a temporary building right in front of Les Invalides. Definetly a man day. And the best part of it all was that the student card Tufts provided us with (that says we are all Art History students) gets us in almost anywhere for free. Going to the top of the Arc and Les Invalides were both free because of the card, and the car show was half off! Last night Anna had people over at her appartement because her host parents were away and told her she could have people over. It was a nice dinner party and great to hang out with most of the group for the night. Overall- awesome jour.
Today was a bit slower pace. A few of us went and checked out a few churches- Notre Dame, Saint Louis-Saint Paul and Saint Gervais. Also we got ice cream on Ile Saint Louis and coffee in the Marais. Overall a really good weekend, and a needed one as well. Saturday was the first full free day I've had here, so it was nice to get to enjoy and explore the city on my own time, with friends and not with the TIP staff or in a scheduled amount of time.
Time to go eat or something. Also I really hope to finish 24 season 6 tonight. Only 2 more episodes!
A bientôt!
Yesterday was officially Le Jour des Hommes. Pat, Chris and I first got burgers for lunch, went to the Arc du Triomphe (a very manly monument), then went to Les Invalides, the military history museum and the site of Napoleon's giant tomb. The unexpected part of the day came when we stumbled upon a concept car show in a temporary building right in front of Les Invalides. Definetly a man day. And the best part of it all was that the student card Tufts provided us with (that says we are all Art History students) gets us in almost anywhere for free. Going to the top of the Arc and Les Invalides were both free because of the card, and the car show was half off! Last night Anna had people over at her appartement because her host parents were away and told her she could have people over. It was a nice dinner party and great to hang out with most of the group for the night. Overall- awesome jour.
Today was a bit slower pace. A few of us went and checked out a few churches- Notre Dame, Saint Louis-Saint Paul and Saint Gervais. Also we got ice cream on Ile Saint Louis and coffee in the Marais. Overall a really good weekend, and a needed one as well. Saturday was the first full free day I've had here, so it was nice to get to enjoy and explore the city on my own time, with friends and not with the TIP staff or in a scheduled amount of time.
Time to go eat or something. Also I really hope to finish 24 season 6 tonight. Only 2 more episodes!
A bientôt!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
WOW
My French host brother just referenced Gibbons vs. Ogden in a conversation we were having on American law and Federal vs. State power in the U.S. Unreal.
"Don't worry, it's not like anyone is going to die"
So TIP courses started today. The first one on the EU and France seems really good- the professor is very nice and started the course like one would in the US, with people introducing themselves and whatnot. The second course, the language course, seems a bit more difficult. The workload seems pretty steep, and you know it's going to be an interesting course when the professor ends the course by saying, "No one worry, it's not like anyone is going to die".
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Week 2
So it's really hard to believe that I've been here over a week! Lots has happened since the last time I posted, so I will try to distill it into a fairly short post.
The end of last week began the process of researching and registering for courses, a process that is stressful enough in the US, where information is actually posted online and made available. In France, nothing is really posted, and where the information is available, it is not well organized. However, I have now been to a couple courses, and am pretty set on my two courses in the French University system to go along with my two TIP courses. I went to a History of Photography course at UP1 today, in which the focus is on 1960s photojournalism. Definetly a different course, but it cuts across a bunch of different things I'm interested in (art, history, journalism, etc.). The second course I want to take is at L'Institute Catholique, and it's about political ideology of the 20th century, but that doesn't start until next week. Hopefully both of these courses go well, otherwise I'm not sure what I will do.
