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Hey all,

Classes are going well, am enjoying my reading and working hard. Performed a piece in my theater class today, which is way out of the ordinary for me - acting is definitely not a skill I was born with, but the performance turned out pretty well.

Got a couple packages from my mom this weekend - in them were goodies galore! New Yorkers, the Obama pin I had been waiting for for a month, a nice leather man-purse, and tons of other surprises. I proudly sported the pin today, earning funny looks from French people and high fives from fellow Californians. Barack Obama has the overwhelming support of the French, and they have trouble understanding why the other guy is even running.

Had an eventful weekend - on Friday I went to dinner with a fellow Californian, which was fun... we ate "Chez les Ploucs" which means "At the Hillbilly's", more or less. Creepy stuffed dolls, candles, straw on the floor and red checkered tablecloth. Interesting atmosphere... I had pork with pineapple, which was really good. The French serve french fries with everything, by the way. Go figure.

The family had a marriage to attend in Grenoble this weekend, so I was left to my own devices, which I rather liked.

On Saturday, I slept in and worked on my calligraphy using the fountain pens Auntie Nancy gave me for my pre-emptive graduation present. Saturday night, I went to see an interpretation of Cyrano de Bergerac at a cute little theater near the banks of the Gironde, the river that runs through Bordeaux. Fortunately, I had seen several other representations of the play (José Ferrer, Gerard Depardieu, Steve Martin) and had read it in high school, so I was able to relax knowing that I wouln't miss anything. The story is really quite moving - unrequited love due to tragically low self-esteem. The performance was amazing - four actors playing the major roles, the minor roles being filled by puppets. I'm becoming more and more aware of the influence of puppets in French culture... interesting, to say the least. Not to mention they frighten me. Hahaha.

I went to the play alone, and mostly enjoyed the silence that accompanies flying solo. I've been feeling rather lonely recently (mostly my doing - I have a long list of people that will corroborate this), but sometimes there's nothing I'd rather do than wander up and down the narrow streets with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company, as they often do. And that is exactly what I did.

It was a beautiful night, not too cold, and the theater opens out onto a little plaza with a beautiful fountain. The French do amazing things with lights - it seemed as if the fountain was illuminated against the dark night. The architecture and sculpture fascinates me in the worst way - I'm an American tourist eagerly lapping up the history that seeps from these ancient stones.

In certain parts of Bordeaux, there are stone masks over doorways - each mask is different and kind of fascinates me. I must pass by the same ones every day, but it always seems fresh and new each time I see it. (Note: link is to a french wikipedia article which is more exhaustive than the english one. Worth checking out, even if just for the pix!)

On weekends, the cafe-lined cobbled streets are filled with people sharing conversation over glasses of wine. To see that many people out and interacting is foreign to me - back home, our streets are wide, dark, and often cold. Not an atmosphere that cultivates community, to say the least. I adore conversation, and have found myself pleasantly submerged in the art so appreciated by the French.

On Sunday afternoon I went to the Jardin Public to practice the piece I performed today, and stayed to sit and chat with Alex (a link to his blog is at the top of the page). A friend that I met on the train back from Paris called and invited me out for dinner. I accepted, both wanting to spend time with French people and get out of an empty house for the night. We had a nice dinner - talked about Woody Allen movies and politics. I'm pretty cynical and a little extreme in my views concerning American politics, and my friend was pleasantly surprised. "Are there many people like you in the US???" was one of the reactions I solicited. We spent a great amount of time discussing the various definitions of 'patriot' and it's many applications... Though it was a nice night and the food was good, I was left feeling a bit depressed about the current state of affairs. Everyone go vote, k? I already did.

I will have successfully opened a French bank account by tomorrow morning. Toussaint's is coming up fast! Taking off for Sweden on Friday at 2pm! Will be paying a visit to my friend Kim in Lund, where she's studying abroad. I will then go to Milan on the 29th and stay for a day or two to see the sights. Then it's back to Bordeaux, where I will finish up homework and rest up for the second half of the semester!

Back to homework and such, will be sure to post an update again once I'm in Sweden! Look forward to photos, k? And once again, I'd like to extend an invitation to address any questions you have in the comments section! I'd love to hear what you all have to say, and have no problem answering whatever questions you may have.

Best,
Ben