So, the deal with the (e) in the title is that, in French, nouns are either masculine or feminine.
...Yeah, I don't really get it either. But, anyway, in cases of words like "ami,"* which could be someone of either gender, you add 'e' or some other suffix if the noun refers to a woman. Sort like writing "(s)he" when the gender of the person is unknown or irrelevant. Yes. Let's move ahead.
(42) is Wednesday, 17 February 2010
I made a friend today! And she's French! And she's big into movies and theater! Which is awesome!
I also had a good dinner near St. Michel and went to chorus rehearsal.
(43) is Thursday, 18 February 2010
I made more friends today! I just started chatting with my classmates, which was obviously intimidating enough for me to not do it ten or fifteen entries ago. But I did it, and these fellow Paris VII kids seem pretty neat. My 'Music in Cinema' professor actually gave me a little boost because every so often he'll make a note about an American composer or Hitchcock or Hollywood and-- because I introduced myself to him on the first day-- he knows I'm as American as Tarte aux pommes. So, he'll finish those thoughts with a comment to the class like "If you're curious, you can ask your American friend, here" and a gesture to me. Everyone chuckles, including me. Nice little icebreaker.
I also saw a friggin' weird production of A Streetcar Named Desire tonight. It was for a Reid Hall class I'm not taking, but as a member of the program, I got a ticket for 5 euros. This turned out to be a sweet deal, because I was in an orchestra section box with Tyler, Corinne, and Molly at the Odeon (perhaps the most beautiful theater in which I have ever seen a play). I had wanted to go because I read the play once and thought this translation would be more accessible than any other French play I had walked out of two weeks ago. Believe it or not, I was right... as far as the French went, anyway. I was completely lost, however, when it came to artistic design, production values, and other "formal qualities."**
They built a bowling alley into the stage-- which you can imagine I absolutely loved-- but the whole set was sterile and figurative and this French woman came out and did an English-language lounge act including "All By Myself" by Eric Carmen and they filmed the actors onstage and projected that onto the back wall and... yeah. Very... what's the Vassar word... "experimental." Apparently Blanche was a super-famous French actresses, though.
I am so tired because this has been a very long and very French week.
-Andy
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Footnotes
* It means "friend," in case your French teachers taught you nothing more useful than how to play petanque.
** I expect that exactly two people would both read this blog and know the genesis of that term. If there are three or more of you, however, please surprise me with a comment saying so. There are major bonus points in it for you if you do.
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