Things I Love About Paris and France

After reading my blog, my friend Alice was concerned that my memories of my time in France would be negative. It's a good point; there are a lot of criticisms on this blog and I would be remiss if anyone got the impression that I am not enjoying my time here or if they thought I didn't like France or Paris.

As a partial explanation, however, I should start by saying that I routinely ask critical questions, challenge authority, and I love to have long drawn out discussions about things that a lot of people either don't think are important or think is a waste of time to discuss. Sometimes I do this because I am naive, slow, or just underinformed by comparison to my colleagues. Sometimes it's because I have researched the area and have too much information about it and am just bursting to share. I often can't believe that my friends don't know something that I know. I mean, I pretty much don't have any "dumb" friends. In fact, I generally speaking don't like to use that word because to me it implies that someone is incapable of learning something. I like to think that when someone doesn't know something it is just because they are uninformed or ignorant of the issue. Because of this belief, I think it is worth spending the time to fill in the gaps in their knowledge...sometimes for hours...sometimes when they really don't want to have the discussion.

When I first got here, I didn't really know anyone well enough to engage in such conversations so I ended up spending all my time talking to Sheridan about it, which is a continuation of our normal conversations at home. Needless to say, when you are living thousands of miles away from somebody you love and only have a certain limited amount of time to talk to them, there are better topics to talk about. Enter the blog. It not only keeps me sane and but also takes some of the burden off of Sheridan. It's also substitute for the easy access I had to Sheridan, Seats, Molly, Orso, MJ, Chaps, Tom, and Andrew, etc. at home.

It's also sort of a diary for me. The last time I was here I inconsistently kept a diary and have always regretted it. This time, I have this blog and am very happy with how things are going.

But overall, Alice is right. I am happy to be here and have enjoyed my experience in Paris, in spite of my many criticisms. I wouldn't trade this time here. I have learned a lot in my classes and made a lot of friends.

In light of that, here are some photos, in no particular order, of the things I have loved the most about being here. Thanks to Alice for inspiring this post---it has been a lot of fun.



The Canal St. Martin is right next to my house and is beautiful. I love to sit outside and just watch what's going on.
The Canal is so powerful that it even makes me like kids.

I love the public displays of affection that are rampant on the Canal and elsewhere in Paris.

Walking along the Seine is ostensibly better than walking along the Canal. While it's true that along the Seine you can see things like the Pont Neuf here, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Musee D'Orsay, etc, I am still fond of the Canal.
I love the ubiquitous maps that theoretically prevent one from getting lost, although I routinely still manage to do so.
Sacre Coeur seen from the top of the Arc de Triomphe.
The small park next to my house that is filled with a wonderful mix of races and ages every Sunday.
The Tuileries at the Louvre.
The Eiffel Tower all lit up in blue and sparkly just 'cause.

The changing face of Paris. There are so many mixed couples here. I am pretty sure that France is going to have to forget about the idea of "francais standard" or "francais francais." Under the republican ideal, everyone is the same and differentiation based on race and gender is frowned upon. As a result, discrimination is more subtle, at least in theory, and is manifested through language. If your French is not "correct" it gives someone a reason to criticize(not legally, just culturally) you that is supposed to be disconnected from race. In reality, of course, "francais standard" just happens to be the French spoken most typically by white educated French people. I don't know how this method of evaluation can continue given how France is changing, in spite of what you see in Amelie.

In any case, I love the changing face of Paris and the next couple shots are dedicated to it.




The second most moving thing I have seen in France, besides Barack Obama's election and acceptance speech.
I have loved having good friends visit for a while. This is my friend Steve, gamely drinking coffee out of a bowl when we didn't have a clean cup.

As mentioned before, I love the literary quality of the signs you see all over Paris.

I love seeing the Eiffel Tower basically whereever you go.

I loved seeing friends from the last time I was here. This is Mme Schneersohn, who runs Academic Year Abroad in Paris and is just as sweet, funny and patient as I remember her.

How can you not love the Pompidou?

Place de la Republique, which is about a mile from my house, is one of my favorite monuments.
Place de la Bastille, where I lived 16 years ago, is ranked pretty highly also.

I love to see French people loving America for good reasons.

The following is a series of pictures taken one afternoon while walking around Paris in the middle of the day in the middle of the work week. If you look closely, you'll see the work ethic that has made Paris the modern day business center it is.




The Parc de la Villette.
Of all the things I have loved about Paris this time around, my classmates are what I love the most. The last time here I didn't really get to know any French people that well This time, things are different. Here is the above mentioned Alice and Lea, two of my classmates and good friends from Dauphine.
Lea, Alice, Kristina and I in the metro after listening to some free jazz.
Gary and Suzanna at a cocktail after a long conference.
From left to right in the back row: a professor I don't know, Joel Moneger, Antoine, Razika, Gary, me, Suzanne
From left to right in the front row: a professor I don't know, Virgine, Marine, Alexandre and Brigitte Chenu.
Gregor and Colin.
Marine, Suzanne and Razika.
David, Zsuzsi, me, Suzanne and Marine.
Me, Christin and Gregor.
Marine and Gregor.
Lu Lu and Lilly.
A guy I don't know and another Antoine at Flam's.

