tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45199525154701651592024-03-12T19:05:35.900-05:00What do Theatre Majors do in France?Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-26122393290380707352011-05-26T23:17:00.000-05:002011-05-26T23:17:36.466-05:00The Full Story: Day ThreeTraveling to Prague involved two very, very bad ideas.We were in for a six hour train ride. Luckily there were very few people in the compartment the entire length of the journey. Somehow, I couldn't fall asleep. I read <em>The Protector's War</em> by SM Stirling and watched the countryside pass me by out of the window.<br />
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Now for the bad ideas. Number one, not eating enough breakfast. Second, writing the directions to the hostel down in my notebook instead of finding somewhere to print a map. Herp. Derp.<br />
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The train we were on did not have an eating car, so from 8AM until 4PM I had a piece of bread, nutella, a banana, and some water in my stomach. This would not have been so bad if we were able to go straight to the hostel. Unfortunately, my not-so-brilliant sense of direction led us in the wrong direction for about an hour. I was a mess. Hunger, fatigue, and frustration set in and my friend had to lead us through Prague and ask an Asian student, who luckily spoke a little English, for directions. We arrived by 5PM and when the receptionist saw me she immediately asked what was wrong and offered me a banana to eat. Not everyone hates Americans.<br />
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After settling down for ten minutes, we got a map, I made a call to my dad, and we were on our way to the souvenir shop to pick up our concert tickets for the next day. Everything was better from then on. I had half a pizza for dinner. After that we went sight-seeing. We walked across the Charles Bridge and up to the Old Prague Castle. The view from the latter is magnificent; one can see the entire city as well as ruins of a military fortress.<br />
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After our sight-seeing, we went out for a real, Czech budweiser beer at a restaurant across the street from our hostel. It came on-tap as a 0.5L glass. I barely scratched the surface on mine. After that, we went to a kebab place and shared some fries with mayonaise. The "guy behind the counter" was pretty drunk and hit on us. And on that slightly disconcerting note, we ended our night.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-36779223898341329542011-05-25T20:02:00.000-05:002011-05-25T20:02:40.974-05:00The Full Story: Day TwoWe arrived in Munich around noon. Due to my impatience, we did not get off at the main station. We got off the stop before the main station. It was an easily resolved situation, as Germany has local lines that take one to different train stations in the same city and within the region. We arrived at Munich HBH about fifteen minutes later than we were expecting.<br />
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Our hostel (called Wombats Youth Hostel) was within three blocks of the main station, very easy to find. The staff had us give up our metro cards in order to get our keys but, they were very nice people. After we acquired a map we set off in search of some cool, but nearby sights. First up was the shopping district. A large pedestrian boulevard leads straight to the Karlsplatz, which is a plaza area plus giant cathedral plus astronomical clock. Next we decided to take the Munich underground to the Olympic park. It was a beautiful area. The park has lanes with room enough for runners and tourists, the training ground for the German olympic swimming team, a giant lake on which one can take their boat, and a hill which gives a bird's-eye view of Munich.<br />
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After that, we were pretty exhausted. Heading back to the hostel, we stopped into a small restaurant where I ordered a doner kebab for the first time. It's lamb meat in thick bread, essentially. Most of the time it's served with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and a garlic sauce on the inside. My verdict - delicious! I have become addicted.<br />
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We rested up in our room for a while, then decided to embark on a bar-hopping adventure. The hostel was the first leg of the journey, as a ticket for a free drink comes with the price of the room. We sat in the lounge drinking our German beer when we met another American student studying in Spain from the University of Virginia. She spent most of the night attempting to convince us that even though her school was filled with old-money white families, she wasn't one of them. It didn't necessarily work.<br />
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We stopped at two bars and a beer garden before the night was over. The night ended with drinking on-tap German beer, sampling four types of sausage, and eating saurkraut. Verdict - German sausage = best sausage.<br />
