Freiburg im Breisgau

Ich bin in Freiburg!

So far I've had my first three German classes, a pair of trips to the same beer garden, a pizza party as a get to know everybody, and some walking adventures around town.

After spending nine months doing a Junior Year Abroad through an American College, my class here with Goethe is much more international than I was expecting. I am the youngest person in my class and the only one still doing any sort of undergraduate degree. There are few graduate students from the States in my group, four engineers from Iraq, a veterinarian from Sudan, a business man from Brasil living in Switzerland, a student from Indonesia and another from the Philippines, and finally two women from Ukraine and Tokyo. We have every continent represented other than Oceania. Its an amazing group and we all get along great in class, helping each other out and laughing at silly mistakes.

All and all, I'm really glad that I decided to come and do this program and Freiburg the city has exceeded my expectations. I went on a walking tour given by the Goethe Institute yesterday, that was entirely in German, and was surprised to see how much of it I could understand. We walked along the canals, through the University district, to the Münster and the market place. I purchased my first Currywurst since the train station in Köln from these cute old ladies in the market place.

I find it kinda funny that after spending a year studying the European Union, I won't be in "Europe" on election day, since tomorrow I'm spending the day in Switzerland.

Hallo Basel!

Später

Bye Bye La France

(For Now)

Tomorrow its Hello Deutschland

Yikes.

Ich möchte einen Kaffee mit Milsch

Können Sie bitte ein bißchen langsamer sprechen

Oui

Können
Sie bitte
ein bißchen
langsamer sprechen.

We'll see how this next part of my European journey turns out as Petey Mac and Cheese becomes more than just the staples of year in Paris and dives in head first into the deep end to recount staples from a month in Germany.

In other news, Soderling beat Rafa, Bordeaux won Ligue 1, Tony Battie is playing in the finals, and I've still got a lot of packing to do.

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Melting

Dear Paris,

I know that you are very upset to see me leave after this week. We've shared so many memories over the past year and I understand how you are feeling. Just remember those beautiful days in Belleville and the Gardens of Luxembourg, and all of the trips to the museums and soccer games together. Also, please remember that I will be back at the end of June for a true and proper goodbye.

Now can you please not torment me with the promise of thunderstorms that don't show up, let my clothes dry in your silly humidity, and turn down this godforsaken HEAT.

Love,
Petey

Fairytale, Is It True? Always.

Two nights ago Europe voted for its favorite. 25 countries participated in the final round hosted on Saturday night in Moscow. I had been obsessing over the Norwegian entry ever since I saw Alexander Rybak perform in the semi-final. But I was also intrigued by a few others, namely Moldavia, Ukraine, and the fact that Denmark's entry was singing like he was trying to become to opening act for a Toby Keith tour. I watched it at my friend's apartment where we had another one of Jamie's Dinners and some of those famous Manmosas (1664 and Orangina) before the musical festivities truly began. There was also some face painting where we produced drapeau representations of the countries we were supporting.

France, The UK, Norway, Israel and the Ukraine were all representing with flying colors.

In the end, Norway stole the show with a record 387 points and had basically assured itself victory throughout Europe after the 16th country voted. There were celebratory photos taken, recaps of the geopolitical implications given by certain votes (France: 12 points to Turkey!?) and a mad dash to the metro before it closed.

I didn't make it to Sevres-Babylone before the last 10 train headed westward. Luckily I was not alone. When I first entered the station, before I knew that my train wouldn't be coming, I was greeted by a group of about 10 people my age. One of them had a guitar and they were singing dancing and the like. They saw my face and we all sort of stopped what we were doing. I had elected not to wash off the Norwegian flag covering my face before leaving the apartment. They asked me who had won. I responded with a simple La Norvège and the dancing and singing began again. I was greeted with congratulations, hugs, kisses, and a few demands for some face paint. I wished them a Bonne Soirée and they were gone. So was my metro train.

I ended up taking the most crowded night bus of all time. No one was singing or cheering the Norwegian victory with me as my bus wound its way through the rainy streets of Paris.

I got home, washed my face, and went to bed.

