Number one was a change in campus. After giving it much thought, I decided to study at Paris 3-- Sorbonne Nouvelle this semester (instead of Paris 7). I don't need to go into the long story, but the short story is, they have much better cinema classes at Paris 3. It's also located in the Latin Quarter (the 5th, to be precise, right around the corner from the cute Rue Moufftard), and not in the new, modern, ugly quarter of the 13th. I'm also taking two SBC classes this semester-- History of Paris through its Monuments, and Art History (at the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay). Basically I'm learning how to become a professional tour guide of Paris.
Of course, spending a year doing a study abroad program means meeting the new semestriels. In general, I really like the newbies. They're really nice, and adorably enthousiastic. The important shock to me, however, was their level of French. Some of them are quite good, don't get me wrong, but many of them work very hard to put a sentence together. It wasn't until I heard these newbies speak French that I realized how far I have come in my French-speaking abilities. Those new semestriels, they were ME last semester. Terrified to speak French, to make an error, to open my mouth knowing no matter how hard I would try, the Parisians would reply in English. I've been focusing so much on how much I still have to learn (i.e. A LOT!!!!!!) that I never took a moment to look back on how far I've come!
And finally, number three, and this is really the most interesting, is the university strike. There are a few things the French are very well-known for (wine, cheese, the Eiffel Tower, berets, Napoleon...), and going on strike is one of them. A few weeks ago, basically all of France staged a huge manifestation (demonstration) at Bastille, just around the corner from me. I couldn't miss 'le grand manif', so while my host mom watched on TV, I went outside and got myself right in the thick of things. I started joining in chants, marching with whichever group happened to be next to me at the moment. That was all very nice and fun, but now these strikes are getting problematic.
For reasons I won't get into, the universities have decided to go on strike (it has to do with what one has to do to become a professor... but anyway), and are all technically shut down. It's really up to the professors whether or not they want to give class or strike, and sometimes the students will be out demonstrating, and so there's no point for the professors to give class, even if they want to. This is what happened to me last Tuesday. I exited the metro just in time to see a large manif of students carrying banners and chanting. It was fun to watch, but then I ran off to class, only to find one student who was nice enough to stick around and tell anyone who showed up that the professor found it necessary to cancel class today, thanks to the demonstration. Oh, and next week's class in canceled as well. At least I sortof have class, though. Friends at Paris 7 (my university from last semester) just don't have class at all, basically, nor do the students of Paris 4. SBC students are scrambling to sign up for more SBC classes, or Institut Catholique classes-- we need our study abroad credits, dammit!!! And the poor French students need to graduate on time.
Tonight some friends and I are going to a school gala/Discobitch concert at the Aquarium. Our group is going to be one French guy who actually GOES to this school, and 5 American girls. Heh. Pimp much, Pierre? I'm excited to get all dressed up, I'm excited to be at the Aquarium, I'm excited to see Discobitch perform (I know none of you know who Discobitch is, but just know this: she sings the IT song of Fall 2008 in France, 'C'est beau la bourgeoisie.' So this is a big deal!), I'm just THRILLED in general. Fun times ahead!
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