Last I posted was my first day of classes. The fact of the matter is that I still can't understand 50% (or more) of what's being said, but I'm less nervous. I keep reminding myself that many people have done this before, including people who speak less French than I do. So somehow it has to work out! I think what must happen is the professors cut foreign kids a lot of slack. Apparently we write Erasmus on the top of our exams at the end of the semester to indicate we're foreign because the professors grade the tests without looking at the names. For those of you who don't know, Erasmus is the name of the study abroad program in Europe. It's a bit confusing, because all abroad kids are often lumped in with Erasmus and it isn't clear when we are actually included and when we are not.
I also took more courses last week than I will be this week because I need to narrow them down now. Without getting into too much convoluted detail, I am having issues with my home university. No one can really answer my questions so I am blindly making choices myself. Essentially the short version is that I am attempting to get credit for International Studies (which just have to be about Europe) and also for French from my classes. This SHOULD be easy because I am taking European history classes in French. But of course, American University manages to make it difficult! There is a list of classes that have already been assigned equivalences for my program (MICEFA) in a database, but I am not taking any of those. This is because in MICEFA you can take any class you want at pretty much any university in Paris. So it would be impossible for an AU student to have taken every single class before. Furthermore, from what I gather the system is that you submit a request asking for the class you took abroad to be counted as the most similar AU class. So take, for instance, the medieval history class I wanted to take. I want to get French and International Studies credit for it. But AU only has one class about medieval Europe and I already took it at AU, plus it isn't in French. So I can't take the class because I'm pretty sure I wouldn't get any credit for it. But who knows, because no one can answer this simple question! So I'm still working on figuring all of that out.
Interesting note about French university that I forgot to mention in my last post. They have classes that are TD (travaux dirigés) and CM (cours magistral). The CM is a lecture class and the TD is the actual work for the class, like presentations and essays. For French students, you have to take both. But for foreign students, you don't (at least at Catho). I don't know which I find harder, because in one I sit through a lecture I don't understand and have to take a huge written test at the end, and in the other there is a lot of work and 30 minute long presentations in a foreign language.
The upside is that in every class the professor gave advice and acknowledged we were foreign, and the students were very helpful and offered to send us their notes. So I'm hoping it won't be too terrible!
Anyway, after the nightmare that was classes, during the week there were some after-class events for international students. One was at a bar. It was relaxing and nice to hang out with other students who were in the same boat!
On Friday I didn't have any classes at all! I went with my friend who also didn't have any classes to a famous English-language bookstore near Notre Dame called Shakespeare & Co. It was founded by an American expat who didn't want to go home after WWII. It was overpriced but very cool, and staffed by (mostly British) expats, with one French employee. I got a book of Yeats poetry because it was beautiful and because I think I should read more poetry.
After that we wanted to pop over into Notre Dame (how cool is that??) so we took the famous bridge just down the street that is covered in locks. Then we went into Notre Dame while what appeared to be a mass was occurring. This was fine, visitors just stayed out of the pews (they had a system for this). We were not expecting a mass because it was Friday night but this is probably a normal thing that Catholics do that I just didn't know about. It was beautiful, of course, and I took some pictures.
The next day we FINALLY WENT TO VERSAILLES. Be proud. It was an ordeal. The short version is that the RER C which we were going to take to Versailles was not working so we had to take a different train. It was a very large group. It was like herding cats. We ended up finally getting on the train about an hour and a half after we meant to. But when we got there it was beautiful, of course. Versailles is a long day so we decided to come back in the spring to see the gardens and just focus on the building itself. Oh, did I mention it was totally free? Yeah, because I have a monthly Navigo pass (the metro, RER, and bus pass) it is dezoned on the weekends, which meant I took the train for free. Well, not free, but included in the price I already paid for the Navigo. And then because I have a visa that states I am living in Paris, I am considered a resident of the European Union. Residents between 18 and 26 get into most museums for free or reduced rates. In this case, it was free. So it's easy to go back again, as long as it's a weekend! So, anyway, the group was too large and so, inevitable, the center could not hold (did you like my Yeats allusion?) and we all ended up wandering somewhat on our own through the palace. I took lots of pictures so I'll post a few and let those do the talking.
The front gate was gold. Of course.
Look at that ceiling!
Hall of Mirrors
Me in the Hall of Mirrors
One of the Mesdames' apartments (sisters of the king)
This was kind of cool. They were restoring the painting!
After the palace most of us went home but my friend and I strolled through a tiny part of the garden briefly. It was still pretty despite the winter.
Famous Fountain of Apollo
After that we met up with other friends and got cheap, but very good, Indian food. So that's essentially what I've been up to! I'll be taking more classes this week, figuring things out, etc. So I'll update when I can!
Last fun fact: another food that French people seem to love that I keep forgetting to talk about? Almonds. I don't know why, but they love them and put them in tons of stuff. I'm not complaining!
Bisous,
La vache espagnole
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