Finishing Up

I've tried to write this post twice already but the... unstable individual that I live with has suddenly developed the notion that the radiation from our Internet system is giving her headaches, so she cuts off the connection just before she goes to bed.

We have an Ethernet system. I know not all of you may be that computer-savvy, but that means we get our Internet THROUGH WIRES! THERE IS NO RADIATION TO CAUSE HEADACHES!!!

I thought this idea was finally proof-positive of her really being crazy, but then today I discovered it has a larger cultural connection. While getting rid of my papers from the semester, I noticed a brightly-colored brochure from when I'd bought my cell phone on whether the radio waves from a phone can affect one's health. Every question raised in the brochure had the same answer: there is no scientific proof to indicate that radio waves have any effect whatsoever on personal physical well-being, as confirmed by the Ministry of Health and one other independent organization. But the fact that the Bouygues Telecom corporation bothered to make such a pamphlet indicates that this is a significant concern of French consumers. Were this the US I would blame the media for generating yet another health scare of the week, but as it is, I think the hysteria is the result of an urban legend blown way out of proportion by natural French hypochondria that comes from them having the best health care system in the world. Or they could just be freaking out over new technology like they did with the GMOs.

So, at least on this subject, Madame's not crazy, just paranoid. And ignorant of computers.

So just one thing left in the program. Tomorrow night the students and their host families are going to see Tosca at the National Opera. So this'll be the second opera by Puccini I've seen, after Turandot in the Olympiastadion in Munich when I was on the German exchange in high school.

Exams are over. Those of us in Cinema were pretty irritated when we devoted ourselves to studying all thirteen directors, their styles, and their works, and M. Bondurand made the whole exam an analysis of a clip from Kieslowski's Blue, the director and the film which we had all least suspected we'd be tested on. Didn't help that Blue was also the film that I liked least out of the ones we watched. Kieslowski just tried way too hard to make an art film, and the result is just aggravating. Even Russian Ark was better.

After the Explorations exam yesterday we had a picnic on the Champs de Mars in front of the Eiffel Tower to celebrate the end of classes. I brought Orangina and vodka. Others brought bread, sausage, cheese, strawberries, bananas, hummus, chocolates, pastries, and wine. I tried to eat leisurely but ended up gorging on everything that came to hand, it was all so delicious. Then I went to La Defense to meet up with my friend Kristie, with whom I'd explored the interior of the Sorbonne on Tuesday. We took the elevator to the top of the Grande Arche.

Got a lot of stuff done today to pack. Bought a sleeping bag at Au Vieux Campeur at much less than I thought I'd have to pay for it, and got my ticket to Libourne using the last day on my EuRail pass left over from Spring Break. I also bought more film, because Maia's given me the green light for my documentary study of the CVM camp.