It has just been a few days more than a week since my last post, but it feels like it could easily have been a month. SO much has happened.
Things that happened in the world:
1. It snowed in Kenya!
2. McCain picked Palin to be his running mate.
3. South Africa beat Australia in a Tri-Nations game.
Things that happened in my life:
1. I flew from Amsterdam to Paris on the same plane as someone who was being deported. He got carried in the back door of the plane by two guards because his hands and feet were bound and was screaming until they sedated him. Everyone else was staring. I felt bad for him.
2. I arrived at my hotel after paying half my life savings for a taxi from the airport, showered, and promptly fell asleep for 4 hours instead of going off in search of my group, who were at orientation elsewhere.
3. I went to orientation with our academic director, Earl (who is probably the funniest character I've ever met).
4. We met with various people working at Medecins du Monde to learn about Health and Complex Emergencies (famines, tsunamis, genocides, earthquakes etc.)
5. We went to L'hopital au Bretanneau to learn about Alzheimer's and it's effects on society in the Developing world.
6. I "faire du tourisme"-d around Paris, seeing the Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, and Sacre Coeur. It was great to be there a whole week and see different places during different times of the day and night. Montmartre is my favorite part of Paris. Hands down.
7. On Thursday morning (Sept. 4th) we left the hotel, drove to the Gare de Lyon, took the TGV (fast train--top speed of 300ish kph) from Paris to Geneva, transferred to another train to Nyon (which is where my french classes are going to be 3x/week for the next 2 months). Our various homestay families met us and drove us to our respective houses.
8. I unpacked! It was a glorious occasion. I now live in the village of Arzier, a 35 minute train ride from Nyon, 17 minutes from the closest person in the group. My host-dad is Nigerian and works a lot. My host-mom is Swiss and speaks French, English, Portugese, and German. They have two kids--Tunde, who's 8 and Deji, who's 4 and just started at the big school. They only speak French. I've had a great time getting to know them a little bit and practicing my French. They're at the circus right now, but when they get back we're having a BBQ with some neighbors and friends.
9. Yesterday we got all of our reading for the entire semester in the form of a 10 pound box of paper (the equivalent of 5ish trees, je pense), took our french placement exams, and explored Nyon. There is a castle, a McDonald's, Roman columns in ruin, and beach on Lac Limon. I'm excited to explore it more tomorrow.
10. (Random Fact about Jesse #whatever the last number was +1: Her lists have to be multiples of five long). I LOVE SWITZERLAND.
Other random fact: I love getting mail. Also, my birthday's coming up (hint, hint). My address here is Jesse Dimmock, c/o the Olaniyis, Ch. de la Chartreuse 4, 1273 Arzier, Switzerland.
Peace and Love and Pictures:
