AAAAAmagwenya, IIIII(||)esha!

So, for all of you non-Xhosa speakers out there, I've found that "||" phonetically represents the 'x' click. (In other words, ixesha, which means 'time,' includes the x-click.) With this said, 'Amagwenya Ixesha' is the two-word song that one of my classmates, Yana, made up in South Africa some time around our safari in Isinkwe National Park. If you're still trying to figure out the tune, think Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba! That's the first line to the opening chant in 'Circle of Life,' from 'The Lion King'. I recently found out that this part of the song is the part that is clearly sung in isiXhosa (as opposed to other songs from the musical version which include a mix of isiXhosa, isiZulu, etc.). You can find the lyrics here. (ps/ the Q in nqoba is a click, !; for future reference, the 'c' click is often phonetically represented as '|'.)

In any case, I bring this up because this is the first line of 'The Lion King,' or rather, 'Le Roi Lion,' the French version that I saw this past Tuesday. I had seen the musical in English before but I felt particularly attached this time for two reasons: the fact that I finally got to see it, and my study abroad experience in South Africa last fall. Given what I wrote in my last blog entry, watching this musical brought the emotions to the forefront and I was so moved by the entire performance. The clicks, the South African languages, the clear notions of African spirituality and the circle of life, as well as the clear notions of faith and belief, the bright colours, the djimbes and other African instruments, the fact that this musical was in entirely foreign languages (minus one line in the entracte: 'One by One'), the majority of which was in French... and I understood it, and the exuding spirit of these performers was just too much to handle. This musical currently stands as the epitome of the mélange of everything I have studied and experienced this past year.

In the end, it didn't seem like everyone was giving the performers a standing ovation, but I also didn't bother to really look around. All I know is that my row definitely, did and never have I clapped so hard for a play or musical.

The End of Part I of My Parisian Semester

Friday afternoon marked the end of the first part of my spring semester in Paris, and I must say there isn’t really much to say about this past week. Each day followed the rhythm of the past weeks since I’ve been here, slowly mounting to the fact that the academic aspect of our programme has come to an end.

All of my exams were completely fair, but nevertheless covered seven intensive weeks of coursework. My Travaux Pratiques (writing, speaking, etc.) final was on Thursday, while my economics and immigration & citizenship finals were on Friday. I think I did fairly well, considering the amount of information that could have possibly been tested. One could also tell that this past week has been on the more or less boring and repetitive side of life because our dinners became less and less complex, and more rushed to try and give us the maximum amount of time to study.

Ah, before I forget, we had two big food accomplishment for the week. First, in my attempt to step things up a notch, I made a pseudo-spicy beef and veg cannoli [ed.'s note: just realised today it was cannelloni] filling, the recipe of which I will include in my supplementary blog soon. Second, Trevor and I winged it and created a slightly better white sauce than our last attempt, eating that with gnocchi (ps/ it was extremely filling).

But aside from all of that, there were three great things about this week, and I’ll save the best for last.

1) About a week or two ago, I found out that France and Lithuania would be playing the first round qualifying match for a spot in the World Cup (ps/ in SOUTH AFRICA) while we would be here in Paris. And guess who’s going… Trevor, myself and 14 other BU folk, although I’m sure many more will join in on the fun. Especially given where we’ll be sitting, I’m wicked excited for this match. I knew it was a good thing I brought my French jerseys with me!

2) For some reason or another, this week was an über-nostalgic one for not only me, but for the majority, if not all, of my SIT: Cape Town classmates from last semester. I noticed pretty evident signs, such as the fact that many of them still have FB profile photos of them in South Africa, and that the conversation back and forth on our walls and photo comments refer to South Africa and our ISPs. Upon reflection, I forgot how tough and overwhelming mid-terms can generally get, let alone the fact that I was stressing over my finals. In any case, the great news is that I’ve been able to call a majority of them and catch up (there are still a few I need to get to). Everyone I spoke with sounded generally happy, but nevertheless nostalgic for SA.

