On the park bench

The school library is closed and McDonald's free wifi doesn't work, so I've returned to the lonely park bench in the middle of campus. Luckily it's a little warmer out now than it was back in late November when I last hopped online in the middle of a deserted university.

There haven't been any major voyages since Ireland; a couple visits to the Bastille, weekly Tord Boyaux trips, a quick afternoon drive to Geneva, two crazy student parties, a few snowboarding sessions in the Alps and a nice weekend in Paris with Mom and Dan have occupied my time.

The class situation remains touch-and-go: I've been assured that I'll receive credit for all my classes in Stendhal (though nobody's worked out the details yet) without worrying about the semester extending into July or beyond, and I hope that my political science teacher will similarly accomodate exchange students. This coming week I should have all but one of my classes, the first time that'll have occurred since... mid-February.

I went snowboarding today at 2 Alpes - the university ski club, Ecole de Glisse, put on a fun scavenger hunt and barbeque and followed it up with a raffle drawing where all 50 of us won a prize. A little ways away, I was lounging blissfully with my eyes closed, enjoying the baking sun and Jack Johnson on my iPod, when I suddenly heard 50 people yelling my name (imagine the various Spanish, Swedish, French variations) - turns out I won arguably the best prize, a sleek new Olympus digital camera. Cool. I don't think I'll keep it, since it's not quite as good as my Sony beauty, but I'm going to try to take it back or return it in order to fund my likely next trip... Sverige! AKA Sweden. My friend Lina is involved with some big student festival in Uppsala and has nearly persuaded me to come; I'm looking into the logistics now. I'd like to perhaps voyage a bit more around Scandinavia, but I don't think we'll be quite done with classes by then... (though at least half of my finals will be finished within 10 days!)

A few photo highlights - more, as always, coming soon:

A 60% family reunion in Paris! The missing members sent Flat Stanley (the queer paper... thing... we're holding) in their stead. I was supposed to take Flat Stanley with me to Eastern Europe to help Sean with a class project about traveling, but I lost him somewhere along the way (like, back in my room).

A view from the 2 Alpes ski station that I've been frequenting the past few weeks.

Who said Europeans don't like Americans?

I obtained a much needed haircut and facial hair trim in Paris, along with several outfits of clothing - merci Mom!

This is the amphitheater on campus where the meeting is held each week to determine whether or not to continue the barricades. The votes have all been around 2/3 in favor of the blockage, 1/3 against.