Carnival!

10/12/08 2am
Hey all!

Had a crazy day today - wasn't feeling well this morning (had a mean sore throat), so I thought I'd stay home and rest up. I've been fighting off a cold for about two weeks now, so it's tempting to brush it off. Had a restful morning reading Stendhal. Later in the day, I went out to withdraw some cash (loving the exchange rate! Not loving why it's good, though...).

Some friends invited me to see "Vicky Cristina Barcelona", the new Woody Allen movie. It was really good - not the biggest Woody Allen fan, but provided the combination of the subject (love) and the setting (Europe), I had a lot to identify with. My friends had just came back from Barcelona - I think I'm officially convinced to visit the city soon! Even if only to see the Gaudi garden...

It was interesting to see Allen's views on the different reasons for which people love. We all bring our past into our relationships, which has a big part to do with what we look for in partners. I would recommend the film.

We then went to get Indian food, which was good - hadn't had a mango lassi since I had left Berkeley! A UCB student and I swore to meet on Telegraph to partake in other delicious cuisines as soon as both of us were back in the states.

Speaking of which, my stay may end up being longer than I had originally intended - it has been suggested to me that I should consider doing a master's here, and at the moment that's something I'd like to pursue.

After Indian food, we played with water by place de la bourse. Photographs were abundant, as it is gorgeous at night and right by the river - will be sure to upload whatever pictures I get from everyone else's cameras ASAP! Got some fun action shots of me 'walking on water'. Don't tell the pious lol.

On the way to a carnival that just happened to be in town, my friends and I stumbled upon a group of young men celebrating their buddy's bachelor's party! In French, bachelor's party = "l'enterrement de la vie de garcon", which literally translated means "burial of the boy's life". I think the term is morbid, but nonetheless fits well. The victim (bachelor) is usually in a costume - in this case he was cross dressing. Pretty funny. Way more interesting than an American bachelor party, if you ask me - not to mention safer... ;-)

The carnival was fun. Rarely do I get swept up in attractions like that - my jaded self usually gets preoccupied with looking beyond all the bright lights to the layer of unhappiness just below the surface. Something; though I don't know what, left that sulky part of me behind and let me romp in the sleazy wonder that is a traveling fair. I might have to content myself with the fact that it was nice to be out on a beautiful warm night and enjoy simple pleasures with happy people! lol

Got to speak to my mom, sister, and later Houman later in the evening. It was really nice to hear their voices, and I look forward to speaking with them again face to face, whenever that should be.

I uploaded the photos from my camera on photobucket, so they're there for whoever wants them!

Bedtime for me! A long day is over and I have a lot of work ahead of me! Good night!

10/12/08 7pm
Good evening!

I seem to have caught a bug that I had managed to dodge the first four weeks of classes... Am doing all the resting I can today while trying to stay productive. I will be sure to speak with the EAP representatives here in Bordeaux about seeing a doctor and getting drugs asap, mom!

Worked on my calligraphy this afternoon using a collection of fountain pens my aunt had given me for graduation. Though it's not obvious in this blog, my handwriting is atrocious to the point of illegibility, and picking up a fountain pen to work on that every now and then doesn't seem like such a bad idea!

It's overcast yet warm today, which has made it easy to curl up with a mug of tea and a book. After a first-day faux pas I had shyed away and used the more formal "vous" in addressing the mother and father of the family, but today I decided to take my host parents up on the offer they made a few weeks ago to 'tutoie' them. I feel that it will go a long way in making me more comfortable here, due to a lack of confidence with the 'vous' form of verb conjugations in more obscure tenses.

I'm going to go back to work before dinner, have a lot of reading to do!

Hope you're all doing well and I'll be sure to update again soon!

Ben