quick notes

This one's gotta be quick, as the wireless network in the house ("wee-fee" as the family pronounces it) is fleeting, and I've got to pack pack pack before I leave for the weekend. I'm going to a conference with my Ni Putes Ni Soumises internship in Dourdan -- a Parisian suburb about an hour and a half away from here. The point of the conference is to work on NPNS' new regional network in the Euro-Mediterranean area. It should be an interesting weekend. I went in to the office for a bit last night to help stuff guest bags and other final preparations for the weekend. Mar (my boss) finally told me what I'll be doing this weekend. I'm going to welcome and show around one of the (very important) guests of the conference. I didn't quite understand all Mar told me, but the woman has an exotic-sounding name and is the présidente of a women's rights organization -- so she's gotta be important, right? Anyway, she doesn't speak a lick of French, so I get to talk with her in English and maybe do a little translation here and there.

Other quick notes before I leave:

On Wednesday night, Caroline, Monica, Melissa, and I had somewhat of an "American" dinner. I took a special trip to "Thanksgiving", the American grocery in Paris, to pick up essential supplies -- cornbread mix and chocolate chips (and brown sugar & cinnamon poptarts... yum). Along with the cornbread, and before the cookies, we cooked up some chicken, carrots, and "mashed potatoes" (more like potato puree). The dinner was a little bit slow in the making, but it turned out quite nicely. I saved the poptarts for breakfast yesterday. They were awesome.

I've finished all but one of my midterms for the semester. Wednesday was Aesthetics. We had to listen to an explication of one of Gluck's 18th century operas, then write about how it could be considered as pre-romantic. Sound fun? It wasn't. I have no clue if I did well on it. I guess I'll have to wait and see. Yesterday was my European Union exam. It wasn't nearly as difficult as I had imagined it would be, but it wasn't a cake-walk either. My last real midterm is on Tuesday, for Translation. It shouldn't be too bad.

Ok, I've got to get going. I have to leave in about 15 minutes, and I still haven't packed. If you know me, this fact should not surprise you in the least. I'll let you know how the conference went when I get back on Sunday.

Happy Travels

-- Cody

strange is a good word for it

So it's been a while since last we talked. The past week or so has been a strange mix of "not a whole lot going on" and "holy crap this is awesome I'm having a great time".

Yeah, strange is a good word for it. My time here in Paris is getting a little weird.

For starters, on several occasions in the last week I've seen lonely pirates and/or crowds of zombies walking the streets. Are the Parisians gearing up for Halloween? It's hard to say, as they don't really celebrate the dark holiday here, like we do back in the states. I'm beginning to think they're just plain old crazy.

Another strange phenomenon? Time. I find it strange lately because of the way it seems to slip by unnoticed, while at the same time lingering about, not budging in the least. It's already reaching the end of October -- my second month in Paris -- and I have no clue where the month went. The semester is halfway finished, as evidenced by the midterm exams happening this week. And yet, it still feels like I have an incomprehensible amount of time lying ahead of me. I can't see the end. Which is normal, I guess. Try to picture 7 more months in your head...

Strange as well are my recent twinges of homesickness. I'm just simply beginning to miss America (no, not her). It's not anything that makes me want to quit this whole Paris adventure, but it's definitely real. I'm becoming more and more at ease in France, but I miss the familiarity and ease that comes with living in the states. There's just not as much to worry about. I have to admit: I gave in to nostalgia and finally set foot in a McDonald's last night. Oh, the horror, I know. After spending the evening watching a ballet (more on that in a moment), Joanna (from IES) and I decided that we wanted to eat something delicious, non-nutritious, and homey. Hence, our trip to the golden arches. I have to say, despite the awkwardness of French McDo, it was delectable.

Yeah, I went to a ballet. Actually, two ballets in the past couple weeks (so strange...). They were both adaptations from popular films. The first: Edward Scissorhands (or Edward aux mains d'argent for the francophones out there); the second: Les enfants du paradis ("Children of Paradise", a 1940s French film). They were both very well done, and I was highly impressed. But I liked Edward better. Mainly because it didn't feel as much like an actual ballet.

The coolest (but still, somewhat strange) experience I've had recently was the hat party thrown by my family this past saturday night. They called it a Fête à Chapeauter, (chapeauter being a completely made up verb stemming from the French word for "hat"). It was fun actually interacting with real French people in a social setting. My host family made delicious food. The guests brought expensive wine. And damn was it classy. It so happens that most of my host family's friends and acquaintances are musicians, so we were treated to operettas and other classical tunes sung or played on piano and cello. Oh, it was very French...

