September 11, 2002 - Page 2

In spite of these sizable cultural and linguistic hurdles, the two dozen Centre students studying in France this fall have already begun to delve into the rich social and cultural life of Strasbourg. In this city of 260,000, situated in the Rhineland province of Alsace, we Yanks have done our best to interact with Europeans who share either our interests or mutual curiosity, often engaging these new neighbors in a lively political discussion or game of very un-American football.

The group activities planned by Dr. Bradshaw and our program director, Mme. Astrid Houllier, have kept us quite busy each day, whether we're touring Strasbourg’s breathtaking Cathedral with a local expert or dining at the most authentic of French-African restaurants. The Cathedral was appreciated universally among the group, while our reception of the African cuisine—like the raw lamb and native vegetables—was somewhat mixed. Boat tours and evening jogs around the downtown canal have been great for enjoying the town’s architecture and finding our bearings, and visits to the Council of Europe and (this Thursday) European Parliament are opening many eyes to the growing differences in political philosophy on either side of the Atlantic.

The week ahead will entail more lessons in survival French, meetings with our visiting professor Robert Bapooh of the Central African Republic, the weekly fixture for local football team Racing Strasbourg, and a weekend trip to the mountains of Western Germany. Everyday I feel less a tourist and more a resident. Today I explained in French just how I liked my Turkish Yüfka, and I never, ever, walk in the bike path. Who says Centre doesn’t prepare you for the real world?