What do you mean classes are over this week?
Well.................
This is the last week of classes at the good ol' IEP-Aix-en-Provence. Technically we can still have classes next week during the semaine de rattrappage... our profs reschedule classes we missed on days that he or she didn't bother to show up.
[I never told you guys about the time when I was supposed to do a presentation for my Analyse Politique de L'Amerique Latine class and the prof didn't show up! What happened was that we waited around for about 20 minutes, and everyone concluded that he wasn't going to show up, so we left. We were walking through the halls and ran into the prof going up the stairs to his office. Apparently he thought that our class started at 3pm, not 2pm (even though this was the 3rd class we'd had). He had been out for "lunch" for a few hours and he forgot. I wasn't standing right next to him, but those who were said they could smell the booze.... Ohhh French profs...]
So, I knew that things would go by quickly...but man... I feel so out of touch with reality here. There's actually still a month left before most people are leaving. We have rattrappage, then a week to study, then from April 3-12 we have exams. THEN..............I guess if I pass all my exams, I'm done. No idea what I'll be doing yet. I think Jesse and Brad (currently in Amsterdam) will be visiting for a bit, then it's open season. And that's a tad frightening for me because I REALLY have no plans.
I suppose getting my Carte de Sejour and finding a job here is still an option, but Aix ain't so great. Though I hear with all the tourists here in the summer it's not too difficult to find a job if you speak English.
But.... I dunno, Aix is overpriced and kinda depressing and scary.... The other day I saw some young guy beating up his girlfriend ACROSS FROM THE POLICE STATION. It was around midnight on Friday and I was walking home from a friend's house, and I saw this guy blocking a girl from passing him on the sidewalk, and they were talking and stuff, so it wasn't some stranger hassling the girl... I kept walking, but looked back and saw the guy smack the girl on the back of the head and push her around and hit her again and she's trying to brush it off. I was standing kinda far away, shocked and wondering what the hell I should do. I saw someone else walking up towards me and luckily it was a guy I had met before, so I told him what I saw and we both went to the police station. There was another girl standing in front of the station watching what was going on. We went inside, told the guy behind the plastic screen at the desk what I saw, and he goes (in French) "Yeah, we'll send a car, thanks..." and slides the screen closed. A car?! It's across the street! If you want to get a good look at the dude, take a stroll on over! Jeez.
Yeah the dudes here are gross. They hassle women so much. And if you don't respond the way they want you to then they get all pissed and talk shit at you and accuse you of being all sorts of nasty things. It happens day and night too... In residence, downtown, wherever... Jerks. In residence they're persistent, but not as mean... Still, some guy hanging around your hallway for 15 minutes trying to talk to you is intimidating. And the crap thing is that I know it happens in Canada too... just facing it in a country not your own makes it more scary because you can't tell them off like you can in Canada because you don't know how they'll react. In Canada it tends to be some drunken idiot with a couple friends who'll sloppily say whatever teenage perversion comes to his head and you tell him to get lost, but here it's sober people, sometimes in large groups, who'll actually stop you in the street to try to talk to you when really you were just fine minding your own business and getting wherever you wanted to go. So if you pisse zem off they get all aggressive with what they say and you keep walking and hope that they're not following you. OKAY, don't freak out. This isn't a daily occurrence for most people. I've encountered it a few times since I've been here, so I don't live in fear huddled up in my room never wanting to go out, but if you add up all the times it's happened to people I know, you realize that that sort of attitude/behaviour seems to be an unfortunate standard around here.
Marseille is cheaper than Aix, but not any better in the female-friendly department.
So, I guess I'll just play it by ear for the next little bit. I guess I have to choose my courses for September as well. And I'll be studying for exams... crap... I guess the stress will soon be upon me!
Le sigh...
OKAY so I won't leave you with the impression that I hate it here. Last Wednesday I went to a party organized by the IEP (I swear there's one every week, practically) at which I had a FABULOUS time... I got pretty hammered and went to bed late, and didn't go to school in the morning (the class ended up being cancelled anyway), and still felt the headache in the afternoon, and it COULD have been a miserable day, but OHHHHH the sun and warmth as I walked to my later class! It must have been close to 15 degrees out!!! It was truly a beautiful day to be hungover, and it put a smile on my face. Like this ----> :)
This is the last week of classes at the good ol' IEP-Aix-en-Provence. Technically we can still have classes next week during the semaine de rattrappage... our profs reschedule classes we missed on days that he or she didn't bother to show up.
