Headed to Geneva

Bonjour tout le monde -

Like Michelle, I don't generally go in for the mass email approach, but I figured this was a little different. I've just finished a four-week "orientation period" in Aix-en-Provence and am getting ready to leave for Geneva tomorrow to start the l'annee scolaire. It's been nice here, and being surrounded by fifteen some-odd girls has worked out well so far. The program is through Smith college, so it's me, Shannon, a couple of other girls from other universities, and a mix of "Flag-burners and trannies" (their words, not mine - sort of).
Classes here meant four days a week learning French grammar and culture, and alternating afternoons with a little seminar on the European Union and what they've been up to for the past few years - given by a rigid but smart French lady dubbed "La Petite" when she can't hear - as well as a litterature class where we studied a book by a local author, Jean Giono. Quite a change of pace from Chemistry and a Comp. Lit./film class this summer.
I don't quite know exactly where everyone is or when the weather changes there, so my apologies in advance if I piss anyone off when I say it's been warm here for just about the whole month. Not warm with a lot of wind or hot in the day and freezing at night, just warm/hot/whatever. We had half a week of hard rain and that's it. I can't say much more in particular since they tell me it's ten degrees when I wake up and twenty-three in the afternoon, and I say, that's nice. But despite having to do a conversion every time a look at the forecast, no complaints so far.
Winter's going to be another story, but Geneva really looks like a great city. We landed there the first day and spent the night before coming to Provence. I got the chance to walk around some and see the building where I'll be living. Lot of old buildings, lot of flags, and a big fountain on the side - what more could you ask for? And I move in to the Centre Protestante - only not necessarily for Protestants - on Sunday. I'll be living with six other students - typically the international crowd ends up there since the students from the area live at home - with my own box to sleep in and a communal living area/kitchen/bathroom?
Got to mention my host family here too. I've been living with a retired Catholic mother who raised four boys and a girl in large part by herself and now rents the empty rooms out to students. So also wondering around the house have been a Swedish girl studying the language here, and two students who attend the Sciences Economiques faculty here - one from Ghana and another French. Nightly activities have ranged from cooing at the hedgehog that wonders around the fence or watching goofy French comics to impersonations - good or bad I don't really know yet - of goofy French figures, on the tele.
French politics hit home the other day too. The peuple decided to faire un greve (go on strike), and I had to walk around everywhere until they decided to stop. Not really a big inconvenience for me, but apparently no one hear likes the wave of privatisation and capitalism thats rocking their world at the moment.
Now it's off to the land of chocolate and watches, where everything opens and closes on time I hear. Hope everyone's going fine for everyone, and I'll try to keep this blogging somewhat regular in Geneva.

A bientot,
Rob