In the realm of fun/touristy things, TIP took the group to the Loire Valley to visit the Chateaux of the Royalty and French nobility built during the early French Renaissance this past weekend. It was amazing to finally get to see something I've studied every year in French class since 6th grade. Our itinerary included Blois, Chambord, and Cheverny. All three of them were incredible, but I think Chambord was my favorite. However, the best part of the trip was getting to know the other students and administrators of the program. Both days included meals with the program (including a 3 hour dinner sitting at a table with Laurent, the program director) and we also had lots of free time to get to know one another. Bar/discotheque Le Loch Ness will never be the same, after being invaded by the entire TIP program for several hours on Saturday night. Also, all the guys in the program have adopted French names (Louis-me, Claude, Pascal, Gustave, and Le Duc). Overall the trip was really interesting and a lot of fun.
Tomorrow is the beginning of actual TIP classes (French language and History of the EU). While orientation was fun, it will be good to get into more of a normal academic routine. Hopefully I'll have the time to report on how those go tomorrow afternoon.
Anyways, off to go eat dinner. No one is home because my host parents went to their second home in Normandy today (they only told me about it this morning- WHAT WHAT??) and everyone else is out for the evening. Maybe I'll post some photos of my house later!
The end of last week began the process of researching and registering for courses, a process that is stressful enough in the US, where information is actually posted online and made available. In France, nothing is really posted, and where the information is available, it is not well organized. However, I have now been to a couple courses, and am pretty set on my two courses in the French University system to go along with my two TIP courses. I went to a History of Photography course at UP1 today, in which the focus is on 1960s photojournalism. Definetly a different course, but it cuts across a bunch of different things I'm interested in (art, history, journalism, etc.). The second course I want to take is at L'Institute Catholique, and it's about political ideology of the 20th century, but that doesn't start until next week. Hopefully both of these courses go well, otherwise I'm not sure what I will do.
In the realm of fun/touristy things, TIP took the group to the Loire Valley to visit the Chateaux of the Royalty and French nobility built during the early French Renaissance this past weekend. It was amazing to finally get to see something I've studied every year in French class since 6th grade. Our itinerary included Blois, Chambord, and Cheverny. All three of them were incredible, but I think Chambord was my favorite. However, the best part of the trip was getting to know the other students and administrators of the program. Both days included meals with the program (including a 3 hour dinner sitting at a table with Laurent, the program director) and we also had lots of free time to get to know one another. Bar/discotheque Le Loch Ness will never be the same, after being invaded by the entire TIP program for several hours on Saturday night. Also, all the guys in the program have adopted French names (Louis-me, Claude, Pascal, Gustave, and Le Duc). Overall the trip was really interesting and a lot of fun.
Tomorrow is the beginning of actual TIP classes (French language and History of the EU). While orientation was fun, it will be good to get into more of a normal academic routine. Hopefully I'll have the time to report on how those go tomorrow afternoon.
Anyways, off to go eat dinner. No one is home because my host parents went to their second home in Normandy today (they only told me about it this morning- WHAT WHAT??) and everyone else is out for the evening. Maybe I'll post some photos of my house later!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Dog Poop
After living in Paris for almost 5 full days now, I've observed one aspect of Parisian streets that is unpleasant and unexpected. For some reason, Parisians do not pick up after there dogs. There's TONS of poop in the streets! It's disgusting! So far I've avoided it, but it's unpleasant to see, and I'm bound to hit a landmine some day.
A few things I forgot to mention in the previous post
Everyone in the group is super nice and friendly! No one is cliquey. Also, the director of the program, Laurent, is really cool. He's really into talking about cross-cultural differences- kind of reminds me of a certain dean of students at my high school. Also, the housing coordinator, Aurelie, and the cultural coordinator, Anne-So, are both really helpful and funny.
So the worst part of my day yesterday was on my way home, line 9 was closed for an electrical problem. The only metro line that gets close to my house is 9, so I had to take a taxi, which was a huge pain because everyone else had the same idea. I had to wait 15 minutes for a cab, plus had to pay 15 Euro for the cab. The only cool part was that the cab passed Roland Garros, the tennis center where they play the French Open. It's very close to my house, and already people in the group are discussing trying to get tickets and have them reimbursed by Tufts (we get reimbursed for cultural activities up to 150 euros). It's in May, so we will still be here when it happens!
