In another internet café

I was just reading the comments from my last posting, and I hadn't realized that people were worrying whether I was alive! Yes, I am alive. To amend my last posting in which I said that I had taken 200 pictures, I checked the other day and I've actually taken closer to 400. I plan to get an account on Picassa or something and post them all, as I think this blog would explode if I put them all up here.

I finally have my classes all figured out (classes only began the first and second weeks of October). Here's what I'm taking, all of which are in French:

- Roman, Cinéma, Société: This is a course offered by MICEFA (the exchange program). The teacher is a nice, retired professor. Right now we are reading accounts from French soldiers from the first world war and watching war movies. It's alright, though war films and litterature aren't my thing really.

- Grammaire du texte: This is another MICEFA class. It's just straight-up French grammer and text analysis. I'm hoping this will help me with my reading comprehension and writing too. The best part about this class is that it takes place in the old Sorbonne building, which is a historical sight. You need to show your student card to a guard just to get in!

- Histoire de France: Yet another MICEFA class. It's about French history (duh) from the middle ages, through the French Revolutions and to today.

- L'art d'Egypte, Proche-Orient, et Islam: A first-year art history class at the Sorbonne Art and Architecture school (which looks like a castle, I'll have to post pictures). This class is good because there are other American students in it (yes, I'm grouping myself with the Americans. I'm in France and that's just how it it). Anyways, all us English-speaking students can help one another out.

- Goya: This is a third-year art history course that looks really fun so far. The reason I decided to take it was because I just saw Goya's Ghosts, which is a good a reason as any in my opinion. The teacher is very funny and sympathetic to foreign students. I have to do an oral presentation for this class too, but I'm not overly worried about it. The prof gave us a list of books which were split between French, Spanish, and English. Therefore, what I don't understand in class I can read up on in English!

So that's it for school. So far I understand almost everything the teachers say in the lectures. I hope that in a few months I will be able to express my self as well as I understand others.

Hmm, what else.... What am I doing other than school? I've been visting a lot of museums. I've been to the Louvre 3 times already (it's free for those under 26 on Friday nights). I've been going out to some cheap restaurants, especially the fabulous kebab places that you find all over here. I have people over for dinner. I went to a hooka bar once. I saw a few movies. Threw a few parties. That's pretty much it. What can I say, I'm doing the best I can to make the most of my time here. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been keeping a little journal which I will post when I have internet at my apartment. I have more stuff in it about who my friends are here and what exactly I've been doing.

That's all I've got for now. Ciao!