Temple University Athletics
Veronica Radice Blog - July 14
7.15.09 | Field Hockey
July 15, 2009
Sophomore midfielder Veronica Radice is spending four weeks stuyding at the Sorbonne in Paris, France and will be sharing her experience with Temple fans over the next month.
Salut!
Yesterday, July 14th, was France's independence day, Bastille Day. In the morning there was a military parade and the president appeared at the Champs Elysees. Military airplanes flew over the Champs Elysees and through Paris. There were numerous concerts and festivals going on throughout the city as everyone gathered in the parks with friends to celebrate and await the much anticipated fireworks. I watched the fireworks with some of my friends a few bridges away from the Tour Eiffel. We had a great view and the fireworks were spectacular against the backdrop of the Tour Eiffel. It turned out to be a perfect day and I enjoyed being able to share Bastille Day with the French since I missed the 4th of July at home.
This past weekend I traveled to Chantilly and Auvers-sur-oise. In Chantilly we visited a beautiful ancient castle located right outside of Paris. The chateau was last owned by the Conde family, and contained a variety of artwork and heirlooms. I also walked through the gardens surrounding the palace and there I found a small hamlet reminiscent of Marie Antoinette's hamlet in Versailles. Next, in Auvers-sur-oise, we visited Vincent Van Gogh's house and saw the landscapes, houses, and church that inspired several of his works of art.
This is my second week of classes at the Sorbonne and I love it! The class that I was placed into is challenging in some aspects but perfect for my desire to be stimulated and immersed in the language. Almost every single student in my class is from a different country so it is wonderful to meet other students from everywhere around the globe. The common language among us is French, therefore, we are presented with a situation in which we must use our speaking skills in order to communicate with one another. Not a single word of English is spoken in class, besides I think that my professor does not know English herself. Although the immediate and complete immersal into the language was overwhelming at first, I have adjusted and have been using every possible moment to practice my French. I have Phonetique in the morning, which is a phonetics laboratory in which we practice our pronunciation and improve on oral expression. Then at mid-day I have my actual class in which we learn grammar, vocabulary, read literature, and improve on general fluency. In the afternoon there are optional lectures which are based on a variety of different topics of interest including history, cinema, food, fashion, etc. Today I gave a presentation on Gustave Flaubert and his novel, Madame Bovary. I think it went quite well! Everyday I walk through the Jardin du Luxembourg to get to my next class, and between classes I eat lunch, sometimes a crepe or sandwich, then go sit in a park right across the street from Notre Dame.
I explored the neighborhood of Marais, located in the 3rd and 4th arrondisment, which is known to be a somewhat bourgeois area but contains several of Paris's wonderful musuems as well as a prominent Jewish community in Paris. I walked through the Musee Carnavalet which is a grand mansion that contains and explains the history of Paris. This musuem, along with several others, is free and there are others that are either free or have discount admissions for students which is great. I also have been shopping, and right now is the 'Soldes', or the period of big sales that occur only twice a year!
I have an oral exam tomorrow in phonetique that I have to prepare for; so see you next week!
Veronica
