Much-Delayed Classes Post

I've been here for about 6 weeks and I still haven't blogged about school - and I know many of you (relatives mostly) are wondering what the heck I'm doing besides loving the Parisian life!

Here's a quick run-down:

French Literature "La Quete Identitaire" - Identity Quest.  We're reading Zola, Musset, Sand, lots of novels, so this is pretty fun.  This is a course run through Tufts, taught by a French professor (who is French!!!) and I have American classmates.

French Language: Another Tufts course, again taught by a French professor.  In this class, we're learning how to write in the French style - essays, commentaries, etc.  We're also practicing our general comprehension and speaking - everyone has to give a 10-15 minute presentation and moderate a debate.  Today I moderated the debate on technology (la technologie) - we talked about being slaves to technology, how blogs are self-indulgent, and Facebook.  ("Facebook" in French is still "Facebook").

L'histoire de l'art (Art History) - another Tufts-based course.  We're studying pre-Impressionist to early 1900s French art.  2/3s of our classes are either at the Louvre, the Musee d'Orsay, or another museum... AWESOME!

La Poesie et les Contes Fantastiques - Poetry and Spooky Stories - this course is at La Sorbonne Nouvelle with all French students.  I even have a French friend!!  Her name is Adeline, and she is adorable.

All of my classes are 100% in French.

For now, I have some studying to do...

Samantha Does Paris, and Galway

So, as you know if you read my last blog post, I recently spent a few days in Galway, Ireland, visiting my friend Kerry.  It was wonderful to see her, and to get to know Galway a bit!

On our two hour bus ride (through the BEAUTIFUL Irish countryside), Kerry warned me that Galway was "a small town."  Even though she felt that she knew it very well, and although she didn't consider it that small, I think all of Galway is about the size of the entire 16th arrondissement.  Yes, Paris is big, but Galway is still pretty small.

Galway is gorgeous though: its cobblestone streets are lined with shops and bars/pubs.  It was refreshing to be somewhere that English was spoken, but I still felt like a foreigner- my American accent gives me away.  (I mostly let Kerry do the talking.)

For now, I'm back in Paris..... trying to get back to the normal routine of things and studying...

xoxo

News

Gah, so I know I have quite a few promised posts to catch up on but now is not yet the time.  This is difficult to write....On Thursday I found out that my friend Brendan Ogg (who I knew from middle+high school) passed away the night before.  He had been fighting brain cancer.  Currently, I'm in Galway, Ireland visiting my friend Kerry - instead of going home, we're celebrating Brendan's life here, together.  Brendan will remembered by many, from Silver Spring as well as the University of Michigan.  Brendan will be remembered not only as very intelligent, an excellent writer, and a music lover, but mostly as a loyal friend.

Sending all of my love home,
Samantha