Or where I have disappeared to since the last post.
To start off, finals wrapped up very nicely, though not without just a little stress and worry. They were well timed, overall: three one week, two on Monday and Tuesday of the next week.
But then, at some point in the semester, I got this crazy idea that it would be good to leave for a consulting project in Africa the minute I walked out of my last final. Yes, that's right, our final ended at 1:30, and we were in a car for the airport at 1:35. What can I say, I enjoy life on the wild side. This meant that all my belongings for a three-week trip out of the country had to go with me from my apartment to school on the morning that it decided to provide the season's first real snow. It was beautiful. But not ideal.
After the final, we collected our group and drove through the still-falling snow to the airport for an altogether 12-hour flight that would take us from the snow to summer-worthy temperatures in Ghana, Africa. The trip went smoothly, though provided no sleep--I think that finals had kind of messed up my brain. The Amsterdam airport is great for layovers.
Our trip was an absolute success. The project went well, and the experience was unforgettable. Especially the lizard in my bathroom the first morning. Memorable. Our team worked hard--meetings all day for several days and then two 3 a.m. nights pulling the presentation together. The consultant's life! We got to go to the market where many of our client's customers sell their products and really understand how business works in Africa. It's very different. Informal is the key word--unlike anything I've ever seen in the U.S. It's much easier to understand the barriers to developing a successful financial system at every level of society. The biggest downer was the lack of consistent access to Internet or telephone communication, especially after getting so accustomed to having email constantly at school.
We took a red-eye flight from Ghana back to Amsterdam and then off to Paris. Somehow, the airline managed to lose my baggage, which made for an interesting first 24 hours of the trip. I don't have the best French skills, and had no reliable telephone number where I could be reached in the city. Thankfully, we got something figured out, and it was delivered at 10:45 on Christmas Eve--in time for us to go to a beautiful Christmas Eve service at a nearby cathedral. We also caught part of a service at Notre Dame on Christmas Day, with the highlight being singing "Angels We Have Heard on High" at the end, accompanied by the Cathedral's amazing organ. Since then, we have been wandering up and down the city, scouting out Christmas cheer and just the beauty of it all. It has been a trifle chilly, but we came prepared, and there are always cafes nearby to dart in for a cup of hot chocolate or some coffee to warm up. We are just enjoying some time together, in the same place, without school on our minds for a little while.
There are a few pictures below, but I've posted more on Facebook. Enjoy them!
Happy New Year, and a belated Merry Christmas!
Les Invilades
A Christmas Carousel
Christmas Market on Blvd. St. Germain
L'Ecole Militaire
Us :-) 