[I never told you guys about the time when I was supposed to do a presentation for my Analyse Politique de L'Amerique Latine class and the prof didn't show up! What happened was that we waited around for about 20 minutes, and everyone concluded that he wasn't going to show up, so we left. We were walking through the halls and ran into the prof going up the stairs to his office. Apparently he thought that our class started at 3pm, not 2pm (even though this was the 3rd class we'd had). He had been out for "lunch" for a few hours and he forgot. I wasn't standing right next to him, but those who were said they could smell the booze.... Ohhh French profs...]
So, I knew that things would go by quickly...but man... I feel so out of touch with reality here. There's actually still a month left before most people are leaving. We have rattrappage, then a week to study, then from April 3-12 we have exams. THEN..............I guess if I pass all my exams, I'm done. No idea what I'll be doing yet. I think Jesse and Brad (currently in Amsterdam) will be visiting for a bit, then it's open season. And that's a tad frightening for me because I REALLY have no plans.
I suppose getting my Carte de Sejour and finding a job here is still an option, but Aix ain't so great. Though I hear with all the tourists here in the summer it's not too difficult to find a job if you speak English.
But.... I dunno, Aix is overpriced and kinda depressing and scary.... The other day I saw some young guy beating up his girlfriend ACROSS FROM THE POLICE STATION. It was around midnight on Friday and I was walking home from a friend's house, and I saw this guy blocking a girl from passing him on the sidewalk, and they were talking and stuff, so it wasn't some stranger hassling the girl... I kept walking, but looked back and saw the guy smack the girl on the back of the head and push her around and hit her again and she's trying to brush it off. I was standing kinda far away, shocked and wondering what the hell I should do. I saw someone else walking up towards me and luckily it was a guy I had met before, so I told him what I saw and we both went to the police station. There was another girl standing in front of the station watching what was going on. We went inside, told the guy behind the plastic screen at the desk what I saw, and he goes (in French) "Yeah, we'll send a car, thanks..." and slides the screen closed. A car?! It's across the street! If you want to get a good look at the dude, take a stroll on over! Jeez.
Yeah the dudes here are gross. They hassle women so much. And if you don't respond the way they want you to then they get all pissed and talk shit at you and accuse you of being all sorts of nasty things. It happens day and night too... In residence, downtown, wherever... Jerks. In residence they're persistent, but not as mean... Still, some guy hanging around your hallway for 15 minutes trying to talk to you is intimidating. And the crap thing is that I know it happens in Canada too... just facing it in a country not your own makes it more scary because you can't tell them off like you can in Canada because you don't know how they'll react. In Canada it tends to be some drunken idiot with a couple friends who'll sloppily say whatever teenage perversion comes to his head and you tell him to get lost, but here it's sober people, sometimes in large groups, who'll actually stop you in the street to try to talk to you when really you were just fine minding your own business and getting wherever you wanted to go. So if you pisse zem off they get all aggressive with what they say and you keep walking and hope that they're not following you. OKAY, don't freak out. This isn't a daily occurrence for most people. I've encountered it a few times since I've been here, so I don't live in fear huddled up in my room never wanting to go out, but if you add up all the times it's happened to people I know, you realize that that sort of attitude/behaviour seems to be an unfortunate standard around here.
Marseille is cheaper than Aix, but not any better in the female-friendly department.
So, I guess I'll just play it by ear for the next little bit. I guess I have to choose my courses for September as well. And I'll be studying for exams... crap... I guess the stress will soon be upon me!
Le sigh...
OKAY so I won't leave you with the impression that I hate it here. Last Wednesday I went to a party organized by the IEP (I swear there's one every week, practically) at which I had a FABULOUS time... I got pretty hammered and went to bed late, and didn't go to school in the morning (the class ended up being cancelled anyway), and still felt the headache in the afternoon, and it COULD have been a miserable day, but OHHHHH the sun and warmth as I walked to my later class! It must have been close to 15 degrees out!!! It was truly a beautiful day to be hungover, and it put a smile on my face. Like this ----> :)
posted by Emily at 8:45 a.m.
3 Comments:
This is Boring. Emily your boring me. Stop being so boring. Emily. EMILY!!!!
Who am i kidding my life is no better. In fact i believe it to be worse. At least your in France. I'm stuck in Ontario.
Have fun with your school thing that you do. I'm gonna take my leave now
-Anonymous
hey.. I thought you said your school went until june...
now I don't know what to beleive.
Hola chica! Well I'm glad to hear the weather and the partying are good! ...Stay away from the boys. yuck. Wow I can't believe you're done class so soon! I thought they went until June as well?! hmm. I would SO come visit you if I could. But alas, I have no money. In fact, I've decided to take off to Nicaragua for the month of May (Tunisia just isn't gonna happen it seems) so I have to fundraise like mad, asap. haha. oh well.. I'll figure it out. Hope things are well with you and good luck on exams! I miss you!! **many hugs**
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