Apart from all this strangeness, and aside from a brief visit from Mr. William C. Irvin himself, school and my internship have occupied most of my time. Midterms are this week, and although I only have 3 exams, homework is piling up like so many leaves in a forgotten gutter. That's not to say that it's too much for me to handle. Although my Arabic class worries me. I really don't want to have to drop it, but it just might be above my level. We shall see...

This weekend, I'm going to a Ni Putes Ni Soumises conference in Dourdan, a (supposedly nice) suburb of Paris. It will be three days of debates, forums, and general information gathering about women's rights in the Euro-Mediterranean countries. I'm going to be volunteering in some capacity, but I really haven't a clue as to what my role will be. But I'm looking forward to it. Next weekend is my fall break, so I'm heading off to historic Vienna, Austria. While I'm there I think I'm going to hop on a bus to spend a day or two in Bratislava, Slovakia, as it's only about 50 km (I believe?) away. In a couple more weeks, I'm catching a train to Brussels, Belgium, to visit Brianna and the European Union parliament building. This is all very exciting. I feel so lucky to get to do all this traveling while I'm here. I can hardly believe it all.

Reason to Love It: Spending most of dinner tonight teaching my host parents the differences between the words life, live, leave, leaf, and leaves. They all sound so very similar, you know.

Reason to Leave It: The random way autumn asserts itself in Paris. Some days are gorgeous. Some are hideous. Most are a mixture of the two. Today, for example, started off with a chilly morning, peaked with a beautifully sunny afternoon, and ended with a freezing cold, rainy evening. Make up your mind!

Happy Travels

-- Cody

an overdue introduction...

I feel like it's time to introduce you to someone very special in my life here in Paris.

Because I wasn't able to bring my old buddy, Virgil, with me on the plane, I made plans to have him sent solo across the Atlantic. However, I feared for his well-being. He doesn't particularly like dark, enclosed spaces, and in a rare moment of unabashed vulnerability, he once confessed to me his deep-seated fear of flying. So I had to make a heart-wrenching choice. While I live and study in Paris, Virgil is spending the year with my mother in Lawrence, Kansas. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder...

This is where the newcomer steps onto the stage. About a month ago, I started missing Virgil with a fiery passion. I had to find a substitute. I needed a new ukulele. So I set out on a quest to find an heir. Following a tip from a cousin of my host siblings, I journeyed to a music shop in the covered market, Galerie Vero-Dodat. Alas, the cheapest uke they had for sale that was still worth its name was upwards of 150 euro. I had to turn away. Luckily, a large Guitar Center-esque music store happens to live just a few blocks away from the gallery. With high hopes of finding the next Virgil, I stepped into the store. Hanging there on the wall was exactly what I was looking for: A quaint, mahogany bodied, black-stringed soprano ukulele, with the word "Aloha" joyfully splashed across the head between the tuning pegs. I tested him out, plucking strings and shaping chords on the neck, but he was hopelessly out of tune. I did my best to revive him, and when I did, was I ever happy. The boy can sing. So I quickly paid and found my way home.

Since then, it's been never-ending joy. I blissfully while away the hours, dreaming up new chord progressions or practicing my favorite tunes. When faced with a pile of homework, I often find myself reaching for my new friend. This uke sure knows how to procrastinate. Needless to say, I love everything about this blessed instrument. In keeping with tradition, I knew I would have to eventually give him a name. I allowed myself a month to get to know him before I made the choice, avoiding a hastily-chosen moniker. Finally, last week I felt ready.

I dubbed him: Pierre.

Let's just say he knows how to rock...

Happy Travels

-- Cody

PS/ In case you're wondering, that last line is a terrible pun. The word pierre is French for "rock". As it happens, this is also the name given to St. Peter, the first pope and the "rock" upon which the Catholic church is built...

PPS/ Sorry... I'll be putting up a real post soon. I was just thinking about this before I went to bed and thought I'd share the story. Good night...

feeling like an american

So I promise I'll get to the Normandie post soon. If nothing else, I'll put a link up for some pictures. You will see. It's amazing.

Anyway, I've mostly been doing class stuff this week. Homework, buying books, "reading"... you know the drill. Wednesday night, I went to dinner with Caroline at a little restaurant called "Le Petit Marcel," just down the street from Beaubourg (Centre Pompidou to the non-locals). By the time we left, we concluded that we could probably never return to the restaurant without wearing some kind of disguise. Apparently, it's rude to ask a waiter who isn't your waiter for l'addition (the check). They'll just give you a weird face. And I'm not sure what the official rule is in French society, but I don't think shattering a wine glass on the sidewalk and proceeding to scamper away without saying a word to the management is looked upon nicely. Who knew?

