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I\u2019m going to be teaching my Global and Historical Studies courses again this academic year: China and the Islamic Middle East in the fall semester, and South Asian Civilizations in the spring. It has been years, and although the history of these parts of the world and the major traditions that emerged in them hasn\u2019t changed, it still feels daunting, although by no means as much so as it did when I first taught these courses. And it is also exciting to have a reason to revisit these topics and probably also the languages spoken in them. I\u2019ve learned a little Mandarin, Arabic, Hindi, and Tamil but to nowhere near the level I\u2019d like to. Butler actually offers courses in Chinese and so perhaps I should see if I can sit in.<\/p>\nThis summer I\u2019ll be visiting Paris. France was a country that fascinated me back when I was in elementary school through high school and was studying the French language. I recall being fascinated by Air France\u2019s Concorde, and watching French TV and music videos in 1989. I was delighted to discover that a song from then that I enjoyed is now on YouTube<\/a>: \u201cLes Sentiments\u201d by Shona. It was a pleasure hearing it again after never coming across it for nearly three decades:<\/p>\n