Indecision 2008 - Nancy changes courses

I may as well have called this post "Indecision - story of Nancy's academic career", but I really think I am improving and this course change was not entirely my fault. The school I am attending in Paris has an insane course selection process which I shall not get into. What I will note is that they do not let you change your courses once you sign up for them. Furthermore, as soon as courses start you cannot drop courses and therefore will receieve an incomplete on your transcript if you do not attend. 

While they supposedly have these strict rules for students, when it comes to themselves, the rules do not apply. Therefore, as I was checking my email last night in preperation for courses starting on Monday I noticed an email stating that one of my courses (which was full) had been cancelled and that I had to choose a new one from a list of about 15 choices. Seeing that suddenly supposedly full courses had room in them, I had to take the opportunity to full advantage. 

Ever since signing up for courses in the mad process they have, I was a bit unsatisfied with them. I technically got what i wanted, but what I wanted was super vague so that was not hard to achieve. I therefore signed up for a course to replace "le medical et le politique" (which I was kind of looking forward to), and I switched out of "le societe civile et ses medias" since I felt it was very similar to a Communications course I took in Canada. 

I am now taking in lieu of these courses:

• Le prix Nobel de litterature et ses laureats. 
• Sociologie des entreprise -les grands debats à l'heure de la mondalisation

They both excite me more than the other 2 courses. This is a good opportunity to try out new things and step outside my (already large) box. I think the litterature course will be challenging but rewarding, and the sociology course should be very interesting. I hope the courses meet the expectations I have, based off their descriptions. 

Enough of France!

A list of things that suck in Paris:

• The Administration - you get sent in circles!
• The smell
• The dog shit that is everywhere
• Frequent strikes
• The cost of housing and food
• The cockyness and pride of the people
• The lines when things are free -people waited up to 7 hours to see government houses on the weekend of Patrimoine.

After spending 3 weeks in Paris, I needed a break. So, I came to Switzerland! It is my cousins wedding this weekend so I am staying at their house on the countryside  and helping them prepare. The train ride here did not take that long, and I feel lucky that I was close enough to come over. The difference, looking through the window on the train ride here, was obvious. Ridding the train in Switzerland is much more beautiful! 

I feel naked without my baguette

Walking home today I noticed nearly everyone holding a baguette. I have not bought one in 2 days and felt a bit left out. It is pretty much a fashion accessory here, and if you don't have one, you totally stand out. I think I'll go buy a baguette now.

La nourriture

Now that I settled into my sweet new pad, I decided to go grocery shopping. Starting with nothing I tried to pick necessary items. These included, a baguette, cheese, pasta, NUTELLA(what french people live off of), honey, more cheese, yougurt, apple sauce, cereal, eggs, 2 apples, 2 carrots, a tomato, and milk. I really don't know how to cook yet, but this all looks yummy to me and I am learning. A friend of my aunts has had me over for dinner a few times and she has kindly explained to me how to prepare what she makes.

The french people are proud of their reputation as a skinny nation, and insist their food is just healthier in general. Their wine, cheese, and chocolate are not like ours in North America, which is why they can eat it as they wish to.

What I have noticed is the way in which people is really what makes them healthier. They seem to take more time for every meal. Dinner time here is 8, not 6. Their relationship to food is not simply a means to an ends, or for instant gratification, it is more about enjoying the food. Smaller portions of quality dishes.

Maybe I'll return healthier after picking up their culinary habits.... if I can only stop devouring an entire baguette every afternoon!

The Pad

The OLD

bedroom

fridges

kitchen

The NEW

kitchen (bathroom behind the screen (toilet not in room))

bed

desk

VIEW (Eiffle tower!)

Me: Desperate You: Accommodating

Where are you? I have been looking for you for days now. I thought I found you once, but it wasn't you, you are bigger than him. I thought I found you again, but I wasn't enough for you, he wanted to have another on the side, and I know you wouldn't ask that of me. It is not that I wouldn't share you, but I want it to be with someone I know well; and I also want the option of privacy. And then yesterday, I swear it was you! It looked just like you, big, spacious, private, quiet, light. But i should have known you are a tease. You seduced me, and then shut me down finding excuses of why I couldn't have you. You said I need to sign my soul to you that night, and that wasn't possible because I needed to read over the contract. Well screw you! I didn't want you anyhow! I am moving on. I realize I only have 9 days, but Mr. Right is out there. I responded to 13 ads today, and I just need one bite. The next one is it. I know it. Wish me luck.

Courses!

I registered in my courses yesterday. What an ordeal that was! Their inscription method is keeping the exact list of available courses a secret, not telling you the time of the courses until it is time to register, and letting everyone register at exactly the same time. It was mad chaos to say the least. The lucky few got all the courses they wanted, but many people ended up with only half the number of courses they needed since everything by about 10:15 (it started at 10) was full! The staff onsite was also very limited so people had to wait to be helped as the spots filled up. To make it worse, there was a fire bell in one of the buildings which made a number of students screwed over for their registration as well.

My courses:

1. Les grands risques de la planete, un perspective politique et scientifique
2. Le medical et le politique
3. La societe civile et les medias
4. Social Policies in Europe
5. Asian Cinema(!)
6. Langue Francais

That is right, a full course load and more than half in French! The first course counts as 9 credits, the second as 5, and the rest as 4. This equals 30 ECTS credits which is the equivalent to 15 credits back home. I didn't get all the courses I wanted, but I am excited enough for the ones I have :)