We also talked a lot about school, and the fun things we have learned so far. I guess that makes us a little bit nerdy, but I do that at home anyway, so I can't be counted as too much of a nerd, right? But for example I have learned a lot of random gossip and fact about former french presidents and their uncanny habits of having several mistresses. Like Francois Mitterand who had a wife and two sons, but also had a mistress who founded the Musee d'Orsay or some such wild thing with whom he also had a daughter. Our prof told us that he loved his daughter way more than his sons because she was brilliant and his sons were not going to be people of interest. This would never go over in the United States. Ever. But we also learned about the lovely life of Jaques Chirac. He was the most recent president who is now really old... but he was know for his ability to eat as much as ten men, without blinking. He would go and visit the large agricultural meeting every year where the farmers from all over the country would come to show off their produce, and instead of shaking some hands and leaving after an hour, he would stay for 8 or 9 hours and eat something or drink something at every station... and no one could figure out how he could do it with out getting sick or in fact incredibly drunk since a lot of farmers had wine and cider and he would taste all of them... He also was quite a womanizer but that is another topic of conversation. Let's just say he could put JFK or Bill Clinton to shame...
But then on Friday I slept in, and went and had lunch with Matt before we went to the Museum at the Centre Pompidou. They have a collection of modern art there from 1905-1960 which was very neat, and currently an exhibit of feminist art as well. I was mostly interested in the permanent collection since I had studied a lot of the paintings we saw there in one or both of my modern art classes with Mac, and it is always much better to go and see paintings in person. It is wonderful to be in the city where so many of those artists that I have learned so much about and really love, lived and worked and painted during the 20th century... but that could just be me nerding out again. We got to go for free... but only because we pretended to be European citizens because if you are a European citizen under 26 you get to go for free... and we looked very convincingly french... or something, and just said we lived in Paris. And it was free. See Uncle Denny, I really am a Moberg, even if in this case I didn't drive to Timbuktu to get a free sandwich. I still like to keep things cheap!
Then in the evening I cooked dinner and then my friends and I went on what was supposed to be a wild adventure to discover Batofar... which turned out to be a lot of walking and not so exciting. We had to pay a 13Euro cover to get in... which we decided was absurd. Plus it was really cold on the boat, and none of us really wanted to spend the evening freezing... so we left. Maybe we will go back when it is warm and one of us wins the french lottery... do they have a french lottery? But we settled for the French version of a British pub (very random) and spent the evening just talking over the really loud music. However, we talked too much and for too long... because I missed the last metro at 1:15am and began the rather long trek back across the city on foot. Of course in an effort to look cute (ah the price of beauty) I had worn heels which made the walk seem much longer... until we stumbled across the night bus which takes people home all night long. That was an excellent find, but in running to catch the bus I twisted my ankle, which was really annoying. But finally after much more of an adventure than I was planning on, I arrived home... only to realize that I had forgotten my keys! I had to call Marie at almost 3am and ask her to let me in... luckily she wasn't upset, she understands that these things happen... but I was very embarrassed!
The next day (Saturday) I spent the afternoon at the L'Institute du Monde Arabe at their special exhibit of Islamic art. It was absolutely fascinating, and I can't wait to tell Mac and Anne all about it! It is a magnificent collection of art and objects from all over the Islamic world from as far back as the 8th century... absolutely fantastic! Then I Matt and I met up with some of his friends from high school who are studying at Versailles, and we met the worlds funniest and cutest old bar tender and the woman who ran the bar... and let me tell you that the French version of the Moberg disease (where you must talk compulsively to all people everywhere) was out in full form. It was a good evening, and we had yummy donuts too. (beingets!) It was a very fun night, and good to meet some new friends, french and American!
Then this morning, I ventured across town to the American church in Paris which Jerry Burns had told me all about. They have a very nice contemporary service at 1:30, and we met Pastor Herr afterwords and he was very nice indeed. He knows that I am here for a french experience, and he encouraged going to lots of different churches, but he said that I had a home there and if I needed anything everyone there would be willing to help... which is simply nice to know. I also ran into another DePauw alum Mike Beeman who is getting his masters here in Paris... it certainly is a small world!
But now I am slaving away on my essay for tomorrow... which actually has a plan and a structure and doesn't have to be that long... So wish me luck and bon courage! I will disperse some pics throughout this post from the adventure (or misadventure of batofar)!
A bientot!
Salut, copine! There's a strike scheduled for tomorrow on the SNCF, but it's scheduled to end thursday morning at 8 a.m., so you guys ought to be fine. i'm going to write you an e-mail to your depauw account, ok? i'm so old fashioned, i don't know how to twitter you a long, rambling message. :-) CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU and hear more of your exploits - artistic, urban and otherwise! The kids say "Bonjour!" and "Yipee!"
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