So, I didn't write anything about the tribulations I have been going through for the past week concerning my future in France because my normal response to stressful situations is to try to block them out of my mind (all the time cursing the waves of nausea that invade my body during times of anxiety) and writing about them just isn't very appealing. Plus, I am ashamed. The healthy dose of pride that constantly inhabits my soul never wants to admit that I am perhaps not as smart as I think I am. But in any case, I have weathered the storm and am ready to spill the details on Mandounette.

At the end of my week in Turkey, I received an e-mail from the university where I was hoping to pursue my master's in communication, saying that I needed certified translations of all of my documents (my home-made translations not being sufficient). In a panic, I found a translator as soon as I set foot on French soil and then tried, in vain, to get more information from the university. Well, it turns out that by the time I got back to France, my application had already been rejected, although I was never informed (despite numerous e-mails, phone calls and office visits); so the 100 euro translations (not any different than my own except for an official looking stamp) were totally useless. I found out in a very rudely worded e-mail that my application had been rejected on Monday and I spent the next 2 days depressed, feeling stupid and unworthy. How many obnoxious, rich girls have I met here who have had no problems getting their visas and enrolling in bourgeois disciplines like history and literature, while I don't even merit an e-mail response or the presence of the secretary at pre-arranged meetings. In any case, ego-wounded by the spirit-destroying machine that is French bureaucracy, I sucked it up and sent in all of my acceptance materials to the other program I applied for, to which I was accepted. It is not at a research level and is a bit like repeating my last year of American university, and I am not looking forward to a year spent reviewing communication theory with a bunch of 20 year-olds with no life experience. But, I kept repeating the Futurama motto to myself: "you gotta do what you gotta do."

I went to the orientation meeting at the university today and was welcomed with open arms by an office and team of professors who are excited to have an American in the program to help open up discussions on international politics, offer assistance to the doctoral candidates in translating their theses (possibly a little bit of a scholarship that goes with this...), and give the office workers an excuse to use their English. I was lost (the bureaucracy is still rampant) but instead of letting me fend for myself, the head of the department actually led me through all of the steps and got me all of the papers I need for my visa in a matter of minutes.

The warm-fuzziness of the department made me want to cry after the inhumane treatment I have been receiving from the other university. Not to mention as part of the orientation we were led into the department's private computer lab, which is equipped with about 30 brand-new iMac G5s with every multimedia design program you can imagine! They update their computer lab every year! The students are all very cool and the university campus is much less sketchy than the one I was rejected from. So, it seems everything is back on track again. My diploma from this program may not serve for much, but it will be a fascinating experience to learn the ins and outs of French political communication. PLUS, I am required to take a "gym class" which means free yoga for the year and I hope to sing in the chorus, which travels and has concerts throughout the year with the orchestra.

I am pretty excited. Classes start on Monday and I will let you all know how they are!