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By this time it was midnight and time to rest up for the next leg of our international trek.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-85491753335370187682011-05-21T12:27:00.000-05:002011-05-21T12:27:13.161-05:00Checking InHello all! I am back in the United States. My sincerest apologies for the unexpected hiatus. My laptop decided to break down on me eight days before my departure. A netbook is now in my possession; hopefully it will last awhile. Starting tomorrow I will make up for lost time as well as, give a little insight into reverse culture shock and my personal experience with it.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-90244518611037289372011-05-05T12:26:00.000-05:002011-05-05T12:26:13.708-05:00The Full Story: Day OneI began my journey at 9:31 getting on a train to Strasbourg. I thought the train ride would only be three hours long but, I had read the timetables wrong and we would be arriving at 14:30. It wasn't so bad. We were super hungry by the time we got to the train station. We ended up stopping at a sandwich place before finding our hostel. On the way to our lodging, we got lost. The directions indicated that we would see the "Palais de Justice", which at first we couldn't find because we thought we would come across it fairly quickly. The long walk caused us to stop a woman and ask her for directions. Turns out it was the giant building with the green roof straight ahead of us.<br />
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After settling in, we walked around in a park area called "Place de la Republique." After that we hopped on the tram to see the headquarters of the European Union. Heading back to the center of the city, two Mormon men hopped on the tram right behind us.<br />
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Our next major stop was the cathedral located in the old town. There was a artisan cookie shop on our way there, so we ordered some. I got two chocolate and pistachio cookies and they were delicious. I had a jambon crepe for dinner, as well as my first creme brulee at an Italian restaurant.<br />
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When we got back to the hostel, an older French woman was there. She had taken my backpack off my bed and moved it to the desk, and she had set her stuff in my bed instead. Whatever. I just took another one; I didn't really want to start any problems. After getting situated, we spent some time in the hostel bar. Unfortunately, it was closed. No drinks for us. Our night ended around 11 so we could catch the early train the next day.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-1535412468059296472011-05-03T16:01:00.001-05:002011-05-04T03:07:29.247-05:00Vacation in PhotographsDay 1 - Strasbourg<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS676m2trV_oxEznBEEzJ_DUM1fDlr6ACjALVaoAqFxIk9gZmiIb8zv7bwr-gxO4hkxcdFdMfHeDza5jCoIsB8H_wjfu06LgB9Pus6DUUF-gWipDFVi8vrnr0MqudJW-gpblOpY3Jr6Xk/s1600/048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS676m2trV_oxEznBEEzJ_DUM1fDlr6ACjALVaoAqFxIk9gZmiIb8zv7bwr-gxO4hkxcdFdMfHeDza5jCoIsB8H_wjfu06LgB9Pus6DUUF-gWipDFVi8vrnr0MqudJW-gpblOpY3Jr6Xk/s320/048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Strasbourg is located on the French-German border in the Alsace region. It serves as the location for meetings of the European Union, has a beautiful cathedral and touristy old town, and the cleanest rivers I have seen in a French city. We arrived in the afternoon and made our way up to the EU headquarters (right) around 4 pm.<br />
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Day 2 - Munich<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2u_8vB6jQiYSDOXk5M-MPGoRRQgs6JgmqUfPcspo6SKhV3ib1K0Fx2UxG81mpm2pnkY7WIfEGlh76f61pzbxj9urTFnWTb5jq09O8XGL7Bo00c5OqkdReJ0FPnmy4FwYqCQ4BYrfLGd8/s1600/122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2u_8vB6jQiYSDOXk5M-MPGoRRQgs6JgmqUfPcspo6SKhV3ib1K0Fx2UxG81mpm2pnkY7WIfEGlh76f61pzbxj9urTFnWTb5jq09O8XGL7Bo00c5OqkdReJ0FPnmy4FwYqCQ4BYrfLGd8/s320/122.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The above picture is a statue dedicated to John Paul the Second with the Marianplaz in the background. Munich is located in southern Germany, which is heavily Catholic. The city was the site of the 1976 Olympics and is in the running for hosting the 2018 games.<br />
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Day 3 - Prague<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTLwadIYNx8H6Kb7phAwofchgMTCOv6RAgnraqDiDm15TIXZr7mGDqIUfGiOzdpcI_46pCVqV8jGb2TaG-AamC7PKAY0N1qQaIdtX_PHj-lzyT-DrLe1zU8_lQ3DeUB7uda3NJEnWoriO/s1600/246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvTLwadIYNx8H6Kb7phAwofchgMTCOv6RAgnraqDiDm15TIXZr7mGDqIUfGiOzdpcI_46pCVqV8jGb2TaG-AamC7PKAY0N1qQaIdtX_PHj-lzyT-DrLe1zU8_lQ3DeUB7uda3NJEnWoriO/s320/246.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>From where I am standing, the Old Prague Castle is within my line of sight. This picture was taken after my climb up to the top of the hill. It was tiring, but as you can see the view is worth it. You may also notice that I'm wearing a scarf. Turns out that it is pretty cold in the Czech Republic, so I bought it for 100 Kc at a store that was also selling candy and absinthe.<br />
