April 24th Thursday

I got up at 9:00am feeling very tired and very sick. Apparently I’d partied a little too hard the night before. I ate some cereal and got ready for class. I walked there rather slowly.

It was another class with Lafond. Today we discussed biomedical issues. We talked about medications and technologies. It was interesting enough but through the whole class I just wanted to go back to bed.

I made it through and some of us went to the cafeteria to buy lunch. We went to the smaller cafeteria that often has a smaller line. I bought a chicken baguette sandwich and a Coca Light. The group wanted to eat outside since the weather was amazing. Karuna led us to another Sciences Po building that had a small courtyard and garden. Our group was rather large. There was Amanda, David, John, Karuna, Manu, Matteo, Milva, Casey, and me. We sat in the sun to eat lunch and talk.

Casey and I walked back toward the school. She needed to print some things. We went there and we also printed the instructions on how to connect to the wireless at Sciences Po.

After that I walked home. I needed to charge my computer for the evening class we had. I read a bit for the class. I took a small nap. I woke up in time to get ready for the next class. I had a yogurt and made a peanut butter and nutella sandwich. I walked back to Sciences Po. I saw some other students coming in. When we arrived there was a sign on the door saying that the class had been moved. We tried running to the other side of the building and couldn’t find it. Then we ran back to the original one. Apparently the sign was wrong and our class was sitting in there.

This class was a bit special. It was at 6:00pm so that we could have a video conference with the Seattle site. We discussed the reading and prepared for the class. Before getting started, Lafond came over to me and pointed to my computer. He said “Vous écrivez tout ce que je dis?” (do you write down everything I say?) I said, “Well not everything. I just take notes.” He said, “Ah c’est génial. Pouvez-vous m’envoyer les notes?” (That’s great! Could you send me the notes?). I shifted in my seat and said “For the video conference?” He wanted the notes for the whole course. I was like, “Well they’re not that great. There’s not much to them.” He said it didn’t matter. Tobias piped up in front of me saying “I take good notes!” Lafond kind of looked at him as if to say "That's nice." He wanted my notes. I turned to Sara in a panic. She said, “Ah I thought you’d react that way.” What student wants to send his or her notes to the professor after the class?

The video conference started. We had an interesting enough discussion. It was held in English. The topic drifted toward the environment and I interjected a comment. They had asked, “Why was America the leader in environmental legislation but now it’s backed down and Europe has taken the lead?” I’d pointed out an idea that I’d found while researching my environment paper last module. Part of it is due to the fact that the European countries are so close together. They have the threat of neighbor’s pollutants coming in to their own country. I said “Is America really that concerned over what Canada or Mexico is sending our way?” America has to legislate to control its own pollution. Europeans are pushing not just to control themselves but to also control their neighbors. I thought it was a valid point but the Seattle professor said, “Well I don’t really think that’s the reason.” They seemed utterly unimpressed by my idea.

The conference ended a little early when the equipment decided to stop working. We left and went home. I got home and went online for a bit. Karuna ended up making dinner. She made pasta with some bacon. After dinner I took a shower. I read for class and then talked to my dad on Skype.

I also got to chat with my friend Devon from the states. I went to bed around 2 or so.