April 24

It rained and was gross today. It took all my energy to get out of bed. Had a great lunch and afternoon with friends from my ballroom class.

Now sitting in the living room, window open, sun shining, cup of hot chocolate, ready to get ahead on my studying. Not bad, Paris. Not bad.

Inspiration, a work in progress

Ségolène Royal, Kirsten Gillibrand, Barack Obama, René de Chateaubriand, Jane Eyre, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Robert Kennedy

If you read the NY Times to get information about French Politics.

Stop. It won't tell you enough. And they're subtly/not-so-subtly supporting Sarko. I'm talking to you, writers at The Diplomacist. Twice I've read articles lacking in nuance. The first time, I restrained myself from commenting. The second time, I just had to intervene. Not that I'm the world's greatest expert on French politics. I'm really, really, really not. I'm a student. I'm learning. But I'd like to think I've learned enough that one can't be an expert on everything. Especially at the ripe old age of college student.

Back to my original point, it takes a long time to get to know a different political system. I know. It's taken me at least four semesters to learn the French one. Two of which were in France. But that's why I don't write about elections in Japan. Even though I lived there, I don't know enough about the situation to educatedly comment on it in written form, in a public forum. And reading just one or two major news sources isn't enough.

I have a really strong penchant for leaving it to the experts. It might be over-developed, but it you've got to admit I have a point though...

It's snowing in Ithaca

But it's raining in Paris. And it's cold. The day started off so nice.

It's a depressing sort of day that weighs on your mood. I'm just going to make it through to the next class, then go home and sleep. One of those days. Paris is beautiful in the rain. But not when it's windy, cold, and dark.

It's the last day of class, and there's no charm to it.

I just had my last class. Lecture for "Histoire politique de l'Europe au XXe siècle." These really obnoxious kids sitting in front of me (who come to class every so often) talked through the whole lecture. It's not worth the energy ranting about how rude they are.

Long applause for the professor, which was well-deserved. A little homage to Richard DESCOINGS at the end... for all his amazing work, and opening up Sciences Po to international students. Good way to end my year here... though I'm not totally done. Still two more tests await me.

I walked out of class, and the sun was shining.

April 23, 2012

It's a beautiful day in Paris.

The view out my window

And my last day of classes. Goodbye to a year at Sciences Po. Only two (and possibly only one) test remain between me and the finish line. But considering that I have two weeks to study, I'm basically in vacation mode.

I can't as yet let go of Paris. And I don't have to for about a month.
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My list as of right now of things left to do:
All the arrondissements in one day
Musée d'Orsay (again and again and again)
Watch the sun rise over Notre Dame
Visit: Melun, Argenteuil (because of sentimental, not touristic reasons), Cote d'Azur
Have a picnic in Buttes Chaumont
Find Alfred Dreyfus at the Montparnasse Cemetary
To be continued...

#FH2012

"Ce soir, je deviens par le vote des Français le candidat de toutes les forces qui veulent clore une page et en ouvrir une autre où tous les atouts de la France seront mobilisés. Je pense à la jeunesse qui attend que lui soit enfin donnée toute sa place, et je le ferai." - François Hollande 22/04/2012

Best campaign video I have ever seen

Even better than the 30-min Obama commercial in 2008.

#Hollande 2012
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq98gp_hollande-par-francois_news

This one is underlined by imminent danger. It's actually scary rather than hopeful. (#Sarkozy2012)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xq0wz2_clip-officiel-de-campagne-de-nicolas-sarkozy-format-long_news?search_algo=1

L'élection présidentielle

Hollande en tête. #Hollande2012. I hope he wins. This is a good sign, but it's best not to get too cocky. Actually, it's the first time that an incumbent president didn't win the first round in reelection. Granted, that's only three times (Giscard, Mitterrand, Chirac), but all are very very different situations. 1981 was the first win for the left in the history of the Vth Republic. 1988, Mitterrand reelection. 2002 was the strangest 1st round ever, because the PM Jospin lost by 0,5% to JM Le Pen with 16,7%. Chirac both rounds.

These are the front pages of the three main newspapers:

Here is Le Monde, to the center-left

Here is Libération, to the left

Here is Le Figaro to the right. They have the best graphics, unfortunately.

I was watching TF1's coverage. They had Cécile Duflot (EELV), NKM (UMP), Jean-François Copé (UMP), Pierre Moscovici (PS), Martine Aubry (PS), and others from the PCF, Modem, and FN, but I already forgot who they were. The debate got so heated and annoying that I had to turn it off. I was watching to get coverage of the speeches, but they were favoring the debate over the speeches, so I'll just wait and watch them later on tonight. More commentary then. But Jean-Luc Mélenchon has already proclaimed his support for Hollande.

It's Election Day in France!

I took a series of quizzes about whose program I am the most similar to:

Mad scary that right after François Hollande comes Marine Le Pen. I guess she really is right-wing national and quasi-left-wing social. Terrifying.

I guess I really am "de gauche"

More on results later.

Here I am in Paris

I've been the worst blogger ever. Seriously. I am about 40 days away from getting on a plane and ending my year abroad. I have had the best and worst year of my life. But mostly, the best. My plan now is to work backwards. To repost pictures, to revisit certain moments, stories, and experiences, from the very first day, to the very last. I probably won't be able to do it in chronological order. But I will post with the date/period of time what I am recounting happened.

I have three classes left. Two "real" ones, and one sport class. And I have two tests. Then I'm done. I'm having a hard time believing that. Because I'm not ready to let go (I'm terrible with change), I'm going to work backwards through my life in Paris, so I have a record of what this was like. And I'll also be better about moving forward.