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Day 4 - Brno<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEugCOTV2wdbic-XP-YurUsO_k7cOJDKOBIUkxS1mS_aqfGuBUB9NXZ6tUlUqFsO1Dp85uzdPd81LUio3xfkAbNtF2ek5gEWlNv6q7l2UiitHHdwTsaH3a_iZT4J4p3-OyajgFHeQhf-zr/s1600/389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEugCOTV2wdbic-XP-YurUsO_k7cOJDKOBIUkxS1mS_aqfGuBUB9NXZ6tUlUqFsO1Dp85uzdPd81LUio3xfkAbNtF2ek5gEWlNv6q7l2UiitHHdwTsaH3a_iZT4J4p3-OyajgFHeQhf-zr/s320/389.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So basically, the entire point of being in Brno was to see Boyce Avenue at the Carodelas 2011 music festival. I would also say that it was the reason I wanted to go to Germany and the Czech Republic in the first place. After a day of hellish navigation of the Brno tram system and random rain in the afternoon, I finally got to see my new music obsession at 11PM Thursday night, knowing full well that I had to be awake at 5 AM Friday morning. Daniel is on the left, Alejandro is on the right, and Fabien is missing. Two out of three isn't bad. Especially when I was making other Czech fangirls mad by being the American fangirl in the front row.<br />
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Day 5 - Berlin<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQEm2YvW8hGXRSm2FRHf2j8lG7Q7jPuGzy0K7miOmCZVQaK02z56kiWiN-BplNEh7heQk6RtY5_3NYeB61-FJaCkRlvt0bQ3pImaNyy6axrXEnZ34keHxw_Tajdza0o8Ehyo_QNUdXno3/s1600/440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQEm2YvW8hGXRSm2FRHf2j8lG7Q7jPuGzy0K7miOmCZVQaK02z56kiWiN-BplNEh7heQk6RtY5_3NYeB61-FJaCkRlvt0bQ3pImaNyy6axrXEnZ34keHxw_Tajdza0o8Ehyo_QNUdXno3/s320/440.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This is the Brandenburg Gate, located near the Tiergarten. The Berlin Wall was constructed directly behind the gate, separating the eastern and western parts of the city. When looking through old photographs of this area as it was 20 years ago, the difference from now is striking. The street leading to the gate is a major shopping and tourist district now, but just before I was born it was abandoned and bleak-looking. Berlin is a great example of how fast people can combine their strengths to come out of the ashes of a violent history.<br />
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Day 6 - Berlin<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2xQYyb2649-gSgRs9vFRxaHxs_ynNEOYDmx_0JtkK9hyphenhyphenfBW9AjZ8H14Fg4605FA0Py_ZweSMf9xY9IG6NAna-wtYgtbqQDu1yFfopGAsQDxOS-00-2mWZjWEliYk7XTHyEbCYHRQMTZi/s1600/559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY2xQYyb2649-gSgRs9vFRxaHxs_ynNEOYDmx_0JtkK9hyphenhyphenfBW9AjZ8H14Fg4605FA0Py_ZweSMf9xY9IG6NAna-wtYgtbqQDu1yFfopGAsQDxOS-00-2mWZjWEliYk7XTHyEbCYHRQMTZi/s320/559.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Since we were able to stay another day in Berlin, we decided today would be a good day to see some museums and major sites. We left the hostel around 10:30AM and saw the Parliament building, Soviet Memorial, the Topography of Terror exhibit, a Salvador Dali exhibit, and finally made our way to the Olympic Stadium. I find the concept of the games fascinating. Nations gather to compete in friendly competition despite political turmoil or international rivalries. History has given us lessons in the hypocrisy sometimes associated with the Olympics, but knowing that they continue gives me hope for a stable world.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-6469376932939298042011-05-02T11:25:00.000-05:002011-05-02T11:25:51.430-05:00Pas MalDuration: 45 minutes preparation, 5 minutes staring at a wall, 3 minutes of speaking to the professor.<br />
Number of Questions: One<br />
Confusion Level: Moderate<br />
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Today was my exam in foreign literature (yes, vacation was awesome, but those stories will come tomorrow). I drew the slip of paper with the following question: "Robinson Crusoe: adventure novel or a morality book?" It took me the whole time just to write a page and a half worth of answers, but I was not as lost as I thought I would be. I wrote it, then read directly from my notes to the professor. After that, he asked me where I was from, said that he understood that I would have problems explaining myself since French is not my first language. He said I spoke a little fast and that my pronunciation of "chritien(ne)" fell victim to my English habit of saying "christian" but that I was the middle of the other two international students and my answer was good. I'll take it.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-9435210701762723392011-04-24T11:25:00.001-05:002011-04-24T11:27:02.759-05:00Joyeuse PaquesToday is Easter. Pretty much all I've done today is watch mass on TV and have a three hour lunch. That and get ready for my vacation. I've got everything packed, a list of major sites, a list of decent bars, and all of our train times recorded in the official travel notebook. I won't be around until the first of May. I'll definitely have a lot of exciting train stories and pictures to post. See you in a week!Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-37076710598123321392011-04-22T04:18:00.000-05:002011-04-22T04:18:39.302-05:00My First French ExamDuration: 20 minutes<br />
Number of questions: Four<br />
Confusion Level: High<br />
