Today, part II

I'm doing this in two parts because it would end up being very long.  I think a psychological break is needed, anyway.

Following class my day turned around pretty quickly and completely.  Two classmates and I had arranged to meet our old visiting professor from fall semester, the adorable French one who smokes a pipe and loved us.  We had planned since about December that we would meet in the Cafe Croissant, the place where admired "socialist" intellectual Jean Jaures was assassinated in 1914.  We studied him a lot in class and like the French history nerds we are we were super excited to see this place.  In fact, we were so into it that we did research and found contemporary sources detailing the layout of the cafe and figured out exactly where he was sitting when he was shot.  I ended up getting the place of honor and sitting in that very seat.  Of course we enthusiastically reenacted the moment, with me playing Jaures.

I had not eaten all day so was starving after class.  My friend and I went to get a snack and discovered a fantastic little creperie near the campus and got some tea and a little crepe there; it was genial!  Then off we went to Cafe Crossaint and scouted the proper table, met Pierre, and spent a while dorking out about the history of the place.  Pierre is definitely one of my favorite profs of all time - he's super smart, respected, and well-known in the academic community, but at the same time very fun and down to earth.  We gossiped and debated and enthused over philosophy and history and generally had a good time. 

The food turned out to be really great, too.  I got a five cheese ravioli with prosciutto (sounds weird but the prosciutto totally made the dish, it was delicious) and mousse.  They even have a Jean Jaures cocktail, amusingly made of champagne and various red fruits.  We hung out with Pierre for almost three and a half hours and hardly noticed the time at all.  And we decided to go back on the anniversary of the assassination, July 31.  

And now I'm home, tired and still somewhat cold, but much happier than I was this afternoon.  Reading over this it sounds like the assassination was what cheered me up, but it was really Pierre.  He just always makes me happy.

I leave you with an amusing video for those who know French: this silly song was going through my head all day when I was annoyed.  "Ça m'énerve" by Helmut Fritz (a funny name in itself) - that phrase means it annoys me/pisses me off.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mNDYWhRSaw

A choice bit:  "Ça m'énerve, toutes celles qui boivent le champagne rosé
Ça m'énerve, pour oublier qu'en Jimmy Choo t'as mal aux pieds...

Tout ça pour des macarons à la Tourte
Mais bon
Il parait qu'ils sont bons"

Omm macarons.