Doléances
Abroad in Nantes, Days 62, 63, 64, and 65
Monday I got to get a behind-the-scenes look at the regional archives! To me, being surrounded by shelves and shelves of string-tied, acid-free archival boxes is like stepping into a salt room at a spa. It was for a class I’m taking on French revolutionary history, so we got to look at real examples of cahiers des doléances (lists of complaints and grievances assembled before the Estates General of 1789). Touching old paper is so cool.
For dinner, I almost went to a restaurant that physically and spiritually behaved as if a subreddit became a real-life café. And even if I wanted to stay, the whole place was booked and busy — nobody had told me the nerd convention was in town!
Tuesday was a total wash. I had gotten used to the sun being out, so an even slightly gray day brought all of the rain-fueled rotting back. I did eventually force myself up and out to bullshit my way through my film class’s midterm. Got Italian food with some friends afterwards and the chef kept trying to make small talk with us, and one of my friends just kept saying “Oui!” to everything he said. I was too hungry to chit chat, and the only French I could recall in the moment had to do with cinematography.
Wednesday I sat for my revolutionary history midterm, called my mom, ate a snack, and sat for my French midterm. More total bullshit. I struggle to care about school here — middle school me would be aghast at my ability to separate my self-worth from my schoolwork.
Later on in the evening I eavesdropped on some groups of teenagers getting drunk by the river and went home for dinner with Jocelyne and Roger. Stayed up late with Roger talking about family and money and why I try not to talk to my grandparents about politics, especially about half of them.
Today I had my art history class at the Université and ate lunch with a friend at one of the dining halls. The plat du jour included a huge link of chorizo, a mountain of barley, and the choice between a meringue floating in cream sauce or a slice of chocolate cake/brownie so dense it’s how I imagine those calorie bars Lindsay Lohan’s character tricks Regina George into getting fat from eating in Mean Girls. My friend also got a block of mystery meat paste, which is probably better for you than SPAM in the long run, but the lack of appetizing color made me oh-so-slightly queasy.
Cinema class (talking about Lola by Jacques Demy — filmed in Nantes!) and then I got a coffee and did some homework before going to see Pillion at Cinéma Katorza (featured in Lola!). Harry Melling is a phenomenal actor who uses how weird he looks to his full advantage. And Alexander Skarsgård is too beautiful enough to make it easier for me to find him unsettling and easy to hate. Had enough visceral reactions to scenes (good and bad) that the only other person in my row started fidgeting, too. Great movie!
More Italian food for dinner — pizza this time — with a friend and ate way too much chocolate mousse for dessert. They gave me so much that it all deflated by the time we paid. Looked like a nice lil’ pile of poop. There were two birthdays in the program this week, so there was a gathering for karaoke. Mostly everyone in the program has become recognizable by the staff at the bar by now, a feeling of recognition that I did not like. I enjoy being a regular at a café. A regular at French-Irish pub karaoke? Jury is still out, but, frankly, it’s not looking good.
