I’m sitting by the Seine, on the edge of the Ile Saint-Louis, on a ridiculously hot day. It feels like August in LA. I’m not sure if it’s even hotter than 85 degrees, but it is humid and I’ve been walking, and the Seine was the coolest place I could find. By the time I have internet and post this it will probably be cooler, but even at nighttime it’s been in the 70s. I think that summer has arrived. I find it bizarre that all of a sudden it is so hot, after such a cold spring, but it literally has happened in the past two days. I am not accustomed to the heat, maybe that is why it seems so hot, but either way, it is oppressive! I really hope it is not quite so humid at home!
The buildings right by the water have that musty smell that is reminiscent of old cathedrals and moldy cellars…It’s kind of comforting, and in the heat, surprisingly doesn’t smell bad, it’s just a part of the scenery. People are lounging all over the banks, drinking wine, having picnics, and seeking refuge from the weather. It is nice to be a part of it.
Even though it is unpleasant to be outside for too long, it is fun to see everyone baring all in cutoff shirts and shorts all of a sudden. Well, actually there aren’t many shorts worn—I’m not sure how French people survive the heat with their snazzy black pants and tanks. I’m wearing a skirt and tank top and am sweltering! It is also exciting that it feels like summer…I haven’t really experienced the Spring to Summer transition since I was in high school, since LA is always so warm. I feel like all the students at ACCENT (the center where I take most of my classes) are my high school classmates and we’re counting down the days until the end of finals and summertime.
I have the oral portion of my Sorbonne exam in a couple of hours, and I have come here to study, as it was too nice to just go home to the apartment in between tests. I just finished two exams (four essays in total, on an array of subjects: Theatre de l’Absurde, the Nouveau Roman, Laicite laws in France, and the affect of the French media on Muslim immigrants – whew!) and this will be my third for the day. But tomorrow I only have one and at 1 pm I’ll be done with the semester!
I can’t believe Junior year is almost over, not to mention my semester, and that next year I’ll be a senior. I think it will be a different experience than all my other years at SC have been so far, especially after my experience here in France. I am very excited, however, to embark upon the end of college and start getting ready for the future. <-- That is a bit scary, “end of college”…I can’t believe I’m actually saying that with myself in mind!
What I’m listening to right now: Shiny Toy Pistols, “I Owe You a Love Song.” This group has been the soundtrack to my wanderings in Paris for the past couple of weeks, along with Queens of the Stone Age, and they are the perfect summertime bands to listen to, if you have a chance
Biz, Ashley
PS - Just got home from my exam, and my teacher said I spoke perfectly! What a relief. Luckily for me, it was on "L'Invitation au Voyage," a poem by Baudelaire, that I have studied and know well. Now just one to go!
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