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I get to room 134. It's me, another international student, and three French women. We go in, sign off on our names, take a white sheet of paper and a pink sheet of paper. There are three questions on the white sheet of paper. Our professor tells us to write however much we can in ten minutes about Italian cinema. I do not write in complete sentences. Then he tells us to stop because he will show us an excerpt from a film. What comes on the screen is the beginning of an NYPD Blue episode. Lucky for me, not so lucky for the Japanese guy. He stops the clip and tells us to write. One of the French women asks "What do you want us to say?" He responds "Just tell me about the cinematic aspects." Hmmm. Ok.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-4684837747899356582011-04-19T13:57:00.001-05:002011-04-20T02:35:31.882-05:00C'est rigolo!Every Tuesday night, one of the French channels has sketch comedy featuring three couples. One in their 20s, one in their 40s, and one after retirement. Most nights I just smile whenever my host family laughs to give the impression that I know what's going on. Tonight I actually laughed! I may still have issues communicating my personal thoughts, but my listening abilities have vastly improved. Here are the two scenarios I understood fully.<br />
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The first was the man and wife in their 40s. The man comes home with a present for his wife. She opens it, finds out it's a vibrator, giggles about it while her husband explains "It's for washing your face." And after realizing that his wife is right "Oh shit, I have to go. I bought one for my mother."<br />
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The second was the young couple playing poker. The man bluffs, then wins the hand. Then they have dinner. The woman says she has an apple tarte, but she made it. He doesn't know whether she's bluffing or not. Then he says something to make her leave the kitchen, tries the tarte, and while spitting out the tarte says "You weren't bluffing. You made this!"<br />
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I love it.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-86152046671490759522011-04-17T14:53:00.000-05:002011-04-17T14:53:08.458-05:00Must Do ListSo this weekend I've been thinking of starting a list of everything an international student has to do while they are in Lyon.<br />
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1) Attend a party on the steps of Guillotiere<br />
2) Take a day trip (no more than an hour and a half train/bus ride away)<br />
3) Tan at Parc de la Tete d'Or<br />
4) Eat chocolate from Voisin<br />
5) Get fries at McDonald's (especially if you're American, not joking, the "pommes frites" sauce is worth it)<br />
6) Attend at least one cultural event, such as: a theatre production, a night at the opera, a festival/special market<br />
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These are all I have so far. As for my weekend, I'm working on plans for my upcoming trip as well as stressing over exams. I'm used to my professors telling me where and when exactly my exams are and, if I forget there's always a syllabus. Well, in France there is no syllabus. The professors don't even know when the exams are scheduled. For example, my cinema professor thought our exam would be the 27th of April. When all Jean Moulin students are on Easter break. At the moment, I find it more amusing than most of my peers as the hours and credits I receive here won't impact when I graduate. However, it does take an attitude adjustment. C'est la vie francaise.<br />
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Saturday I took time to relax a little. I went to read one of my books by the Rhone river. The steps between Bellecour and the Rhone is my favorite spot in the entire city. In the late afternoon with the sun shining, the view is absolutely breathtaking. Most of the time, I was just staring at the water. That's one thing I know I'll miss when I come back home.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-43899046204783731722011-04-13T09:45:00.000-05:002011-04-13T09:45:05.598-05:00Life is LovelyToday I finished the last assignment I had before I take all of my finals. I have a few more lectures, but pretty much everything is over. So what to do in between studying? Plan my Easter break trip, of course!<br />
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Last break, I basically hung out at home and traveled around Lyon. I definitely am not going to do that again! So me and another American student are planning a train expedition of Germany and the Czech Republic. We each have one travel goal. Mine is to go to a music festival in Brno and see Boyce Avenue (with the bonus of listening to Czech bands I'll never get to hear in the US). My friend's is to see the castle in Germany after which the Disney castle was modeled. We'll also be sampling some authentic German beer. I like to think of it as an education opportunity. Don't want to embarrass myself when I turn 21. <br />
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The point is I'm really excited. I've never planned anything this involved before, but now that I have my Eurail Pass and concert tickets, everything's coming together. The next step is to book trains and hostels. I'm a little nervous, but I know that this will be one week to remember.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-14563849042792988502011-04-11T03:15:00.000-05:002011-04-11T03:15:46.008-05:00Running Out of TimeSpring has been in Lyon for a couple of weeks now. The weather is beautiful; I don't have to wear pants or sweaters anymore! All but one of my lectures ended last week or will end this week. It means I'm on the downhill slide of my time in Europe.<br />
