Cheering Up

Tuesday

Marina and I had taken our final for our linguistics class last week. Tuesday, we got our results. We basically failed horribly. I really think he just gave us pity points for the few points we did receive. Just when I think I am getting the hang of this French Uni thing...

So what do you do when life gives you lemons? You either eat until you can't anymore, or you go shopping. Or in my case: the two.

First, we treated ourselves to this vietnamese sandwich shop. It's like a vietnamese salad in a french baguette. Pretty bomb actually. While standing in line, waiting patiently, this chick was trying to cut me and my friends. This is pretty standard in French culture. We usually let it slide because life is too short to be arguing with a complete stranger, right? Well not today, honey! I just failed an important exam and I am trying to remedy it with food. Don't get in my way. As she proceeded to order, I cut her off explaining that she had indeed cut us in line. My friends were astonished for a moment, but I was like...

After enjoying our yummy sandwiches, Lauren and I headed to Rue St. Catherine where we proceeded to drop loads of money we don't have. My loot:

Wednesday

As a shopping recovery day, I accompanied Lauren to the coiffure. She cut her hair into a super cute angled lob (longer bob). After, I relaxed at home until I saw the break in the weather to go for a jog. However, as soon as I was in the middle of my run, I am sure you can guess what happened.. Downpour, baby. I ran straight home.

Later that night, Joana came into my room worried about Bao our cat. She had been putting off getting him neutered and she finally made an appointment for Thursday morning. She said it was cruel and selfish. I tried not to laugh because she was really stressed, but I was like he's a cat.. He won't even know what the hell happened.

Thursday

So now after a successfully dry workout today, I am studying for my next test, catching up on my blog, and awaiting our groggy cat to return from the vet.

Happy end of the week everyone!

French University

Wednesday

I had the WORST day. Actually, it was all due to my extra special professor that I recently talked about. One of the downsides to public education in France is it seems that once you have your job, it's pretty difficult to lose it.

After putting up with a semester of bullshit, whereas other classes were actually learning, we turned in our papers last week. I am not quite sure what a professor who puts in little effort expects from our papers. He bitched to us for over an hour about the bullshit we turned in. He even went as far to call certain students assholes and uneducated. I should have walked out this time, really.

I finally got my paper back which was the equivalent to an American D. I was astonished. After class I asked him why, because I did exceedingly well on my previous papers. He said I couldn't speak French and that my level of French was nowhere near sufficient to talk about the subject I had chosen. He went on to say he wasn't a supermarket where you can haggle grades.

I shouldn't have let this get to me because I wrote a DAMN good paper, yeah that's right, an excellent paper. Yes, my paper did go against what his arguments in previous classes, but I justified my arguments. So, he gave me a bad grade for that. As for my level of French? He handed it back with one word circled for being misspelled. I had a French literature major, who happens to be a great friend, correct it for me. So, I know it wasn't a shit paper.

After this incident, I went to our program directors who said he can be somewhat of a crazy teacher but I should just try harder on the next paper. I assume they don't want to cause any problems because I am just here until the end of the semester, whereas they are there year in and year out. Is one student really worth causing a controversy? In France, no. So he gets away with this behavior.

I was pissed, but last night I decided that there are people like this in the world. It sucks. They make life that much harder for everyone. He can continue living life acting like he is God, but I know he's just an incompetent professor past his prime who is so consumed by S&M and his beliefs that he is not willing to see or hear anything else. Pathetic, really.

Thursday

After studying all night to "try harder" on my next paper, which was an in class paper today, I arrived to class only to find he was quizzing us on nothing relevant to the text. Of course. I should have known reading those two extremely difficult books was going to be a waste. I literally laughed out loud when I read the prompt. It just solidified my opinions of his insanity.

I left class feeling lighter and freer. My comrades weren't as happy as I was about failing a test, but to each his own right? It was 75 degrees today so I took my lunch to the grassy area of campus. I studied for my Art History class. Guess what? The things we discussed in class were actually on the test! I came home to a package from my mom.

It was a great day.

One Test, then Freedom

Linguistics
I spent the majority of the my study time this weekend studying syntax trees for my linguistics class. They're tons of fun:

After I finally mastered the art of tree making (thanks to help from Edouard, of course) I looked at my test today with no tree questions. Ça m'énerve ! All in all, I think I did alright, though.

Planning

We are trying to get everything in before Todd and Bryan go home. So hopefully in the future I will be talking about

• The UC cocktail
• Lunch with my buddies
• End of the Year Erasmus Party

Sick
I appears, in the process of getting better I picked up a new cold. Or this cold has some aftershocks. After class today I just wanted to shelter myself from this hideous weather and crawl into bed. So guess what I'm doing?

Distractions

I have picked up the Hunger Games. OH MON DIEU ! You have to read it. It is so so so good. All of my friends here have read it, so I wanted to know what all the fuss is about. I bought the book for my flight and thought I'd read the first few pages. The next day, it was finished.

Yes, it was that good. So good, in fact, that I went to Mollat the next day to pick up the second in the series, only come to find it was sold out until Christmas. GAHHH! It's okay though. I just broke down and bought the kindle version so I will be starting it after this blog goes up.

I will study for my last final (Thursday) if I can pull myself away from the Hunger Games... Wish me luck.

Random Questions: (It's been a while)

1. Will I ever catch on to French humor?
2. What did people do without IMDB? (<-- if you don't know what this is, you're living under a rock)
3. Why hasn't someone invented some better form of the umbrella... it's about time people. Put on your thinking caps because I'm sick of my head being the only thing that stays dry!

Party Time

End of Big Tests/Assignments

I still have a lot of little tests coming up, but the big shit is over. Thank God! The french school system basically means you will never know your results until your final grade. You may think this is bizarre, but this helps me sleep at night.

Erasmus Green Party

To celebrate the end of our 10 page paper we went to an Erasmus Green Party. Everyone was desperately searching for green things to wear and in the end it wouldn't have mattered in the dark bar turned dance floor.

Edouard's Home!

My friend Edouard went to Ireland for 3 weeks. It was kinda sad not having my french buddy around. Whenever we go out with everyone on the weekends we usually walk home together because we literally live just a couple blocks away. Thus, I had a very lonely 3 weeks, having no one to listen to my tipsy rambling at 2 in the morning.

So in celebration Edouard had a little thingy at his place. It was really nice. Then Lauren, Todd and I slept over. It was slumber party status. I fell asleep to our drunken/slurred/californian accent french (while Edouard corrected us). 

This Week

Yesterday, we planned what we are going to do this weekend in London. My amazing Aunt is sending me her camera, but unfortunately it won't be here on time. I'll be sure to bum some pics from Lauren and Marina. We leave Friday. GAHH I can't wait XD

Today, I came home to a birthday letter from my mom. I know it's not time, yet but Joana had accidentally opened it and I couldn't resist. It was filled with pictures of my dear son Pierre. Boy is he cute. It was the best present ever. I actually cried. I know, I'm pathetic, but I don't care who knows! I love Pierre!!!!!

Random

I  couldn't leave you without some random thoughts of the week :)

Have you ever tried Well's Banana Bread Beer? If not, drop everything, like right now, like x out of facebook and this blog, and go find some of this goodness.

Seriously, why is there mayonnaise in everything here? Seriously.

Passez une bonne semaine ! (Have a good week!)