3) Speaking of Safrica (which I don’t really intend to do, but just happen to anyway…), I finally saw ‘Le Roi Lion’!!! …although it was quite an adventure. I went to Théâtre Mogador right after school last Tuesday, getting there rather early. I went up to the ticket counter and asked if there were any student tickets left. The lady said no. I asked her if she knows when the next not-so-booked-night would be and she replied with ‘We are really booked for the next week.’ [N.B. This conversation was in French.] There was also a sign up saying they had no student (under 26 years old) tickets available. I had planned to meet up with Jane at the theatre and as she hadn’t arrived yet, I sent her a text giving her the unfortunate news that there were no tickets available (granted we could have paid the 49 € + / ticket fee, but the student cost was 10 €). However, she was more than halfway to the theatre so I decided to wait for her at the theatre and we’d try and figure where to go from there. It was approaching 19.00 and before Jane got there, I noticed a student line sort of begin to form AND THE SIGN WAS TAKEN DOWN. I was utterly confounded and when Jane arrived we ultimately decided to join the line and figure out if there was still a way to get in. A group of students (nine, I believe) were in front of us. After they PURCHASED THEIR TICKETS (even though the lady had told me earlier there were none available), we asked them if they did get student tickets and they responded with ‘oui,’ but they weren’t sure if they snagged the last ones or not. So, cue a frustrated M.A. Jane and I go up to the window and ask if there are tickets available, to which the lady responded with ‘oui,’ but the seats wouldn’t be next to each other. Fine by us! LOOONG story short… we got in and were about to see ‘Le Roi Lion’!

Catch-up…Again, Part II: « You Can’t Stop the Beat » (The Cooking Momentum Really Picks Up)

(N.B. In a similar style as my previous post...)

Thursday (26): After a late night with my paper, I was totally ready for the weekend and the excitement vis-à-vis cooking that we had in store for our dinner guests. Thursday evening, Gerald, Jill and Sam came over for dinner. Ménu: apératifs, pâte de penne avec une sauce de tomates et des boulettes de poulet et en plus du brocoli, la salade, des fromages et pour le dessert, les poires au four avec une sauce de vin blanc (sucré), de la canelle, et du citron. Of course, we also ended with pains au chocolat et chocolat chaud. (If you couldn't pick up what any of that was, make a note and I'll translate it into English, though I think you should be able to understand all of that.) We also played 1 000 Bourne.

Friday (27): I went to a cooking class taught by Elisabeth, at the Fondation. We made tartlettes, a salad with warmed chèvre, endives wrapped in ham and topped with a béchamel sauce that I made, and mousse au chocolat (there was an extra one that Camille and I shared, at Elisabeth's encouragement to finish it). Our end of the table (including Elisabeth) talked about travelling and food for much of the time, eventually leading me to the kind of cooking I've been doing since I've been in Paris. (Keep that bit in mind...) It was Jane's turn to come over for dinner, and so she and another one of her classmates, Elise, did just that. (Whoa, weird English sentence going on right there...) For dinner, we had: apératifs, salmon (me) with wild rice and asparagus (Trevor), salad, cheese, and had a duo-dessert (halved mango with brown sugar and cooked in rum and lemon juice, and strawberries that had been soaked in a mixture of orange juice, lemon and sugar; the mangoes were served with a reduced sauce of the leftover liquids from both desserts). As always, pains au chocolat and chocolat chaud ended the meal. After Jane and Elise left, Trevor and I continued talking and we got onto the subject of our favourites about our experience so far. Eventually, we got to thinking about who some of our favourite professors are and after recounting my cooking story from earlier in the day, we began thinking about the possibility of us cooking for them before we leave Paris. To make the night even more perfect, we figured out how to open the windows to the balcony. Paris is such a beautiful city.

Saturday (28): Trevor and I met up with Gerald and Jill at the Jardin de Luxembourg; quite exciting was the fact that the day was absolutely perfect (especially in terms of weather). Afterwards, we stopped by St. Sulpice and Tuileries (another garden in Paris). Our final destination for the afternoon was the Arc de Triomphe, which we found out students get in for free! About 50+ pictures and 500 steps later, we made our way back down and decided to do an impromptu dinner (as we were still up in the air as to whether or not we wanted to go to a jazz club). We ended up just staying inside and having dinner: apératifs, baked pasta, cheese and for dessert, dark mousse au chocolat accompanied by strawberries in various forms (including a nutella-filled strawberry with chantilly crème). As we finished up our pains au chocolat and chocolat chaud, we heard a key and were surprised to find our host family having returned from their vacation. Before and throughout their departure, Trevor and I had thought they would be back on Sunday. We (including Gerald and Jill; thanks for all of your help!) cleaned up the kitchen and dining room in the fastest time I had ever seen those two rooms cleaned after one of our dinners. Our host family was extremely nice about the confusion and told us that we could have just carried on, as if they had never arrived. In any event, the day still remained as perfect as it could be in Paris.