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While I don't necessarily have as many close friends as some of the other Erasmus students, and haven't traveled around as much, I have definitely gained a lot from coming to France. Lyon feels like a home. I know my way around the major areas and can even offer lost travelers directions and advice. I can understand the radio and news programs and hold my own in conversations with native speakers. I've taken the TGV to southern France, seen some of the mountains in the north. I've met people from all over the world who are just as serious about learning about other cultures as I am.<br />
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I still have 39 days left here. Six of those will be spent gallivanting across Germany and the Czech Republic. About half of those nights will be devoted to studying for my finals. My days? Still unsure. But great things have happened when I've least expected it. I have a feeling that my last month in France will be well spent.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-90504892262640864382011-04-10T08:07:00.000-05:002011-04-10T08:07:05.069-05:00My Dog Jake Who Lives In FrancePhotography project! I took my stuffed dog for an afternoon in Lyon. Pretty sure I looked insane, but it was all in good fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbivQhDLBt1xZSYcwgsBTCmYiJNEgpn51v9exBoJzSLGi91v1KMrIXp4XXqv3oKrGIhNzCRhnKVvVWWwGbPKXp_EezOPRvji9_BfrRSXNKMAzy1K0sqTVk5I9FOYiJZO8G5RX1IM51_wPg/s1600/071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbivQhDLBt1xZSYcwgsBTCmYiJNEgpn51v9exBoJzSLGi91v1KMrIXp4XXqv3oKrGIhNzCRhnKVvVWWwGbPKXp_EezOPRvji9_BfrRSXNKMAzy1K0sqTVk5I9FOYiJZO8G5RX1IM51_wPg/s320/071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-50592905373104988722011-04-06T14:32:00.000-05:002011-04-06T14:32:47.590-05:00Le Grand JournalSo Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Phillipe were on the French news program "Le Grand Jouranal" promoting their upcoming film. The anchors asked their questions in French, but both of the actors responded in English. Where are their translators?! I really want to know, because I didn't see them with any ear pieces. But then again, maybe I wasn't paying close enough attention.<br />
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Side note, Matthew McConaughey looked super ridiculous wearing a beret.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-5032094351482643382011-04-03T06:56:00.000-05:002011-04-03T06:56:59.608-05:00Juste Une IllusionLast night I went to the Theatre de la Croix-Rousse to see a production of "La Vraie Fiancee", or "The True Bride", or the most bizarre adaptation of the Cinderella story I've ever seen in my life.<br />
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So imagine you're staring into the sun. One second goes by. Ow. Another second goes by. Burning. Another second goes by. You need to close your eyes immediately.<br />
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The director had set up the stage with three flats of all tiny yellow lightbulbs, that could be extremely bright or dimmed. Most of the play was spent at the "burning your eyes" level. In addition, there was a large three part mirror panel that was dragged out during two of the scenes. Did not help at all.<br />
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The actual story is as follows. Mother is dead, dad is getting married, stepmother comes into the picture with her daughter (who is a doll played by a doll), main character is downtrodden. Main character meets Prince Charming, he promises never to forget her. Stepmother intervenes, Prince forgets main character then falls in love with the doll. Main character concocts a plan with some imprisoned actors to make Prince remember that they're engaged. It works. The end.<br />
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There actors were all fairly talented. I was especially amused by the man who played as the stepmother. However, besides having my eyes tortured, the director decided to break the fourth wall as many times as he possibly could. So instead of actually paying attention to how main character's father is led astray by the drag queen, I'm wondering why there are two people in black moving the flats and messing with the curtains. And then there was the scene where the Prince made out with the doll (believe me, I wish I was exaggerating).<br />
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It was an interesting experience.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-54154112061123873542011-03-29T14:32:00.000-05:002011-03-29T14:32:14.285-05:00SCHOOLGood news - I have the easiest homework load known to mankind.<br />
Bad news - Five out of seven of my finals have to be done in French<br />
Good news - I have until May 15th to complete one of my finals<br />
Bad news - It's a 7-page paper about a play. That's it. Just talk about it.<br />
