Sara Mitra’s Bon Voyage: Comme le temps passe vite

I have less than two months left in Paris, when did this happen? Time has been flying by with classes, everyday life, and traveling.

I am satisfied with my classes: Français Orale, Langue Français, Les Médias en France, and Le Stage. In my oral class, my professor really pushes us to speak energetically, rhythmically, and with correct pronunciation. We frequently memorize dialogues that we write in class or perform poems like Pour Toi Mon Amour by Jacques Prévert. At first, I felt a bit out of my comfort zone, but the interactive class style has really improved my speaking. My French grammar class has been the most helpful, since my professor has reviewed the plus-que-parfait, conjunctions, and many other areas of confusion. My professor is a charming young woman in her thirties who roles her r’s and has a spunky sense of humor, which keeps me awake at 9 a.m. My media class has been quite interesting. I have realized that the American and French presses are really different, which is most apparent in the strong circulation of liberal and leftist newspapers in France.

Lastly, once a week I lead discussions in English at a French high school, l’École Pascal. We discuss American culture including TV shows, holidays, and current events. The boys seem to be most curious about Obama, and they hope America will change its foreign policy. When I asked them if they think France would ever have an African president, they said, “No. France is not ready for that, but maybe after Obama there could be the possibility.” Overall, I have noticed that the French are very supportive of Obama.

Even with the busyness of classes, I still try to get in on the newest art shows in Paris. I was very excited to see the Andy Warhol exhibit at Le Grand Palais. It was a very extensive collection that included my favorite portraits of Debbie Harry, Mick Jagger, and Jackie O. I was shocked to see classic Warhol portraits of Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi and Farah Pahlavi. Warhol did the portraits in 1978, right before the chaos of the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution, when the Shah was exiled. Warhol’s powerful connection to the world of celebrities is both odd and intriguing. He was so consumed by fame and his own image, and his works glorify celebrities and politicians.

Not having classes on Fridays has allowed me to travel easily on the weekends. I visited my aunt in East Sussex, England and I got to spend one day in London, which really reminded me of Boston. The highlight of the visit was seeing my family and eating the best Indian food I have ever had at a restaurant on Brick Lane, in London’s east end, known for Indian cuisine and vintage stores.

Last weekend, my program took us to Normandie et Bretagne in Northern France. We visited Omaha Beach in Normandy, the location of D-Day. On a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach there is a cemetery dedicated to the 9,387 American soldiers that lost their lives on D-Day during World War II. We spent the night in Saint Malo, a beautiful fortified beach town on the coast of the English Channel. The next day, we visited Mont-Saint-Michel, a grand gothic abbey built in the 13th century on an island in the bay of the English Channel and known to be one of the seven wonders of the world. I was very content with this trip and it was great to see these very historically important sites.