Of papers and overreacting

This morning I turned in my first paper written in French. Thankfully, it was only 3 pages long, though those took me long enough to write! This is my new best friend.

Cassell's French-English dictionary! I think I will call him George, because he slays the great and fearsome dragon: Language Barrier. Well, and George just seems to fit him well, don't you think?


In other news, on Wednesdays I have my French conversation class, which, as the title implies, focuses on speaking, rather than on the written grammar. Today we pretended that the world was going to end, but there was a shuttle that could take 500 people to a new planet. We each chose a profession and then argued for why we should be taken along to continue civilization on this new planet. I chose to be "une boulangére," a baker. I argued that life without good food is not life worth living. I argued that it would be pointless to save ourselves from the end of the world only to starve afterwards. And while it was only pretend, I was at the same time quite serious in my own mind. Thus, I was a little shocked when only 2 out of maybe 12 people voted to take me along. 


These are the professions that were voted onto the shuttle: chemist (to invent new medicines), hair stylist, pilot, nurse, mid-wife, and doctor. Here are the professions left behind: lawyer (I had no problem with leaving the lawyer behind), baker (myself), une patissiére (maker of yummy French pastries. Seriously, what was wrong with these people???), butcher/hunter, postman, and philosopher. I personally voted for almost everyone, except the lawyer. But does no one else see a problem here? We took along professions to help us continue life, but nobody to make that life worth living, nobody to provide those "extras" that are the little joys in life, the little concrete tokens of God's grace and goodness to us. It's not just that I'm slightly miffed that I was left to die, it's that this little exercise seems to reveal a deeper problem in Western society in general. ok, ok, I know. I'm overreacting. I'll get off my soapbox now, before the rotten tomatoes and eggs start flying. 


To end this post on a positive note, I have some more pictures!

Eliott mourning the fact that Mme. Merceris went to a concert without him. Pooor doggy.... ok, I may not sympathize with him much, but I do think he is cute.

Flowers I bought at the market yesterday! (To all my photographer friends, I apologize for the quality of these pictures.) I've been seeing this type of flower so much since I got here, I finally caved and bought one for my room. This is one of my favorite colors. Ain't it purty? They were cheap, so I hope they last. 

And finally, this is the snake that drapes on a contraption in the corner of my room that serves as a towel rack.I think he needs a name, too. Any suggestions?

À la prochaine!