Thursday, January 06, 2011

New semester's resolutions

So I will be spending the spring semester in Frahnce. After complications and obstacles that could make for a more substantive blog post but won't, it is actually happening. So, I will list my goals for the spring, academic and Paris-specific.

-Two dissertation chapters. Well, maybe three - what's now Introduction might be more like a short introduction and a Chapter 1. That plus a non-introductory chapter.
-Finish primary research. Including the non-Paris part. One of the most important subjects of my dissertation came from the south of France, where I've never been. If the relevant docs are not on Gallica by now (fingers crossed), I will make that trip.
-Send emails more quickly. Especially in French, especially to professors.
-Meet the professors I hope to meet, aka the three other people in the world who work on the same thing as I do.
-Think of things to eat that aren't pasta. (Less a nutritional concern than an I'll-be-living-in-a-dorm-yes-a-dorm-with-a-communal-kitchen-at-best problem.)
-Restrain myself at Petit Bateau.
-Practice somewhat less restraint when it comes to shoes (with 20-euro shiny ballet flats everywhere, a red patent pair can totally happen), books, perhaps one haircut (and dye? maybe? this, this is what I want, but another option is to buy some bleach at Ricky's and dye the tips myself.)
-Not use 'but it's Paris' as an excuse not to go running. At the very least, bring running sneakers.
-Not be too much of a hermit - arriving in the middle of the school year, and already being at the dissertation-writing stage, will make this more complicated, but knowing some people already in Paris should make it less so.
-Go to (more) French-Jewish communal events. Read their publications. Get more plugged into what's going on with contemporary French Jewry.

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