My course on the European Union was canceled this afternoon, so I took a political sabbatical today after translation. While downloading the final debate between Obama and McCain on itunes, I filled out the local section of my absentee ballot. I decided to wait to darken the oval next to my choice for president until I had seen all of the debates. I have for sure been leaning heavily towards Obama for quite a while now, but I wasn't quite convinced yet. The debate was definitely interesting. It was really obvious that they were both trying really hard to convince all those non-committed voters out there watching. It always feels good to watch things like the debates online here. I'll admit it: I've been missing America lately. I like feeling like I'm still connected somehow -- like a real American.

So I made my decision, filled in the oval next to my candidate (No, I won't tell you who I picked. It's an anonymous ballot, you know?), sealed the envelope, and dropped it in the mailbox at the post office down the street. Honestly, though, I had a little bit of voter's guilt afterward. Did I make the right choice? Being so far away from home, is there anything I've been missing? I kind of felt like it was unfair that I had to cast my ballot so early. But I really had no choice, as it has to get to the Douglas county clerk's office before election day, or my vote won't count. Anyway, it's all done now, and all we can do is wait and see what happens come November.

After doing my patriotic duty, I went down to Gibert Joseph to buy a book on the European Union and a grammar text for my new Arabic class (which I think will go pretty well, despite the fact that it's in St. Denis -- fondly referred to by my host brother as "the ghetto"). Then I met up with Caroline, Monica, Melissa, and her friends from U of C to visit Nôtre Dame. I'm happy to report that I actually went in this time. Being a thursday evening in the middle of October, there weren't near as many tourists lurking around as there were when I last visited the cathedral. Next, we visited the Tour de St. Jacques (where pilgrims embarking on the Chemin de Compostelle used to gather), grabbed dinner in the Latin Quarter (again), and went to our favorite haunt -- Le Who's Bar. There was a duo playing tonight that did a sweet acoustic cover of "Time is Running Out" by Muse. Killer.

Reason to Love It : French university students. So far, they seem really cool. I talked to a couple of them in my Arabic class on Wednesday. They seemed intrigued by the fact that I'm an American studying Arabic in a French setting. Hopefully, I'll be able to make some friends this way. You never know.

Reason to Leave It : Commuting to class and/or my internship every day. It's a big city, so it takes a while to get anywhere by Métro. It really makes me miss having an actual campus to live on.

Happy Travels

-- Cody

Also: Don't forget to click the links to some of my friends' study abroad blogs in the left-hand column. There's some compelling stuff there, I promise. And remember-- just like nutrition, commenting is a force multiplier. Show me you love me, baby...

time is money (unless you're an unpaid intern, that is)

i know it's been a while since i've written, so i wanted to give a quick update. it's going to be short, however, because i'm in between classes right now. granted, i've got a couple hours to kill, but i should actually be doing my homework for my next class. time is money. or something like that...

anyway, only three big things have taken place in the week or so that i haven't written:

1) i started my internship at Ni Putes Ni Soumises.

2) i took a trip to normandy (to which i will devote an entire post in the near future. for now, let's just say it was incredible)

3) i saw a couple familiar faces, if only for a few hours.

ok. so my internship. it's awesome. i explained in an earlier post that NPNS is an activist group that works to counter violence against women and inequality between the sexes. they host a lot of conferences, organize marches, launch ad campaigns, etc. to get their message out. the organization is made up of two networks: one within france, the other international. i'm working for Mar Merita in the international network. mainly because i'm an international intern who happens to speak english.

after watching a short video and being introduced to the NPNS staff on my first day, i got my first assignment. Mar told me about a new network that NPNS is in the process of organizing for women throughout the mediterranean basin (i.e. north africa, the middle east, and parts of southern europe). because of the civil rights issues and sexual inequality throughout the region, NPNS is really serious about creating a strong organization to ameliorate the situation. Mar was contacted by a group in portugal that wanted more information on this new network. this is where i come in: my job was to translate the pamphlet of info about the network from french to english, so the portuguese group would be able to read it. which is a pretty difficult task. but i was up to it, so i took it head on. i spent the remainder of my first day, and about half of my second day finishing up the translation. in the end, i was really proud of it. i mean, my work is going to help create an organization to fight for women's rights on an international level. how cool is that? for the rest of my second day, i scoured the internets for cheap flights from islamabad to paris (not for me -- for a couple people coming to a NPNS conference next month), and started assembling some fiches d'état for Mar. i have to gather political and societal information on several mediterranean countries, so she can stay up to date on the status of women around the region. pretty interesting stuff, non?

as for those "familiar faces" i mentioned earlier, i was visited by a couple friends from the states this weekend, after i returned from normandy. brianna (who's studying in belgium this fall) and dustin (who's studying in austria) spent a romantic weekend together in paris. i wasn't able to meet up with them until sunday night, when we planned to have a picnic dinner in the luxembourg gardens. but alas: the supermarkets and the gardens themselves were closed, as it was a sunday night. while they dined on chinese take-out, and i on a baguette, we strolled around the montparnasse district, close to my school. we stopped for some amazing gelato, then headed back to our respective sleeping quarters. it was a short visit, but much-needed. it was really nice talking to people i really know, and who i feel close to. it was refreshing. which makes me really excited to see my other friends throughout europe this year. and i'm especially excited for spring semester, when even more depaul kids will be studying with me at IES. woot.

i think that's all for now. i've got to get to my homework... bof. like i said, look out for my normandy post coming up very soon.

