Algeria

Interesting story published in the NY times today. They explain that a quiet revolution is underway in Algeria where women are becoming the driving force of Algeria. According to the article, they're reaching the highest positions in medicine and the legal domain. This is good news I would say. To grow a society cannot ignore half of its work force and needs the goodwill of all the members of the society.

Women represent an enormous untaped potential in numerous countries. A potential of growth for the economy of every single country. So I hope that this trend will continue in Algeria and lead the way to a more productive and richer society.


Photo from nytimes.com

D.C.

 
Hi we are back from D.C.
What a beautiful city! The monuments are just amazing and grandiose. The city is rather small in size but with very different neighbourhoods. Of course, the most impressive is the Mall with all the buildings that we have seen all our life on TV. The Capitol, the Washington Memorial, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial and of course the Vietnam Memorial were all the names of the defunct soldiers are listed.

Everything is just grandiose and beautiful. I really like Capitol Hill with the Capitol and the US Supreme Court. They are just two amazing buildings.

What is even better about this city is that everything is FREE, and let me tell you, you don't see that very often in the US. The Mall is bordered by the Smithsonians Museums and you can go as many times as you want and for as long as you want since you know that you can leave and come back any time.

This is really nice. You can also visit the Capitol for free.

That makes a huge difference to let's say New York, where you are actually bleeding money while you are there.

So I loved DC and can't wait to go back!



 
 

Graduation

 

Finally, my LL.M. has come to an end. I am sad and proud at the same time. On the one hand, it was a lot of work and I am happy that it is finally over; on the other hand, I am sad because I'll miss the fantastic group of students that made up this LL.M..

The graduation festivities were very nice despite the nasty weather we had during this week. I'll remember the thunderstorm prior to the hooding ceremony!

Graduation exercices are great both solemn and festive. I really enjoyed the one in the stadium with all the graduates from the other schools. It was impressive and miraculesly it did not rain.

I'll encourage anyone who is contemplating an LL.M. to do it. It is a trully rewarding experience. I learnt a lot during this year and also had a lot of fun.

It is time to move on though!

Tony Blair félicite Nicolas Sarkozy (en français)

Here we are. Usually, it was the UK prime minister congratulated the winner of the election. Blablabla...

Here, Tony Blair does it the right way, using Youtube. I think it's a great idea. At least, we know what he has to say.

That's being a prime minister in the 21st century!

I love my Prius

 
I got a new car, I got a new car!

The car is fantastic. It runs great, has an excellent gas mileage, and is bright RED!!!!

I love it. It's a Prius Hybrid. It's a Toyota. It's exclusively made in Japan next to where we used to live. It's fantastic.

I am so happy.

End of the LL.M.

This is it. The LL.M. has come to an end. It was a lot of work and fun, Lots of parties but also lots of exams and papers. I am quite excited about what is coming next but also quite sad to realize that this adventure has come to an end.

9 months divided into 2 semesters, that's really nothing. It goes fast, very fast. I was hoping that it would seem a little longer but as they say, time flies when you're having fun.

Anyhow I would really recommend anyone thinking about doing an LL.M. to seriously consider the option. It is a fantastic year full of adventures and discoveries. Duke for that has been a fantastic place. It was great, welcoming, exciting. I wish I could do it again.

The second semester was really really short though. Beginning in January and finishing in March, that was really a short period of time considering that most of the second semester was dedicated to looking for a job.

Now we are gearing up for the graduation festivities.

Time to party one more time with our LL.M. friends before saying goodbye.


By the way, the people in my picture are guys in my program.