Adventures Abroad: Studies and Life in Lyon: Stage Days Are Over!

So I realized yesterday that I spent 40 hours in this language intensive program for the past two weeks, which is two hours less than a class at Penn for an entire semester. No wonder it was so awful (and totally getting a French credit for it). For this class, the grading is based off of two writing projects and one presentation. Okay cool, no big deal right? Except the final writing project was an in-class essay. I hate in class essays. I always feel like I never express myself to my fullest capacity when I have to write as much as possible in a really short amount of time. I mean, when I write papers in general, it takes me a few days just to brainstorm. When we went to the American student orientation at IEP (Sciences Po at Lyon), the director was like "Yeah we don't trust students in France" (that was paraphrased). So that's going to be annoying.

But on a brighter note. Other things that happened this week!!

Friday

This sandwich was made with the very first baguette that I bought! And yup, I still make my lunch even in college.

Chicken, tomato, lettuce

While we were trying to have class, some African dance and music club was having a performance out in the courtyard. It was really frustrating during class because it was really hard to hear out teacher, and she is incredibly hard to understand in the first place. But then we went outside and watched. It was awesome. Drums, and dance, and music.

They invited people to come dance with them.
It was entertaining.

After lunch we went to the CHRD (Centre d'Histoire de la Résistance et Déportation). Lyon was named the capital of the French Resistance by Charles de Gaulle and was HQ for Jean Moulin.

They were so perfectly invertedly matching.

Travail, Famille, Patrie

Supplies for making false documents

This was a rosary made from the insides of bread

This was probably the most powerful object.
This flag was flown at Lyon's City Hall when the city was taken over.

As a museum, it was pretty good. The first half was really overwhelming with stuff everywhere and so much reading. There are little videos of people telling their stories but the videos get played out loud and it can disturb other visitors' experience. I know that when we went through on a guided tour, some people who were trying to listen to the videos got annoyed by us. The second half of the museum was really cool. They recreated parts of Lyon (the traboules, a kitchen, illegal printers) in the lower levels. I felt like that was the most effective way to put the visitor into the world of WW2 Occupied Lyon. The information is all really important, especially for Americans, who often have a hard time conceptualizing what it was like to have your entire country occupied and under the direct control of an enemy.

What was really cool about the building was that it is a lieu de mémoire (a place of memory). When the building was first in use, it was a school for army doctors. And then it was taken over by the Gestapo. Klaus Barbie, "The Butcher of Lyon," was in charge there and tortured people until most of the building was blown away by American bombers. That was super cool, but you kind of forget that when you are in the exhibit. I feel like if the visitor could put what they are seeing into the context that they are in, it would be a more enriching experience. I felt so focused on the stuff in the exhibit that I only remembered that the building was historic with so many stories to tell at the beginning and at the end (when we saw the caves in which Gestapo tortured people).

Did you know that Gestapo is an acronym for Geheime Staatspolizei?

Saturday

So today was the start of Les Journées du Patrimoine which celebrates French culture (this happens all over Europe but I just so happen to be in France) and opens cultural spaces to the public. I met up with Charlene and Penny and a few other German students from Charlene's Stage. First, we went to Hôtel de Ville (City Hall). This place was ridiculously ostentatious.

Like, what? That's just unnecessary.

Then we went to the Ballet and Opera House. It's really cool and modern. I typically don't like modern buildings, but it also holds practice space and offices so it's very versatile and open. Also, the toilets have seats, which is a MAJOR plus. Like, I can't even explain the toilet situation here. I just don't understand.

"We are the Muses. Goddesses of the arts and proclaimers of heros..."

Balcony seating

We got to watch the dancers warm up for free! I wish I was that graceful.

My favorite costume out of all the ones displayed

View from the top floor practice space!

The Ballet and Opera house are doing this awesome promotion to celebrate their 20th anniversary. For anyone that was born in the year 1993, there are 1,000 free tickets available for various shows. Guess who's going to free a free ballet show tomorrow at 4? Me. Bam!

We met up with Zach and Ali, lost the Germans, and found Chris, Tony, and Meg. We went to the Hôtel Dieu, which was a former hospital that is being renovated into a whole bunch of different things like offices and a shopping center. It is a gorgeous building that reminds me so much of Eastern State (boy, do I miss that place).