I think it would be safe to say that Spring has sprung in Aix. The trees are almost in full bloom and I purposefully walk down certain sides of the street to smell the fresh scent of flowers. There is even the constant fear of forgetting to take my allergy medication and walking past a freshly mowed lawn. This is just an idea of mine, but everything is just happier in springtime. It’s like that period right after lunch, when you are all happy and feel as though nothing could go wrong, except it’s an entire season. I have taken this advice from my cousin since I was young, “Erica, if you are going to tell anyone bad news, you have to do it right after lunch because everyone is happier after lunch. You never hear of a person happy right before lunch, that’s ridiculous.” So, by logic wouldn’t you think that the period right after lunch during spring has to be the happiest time of all. Now, I have no idea if this is any bit true, but I have yet to tell anyone bad news before lunch. I mean it probably sounds like I am ridiculously happy, which is not necessarily the case, I am too much of a realist to be walking on a cloud 24/7. Recently, I have been called “logical in the head”, I think it sounds better in French, but it sums it up pretty well. The city is now flooded with tourists and navigating through the winding streets while there are artilleries of Nikons and Canons is not the most pleasant thing in the world. I mean it’s just like being back in Gettysburg sometimes, minus the whole hoop skirt thing and Boy Scouts running around.
This week in the French high school equivalent English class we continued with the subject of elitism in American universities. The entire class has really made me think about what it means to be an American college student. Some good and some bad. The class has examined aspects from secret societies to alumni connections to student life, and even our clothing choices. Never would I have imagined that I would need to explain how Starbucks was perceived in the American college setting. I found this to be one of the funniest things ever, my students were explaining that the people who went to Starbucks in France were considered hipsters. But hipsters to them are more like people Americans would consider punks or thugs, something like that. They were surprised that Starbucks was the more “elite” button down, cardigan and riding boots type of coffee.
More recently they read an article describing Bernie Sanders’ stance on free college tuition. Now, to them having to pay for higher education is preposterous, but I digress. What I found more interesting is that they wanted to know what I thought and who I would give my vote to. I mean a student flat out asked me who I would vote for, I feel in the United States that would never happen. People don’t talk about politics that openly and at such a young age. I was taken back a bit, I mean when Americans think about political openness it is usually around the Thanksgiving table. At least for me, it’s listening to my grandfather talk about how he thinks Joe Biden is the type of guy you would want to come to your barbeque. Which is then proceeded by me looking at my mother who is giving me the specific look of “Erica, you better not push the politics topic at the Thanksgiving table this year.” But I usually continue, by “Oh Pop Pop did you hear Bernie Sanders said….” Luckily for me, my grandfather is a pretty cool guy so there is an absence of corn bread being thrown at people or something crazy like that. But I still ask why do Americans often tippy-toe around the subject of politics. I mean just in this article, I mentioned flowers and my allergies before I mentioned something more meaningful like tuition costs. I think we just need to get to the point at times and cut out all the annoying small talk. I guess we’ll just keep smelling the flowers.