Reason to Love It : living so close to amazing places like normandy. seriously awesome. traveling in europe is incredible.

Reason to Leave It : my crappy european phone.

Happy Travels

-- Cody

La Nuit Blanche, or 7 Euro Bonbons? For Real?, or Why One Might Question the Sanity of the French

Last night was Paris' annual Nuit Blanche (White Night). Like I mentioned in my last post, Nuit Blanche is an all night celebration of art, culture, music, and performance. Churches, Métro stations, gardens, museums, and parks all throughout the city hosted events from sunset to sunrise. Boy, was it interesting...

After enjoying a home-made dinner of crêpes with my host sister, Nolwenn, and two of her friends, I made my choice about where to spend the evening. Based on timing, proximity to my family's apartment, and Caroline's preferences, I decided to go to the Centre Georges Pompidou (the inside-out building, remember?). The Center would be keeping the doors to its modern art gallery open all night long. This is where things got interesting. I arrived at the center quite a bit before Caroline was to join me, so I decided not to step into the huge line for the art gallery just yet. Starting to wander around, I came across a strange, almost airstream-like trailer with a bright neon sign on top reading, "Chambre(s) d'Hôtel" [Hotel Room(s)]. Nothing was really going on around it, so I didn't think much of it and continued on. But this unassuming little trailer will make another appearance in this post...

I then found my way to Église St. Merry, a church right next door to the Centre Pompidou. The church had been decked out for Nuit Blanche with lofty works of art, eery lighting, and various performers. When I first walked in, a dance group was just finishing up. I have to admit, it was a bit strange seeing hip hop dance in a centuries-old church. Up next, an awesome poet/actor/dancer(?) stepped into the spotlight. I'm not sure what to call what he did, but it might be similar to a French version of slam poetry. Anyway, he concluded his set with this soul-shaking quote:

-- "Moi, je suis Henri Marche. Et vous -- vous aussi -- Vous êtes Henri Marche..."

-- "Me, I'm Henri Marche. And you -- you as well -- You are Henri Marche..."

How true, how true... After this revelation, I did some more wandering. As fate would have it, I found myself back at the trailer. This time, I was in for a treat. Whatever company that was responsible for the presence of the trailer had begun their show for the evening. A large window on the side of the trailer that had once been obscured by a white curtain now revealed 2 women and a man inside, moving and dancing about with blank expressions on their faces. This, ladies and gentlemen, was my first experience with "performance art." From what I gathered from the abstract acting and trance-like music, the piece was about some sort of prostitution ring, or maybe domestic violence witnessed by a hotel cleaning lady, or maybe murder as a result of a love triangle? Maybe? It's hard to say. All I really learned was that the French might be nuts. Here's a short clip of the performance. I'll let you decide what it's about:

Just about the time this finished up, Caroline called to let me know she had arrived. I found her in the swaying crowd of drunk Frenchmen, and we headed to the line for the modern art gallery. Just then, a man from the center came out and told us the doors would be locked at 1 am. It was about 12:55. So we wisely chose to cut our losses. We explored the area a bit more, then I took Caroline back over to Église St. Merry, where we watched another dance crew. Yeah, more hip hop in the church. But they were good, so it was worth it.

Deciding it was getting too dangerously close to the time when the Métro would stop running, Caroline and I wound our way back to the station. Along the way, I found a huge stand selling amazing-looking candy. It was just too much to resist. I asked the worker how much the candy cost. "2,90 € for 100 g." Contemplating what 100 g of candy might feel like, I filled my bag with delicious sweets. Satisfied, I handed the bag over for weighing, praying that I hadn't stuffed it with more than 5 or 6 euro's worth. Well, it turned out to be 7 euro and some change. I wasn't too terribly upset by the price, so we continued on our way to the station. While we waited for our train, we decided to see if the candy was worth it. Alas, the bonbons were sub-par. Naturally. I got home about 45 minutes later, clutching the bag of sweets and feeling ready for bed.

I now leave you with a treat of your own: Love It or Leave It.

Reason to Love It: The architecture. The buildings here are absolutely beautiful. And old, man. It's hard to imagine that most of the churches in this city have been around longer than the United States...

Reason to Leave It: No Chicago style deep dish pizza in Paris. Nuf said.

Happy Travels

-- Cody