Letter From France

Hey all,

I love my new headphones. Go get good headphones (if you don't have them already), and sit down with your favorite album, or one you know nothing about, and have a good listen. "What is this thing called love" by Charlie Parker is bouncing between ears at the moment, and I feel like I have a clear image of what the recording studio looked like... awesome.

Yesterday I finally put the mahjong set I bought in SF Chinatown to serious use! My friend Paul and I made some friends studying abroad in Bordeaux from all over China, and yesterday they were kind enough to welcome us into their dorm and teach us how to play Shannxi mahjong. It was awesome!

There was a meeting this morning for all the students in "Lettres", which, for lack of a more thorough understanding, is the French equivalent of the Literature department at Bordeaux 3. The lecture hall was packed with students and professors, both duly concerned about the strike/barricade that's been going on for months now: students in some classes have only had class once this whole semester (whereas by now they are supposed to have had 10, for each class, at least).

The professors proposed six weeks of catch-up ("rattrapage" in French ~ a great word) following the end of the movement. This so-called end, however, is nowhere in sight: Sarkozy is as stubborn as ever, even as his approval ratings plummet in and outside of the classroom. The intentionally unfixed date of conclusion for the movement posed a problem for students: would they be able to work their summer jobs? What would happen if the movement didn't end; would they get grades? How would professors recognize the extra time commitment made by students active in the movement?

All these questions were followed by equally unsatisfying answers. My conclusion: have each student get in touch with their professors via email, have each professor set their own requirements for grades. I spoke with my professors and figured out what I needed to do to get a grade for the semester, which set my mind at ease.

Returning 'home' after the meeting, I was pedaling through downtown and saw a guy with an A's hat. Ecstatic to meet another East-Baydestrian in the heart of southern France, I shouted a feeble "Go A's!" as I passed him, which was received with one of the blankest stares I've ever seen. Not an East-Baydestrian. He put out his hand and said "Ça va?" Maybe I should start another blog about American culture in Bordeaux, France... haahhaha

Politics are interesting; we live in tumultuous times. I implore you to read Evan Osnos' blog, "Letter From China"; not only is he quite a writer, it's interesting to get an American perspective from the other side of the world, especially in the midst of such a profound financial crisis.

Best,
Ben