23h30
Waking up today was much more difficult, and I was very tired and exhausted all day. But I persevered--it's so hard in this gorgeous city :P We took the metro to class, it seemed to take just about the same amount of time as the RER. Tomorrow we're going to try the tram. I guess there's more walking involved, but we should probably take advantage of it while the weather is nice :)
Looking a little rugged this morning, ha :P
Class was...well...in a word...okay, I'm not going to say it. There's a lot of information, and as he reads it straight from what is presumably the book he's writing, it's difficult to follow. I wish it were more organized, but oh well. He does seem to genuinely enjoy the topic, but I think he's maybe not the best at teaching it. He answers questions very insightfully. He stresses frequently how much of evolutionary anthropology really is no more than slightly educated guesswork. I appreciate that, and it gives me more perspective when I read some of the things. Often when they publish findings, they state them as facts to make them more comprehensible. It's reassuring to know that a master in the field recognizes that there is very little we know, or can know at this point. We'll see how it develops from here. I guess he heard us all worrying about the difficulty, so we're having a review session on Thursday after class. Wow, already!
After class, a few of us tried out the café at Paris Diderot (the nearby university) for lunch. I brought my lunch, but I got a croissant for only 0.70 euros! Wow, what a deal--and man, it was good :) So satisfying :D
I had no French class today (only Monday, Wednesday, Thursday), so I just did my homework and took a little nap while we waited for the others to get out of French and for our Cheese an Wine with the professor to begin. Admittedly, I was a bit nervous. But, it turned out to be alright. There was decent cheese, good sausage, and very tasty bread. We were sitting down, so it was much more comfortable to not have a glass, though he was considerate enough to put out some orange juice. How kind. We were there from 15h30 until 18h30 just talking! I learned a lot about our professor--apparently he is very well renowned in the field of physical anthropology. He's been an expert witness in multiple legal cases, and knows all about all the big names in the field. He's pretty good, and he knows it, too. He certainly isn't modest, but I bet it would be difficult to be modest being that intelligent.
The view from Professor's apartment window: The Seine!!
On the way there, we stopped at a little crêpe stand.
Very tasty!!!
La Tour Montparnasse:
The tower touts the best view of Paris! It was so much fun :) We took an elevator up to the 56th floor, then walked up the stairs to the rooftop view. WOW. So beautfiul. I see know why they call it the city of lights :)
In the elevator:
On the 56th floor. Man, the pictures did not turn out very well at all, but I can't describe how beautiful everything was.
On peut voir La Tour Eiffel au loin!!
Et une église...
The Eiffel Tower glows and sparkles on every hour when it's dark. So pretty. I couldn't use flash because of the window, but I tried the best I could :)
Moi :)
Nous :)
We made it up to the roof. Such a beautiful night in the city of lights. Again, the Eiffel Tower:
La petite lune brillait doucement dans les nauges...oh, c'était si belle!!
Overall, I'm very exhausted, and not terribly interested in class (other than French). However, I have this feeling part of it is because I really know very little about evolution, and anthropology in particular. I'll probably do some more ready to familiarize myself, then hopefully things will become more enjoyable.
Oh, and I've decided my bed is rock hard. I've never known whether I prefer a soft or firm bed--I do now. So, thanks, Paris :)
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