My First Classes

I have now started classes and am almost done with my third week of school here in Lyon. Thus far I have been less than impressed with the classes themselves. We have block schedules, which means that we essentially have one class per week, 6 hours a day, Mon-Thursday. On Friday we receive our final via email and have 72 hours to complete it. Come Monday, it all repeats.

Last week I had International Criminal Law, a far cry from anything I have taken before. Our professor was a very nice Egyptian Professor (the Dean of the School of Law at the University of Cairo), who was lacking somewhat in the "captivating" category. He insisted on reading straight from prepared text and seems to be reading from copies of a book, on which he would take periodic notes. We all decided that he was writing a book and editing it as he taught. He also insisted on rolling the letter "R" in every word, which was quite entertaining. In the end, it was an overload on latin criminal law principle and he did an effective job of turning what could have been a very interesting subject, insanely mind numbing. This culminated in our final: "Defenses, Justifications, or Excuses for Criminal International Law. Discuss." It was really quite easy, however, the lack guidance on page length, outside research, etc...required us to try and figure out what he wanted.

This week we have International Labor law, a class that actually made us miss the friendly Egyptian. The woman's Spanish accent is difficult at times and in general she is very disorganized in here teaching style. Additionally, her final exam contained numerous mistakes and we actually had to email her multiple times for clarifications. Oh well. I am still in France :-)

It's not Bally's but it will have to do

Because I have a lot of time on my hands I have been working out a lot to hopefully come back a few pounds lighter from France (no small feat I know). I am lucky to have a "gym" in my apartment...essentially a bench, barbell with weights, and an elliptical machine. I have found a really good website that shows a variety of lifts I can do with a bar to workout various muscle groups. I just wish I had a few dumbbells and a squat rack. The one interesting element of the gym is the two vibrating machines that are somehow supposed to helf you get fit...but I cannot figure it out. I didn't feel like getting up early (my usual routine) and worked out in the evening yesterday. I learned my lesson when my usually dead gym was literally packed with 3 other people. I will be waking up early tomorrow...

My Home Away from Home

I thought I would post a few pictures of my humble abode. I am now situated in a nice little studio, close to the subway and a supermarket. I have a nice little bathroom, kitchenette, and internet. Overall I am very happy. I very much enjoy living simply and with few possessions. Although I have avoided buying anything significant here for my place in the event I will most likely leave it all behind, I am considering buying a small coffee maker. My friend Blair found a decent thermos source, so I might have to bite the bullet. It is a very reasonable price so I will probably spring for one as soon as I buy a thermos. The only probably with my studio is the rapid growth of the frost in my fridge. I have checked the seal and what not, however, it shows no signs of stopping and will likely require a monthly defrosting.


One interesting element of my place is the blackout shutters. It seems that in France they often use shutters instead of curtains. So, instead of some crappy vinyl curtain (e.g. my blinds in Tucson), I have industrial metal roll down shutters, the type used by businesses when that are shut. The best thing is that the room becomes black…I am talking cave level black. It is excellent…


I am also very happy to have speedy (usually) internet. This makes it easy to keep in touch with Brittany, download TV from the States, and of course, play poker. The only problem is that Blogger seems to be blocked, so I am forced to wait until I get to school to post my writings.
I am sure I will get used to living here, in time to leave in four months, but I guess that is okay. After all, home is where my Brittany and kitties are, so this is just my home away from home.

Settling into Lyon

After just over a week in Lyon, France, I think it is fair to say that I am getting settled in here. I arrived from London to about half a foot of unexpected snow that made things a little tougher. With everything I would need to live here for the next 4-5 months on my back, I somehow managed to find my friend Blair, who helped me figure out where in the town my apartment was. After arriving at my apartment I started to get settled, only to have to move after my UA roommate declared the place to be insufficient for her class of living... literally sending me packing after only a few days. Fortunately for me, Blair, my friend from UA, and my other friends I have made here assured me that I wouldn't go homeless and I found another place right away, the only downside is that it is much more expensive. By the time I found my new home, a nice Studio in student housing, I had also obtained my Student ID, which I used to get my Metro pass. Using the Metro (subway, tram, bus system), I have been able to cruise around the city, discovering good stores, figuring out my way around, etcetera.

I am very happy where I am living now. I am very central to a lot of places, close to a Metro stop and good grocery store, and have good internet so I can keep in touch with Brittany. My place also has a small weight room...essentially a barbell, bench, weights for the bar, and elliptical, however this is enough to keep me going on a daily basis. With some extra time on my hands I have begun to workout every morning and I have accepted the challenge to learn new exercises that I can do with a bar.

By far the best things about this study abroad experience are the other students. I have met so many amazing people from Thailand, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, and the US. We have become instant friends and have our own little family, so far from home. I can truly say I value every minute I get to spend with these people and look forward to seeing them everyday. Let's hope that doesn't change :-) Fortunately they tolerated my rapping of Will Smith's "Miami" in the pub the other day, so they have probably seen me at my worst, and yet they still associate with me.

School on the other hand, is getting off to a slow start. My "family" of friends and I get to suffer through six hours a day of boring lecture. While the subject of Criminal International Law is potentially very interesting, our Prof seems to suck the life right out of it. Let's hope it gets better from here. The good thing is the school administration is great and extremely helpful, so any problems that arise are usually fixed in due time.

Now that classes have started my days have become a bit less exciting. Lots of class and trying to finish up loose ends of business that need to be done (like getting a French bank account to pay my rent.

More to come soon, I promise.

Just Touched Down in London Towm

Hey there everyone! Before arriving here in Lyon, I spent three beautiful days in London exploring the sights. I was welcomed by a parade of over 10,000 marching band members and performers. Although I first figured I was receiving the most joyous welcome to Europe, I soon realized that everyone was in fact welcoming in the new year...oh well. I found a cheap but nice hostel and during those three days mastered the Tube (subway) (not saying much since it is wonderfully easy to use), watched the Rose Bowl with numerous Ohio State fans at a London sports bar (Thank you to Drew for the tip), and saw numerous sights including Big Ben, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park and the famed British Museum. Initially it was somewhat difficult, adjusting to the traveling, missing family, etc, but my expert traveler instincts soon kicked in and got used to accents, cold weather, and asking a lot of questions. I was taken back by the pure kindness of Londoners...everywhere I went everyone was so nice, welcoming, and didn't mind answering any questions I had. I enjoyed my hostel where drunken locals opened me with open arms and explained me the "sport" of darts, as we watched the World Dart Champions, ultimately won by a Brit. In addition to kindness, fashion was everywhere. Everyone dressed very hip and cool and I definitely felt the melting pot of cultures and fashion and I tubed by way around town. I felt fortunate that the weather was absolutely gorgeous, with sun, sun, and more sun...although it was continuously close to freezing. It was sad to leave so soon after arriving, but Lyon soon came calling. My only hope on my way home I can see Buckingham Palace and a theatre production or two... London, I will be back!

Welcome to my blog

Hey all,

I decided to create a blog to keep everyone I care about apprised of my adventures while I am living in France for the next four or five months. I am taking Masters of Law classes in Lyon, France at the University Jean Moulin Lyon III. I will be living and studying here with other international students, including others from Canada, the US, Sweden, Thailand, Israel, France, and New Zealand. I hope you all can keep in touch and follow me along as I explore French and European law, culture, bureaucracy, and of course...cuisine.