Eurovision 2009

Eurovision Winner 2009 Norway - Alexander Rybak - Fairytale
by jief75

22, 32, 75, 84, 123

Non, these are not my lucky numbers for the upcoming lottory, but rather the buses I have used throughout my séjour here in Paris. The way spring is transforming into summer I find myself ashamed whenever I end up taking the métro, even if it is quicker in getting from here to there. The buses home from the Madelene have become more and more frequent. I'm still no expert on where exactly all of the buses go, but these ratp vehicles have become part of my little parisien niche.

A niche that I will soon be leaving.

Since I've gotten back from my Easter vacation in Strasbourg, which unfortunately I failed to write about, I've been stuck in a world of work as the semester draws to a close. I've been unable to escape from an unending routine. There have been a few adventures, Anne-Sophie's anniversaire, a museum trip to the Jeu de Pomme, a Jamie Oliver dinner of mascarpone and spinnach, but silly exposés on Vichy, papers on Orhan Pamuk and Victor Hugo, and disertations on French republicains have put a damper on my last few weeks of France. There is one more exposé for tomorrow on France libéré (remind me to finish that sooner rather than later) and after that its nothing put finals. There is also round two of the TCF, a French standardized test that I am not completely prepared for taking. I haven't had a French language class since first semester, so we'll see what affect that has on my abilities. I'm not worried about it, but it would be mildly embarrassing if I failed to reproduce my results from September.

September. Goodness I've been here for awhile.

Freiburg and Germany start in less than three weeks and I can't wait for this next adventure.

Other than the upcoming TCF and finals studying I've got a weekend hopefully filled with Eurovision 2009, Kandinsky, Manmosas, and James Tiberius Kirk.

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cinq semaines!

Wait, what? You're going to tell me that I only have five more weeks of classes left in Paris before a brief exam period at the end of May. Five weeks! But part of me feels as if I just started swimming in the deep end of Parisian and French culture. There are only two weeks before an April break that also takes two weeks off of the calender. Does this mean that I need to start eating every nutella-banane crepe likes its my last? Maybe.

Yesterday I spent two hours in the afternoon playing some basketball with some of the other Middlebury students, plenty of français and a few international students and what can best be described as a French YMCA. But apparently the court where we were playing around was actually where basketball was first played in Europe. I don't have any fun dates or photos, so you'll just have to take my word for it. The court itself probably hasn't been updated since that first game. It was parque in a chevron design where the individual pieces of wood would jump out of place if you make a sharp enough cut or dribbled a little too much. It made for quiet a few pauses in the game action. The other unique aspects of the gym were the two giant pillars in the middle of the court playing as fifth and sixth defenders for one of the teams. The set some pretty decent picks, but their key roll was limiting the angles of potential shots. There was also a track above the court, also made of wood, and on a slight incline. It really felt like I was playing in a completely different time period.

I can't wait for next Saturday. Maybe I should find some period appropriate clothes?

Finally, I'll leave you with a film we recently watched in my Nouvelle Vague class. Its a French poem about the magic and origins of making plastic.

Le Chant du styrène
Uploaded by Lunethique

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plante un arbre

So spring officially started a few days ago. I missed it. The 21st is basically Arbor day through out Europe. But it is no longer that first day of spring, I've missed my proper chance to celebrate. Luckily, Uganda has National Tree Planting Day on the 24th of March. So, in honor of this newly standard Parisian sunshine, and since the American version is still a bit aways, go outside and celebrate the festivities of Spring tomorrow.

Plante un arbre

Plante un arbre (La Chanson du Dimanche / saison 1-5)

le clasico

There was no need to go to watch the classic PSG-OM match tonight. I can hear the chanting and the singing and the booing and the cheering from my room. We had dinner tonight with such great ambiance or bands of soccer fans in the neighborhood. As I just checked the score when we finished our after dinner teas and stories from the weekend, PSG tied the game up. The cheering was immense. There are only a handful of games les at Parc des Princes, so I'm running out of time to make my move and go and watch a game in person.

Its on my Paris bucket list. Along with going to the last World Cup qualifier while I'm in the country. Its on April 1st. Any takers?

Looks like I'm headed to Strasbourg for April break to explore one of the three EU captials. Should be an exciting time sitting in on parlimentary sessions and court cases about human right violations between Georgia and Russia.

Now its back to some grant proposing...

The noise from outside has stopped.