Gary, enjoying a tasty Flam. Marion, Gary, Alexandre and Morgane on La Nuit Blanche
Wolf, Christin, Zsuzsi, David, Kristina and Gregor before La Nuit Blanche.

All my classmates waiting for the professor to arrive.
I have also loved meeting new American friends here in Paris like Jean with whom I watched the election night coverage.

This is my favorite bar, le pont tournant, although sadly, I haven't been there lately.

I love to hang out at Le Pont Neuf and just watch the people.


One more picture of the Canal, no people this time, just the Canal itself.
I absolutely loved the Jeff Koons pieces in Versailles. Here, Michael Jackson and Bubbles in porcelain and gold in the Sun King's house. While many found the art out of place, I couldn't help thinking that there is probably no one more fitting to put in the Sun King's house than Michael Jackson.
HANS!!!
Wolf coming to visit. We were both here in 1989 and now 2008. Good times then and now.
I love free wifi in the park.

I love drinking out side, which is tolerated but not legal.
Dauphine!!! Despite it's crazy configuaration, maddening bureaucracy, and 18th century classrooms, my trip here wouldn't even exist without it.

I love frequently seeing historical figures memorialized in statue anywhere I walk in Paris.

I love all the beautiful public parks.

I love all the crazy and cool graffitti.
I love Andre Le Notre designer of many of my favorite parks like the Tuileries. Thanks Dre.

Mariah!

The pictures are in reverse order because I am incompetent at uploading the photos. Here we are the day Mariah left.
Here is a cat who joined us for a picnic at Versailles.
Here is Mariah with my friend Kristina enjoying the aforementioned picnic.
Me loving Jeff Koons works inside Versailles.
Kristina and Mariah hating Jeff Koons.
Mariah being silly in Versailles.
Mariah and Kristina in the courtyard at Versailles.
Kristina Alice me and Lea in the metro after listening to some jazz.
The view from the Eiffel Tower.
Us at the jazz club.
At Sacre-Coeur.
At the Louvre.
In the metro.
On top of the Arc de Triomphe.
Hanging out with Obama.
At the Pont Alexandre III.
On the Champs Elysees.

At the Eiffel Tower the first night.
On the Canal St. Martin the second night.

Cell phone calls and getting coffee

Professors here routinely answer cell phones while conducting class. Sometimes, they step out to take the call for 5 minutes or so. And it's not because it is an emergency or anything. The other day, a guy took a call about dinner. A few seconds later a student's phone rang but she didn't dare answer it. Egalite?

No one is really shocked by this---it is normal.

Today, I had a genuinely helpful class on the french legal methodology. Because of the shortage of available classrooms (I am reaching for an explanation here), we were in the equivalent of a library that doubled as a storage closet and coffee room for certain faculty members. Additionally, our teacher is pretty young. As a result, we were interrupted several times.

First, an administrator from another Master's program came to our door, which was open, and loudly began talking to an older professor about when this room was available and when it wasn't. Her cell phone then rang and she took the call, basically on the threshold of the room.

Then another administrative person came in, saw three of four youthful faces and, I think concluding that we were just hanging out in this room, strode toward the coffee pot while imperiously asking if there were some sort of meeting going on in here. When the professor responded that this was a class, her tone instantly changed and she asked pardon.

This was quickly followed by a professor entering to get some coffee while the two students accompanying him waited outside.

A few seconds later, another administrative person walked in and announced that there was some sort of party set to happen here in 30 minutes and that we would have to leave then. Before departing, however, she asked if we would be kind enough to help her by moving all of the tables to one side of the room in preparation.

All of these interruptions happened in one hour.

OK, first of all, there are about 15 places to get coffee in this building and most of them cost about 50 cents. Second of all, this just adds to my complaints about treatment of students and hierarchy here.

Call me rigid and inflexible, but in theory classes that are scheduled in advance are to be conducted with minimal interruption.

OBAMA!!!

OBAMA!!! is a new greeting here in France. Seriously, every time somebody thinks I am an American or finds out I am an American in the street, they yell OBAMA!!! At the aptly named Paradise, my favorite crepe stand(or stand de crepe in french) the guys respond "Obama approves" or "If it's ok with Obama" to any question asked. Generally, French people tell me Obama could never be elected in France and that they are amazed he was elected in America. Minorities often tell me they want to move to America because of the racism in France. I have to say, after so many years of routinely being embarrassed or less than proud by what my country had done or how it had represented itself, I have really been enjoying the praise heaped on America over the last few weeks.

I love that America elected Obama and I love what that means about how far we have come in 40 years time. I have been happier than ever to be an American (with the notable exception of my adolescent love and pride about the Dream Team's dominance at the Olympics in 1992). Usually, I just feel fortunate to have been born here and happy to take advantage of all the privileges and riches the country provides. In the last two weeks, however, it's been different. I am proud of the fact that so many people got past not just racism but the fear mongering that has characterized the past two presidential campaigns to elect Obama. I have been feeling like Obama's election is a repudiation of everything the Bush administration stands for: disregard for or cynical manipulation of the law, division of the people, and overt privileging of wealthy interests.

