The tough part about being an officer is that the troops don’t know what they want, but they know for certain what they don’t want.
The trials and tribulations of the past week largely forgotten (aside from a fairly major bit of concern about Karin and her move to Paris; it rips me up inside that I can’t help her, either with logistics or with finding her way around work) we move into another week. A weekend trip to Normandy with Wai Lau did a world of good; as corny as it sounds, I’ve learned to appreciate good friends with whom I can have an easy time outside of class. The trip itself ranged from stellar (the Bayeux tapestry) to somber (Omaha beach and the American cemetery) but relaxed me to no end.
Despite some cheesing (literally, never underestimate the power of copious amounts of raclette and booze to cheer people up and put things in perspective) around with our house dinner, both Le Vivier co-resident Alexandre and I managed to put on a pretty respectable dinner for 16. The expenditures for that bite, though.
It’s amazing how liberal people here are about sex. Even though I haven’t really encountered the kind of getting-it-on one would imagine from a bunch of brilliant, stressed around-30 people stuck in a pressure cooker of professional and academic worries mixed with a mad social scene, I’ve never before been around a group that’s so frankly open about getting laid. I’ve also never had so many attractive women flirt with me before finding out that I’m not in the market; mentioning that I’ve been with Karin for 11 years into conversations has become something of a stock move. After a while, it seems to get around who’s interested and who isn’t. I don’t really mind being the “safe” friend, it’s amusing-yet-fascinating to watch and hear about escapades/frustrations/fantasies with a bit of detached distance. Nonetheless, it’s nice when people understand you’re mature enough to open up to without risking an indiscretion, and vice versa. What happens in fight club stays in fight club.
Classes are picking up pace. Ironically, subjects (statistics) that recently left me slack-jawed, drooling cluelessly and demoralized have turned manageable, while others (economics) that once seemed like safe havens are exhibiting some vagaries and confusing aspects that occasionally leave me reeling with the sheer volume of crap they’re throwing at us. Add to that the fact that final exams for the period are around the corner (if I hear another person talking about the damn tests I’m going to throttle them) and you have the makings of a real fun few weeks coming up.