Good news - I have my French writing intensive next semester. If I can pull this off, that class will be cake.<br />
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And now I'm craving cake.<br />
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Here's some pictures from a walk I took recently.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGxMqPs3ZMY7wTHDKozM9hds-Y6KHP77dff3_yf04k01GpP8nfWjfGyS5s8aQwySa3YhInfZ0Y0s_-VShRkp46Yyoh1unuJ_zRQzJFu26gdfYMno7hgK_MhuUxU9st2dcbe-VMgBGmHo3/s1600/016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGxMqPs3ZMY7wTHDKozM9hds-Y6KHP77dff3_yf04k01GpP8nfWjfGyS5s8aQwySa3YhInfZ0Y0s_-VShRkp46Yyoh1unuJ_zRQzJFu26gdfYMno7hgK_MhuUxU9st2dcbe-VMgBGmHo3/s320/016.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-78084278811528189682011-03-26T08:34:00.000-05:002011-03-26T08:34:46.003-05:00Updates On LifeMy right leg has three bruises, my left elbow has two, and my left foot has one. Sparring with only a chest protector against 20-25 year-olds who have as much control over their kicks as a yellow belt is not a good idea.<br />
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The presentation on Friday went well. My professor had seen the movie that one of my video clips came from and said that it was well organized. Huzzah!<br />
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Today I've spent three hours taking advantage of the beautiful weather. It's supposed to rain tomorrow. Also, DST hits France at 2AM, so I'll be back to being seven hours ahead of Missouri.<br />
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I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon reading (for fun and for school) and then watching a movie at night. If anyone knows anything about Bollywood film, I could use some suggestions for what to watch.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-8624064463156705452011-03-23T16:20:00.000-05:002011-03-23T16:20:13.002-05:00A Change of PaceToday I had my first sit-down-at-a-restaurant-and-socialize meal since I've been in France. My contemporary Indian society class was canceled for the day, so three other women in my class and I decided to head to Bellecour for food. We ended up at Hippopotamus on Rue de la Republique which serves steaks, burgers, and delicious-looking desserts. Of course, all desserts look delicious in France, but that's not the point.<br />
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We began our meal by ordering a bottle of white wine, along with some free rolls, fried potato slices, and water. I also ordered a Coke zero as part of my menu. We spent about an hour chatting, people watching, gossiping about some of our drunken escapades (especially of those who participated in St. Patrick's Day festivities). Then our food arrived. I ordered a burger, and it was actually good. They cooked it all the way, it came with normal condiments, and I got a huge side of "frites" (French fries). I know that I ordered American food, but to be fair it was a steak and burger place. Besides, the rolls + glass of wine + Coke + fries + burger cost me 10 euros. Not bad I say.<br />
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Tomorrow I have a presentation over a news article in my French language class, then Friday I have a presentation over immigration in my French culture class. Don't worry, I'm prepared for both! I think.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-24972407174299353122011-03-20T12:52:00.000-05:002011-03-20T12:52:30.529-05:00Videos From Aix<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxdpXWdwuNxFvdQbKcN-aUYgs5UWVTFhwvCsVEfbwxw5KTvLEc5LMoemoR93h4-xRWHST8XPFuuduXY-UQQ0Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyP6E7UlASREpOMZ9R9G_6UcT_ByxqrsmPT_3SkTerFnnSrr7qw4hG6Jr41pWxdTtGJ9PnTtW5oDAT3YjxKvw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwAe2a4FjPS_4n2Ro2D1ytHQXx4lEn0BcMT4FT7L6FSyaBe_GYOrcnke-yTpuCp494oXIeG_oIomJMku8dFVA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-91273816440207626132011-03-20T06:49:00.000-05:002011-03-20T06:49:04.623-05:00Aix-En-ProvenceSo I finally got out of Lyon for a weekend. WHOA! It was amazing.<br />
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Friday: Woke up at 6AM. Got to Part-Dieu station at 8AM, picked up my tickets, met my friend, got on the TGV at 9:07 and arrived in Aix by 11AM. We couldn't check into our hotel until 1, so we stopped by the tourist office, got a map and decided to spend some time wondering around the city. We ate lunch at a place called Toran where I had my first tiramisu. Delicious. After checking in around 1:30, we explored some of the major tourist attractions such as: the boulevard Cours Maribeau, la fontaine de Roi Rene, the Musee Granet, and the remains of an ancient thermal bath. Our aimless wondering also led us to a store specializing in making macaroons and a dessert shop where I had nutella-flavored ice cream. We ate dinner at a nice little Italian restaurant. The staff actually spoke Italian! Which makes sense, as southern France used to be part of Italian territory. After all this, I managed to crash in bed around 11PM.<br />
