Placement

I tried my best, really I did. Well, okay, really I just tried period. The French written wasn't so hard because so much of it is a lot like Spanish. Although the reading comprehension/questions was a bit more difficult although piecing together words and the general impression of the articles was the key. The independent "write a story about one of the children in these photos" was hilarious. The photo I picked was this one along with my very choppy French story about a boy who is a man in Italy making the wine and loves wine and has many women and many children and a house in Paris and likes the music and likes to eat and is very happy. [rolling eyes]

My conversation with the French teacher went rather well, I thought. She - of course, as those are those types of professionals (god bless them too!), refused me any words in English but would give me a word in French if I asked. When did I arrive and what had I been doing. I tossed out a few words like Supermarche (soo-pehr-mahr-shay), musique, un ami, des amis, Louvre and generally tried to French everything up by just adding an accent to it.

I tried to study my old notes from this past Spring's stats class but Monday was all about squeezing in registration, carte de sejour information, Mac wifi (wee-fee) IT guys (Non, c'est ne pas Lundi. Demain!), exams, La Poste, lunch, etc... So, I only got a few mintues and I guess I didn't even need to bring my Stats calculator down to class because it ended up being all these terms and definitions. So I kind of explained-around the actual answer. Like, I knew it, but I couldn't remember it so I just tried to get to the point the long way.

Econ was right after. Now, I have to say that my Stats class this past spring at MATC wasn't bad. In fact, while the professor was a bit hard to understand, he certainly tried to explain the course work and I felt compelled and incentivized to do well. Intro to Basic Econ at MATC was taught by a crazy cat lady doctor of econ who also taught little kids how to play piano. Yeah, that's the extent of what I learned in that class. OH! And she and her husband ran a storage facility, too. Oh, and her dad has alzheimers or something and kept his cash in the freezer and she had to fly out to Seattle to help him. Yeah. That's it. So, when I got the y=mx+b I had to reach back to a bit of this class but mostly just remembering it from college or something. It wasn't too hard to remember that formula and I always liked algebra; dividing both sides, multiplying to zero, solving for the x or y. But the next question was plot a demand and supply line of beer at 7 Euros. Um, yay beer! Um, no plotting. The last question was about some guy who had a lawn mowing service and had clients and supply and demand. I wrote at the top of the page, "Well, I hope that this guy makes enough to support himself and his family and can buy the 7 Euro beer!" If you know nothing and you're not going to be punished for it, what the heck?!

I plan to take French both years so if I can place in a more intermediate level then I'll get 2 decently challenging years of studying, writing, and reading. I was hoping to place well in Stats and Econ, too. 1A is first semester and 1B is second semester. If I could skip to level 2 then I'd free up second semester room for other elective courses having to do with theory and practice of public affairs instead of learning the tools to evaluate the systems.

So, after all that I found out today that I made French 2 (intermediate), Stats 2, and Econ 1A. Well, that's pretty damn good in my opinion. Tapping that drawer in my brain containing the 1 year of French in 9th grade high school in Argentina and self-initiative courses in Stats and Econ. I get 1 free elective next semester then and advance a bit all around.

So, now to register for courses.

Oh, no, administrative registration has nothing to do with registering for courses. The admin registration is all about paperwork to become a student. Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork, bureaucracy is a French word after all. Either way, I'm missing only 2 pieces but was allowed to become a student (copy of my private health insurance and a RIB which is like an authorization for automatic withdrawl of payments from my bank). Don't get me started. Don't even get me started.

I know, I know. All this moaning and complaining and your'e thinking, "Shut up. At least you're in Paris!" Well, yes, I am well aware that I am bitching as I walk cobblestone streets and ride the crowded metro, eat amazingly fresh bread and drink cheap wonderful wine. Yes, I know. But in every place, wherever you are there are complications between the beauty. And I remember this all the time. Even when I have anxiety attacks and think I can't eat and can't leave the apartment. Even when I'm standing next to someone who forgot to wear deoderant. Even when I'm sulking that I don't have enough money to eat sitting down at the restaurant but need to get a sandwich to go. Or when I feel totally unfashionable because I gave up on all-black in my closet and started to introduce colors 3 years ago. I know. And I remember. I'm in my dream. I'm in my goal. I'm in the process of living. I'm where I wanted to be. I've found the change of scenery and the challenges I asked for. Doesn't mean I'm not justified to complain a bit.

Rest assured, I am having a good time. If you didn't stop by Anne's website, take a peek at the fun had by all.

Oh, and by the way, beacuse I know everyone is wondering. There's just no way in heck I'd smoke cigarettes here. I think partly because I practically am with all the second hand smoke indoors, but also the idea of smoking and having to climb 100+ stairs a couple times a day seems horrific to me. There's just been no interest - even after drinking wine or after a stressful day or when I'm bored. I'm super excited for the smoking ban in February though. I'm kind of tired of coughing all the time and having my clothes stinky poo.