So the worst part of my day yesterday was on my way home, line 9 was closed for an electrical problem. The only metro line that gets close to my house is 9, so I had to take a taxi, which was a huge pain because everyone else had the same idea. I had to wait 15 minutes for a cab, plus had to pay 15 Euro for the cab. The only cool part was that the cab passed Roland Garros, the tennis center where they play the French Open. It's very close to my house, and already people in the group are discussing trying to get tickets and have them reimbursed by Tufts (we get reimbursed for cultural activities up to 150 euros). It's in May, so we will still be here when it happens!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Arrival, first impressions, and impromptu mass
So I have now been in Paris for 4 days, and it's been an amazing time so far. It feels unreal to take the Metro and pass the Eiffel Tower every day on my way to the Tufts-in-Paris office. The sights, the smells, the food- all are so different from home, but so interesting! When people claim that Europe is similar to the US, they are really wrong. Some things cannot be globalized.
So the most interesting aspect of the Tufts program is the homestay portion. Every student is required to live with a family, rather than in a dorm or an appartement. I was very skeptical at first about whether I would like the homestay, but it definetly adds an interesting dynamic to the program and my time in Paris. Also, it's by far the best time for practicing and learning French.
What I knew about my family coming in was that they are very large (9 children, 8 grandchildren already. Only the youngest 3 children still live at home, plus a former au pair and a godson) and that the father does art restoration and painting, and the mother does sculptures with shells. I arrived at the house after being picked up by the family and having an awkward car ride back to Boulogne (the nice suburb that I live in) and find that the house is basically a museum. Nearly every bit of wall space possible is covered! However, I notice very quickly that nearly all the art is religious in nature, and am later told that it's all 14th through 19th century European religious works. Not exactly what I was expecting before, but it's all incredibly beautiful, if not slightly overwhelming in the sheer volume of works. If I can, I'll take a picture of the living room and post it.
Then I was shown to my room, which is across and inner courtyard from the main house, which means I get more privacy, but have to walk outside if I ever need to use the bathroom. However, the room is nice, and has a lot of storage space, plus a sink in the corner for brushing my teeth, etc. Overall I am very happy with the living arrangement.
Also, the family is very sweet. Anne-Olivia, my host mother, is very accommodating and patient, and has been very helpful in my getting oriented to Paris. Gabriel, my host father, is very funny, understated, but quite nice. The boys are a mixed bag- Max (22) is very nice and friendly, Matthias (19) is a bit moody (something having to do with the fact that he does not have a job or many classes and the parents won't give him money), and Francois Joseph (16) is funny and nice, but a little fresh sometimes. He really likes saying things in french, and then repeating them in English for me, even though I understand perfectly well what he is saying. Also, the Lithuanian Art Student Anika is very sweet, and Eduoard, the Godson, is friendly and goofy. It's also helpful to have him around because he speaks English pretty well.
So the one really awkward moment here was when I returned to my house from orientation on Monday. I walk in the front door into the living room, and no fewer than 20 young (10-20) year old French boys are staring at me. I was confused, so I just said "bonjour" and walked to my room. Anne-Olivia then calls to me, sayingJon, we are having a mass and there are lots of young people here you should meet. You really should come down and join us!" Not wanting to be awkward or impolite, I decide to walk down and see what was going on. They converted one end of the living room into a makeshift altar, a priest is lighting candles! It turns out it was a youth mass for this youth group (young firefighters) that the boys are or at one point were in, but I was so confused! I then was required to sit through an almost hour and a half long mass, the most awkward moment being at the beginning, when they asked me if I take Communion. I said no, and so then they started asking questions, and now know that I am not Catholic, which I'm sure took me down a couple notches in their book. However, the dinner afterwards was delicious, and the conversation was pleasant. There have not been any similar moments since, however I'll have to be on the lookout now on Monday nights, in case of another impromptu mass in the living room.