Looks like its mi-temps

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Geothe-Institut

As of right now. At this moment. It looks as if my European year abroad is going to be prolonged through the month of June as I try and learn German in Germany through the Goethe Institute. Sounds like fun, no?

But in the meantime, I've still got exposés to worry about, courses at Bates to sign up for, and spring time in Paris to enjoy.

In preparation for the general grève that is coming up next week here in France next week, I'll leave you with a little song from La Chanson du Dimanche...



Enjoy!

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oops

I haven't completely forgotten about this whole blogging about my adventures in Paris. Its just that February happened a lot faster than I thought it would.

The past month can best be described as never actually starting. Finals ended and classes started up again after a three day weekend. There was very little time to reflect. To breathe. To pause. I went right back into the world of classes, but none of the actors were the same, except for a few. It almost didn't feel real. Homework? Really? I have to read so and so chapters? My exposés aren't until just before April break? Fine with me.

I decided to take a new course at the Sorbonne back at the beginning of last month, trading in North America for the Mediterranean, but a funny thing has happened between now and then.

LA GRÈVE!!!

My Sorbonne classes are no longer guaranteed classes. Professors are striking potential reforms proposed by the government. Students and leftist unions are join in the strikes trying to expand the base of complaints. There are public demonstrations at least once a week. The first things Middlebury proposed to us was to exchange a Sorbonne class for a Middlebury class. I picked up a French history class, Revolution to the Resistance. This left me with only two classes at Paris 1. Fast forward to this past week and Middlebury is again asking us to sign-up for another class with them so that we can guarantee our credits for the semester. Today was my first day with this new class. Its another French history course, covering about the same time period, Revolution to Today, but concentrates more or less on two large themes throughout this period, France and a "grande nation dans le monde" and France as a "république." I haven't yet broke the news to my profs at the Sorbonne about this developement. I guess I should do that tomorrow at the latest.

But now I'm kind of sad that I am no longer grève-ing. I have four classes out of five that are assured to take place just until the end of May.

Bummer.

But, hey. I've lounged in some parks recently evesdropping on four year olds as they play with their boats and parents near fountains. And compared to last semester, all of my classes truely interest me. I have an April break coming up. My sister is coming back to visit me in Paris for a few days, and then it is off to Munich.

Spring is starting to come out and play.

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wamu

So, originally this was supposed to be a glorious recounting of my Thursday adventure where I joined forces with the French workers and marched around town protesting la politique de Sarko en disant qu'il ne faut pas soutenir les entreprise qui sont entrain de licensier leurs ouvriers. I was all ready to be a vocal force with my first in the air supporting the nationwide grève, but it didn't happen. I had received an email from a French classmate telling me about a réuion à La Place de la Sorbonne à 13h ce jeudi, but when I got there, by walking the two hours from Boulogne to the Sorbonne, I was left with nothing with disappointment because there was no large gathering of disgruntled students and profs. In retrospect I obviously should have been more serious about this manifestation and done my own research about where and when to be, but I'll have to remember that for next time. Suprisingly, walking across a good two-thirds of Paris is actually pretty easy. I was able to explore a few coins that I hadn't yet seen, like the areas around the back side of the Rodin museum and Hotel Matignon, discovered a movie theatre called The Pagoda, and the tiny shops of rue du Four.

There have also been some strange emotions in the air as of late. There have been a lot of last night in Paris parties for all of my Middlebury program partners in crime and at the same time i have already had my first two new classes of the winter semester and with them come all of the new fresh-off-the-boat Americans. You would think that interacting with these fellow Americans would be facile, but so far I have struggled. I should be offering up all of my advice on the little details that I have found that Paris has to offer, but the oppotunities for sharing this information are lacking. While they were going through their abridged "Welcome to Paris" month of January, I was passing final exams and saying goodbye to newly found friends, but I have confidence that opportunities will present themselves.

Like tomorrow! Some of us are going to a rugby match tomorrow so maybe I can start the friend making process all over again. Stade Fraçaise is famous for three things: being a decently good rugby club (they are currently 2nd in the French League), they have brightly designed uniforms (flowers, bright pink, Warhol stylized, kahki?) and every year they make a calender where the pose naked except for a few smartly placed rugby balls. Should be a great time!

