Just a quick post today. The weather has been acting a bit strange lately. Saturday afternoon we were beset by hail, but only after my trip to the market concluded. I also discovered a place on the old port that passes out free couscous. It was fantastic, and I have a photo up above to prove that there is nothing quite so wonderful as a hot serving of couscous on a cold Saturday afternoon. I think it's a muslim organization that is passing these out, but regrettably they will cease to do so at the end of February. Until then, I have found my new favorite lunch for Saturdays.
My new class, British and American Culture, has been relatively uneventful thus far. Being the only American in the class means that I get called on frequently to give an "American" perspective. This also means that I know the names of about three of the twenty four students in the class, all of whom know me by name. No zany misadventures this week, I've been too busy with school. On Thursday night when I went out to a bar, I feared that perhaps I was going crazy. Everywhere I went people seemed to know exactly who I am and took pleasure in telling me so in English. After the fourth time this happened, I realized that these were people from my class.
No zany misadventures for this week, but I did manage to finally open a French bank account. After giving them two forms of ID, my passport, proof that I paid rent, my fingerprints, blood and semen samples, and a piece of paper promising them my first born, the lady I'm staying with came with me down to the bank to prove that I was staying with her legally. Banks here are run very differently than they are back in the states. For one thing, you have to make an appointment with them before you can actually open your account. I'd complain, but given that our banking system is part of what led to an economic meltdown, I think I'll hold my tongue.