As such, I have taken a two week moratorium on any critical words about our country. Well, two weeks are over and I am going to ask the question I have heard a lot on Democracy Now recently: "How do you criticize a leader you supported?"

Now that I have finally voted for a winner, how am I going to hold him accountable without losing my enthusiasm for him. I am afraid he is going to disappoint me as president the same way he disappointed me as a candidate for the job. Let's not forget that he voted for immunity for the telecoms who cooperated with the government and spied on us. Let's not forget that he supports the death penalty. Most of all, let's not forget that he sort of endorsed the very policy the Bush administration is carrying out right now with respect to Pakistan, a policy that I totally disagree with. Don't forget that Biden voted for the Patriot Act and Obama voted to reauthorize it. The candidate for change is problematic, too.

What can we infer about his policy as president from his transition team? I hope nothing because what I see is the same group of former Clinton administration officials reassembling. As Amy Goodman points out Obama has picked John Brennan and Jami Miscik to help with intelligence. I don't know how to reconcile this pick with Obama's recent Bush like proclamation that "The U.S. does not torture and I will make sure it doesn't it." John Brennan supports extraordinary rendition and Jami Miscik was there when George Tenet was making the faulty case for war.

I am not saying that everyone who served in the past administration should be fired. However, what does it say to those people who resisted the Bush administration's perversion of the law if people like Brennan and Miscik are part of the new Obama administration? I don't get it. To me, this isn't change.

I just read this morning that Eric Holder is being strongly considered for Attorney General. Not only is he a former Clinton team member but also now representing Chiquita International in a lawsuit about Chiquita paying off Colombian paramilitaries. In fact, according to Dan Kovalik, Holder helped negotiate with the Justice Department on behalf of Chiquita in regards to the criminal charges. In any case, Eric Holder as AG seems to signal a continuation of privileging business interests over human rights, not change.

Now, I don't really know how or whether Obama will represent policy change, but I am trying to figure that out. What I do know is that he is more amenable to the kinds of changes I believe in than would have been McCain.

I have heard great things recently that convince me it is possible: 1)Abraham Lincoln wasn't an abolitionist when he took office, the abolition movement made him so; 2) LBJ wasn't for civil rights until MLK made him so.

Who's going to move president Obama? Maybe Obama said it best when asked in the democratic primary debate whose campaign Dr. King would endorse.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pkkdjngBu0

Law school in France is just like law school in the states

As I spend more and more time here, I am beginning to see more similarities than differences. I guess I am always like that: reactionary at first but then accepting. Anyway, although I am still irritated by the differences in format, i.e., the fact that classrooms can change at the drop of a hat and the hierarchy between professors and students is much more entrenched here, I am really beginning to see how this experience mirrors my experience at SLU.
For example, at its base, we read cases for the holding and the evolution of the law in this area. Sometimes the professor tells us what we are looking for and sometimes we are supposed to find it on our own. Sometimes the professors are really well organized and on point and sometimes they are not.
I am learning a lot, especially about structure. I think that I just typically reject structure intuitively but here, for some reason, it is easier to see. Maybe it's because it's in another language and I don't always get the full nuance of the law so I cling to the structure. In any case, I can see how things develop and I better see how you must methodically go through each step in order to analyze carefully the case. This revelation might explain some of my failures in law school in the states where I systematically skipped as many steps as I could to get to what I thought was important, which, coincidentally was not what the professor often thought was important.
I wrote a paper about this last semester criticizing my professors at SLU and, I guess, the pedagogy that is representative of law school. I claimed that law school generally ignores the important issues of race, gender, class and sexuality and even worse, pretends that these issues have nothing to do with "the law". Kimberle Williams Crenshaw calls this "perspectiveless" legal pedagogy which is especially difficult for minority law students who are basically asked to check their identity at the door when reading cases for fear of appearing "hysterical" or un-law student like. My own experience at SLU taught me that my questions about race were not welcome, either by the professor or the other students. While professors didn't explicitly do this, students definitely rolled their eyes at the mere prospect of discussing what they considered to be an "off topic" subject.
Until today, there had been no examples of the personalization of the law against which I could compare this phenomenon. Today, however, my friend Kristina questioned the holding of a case involving Reunion Island, one of France's former colonies. I won't go into the details of the case but basically it seems that sometimes France considers Reunion Island as part of France and sometimes it doesn't, which produces results with regards to taxes and additional charges that helps France and hurts Reunion Island.
When Kristina boldly said she found this practice contradictory, the professor at first did what almost all of my American professors did and tried to maintain some sort of strict division between law and politics. Further, most of the students put their pens down and quit writing. While they didn't roll their eyes and I won't risk a definitive interpretation of what their faces betrayed, suffice it to say they seemed to be indulging her. Sadly it seemed that Kristina was going to be told that the law was the law because the court had said so, that the internal logic of the court was clear, and that she ought to just accept it. Instead, amazingly, the professor relented and begrudgingly allowed that politics played an important role here.