Finaly, with this five day weekend, I've been on an American new binge via WAMU, my favorite NPR station and Slate. I feel bad that the news isn't in French, but with most of the people that I have met this year returning stateside, I'm missing home a little bit more than usual. When classes start up again for real after next week I'll get back on the French only horse, but until then I'll keep on humming the theme song to APM's Marketplace.

Don't forget to watch the big game this weekend. Team Handball Championship between France and Croatia in Zagreb. Should be a great one.

Allez les Bleus!

Mots

So this is where I will be spending most of my hours for the next few years. Next week is exam week as I have already shared with you, but hopefully it won't be too bad.

I just got back from Typhaine's birthday soirée. There really is nothing better than seeing everyone around a table of melted cheese, meat, and potatos laughing and sharing stories. I'm pretty good with the simple interjections, and humor in French seems to improve when ever there are a lot of people around. Matthieu, Typhaine's boyfriend and I get along great and we were passing side comments back and forth all night. (We were also the only two mecs at the soirée) She received a new digital camera for her birthday, along with a necklace, some chocolates, and a few things from Finland.

Tomorrow Typhaine starts her two day marathon exam. Maybe I'll see her again. She's really stressing, but everything will hopefully be fine in 48 hours.

Now its my turn to stress out.

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le moment gourmand

We're coming down the home stretch of the semester, and as always, I have more work than I would like. Procrastination has always been my forte. Four exam type things left and a paper or two, and then its a mini vacation, at least from La Sorbonne. Middlebury on the other had starts its classes on the 26th, meaning I truly only get a three day weekend.

Gave an exposé today on Carl Goerdeler and the German Resistance against Hitler. Received a moyen, but now its over and I can move on to other work. Like stressing out over how I'm going to study for my l'Europe Centrale class when the exam is a week from this morning.

Today for lunch I went to an inexpensive café just north of the Sorbonne où j'ai passé un moment gourmand avec un sandwich, boisson(s) et croissant. And for about about 3 hours it was just me, my food, The American Lion, and the crowds of French students. The two girls next to me were stressing out about exams, deciding on whether or not to pursue master degrees, and talking about their vacation plans. La Sorbonne doesn't start up again until the 9th of February. One of their mothers wasn't letting them go down to Marseilles for some reason. I would have evesdropped more, but her voice was really annoying and she kept on adding "quoi" to the end of every phrase, but only when she wasn't "ben-ing" (similar to um-ing) or interjecting with things like "tu sais?" That, and I really am digging this Andrew Jackson book.

It started a little slow, but after about page 17, I've struggled to put it down. As I'm reading it I can't help but remember my AP History teacher in high school and the American Pagent and how uncool they were for not liking Jackson. Sure he's brash and not the norm for the time period, by God he stuck to his principles. Or at least thats what the first 100 pages have told me. There is still lots of the book left, so there is still some time for me to change my mind.

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A photo!

Bonne Année 2009

So it may or may not have been many weeks since I've played around here in my blogosphere. Sorry. 2009 will bring aboout change in that respect, and many others.

Finlandia Recap:
Loved it!
Loved the snow, spending time with my family, meeting my sister's friends, exploring a country where I had no chance of expressing myself in the local language(s), seeing alto buildings, seeing Helsinki, taking trains, staying in futuristic hotels with no check desk, pulla (if that is how you spell it,) exploring the Stockholm airport (twice,) pretending to witness a Russian invasion of the country, stopping a rest stop on the highway that doubles as a cheese factory, and going into Vaasa's bunker just a hop skip and a jump from my sister's apartment.

Paris is still nice. But traveling to Finland just further emphasized the fact that I love the cold and the countryside and that Paris might just be a little too big for my taste. Even if they do have the best bread and cheese combination.

I took part in the Soldes since I've been back. Its like Black Friday but for a month. I came out with some shoes. Haven't decided if I'm going back in or not. We'll see.

Two more weeks until the end of the semester here and then I get another little mini vacation. Until things pick back up again in February.

Tomorrow's plans include going to the Sorbonne and pleading with the history department for them move two of my exams, since right now they are all at the same time, and going to some métro stops that have yet to be explored based of a book that I recieved for Noel, Métro Stop Paris. A fun history read if you have the time.

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