Ben L'Oncle Soul

I have 16 days left (GASP!) to find this man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69ptYXvUo7M

Can she do it? Not while she's trapped in a library writing 20-something pages on global health inequalities, thats for sure. Contrary to the pretty picture I've painted of macaroons-and-long-walks-along-the-Seine, my program does involve work. Ah yes, the "study" in "study abroad.."

Next week is looking a little something like this:

Tuesday: French final exam, plus class group meeting from 12:30-7pm
Wednesday: Credit One final exam, two hours to (coherently) write as much as I know about Health Care Expenditures
Thursday: Credit Two final exam, two hours to (coherently) write as much as I know about Global Health Inequalities
Friday: By midnight, my group and I must send in our final 100 page paper.

So no, my friends, no care-free frolicking around the city of lights this week. As gross as all of this sounds, I'm actually deeply fascinated by everything I've been learning. I want to study, to research, because I'm hungry to know more. My particular dimension of the paper will discuss culture's role in creating health inequalities. For instance, is the gender divide in access to resources further exasperated by the cultural norms of the society? I still have a bit more research to do as we are taking a comparative approach, developed vs developing countries. We'll see how this goes, wish me luck!

In other news, it snowed today! I was about to start a prayer when I noticed flurry movement outside my window. As soon as I finished, I opened the window to a winter wonderland that I didn't think I would get to experience here. It was beautiful! I contemplated going for a walk outside, (getting lost is my favorite Parisian past-time) but my daunting paper was hovering over me like a curse. So instead, I stood for a good ten minutes with my hand outstretched, catching the flurries and dreaming of a grande peppermint mocha. 

Who am I and why am I in Paris?

Okay so my blog title isn't necessarily accurate. It should read 'African-American on the Seine' but that doesn't have quite the same linguistic appeal, nor does the term faithfully capture who I am. Born in Philly, raised in Chicago, being American is inextricably tied to my identity but so too is my African heritage. Put those two together and you get 'African-American'..? Kind of. 

You see, my ancestors weren't torn from their homelands, stripped of their language and culture, rather they flew in from Sudan on British Airways twenty-seven years ago to pursue higher education. I grew up speaking Arabic and English and I prefer hummus over mashed potatoes. So yes, I am quite literally 'African-American' but with the ever-increasing globalization of our societies,  what label is ever truly pure?

Currently studying Human Communication Sciences (aka speech pathology) and global health at Northwestern University. My semester here in Paris's Sciences Po will be completing my global health minor and help further my study of French.  I've always been fascinated by language and deeply interested in global health and so this program provides a beautiful synthesis of the two. 

I came to Paris once before back in 2002 with my family after my first year taking French in the seventh grade. I always knew I wanted to come back. So now I'm four thousand miles away from home and presented with the opportunity of a lifetime to experience living/exploring/growing in a new and beautiful environment. Trying still to leave all my worries back in Chicago and fully embrace this journey ahead of me. Apparently I'm in one of the most rigorous and intensive programs that are offered--good job Yomna, you always know how to pick em.