Sunday (1 March... when did that happen?!): After the adventure of finding hostels and what-not for my upcoming trip to Italy, I heard a small knock on my door. It was Elisabeth, our host sister, coming to get me for lunch. Our host parents made a wonderful lunch for us, incorporating ingredients from the mountain region where they had vacationed. (Un)fortunately, the food was definitely regional (including the names of each thing) and was not committed to my memory at the time. I wrapped up my hostel searches, booking everything that could be booked, took a bit of a nap, and then went to Sacré-Coeur to meet Patrick for Mass (finally after my fourth or fifth time being in Montmartre, I was able to get to Mass there). Afterwards, we stopped by a crêperie and ate some crêpes en route to the Comédie Française, where the BU crowd watched Cyrano de Bergerac. I'm sure I'd think it'd be as great a play as everyone else thinks it is, if I had been able to understand what was going on. In any event, it was quite the fortunate experience to be at the Comédie Française. For the first time in quite some time, Trevor and I went back to my room to have our first meal outside of our host family's kitchen.

Catch-up…Again, Part I: « We’re Just Getting Started »

Well, in what seems to be customary form, I must now go ahead and finally catch you all up on the happenings that make up my life in Paris. Last week was wicked hectic and my life practically consisted of school, eating, homework and, with some luck, sleep. As a result, I’ve had very little time to actual blog and, when I did have time, I found myself too tired to type. In any event, now that I’m all energised, I’ll do a very quick run-down of specific events that have stood out during my blogging hiatus.

Friday (20): Jane, one of my Model UN friends from my high school days, is currently studying in Paris and Trevor and I finally just got to meet her last Friday. After the dodgy (can’t believe it took me more than 10 seconds to think of that word) phone tag, Trevor and I finally got to meet up with her. We saw Banlieue 13 Ultimatum, had dinner at L'Hippocampus and went to the weekly jam session at Duc des Lombards.

Saturday (21): Trevor and I, for the first time this trip, spent the day at different places. I went to a wonderful aquarium/"movieum"called Cinéaqua. If you're in Paris, I highly recommend going, though it's rather expensive on a student budget. (Avenue des Nations Unis is along the way.) As I took pictures, I gave different sea creatures awards (some of them may be seen here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2037053&id=36203035&l=d0347). Afterwards, I went to Cité de l'Architecture & du Patrimoine. Unsuccessful at finding a theatre playing Slumdog Millionaire, I met up with Jane and some of her new classmates.

Sunday (22): I went to Mass at 9am at the church nearby my apartment-whatchamacallit and did some grocery shopping. After lunch, Trevor and I met up with Jane and two of her classmates and we all went to Le Marais in search of la Maison de Victor Hugo. We found it and did not take pictures (thankfully, we were allowed to breathe). After that, we all met up with another one of Jane's classmates and headed off to the base of Sacré-Coeur, where Trevor and I split off from them in search of pains au chocolat, which we were able to find.

Monday (23): A speaker came to talk to our econ class about the state of energy and resources in Europe. In retrospect, it wasn't really all that exciting of a lecture. For dinner, I cooked torti pasta with sausage, tomato sauce and cheese, and a side of potatoes, peas and carrots.

Tuesday (24): After our regular course load, Trevor and I had an unexpected cooking night. Trevor made rice and beans, while I made cheesy potatoes and added to our leftover pasta. We ended up not eating the pasta, which turned out to be a bit of a mistake, because I added bolognase sauce (with beef) and...

Wednesay (25): Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of no meat during Le Carême (Lent). I gave my Revue de Presse presentation on the topic of development in Africa. Based on various press articles, the EU as a whole seems to have made too much of a commitment, whereas individual member states seem to be contributing the most. Interestingly (and unexpectedly), my research brought me to that topic, within the context of South Africa, the Millennium Development Goals, and HIV/AIDS. After our econ class, Patrick, Pamela and I went to Notre Dame for Ash Wednesday Mass. We spoke in English and French throughout the day, including our discussions in the Métro about various aspects of religion and our random topics during lunch. I worked on my paper for Odile (on the representation of youth and immigration in the movie Salut cousin !) back at school, until we had an internship meeting at 6pm. Following the meeting, Trevor and I ate uncustomarily quick and early, as a result of the amount of writing we had to do for the next day. (ps/ I ate slower than usual though, as I picked out all the meat from the pasta.)