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Saturday was full of surprises. We walked through a huge market at Place des Precheurs, where I managed to find my boyfriend a birthday present and find my brother some Magic cards. Now the only people left on my souvenir list are my parents. (Tell me what wine you want already!) Anyway, there was a lot to see. There were many vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, pastries, and spices. One booth was selling about 8 different types of honey. There were also quite a few clothing booths. Lots of cute things for reasonable prices, but I didn't really have the cash to spend on anything. I don't mind, though. I enjoyed looking through everything and watching others haggle over prices.<br />
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Other notable occurrences: a rally for the local communist party, street performances on the main square, young French people vandalizing plastic, high-end window shopping, Musee d'Histoire Naturelle.<br />
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I'll be making a separate post for the videos I took over the weekend later today. Hopefully I don't forget.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-59515410381198740662011-03-16T11:18:00.000-05:002011-03-16T11:18:57.865-05:00Studying: The Reason I Am HereThis week has been dedicated to putting together a presentation on immigration to France for "Initiation a la culture francaise." I decided to research on six different nationalities that have immigrated to France, when they did, and their reasons for doing so. I also decided to include some information on immigration policy. I have all the research, tomorrow I'm going to work on translating it into French. Then next week all I have to do is structure the powerpoint.<br />
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I'm getting along great with my new host family. I watch sketch comedy or the news with my host parents after dinner, usually for a half hour to an hour. And my host sister and I watched the French version of Top Chef last night. All of them are willing to answer my questions about their life, France, the language, or whatever. It's fantastic!<br />
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Here's a video for your amusement, taken Saturday on Rue de la Republique. Just for fun.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMgmXc6wVjlMrZWwGYJFGg4cuyWAkhNRv7nPI3E7PfjlvenoMDEKqilpzAvwKH7WMXtSDNCCwkzBoUBmJ33A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-68068220585549463002011-03-13T12:57:00.001-05:002011-03-30T09:07:33.593-05:00Adventure TimeFriday: After class I took a two hour walk from my apartment to the Rhone river.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsLS3I9wdfIVS_KLbo_cFLBgPseHD7Z5o_g4OoFmuhsm-gFcVkGZQKEuAFbwpmP_Lgl4FfDYevswZNLUVHMGD5XsWzQw12RDuO35a8C7XLTjG6yDzf418yBTJw_OsSz-UXryHWdQ5K6fl/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNsLS3I9wdfIVS_KLbo_cFLBgPseHD7Z5o_g4OoFmuhsm-gFcVkGZQKEuAFbwpmP_Lgl4FfDYevswZNLUVHMGD5XsWzQw12RDuO35a8C7XLTjG6yDzf418yBTJw_OsSz-UXryHWdQ5K6fl/s320/031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Here's me by the Rhone river. It was a lovely day out, the first one I've had without my coat. After that I stayed in for the rest of the night. I had to make dinner myself, but I couldn't figure out how to use the stove. I ended up eating some smoked bacon, bread, and cheese.<br />
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On Saturday it started to rain. I didn't do all that much during the day, but at 9 I went bar-hopping with a girl I met from Washington state. We went to an Australian bar, one called Cosmopolitan, an Irish bar, and a totally trashy place. I only brought enough money for one drink, but ended up having two full drinks and sips of three others. That got me pretty giggly and nonsensical by the end of the night, and I ended up with a random French guy's phone number.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFUnJL2jg5S2a5UWvSusrtHo6r1egYoTYgHHxVEMafl1qK2idlmmfpEkOhmAABu3cXsPelPXDeE8NzOZKgf2fNcmsulRFBs-juIyhAPpL_WkAF-s7VyIvr6MZ3JwLUvZFLAWPwL8bPwWf/s1600/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkFUnJL2jg5S2a5UWvSusrtHo6r1egYoTYgHHxVEMafl1qK2idlmmfpEkOhmAABu3cXsPelPXDeE8NzOZKgf2fNcmsulRFBs-juIyhAPpL_WkAF-s7VyIvr6MZ3JwLUvZFLAWPwL8bPwWf/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> This was my only non-alcoholic beverage of the night.<br />
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I also went to see a movie Saturday afternoon called "Les Femmes du 6eme Etage." It was about a group of Spanish maids working for middle-class French people in the 1960s. One of the men falls in love with his new maid. Of course. It was a good film, even if I didn't understand all of the dialogue.<br />
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Today I made lunch for my host family. Scrambled eggs with red peppers and mushrooms and a side of mashed potatoes. It turned out delicious!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-68771692443167178102011-03-10T16:46:00.000-06:002011-03-10T16:46:11.071-06:00French Film (And Other Confusing Experiences)Today I watched a movie called Les Effroyables Jardins. It's set during WWII, and the main action centers around four men who are kidnapped by German soldiers and who are entertained during their imprisonment by a former Parisian clown. What I didn't understand until the end of the film was that the beginning and the end take place at least 15 years after the events of the middle of the movie. Confusing at first, but I did enjoy that aspect. Overall, the film was excellent, despite not having the luxury of sub-titles.<br />