Sleep now. A bientot!
So the most interesting aspect of the Tufts program is the homestay portion. Every student is required to live with a family, rather than in a dorm or an appartement. I was very skeptical at first about whether I would like the homestay, but it definetly adds an interesting dynamic to the program and my time in Paris. Also, it's by far the best time for practicing and learning French.
What I knew about my family coming in was that they are very large (9 children, 8 grandchildren already. Only the youngest 3 children still live at home, plus a former au pair and a godson) and that the father does art restoration and painting, and the mother does sculptures with shells. I arrived at the house after being picked up by the family and having an awkward car ride back to Boulogne (the nice suburb that I live in) and find that the house is basically a museum. Nearly every bit of wall space possible is covered! However, I notice very quickly that nearly all the art is religious in nature, and am later told that it's all 14th through 19th century European religious works. Not exactly what I was expecting before, but it's all incredibly beautiful, if not slightly overwhelming in the sheer volume of works. If I can, I'll take a picture of the living room and post it.
Then I was shown to my room, which is across and inner courtyard from the main house, which means I get more privacy, but have to walk outside if I ever need to use the bathroom. However, the room is nice, and has a lot of storage space, plus a sink in the corner for brushing my teeth, etc. Overall I am very happy with the living arrangement.
Also, the family is very sweet. Anne-Olivia, my host mother, is very accommodating and patient, and has been very helpful in my getting oriented to Paris. Gabriel, my host father, is very funny, understated, but quite nice. The boys are a mixed bag- Max (22) is very nice and friendly, Matthias (19) is a bit moody (something having to do with the fact that he does not have a job or many classes and the parents won't give him money), and Francois Joseph (16) is funny and nice, but a little fresh sometimes. He really likes saying things in french, and then repeating them in English for me, even though I understand perfectly well what he is saying. Also, the Lithuanian Art Student Anika is very sweet, and Eduoard, the Godson, is friendly and goofy. It's also helpful to have him around because he speaks English pretty well.
So the one really awkward moment here was when I returned to my house from orientation on Monday. I walk in the front door into the living room, and no fewer than 20 young (10-20) year old French boys are staring at me. I was confused, so I just said "bonjour" and walked to my room. Anne-Olivia then calls to me, sayingJon, we are having a mass and there are lots of young people here you should meet. You really should come down and join us!" Not wanting to be awkward or impolite, I decide to walk down and see what was going on. They converted one end of the living room into a makeshift altar, a priest is lighting candles! It turns out it was a youth mass for this youth group (young firefighters) that the boys are or at one point were in, but I was so confused! I then was required to sit through an almost hour and a half long mass, the most awkward moment being at the beginning, when they asked me if I take Communion. I said no, and so then they started asking questions, and now know that I am not Catholic, which I'm sure took me down a couple notches in their book. However, the dinner afterwards was delicious, and the conversation was pleasant. There have not been any similar moments since, however I'll have to be on the lookout now on Monday nights, in case of another impromptu mass in the living room.
Sleep now. A bientot!
Friday, January 14, 2011
T-20 Hours
At 7:10PM tomorrow, Saturday, January 15th, I will be on a plane heading for Paris to begin an almost five month study abroad program. It still hasn't really sunk in yet that I will be leaving for that long! The longest I have ever been away from the Northeast before is three weeks!
I'm looking forward to both the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and language of France, as well as the ability to travel and explore Europe. I plan on updating this blog regularly, both with the small day-to-day observations of living in France, as well as my latest travels and explorations of France- pictures included. I'll try to post as soon as possible from the other side of the Atlantic.
I'm looking forward to both the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture and language of France, as well as the ability to travel and explore Europe. I plan on updating this blog regularly, both with the small day-to-day observations of living in France, as well as my latest travels and explorations of France- pictures included. I'll try to post as soon as possible from the other side of the Atlantic.
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