I marvel at how quickly time vanishes. This past week (after last weekend's fun with Jenny at the museum and then Kristrun--from Iceland's-- party at her charming Paris apartment) I've had a myriad of classes. Also, among some interesting highlights, Tuesday night I celebrated St. Patty's Day at Cergy's Irish Pub! Thursday, there was another grève. http://www.19mars2009.fr/ In the two months I have been here there have been two. I didn't find this problematic. In fact, due to the reduced train service I was even able to leave French Class early on Wednesday evening!
As for French class, I am feeling frustrated and impatient. Maybe it is best to characterize my relationship with this language as a love-hate relationship? I know, though, that I tremendously want to continue learning French when I return to the U.S. Initially, my plan had been to go to Vermont for the summer to continue studying French....
Then, I got a job offer. I will be back at the law firm where I worked last summer-- Robinson, Kriger & McCallum (http://www.rkmlegal.com/). I'm very excited about this employment, but I am also thinking of how to best build upon the experience of this semester. Maybe this is just my tendency to pre-plan to an absurd degree...but there is a large part of me that knows I am happiest studying language and literature. There is certainly a strong corrolation between such studies and law. I mean, the basis of what we do as lawyers is to use language, to write, to persuade, to argue...but...je ne sais pas.... I just feel so...ALIVE...here. I can't really explain it, and that might be part of the allure....
I know I should not be trying to live my future yesterday, or even today...but this is my neurotic tendency. I'm trying to do better about letting life develop as it will, and not worrying as much about precise planning. What will happen will happen no matter how much I try to micromanage....
In that light, trying to savor moments and live without worrying and getting tangled in planning for the future, I went to Lyon yesterday, where I visited my friend Jacquie, who I have known since elementary school, but have not seen in many years. It was wonderful to see her and to see Lyon, where she has been living and teaching for the year. Next fall she will go to Duke University in North Carolina in the U.S. to start her PhD in French Literature.
Lyon was very charming, and much less chaotic than Paris. All of the pictures on today's post are from Lyon. Jacquie and I, along with Lauren (another Portlander!) had a delicious lunch and delighted in various sights, including a silk factory where I purchased a gorgeous scarf http://www.atelierdesoierie.com/gb/lyon-silk.asp, a very intriguing minatures museum http://www.mimlyon.com/site.html, and an incredible shop with phenomenal little chocolates and pastries http://www.bernachon.com/shopguide.htm. Yum. You see the important priorities...silk and edible deliciousness. lol.
Well, on that sweet note, I am going to sleep. Tomorrow promises to be an early day, as I have to go to Paris for the next installment of my Company Law course. I'm quite excited, actually, as we will be meeting in La Défense, the major business area. It actually is a little surreal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_D%C3%A9fense Standing there looking from the Grande Arche http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche down to the Arc de Triomphe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe...it escapes words.... I mean, I can cut and paste all the links to wikipedia that I want, and that does not remotely convey the sensation of it. More pictures and words to come! Surely those, too, will fall short of the full impression, the full experience of living it, but I will try to express something, even if that something is destined to be incomplete....
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