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I also spent three minutes trying to unlock the door to the apartment. <br />
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My final for my cinema course is supposed to be oral. Our professor is putting us in groups, then having each group watch one of the excerpts from the films we watch in class, and then the group discusses the film or era/country associated with the film. And then my professor will know I'm not a French student. Huzzah!<br />
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Watching the news here tends to give me a headache. Sometimes the people they interview speak English, but the voiceover is in French. And, of course, I'm trying to listen to both. Bad idea.<br />
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My weekend plans are up in the air. They could involve travel, cooking, lots of pictures, and/or lots of rain. We shall see.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-66786200260950486232011-03-07T14:46:00.000-06:002011-03-07T14:46:36.985-06:00Feels Like Home (Almost)Today was a fairly normal day. Woke up, talked to my boyfriend, spent time on facebook, went to class, did homework, ate dinner, and now I'm here.<br />
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However, I am now beginning my reading of the first six volumes of the Sailor Moon manga series in French. Turns out my host family's son was a huge anime fan which is lucky for me, as my host mother told me I could read whatever manga and watch whatever anime I could find. She wishes he would come clean it all out anyway. They even have Spirited Away! In France it's called "Le voyage de Chihiro."<br />
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Dinner also ended up being a pretty fun time. It was just me and my host father for dinner tonight, so we ate in the kitchen and watched what I highly suspect is the French version of The View. The best part wasn't the food, but the fact that we had an actual, substantial conversation. We talked a bit about wine and how it's hard to get used to if you don't have the habit. Then we started talking about cultural differences between Americans and the French. Mostly why the US has such a huge problem with obesity, as his daughter spent a year and a half in Atlanta and was shocked by how large people are in the states. Apparently, French people have the image that all Americans eat giant hamburgers and drink three liters of Coke each day. While this obviously isn't true, obesity and related health problems are an issue for Americans.<br />
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There are a lot of reasons why these issues are so prevalent in the US, and my host father admitted that a few of them exist in France. For example, junk food is really cheap to buy or easy to make, so one sees the lower classes as having a higher rate of obesity than people who have a larger disposable income. It exists in the US, in France, and my host father said that he noticed it in Australia as well. There are cultural differences as to the causes of health issues in each country, but what I find interesting is that we were able to find similarities as well.<br />
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I also managed to be productive today. Finished all of my workbook exercises for my French as a foreign language class on Thursday. Also, I read all of Macbeth, which should have me covered for the next two weeks giving me plenty of time to pick up a copy of Midsummer Night's Dream.<br />
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I was also complimented on my good vocabulary and handle on the French language. All in all, it's a good day.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4519952515470165159.post-68773516889227365182011-03-05T15:39:00.000-06:002011-03-05T15:39:19.306-06:00And Now For Something Completely DifferentFriday night meant party time! Yes folks, Jordan finally spent a night out on the town. Well, really only three hours because I needed to catch the last metro at midnight. That's not the point. What should be the focus is that I met up with two other American girls, one I'd never met and the other I hadn't talked to, at a random bar and had good drinks and a fun time. We went to Johnny's Kitchen and Hot Club, both of which I will be visiting again. Here's a video of Eric, the guitar player at Johnny's Kitchen, doing a cover of Outkast's "Hey Ya."<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwHIsnhJtolJeGxBU3Jc6LmybzUV4Y3Dd2EgzOQUfHVAq_qFj_aa6-cgP03vwBqTZff_OXARZ4MCIKqgXzKnw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Today I went out for a walk because I was feeling a little homesick. It was about 52F here and the sun was shining, refreshing weather for clearing my head. There was a little carnival for kids going on at the plaza area on Avenue Freres Lumieres as well as three groups of old men playing the game boules. I went home, ate pizza for dinner, and watched 27 Dresses. A very relaxing night.Jordan Talbothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00710487686435415244noreply@blogger.com3