Confetti, Pretentious Microcosms, Banana Hammocks, and Patrimoine

Last weekend:

Went to a city party in Marangue, a small ville north of Clermont-Ferrand, with Claire’s host family, the de Gauves. The mother of Cécile, Claire’s host mom, lives in a huge house there. In a nutshell this is what the day contained: riding in a car with a 16 yr old French boy learning how to drive a stick on winding and skinny roads, a HUGE family lunch that was amazing and all cooked by the grandmother (who also does intricate stitching on chairs), French billiards, “vin de la maison” (house wine) that was supposedly “pas très fort” (not too strong) but really tasted like a glass of whiskey mixed with 2 spoonfulls of wine, and a parade that included confetti, water, flour, and a band dressed up like characters from Astérix (popular French comic). Overall, you know it’s a good day when it ends with confetti in your bra, motion sickness in your stomach, and a handmade intricately crocheted cross made for you by someone else’s grandmother in your pocket. See picasa for pics, album Marangue. http://picasaweb.google.com/colleenmcintee/Marangue?authkey=Gv1sRgCMXi09Dgv4no6QE&feat=directlink

This week:

First days with French students! Really overwhelming, but overall a decent experience. Met a nice girl from Strasbourg named Lea, and another from outside of Paris named Sophie. We had to pick a photo to describe to the class about how we were feeling, or where we were at. I picked a train with lots of tracks intertwining and said I was feeling completely lost but each one led to a new adventure and I was sure that it would be good. A few turns later, another student picked the same photo, he started talking about how it was a microcosm for... something... and that's when I stopped listening. Bastard.

To continue, we got into groups for our Projet ESC, where we must create a fake event to present as a business plan to the judges (professors). If we get in the top 5, we could get funding to execute our event. I told my group at the very beginning that I apologized for my French and I would be trying my best to contribute to the group, hoping that they’d be willing to help me. They have been surprisingly awesome. I taught them what a banana hammock was today. One of them told me they loved my head. (I think that means the expression I made while they were explaining something strange…). We are: Pierre-Louis (don’t know/remember where he’s from), Pierre (Strasbourg), Brice (island off of Madagascar), Raphael (outside Paris), Arame (Sénegal), and Colleen (the mitten) and we will be organizing a huge student party at a local boîte (club) where people wear underwear on the outsides of their clothes, all the proceeds go to a local org that helps the homeless (from what I gather). There will be a king and queen with the most creative underwear contraptions.

This weekend:

Had only one class this morning, and have none tomorrow at all. It is a well-deserved break (after having class from 830am until 630pm for the rest of this week). This weekend is a very special one in France where the entire country celebrates “Les journées du patrimoine”, a time for citizens to recognize culture, religion, art, nature, and music in their towns. Almost everything is free to visit (museums, churches, gardens, music festivals) and some things are opened to the public that normally are closed. Since I am not going on “le weekend d’intégration”*, I want to plan some cool things to do here in Clermont-Ferrand, and the surrounding cities (including Chamalières and perhaps Moulin). For example, there is a free exhibit at the national center of theatre costumes in Moulin and a few open air markets in Clermont and Chamalières that I’d LOVE to check out.

*Note: le weekend d’intégration is a big deal at l’ESC. It is a weekend bus trip with all the first year students to a secret location. The goal is to become pretty inebriated and meet new people. I’ve heard good things and bad but finally decided it was something I wouldn’t regret not going to. Half of our group of K students is going, but I decided to put the 200 euros it would cost me to go towards buying a new jacket. Plus there are tons of other sweet things to do this weekend. :)

-Colleen