Food=Friends

tip of the day:

If you need to make friends, involve food! Cooking not only impresses people but it also feeds them and gives you a reason to talk- because being silent while eating a meal at the same table is just plain strange in almost every country.  My advice is learn at least one easy recipe very well, then when you cook it will taste amazing and everyone will love you! 

I made  couple friends on the hall because I made some four cheese stuffed pasta shells. When you're at a dorm or anywhere away from "home" then a "home-cooked" meal goes a long way.

(it helps if it has a very pleasant and strong aroma because people will be like OOh what are YOU cooking) 

Yesterday marked the last week of the welcome program. AKA week of pointless loads of course work to "prepare" you for Sciences-po- I'll let you know how prepared I actually am...

But this is exciting and scary because next week my work will actually count towards something. and scary because next week my work will actually count for something.

Tonight I went to a dinner with my group and the 2 other groups (about 15 people each but only about 20 people showed up) and our professors to dinner. It was a lot of fun! I had some amazing duck and mashed potato plate. (mmm mashed potatoes). 

One of my teachers is crazy. somehow the topic of meeting french guys was brought up and the prof. couldn't hear the girl asking the question and so a guy at the table relayed it to the professor and he was like (to the guy) "What you want a french boyfriend... you go that way?"

and the guy was like "NO nO girls."  

Prof; "no girls?"

guy: "no no I like girls"

Prof: "as friends."

guy: "no I don't want to date a guy"

this went on for about 5 minutes.

I also witnessed my first strike today. Or rather 2! Unfortunately one involves RER-B the one that takes you to the airport, but also the one that is right next to the Cité-U. So I have to walk a lot farther to reach the now SUPER crowded metro. I've never wanted to stand so close to this many people at one time! The other strike is about the privatization of the postal service. So I hope that I don't have anything coming in the mail from the bank or agency.

Photos from top to bottom: 1.) Typical classroom at Sciences-po. Huge windows pretty small can only fit less than 30 people-that's squeezing in-but there's some more desks that you can't see.

2.) Me and Ayu (Japanesee) and Yi chun (Taiwanese) at the dinner de conférence

3.) Mara (Canadian) and Mariana (Portuguese)  in the computer lab printing off some more stupid forms that we have to fill out! Stupid Bureaucratic system! (This one was 8 pages!)

4.) Yi Chun (Taiwanese) Mariana (Portuguese) and Mika (Japanese)