Been a long time mes amies...
I find myself in a room that dates back to the early 1700s, old world style. It is 2:49 in the morning and I'm typing on a European keyboard. Very strange. They seem to have de-prioritized the period punctuation as it requires holding the shift button to key it in. Today Claire and I strolled throught the town of Montpellier. It is beautiful and other worldly. Almost space age as the buildings are tightly fit into the area and the streets are paved out of a lovely marble that allows for the tap tap of your heels to vibrate the air.
Coming to Montpellier took a small bit of persuasion from Claire as I speak merely nouns of French and severly lack the ability to create sentences. This difficulty in a home of all French and French speaking people is more than challenging. But I'm learning through my Fugly Fish as she translates bits of conversation. I can now say 'Je sent le fromage' this means-i smell the cheese. You would be surprised how often this little line comes in handy. Everyone is forgiving of my hapless French and all is well as the meaning gets across someway or another. Mostly hand gestures do the trick.
Despite this difficulty, I would venture to say that these last two days of Montpellier have been better than the freezing harsh days of Paris. Claire and I felt as though we had been banished to our rooms as the cold air chilled your bones the moment you left a building. So we were left to our own devices and with too much internet service. Illegally? or perhaps simply borrowing films and television shows for our viewing pleasure. Channing Tatum is declared the love of our lives. But I would be horrible not to note that Claire does have dibs. So I'm merely in que.
I think I'm lessening the experience of Paris. What I should say, minus the icy weather, is that it is magical, truly the city of lights and fashion. Magazines come to life on the sidewalks and inside the cafes. High heeled shoes are worn out of habit rather than called for on a special occasion. The wine is sweet and the cheese is delightful. The night life in Paris is the most fun as it requires all hours of the night and morning. Paris is an international focal point and it shows in its population. I've met someone from every continent-minus Antartica. Somehow we piece together our languages to create communication. Magnificent. France, Claire, and Christmas is only a day away--- Parfait

I forgot to mention we took a train from Paris to Montpellier-this is a summary of the trip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dhO5SMNtyA&feature=related

Leave: Thursday, December 10, 2009. Departure: 2:40pm -Washington, 5:20 -Paris

I’m writing this stinkin research paper. I’ve got 13 pages done. But as I contemplate Self-Efficacy and different preventative measures for HIV my gaze drifts to the window, but I don’t make it past the sill, I focus in on movement around a wire running the perimeter of the house and through the window. Electrical jazz in this house is shotty. But running back and forth down the line are tons of little ants walking in a straight line. It’s a two way street and when they encounter one another it’s as if they’re stopping to communicate. I wonder what they’re doing. Ants don’t seem like aimless creatures to me. I feel like they’ve got a motive to be there, which is why I’m happy with the glass that separates us. Ants are one of the things that is very similar between South Africa and the US. That and most everything. Yes there is a high inequality genie coefficient- I think it is .83. But there are no pink cotton candy trees or rivers made out of green gak. I haven’t seen one creature from a Dr. Seuss book. Just to set the record straight... That is what I’m here for, monitoring the movement of ants and dispelling untrue myths about South Africa. I wasn’t really expecting to see a cat in a hat or anything of that sort but I did expect to see more differences. I know South Africa is very westernized but I don’t think that is it either. I guess land is basically the same everywhere you go. Green grass, brown tree trunks, blue skies, and invisible air. No surprises. For being such a foreign land, everything feels rather familiar. (Or maybe I'm simply a South African now) So maybe that means that the differences are between the human inhabitants and I? But even there I’ve only seen one nose per person and two eyes a piece. Perceptions. Aren’t they a dizzy.