The Week in Review

Monday: UPS: what can brown do for you? The possibilities are endless, but you have to find the office first. The Rhodes Scholarship was due Monday, and A&M was kind enough to use their extensive funds to purchase an UPS account for me. The only problem is UPS stores are not in abundance in France, but fortunately there is one technically in Toulouse. Getting to the office was a feat of public transportation. After taking the metro to the end of the line and then a bus to the end of its line, I spent 40 minutes wandering around Toulouse’s warehouse district and weaving through a truck yard in search of the UPS offices. Needless to say, it was an epic adventure that included getting ogled by Frenchmen working in a hardware store, being honked at by greasy truckers, and learning several life lessons:

1. 18 Wheelers ALWAYS have the right-of-way, especially if you are a pedestrian.

2. Look both ways before crossing a truck yard.

3. Fill out all forms correctly, pressing hard for duplicates.

4. Sometimes you just have to wander aimlessly.

5. Every now and then, customer service is conducted in remote areas of truck yards in the warehouse district of Toulouse.

Wednesday: Men tend to be more aggressive in France, especially garbage men. While I was well aware of how aggressive French men can be, I didn’t know the caveat about garbage men… at least not until Wednesday night. Coming back from Bible Study on Wednesday, I encountered a garbage truck making its rounds. As I moved past one of the men, I said “Pardon” because he was clearly blocking my path. Apparently he took that to mean, “Oh baby, oh baby. I want you.” Quickening my step, I heard him calling after me something about dinner plans, among other things. Not three minutes later, the same truck passed me on its way to their next pickup. As it approached, I saw the same man leaning far out of the window, leering at me and flashing his broken smile. Tempting as it was, it was clear he hadn’t bathed in several weeks, which, as far as I’m concerned, is an insurmountable obstacle.

Thursday: The main difference between les ghettos à la Française and their American counterparts is that the French versions have 18^th century chateaux in the middle of them. Thursday morning, my study abroad program arranged for a tour of the Reynerie and Mirail neighborhoods of Toulouse. These areas have a somewhat formidable reputation, not unlike that of Harlem or the Bronx in New York. They suffer from a 40% unemployment rate, within which 60% of those out of work are youth, and gangs and delinquency are far from uncommon. The area definitely has its problems, but the layout is rather nice. The quartiers act as self-sufficient communities, with their own churches, organizations, daycares, and schools. They are also pedestrian friendly, cars cannot move freely within the neighborhood and there are all sorts of architectural inventions to facilitate movement within the community. Unfortunately, the facility of moving quickly through the quartiers has posed problems for police in pursuit of gang members. Despite all of this, Reynerie has a beautiful park with a well preserved 18^th century chateau and gardens in the middle of it. It’s a rather unusual sensation to walk in the gardens with low income housing looming overhead. But I hear the chateau is rather lovely when lit by cars set aflame by rioting youth.

Thursday was full of notable events. Turns out not even the French understand French slang…or at least grandparents don’t. When I got back from class that afternoon, my host mom’s parents were sitting in the living room. This weekend the second to youngest was confirmed in the Catholic Church, and all able bodies were present, hence the grandparents. I like them, especially the grandfather – we had a bonding moment over dinner. During the meal, the two youngest girls began recounting a story. They have an affinity for speaking quickly and using unprecedented amounts of slang. At one point, grandpa and I were staring wide eyed and mouth agape at the two ranted on. I honestly have never seen anything like it. The two were so engrossed in their story that they didn’t realize the other was speaking at the same time. But all in all, I took comfort in knowing I wasn’t the only one completely lost by the conversation.

Friday: Friday night, my second to youngest host sister was confirmed. I don’t have much to say about the event itself, but it does merit mentioning. This was the first Catholic confirmation I have been to, and I found it enjoyable, if not rather long. The service itself was unfortunately rather uneventful, but the after party was a different story all together…

Saturday: I saw the fattest cat of my life. Don’t worry, I took pictures. At first, I thought it was a mid-sized dog, but I was wrong. It’s remarkable this cat is still alive. Just look at it.









A note about this cat. It's the neighbors' and I spied it from my bedroom window this morning. I did a stealth job taking its picture, but my zoom wasn't powerful enough for true paparazzi quality. But despite the distance, I still feel the pictures give you a good feel for the size of this beast.