An Eclectic Update -- Jared Kelly, Frisbee, School

First of all, if you know Jared Kelly, you need to call him, email him, or make mention of him on your blog, because yesterday was his birthday!!! Twenty-two years old. What an oldie (but goodie).

So life in Montpellier marches on. In eight days I'll be done with all my classes and exams, and in nine my Dad is coming to visit me. Our rough plan is to spend some time in Montpellier, Nice, Verona, and Venice. He's been studying French this semester using one of those teach-yourself-French CD series. Apparently he's good at least for asking how to find Boulevard de St. Michel. I guess I'll take care of the rest.

I am really looking forward to his visit, though it will definitely mark the final moments of my time in France. He'll be here until the 26, and then I'll have a few days to pack up, say my goodbyes, and soak up the Montpellier sun before leaving from Paris on the 31. For those who don't know (which could be a lot -- I'm not always good at communicating this sort of thing), I will be staying in Colorado this summer as usual. I haven't yet decided what I'll be doing for work, though window washing is ever a possibility. I do, however, have specific plans in mind: I want to hike with my Dad, perhaps do a backpacking trip with Robbie Chalmers and his brother, and train for and run a half-marathon with my sister Nicole. Oh yeah, and play lots of Frisbee.

Speaking of which, I love Frisbee. The weekend before last we brought a Montpellier team to a nearby beach tournament. We were a young team that hadn't even practiced together, so we got 13th out of 15, but it was still loads of fun. It was also loads of hard work, playing 5 on 5 on a 100-meter playing field on sand. And at that point I was still recovering from museum legs -- that gradual atrophy that results from hours and hours and hours of walking at reading pace from one painting to the next -- so it was even more tiring. After the games the first day there was a wine race, a relay race involving running, drinking, spinning around a lot, and running again that inspired lots of laughter and memorable photos. Later that night all the teams gathered for paella and music. I feel like French ultimate players respect the spirit of the game much more than American players. They all love the game, but they love meeting other players and spending time together -- yes, even with opponents -- just as much. It's really something to see. Like the university tournament in Lyon, each match was followed by la ronde, where both teams got in a circle, the captains gave brief speeches on what they appreciated about the game, and everyone played a game together afterward. I'd like to impart that spirit to players in the US.

Last week, right after the beach tournament, I had three major assignments due: a take-home test Monday, a presentation Tuesday, and an essay Wednesday. I had worked on the various tasks for approximately eight minutes over my two-week break, but, miraculously, I finished all of them in time. With how few assignments there are in this academic system, in three days I turned in what accounts for 40% of all my grades for the semester. In the US, I've never had an assignment count for 40% of one single class, not to mention 40% of all my classes for the semester! Needless to say, it was quite a relief to get all that done.

There now remain three exams for me: Grammar, Phonetics, and Spinoza's Ethics. I believe, in fact, that I will go study right now. Peace!