... Title referring to the outcome of a busy first week of uni at Sciences Po, Grenoble. A Grande Ecole which, may I mention, accepts only around 7% of French applicants, many of which take an extra year of preparation to pass. So it's quite an honour to have the chance to go on exchange here.
Where do I start... I've been so busy the last two weeks. I finished my enrollment, I opened a bank account which is pretty cool because the bank gets you to choose any picture to have printed on the card, so I have a pretty one of a picturesque morning in New Zealand. The reason why I opened an account was that the French government will need it to give me a small but appreciated amount of money to go towards my rent. Merci. I also have had to go to the renting agency of the apartment I'm staying to change the contract and include my name... so that it can be proven I'm not sleeping under a bridge.
Speaking of the apartment, it's going very well, I've bought a desk from Ikea and dark blue bed sheets (in my biiiiiiiig double bed!! I've never had a double bed before.) and a mirror and I've cleaned up a bit so it feels simple and welcoming. We also have a new kitchen table, and this weekend we'll have a new oven/stoves. And I'm gonna buy a vacuum cleaner! The broomstick just isn't enough for this old floor.
I'm also enjoying the exercise that I get from jogging up the stairs to get to the apartment - it's only on the third floor, but the ceilings are 4 metres high, so the stair is a nice workout for the (currently!) lazy like me.
What else.
My flatmates are nice, I probably said it last time but they're very cool, they're introducing me to a few people, advising me on courses, giving me some of their notes from previous years and making me jump long lines to get hot dogs. Hey, it all counts ;)
Apart from the house, the weather has been very warm here, today and yesterday we had around 27 degrees. Unfortunately I was indoors a lot, checking out all possible courses to do this semester. There was a lot of indecision - it's an important choice! - but I've made up my mind and I'm very happy with the following choices:
1. Sociology
2. European Union: actor of peace and security in the world
3. Franco-germanic relations of the XX Century: political, economic and cultural aspects
4. France, Europe and the challenges of the contemporary world
5. French language, written and oral methodology
6. Literature, cinema, history and memory in contemporary Spain
2. Very very interesting! Not easy but good to know and interesting to the extreme that I'm accepting going to uni on a Friday. Had I not chosen this course, my weekend would have commenced at 11am on Thursdays!
3. Have not yet been to this course for the room was changed last week, but it sounds promising.
4 & 5. Courses obligatory for international students, classes with other internationals with about the same level of French. 5 is quite an up-to-date and interactive course, quite like a workshop.
6. Course in Spanish! It's exciting. This one as well I've found really interesting, it's about how many aspects of Spanish life during the Franco dictatorship were willingly ignored after 1975, but how some artists have caused the re-birth of these painful memories. And just the fact that it's in Spanish makes me happy. I understand it more clearly than French actually.
Needless to say, the other courses are in French.
Already compared to last semester in Milan, I feel this will be a different experience. Not knowing anyone else in Grenoble, I've already spent a lot of time with international students, which I hardly did in Milan, and I've been a lot more open to meeting other (French) students - this probably because of the lack of snobbyness of the Milanese, and me attending more student events. And younger people! I hardly hang around anyone over 23 years old. There's a heap of Italians here on exchange, of course... met a girl from Turin - now that's just lazy. Turin is about 2.5 hours away from here on train ;)
"Social evenings" here start and end really early. Often we meet for aperitif/dinner before 8pm, and linger around the centre, or bars, so by the time they close (1, maximum 2 am) it feels really late, but is in fact not. It's not bad, you get more hours of sleep in the end, and don't return home as your flatmates are showering or having breakfast (*cough*Milan*cough*), but it leaves a small feeling of unaccomplishment. But that's just me! Unfortunately, the French (and of course the internationals) youth still do drink a fair bit.
I feel younger. I don't think I like it... but it's an interesting change :p
(that frustrating moment when someone younger than you thinks they're old)
Soooooooo, I'm very content, and excited about the challenge of doing this semester in France. Sorry about all text and no visuals, but if you scroll down a bit you'll see pretty things :)
Ciao =]
Friday, September 16, 2011
Return to Chambery
Last week I part of a day in Chambery, a lovely and typical smaller city (~100,000 people) one hour from here. In 2008, I spent 5 weeks in Chambery (another, less mature blog may or may not exist about this experience!!) studying French, and was quite enchanted with the city, the first big experience alone away from home and everything. So it was gorgeous to go back and visit the places I remembered surprisingly well!
the Elephants ("les quatre sans cul") - icon of Chambery
oh! the castle I studied in ;)
my favourite baaaar - Cafe du Theatre!
When I was in Barcelona my closest friend was Lucie, who actually studies in Chambery. So I hope to return there soonish and see her again :)
the Elephants ("les quatre sans cul") - icon of Chambery
oh! the castle I studied in ;)
my favourite baaaar - Cafe du Theatre!
When I was in Barcelona my closest friend was Lucie, who actually studies in Chambery. So I hope to return there soonish and see her again :)
Grenoble: photos taken in the very first days...
This is on the way to the college Le Rabot.
Also ascending towards Le Rabot - notice "Les Boules" in the background: a telepherique dating back to 1934 which takes you to the top of the mountain.
Again the telepherique, from the other side of the river at the feet of the mountain, hence the side of the town centre.
Views from the mountain, walking down from Le Rabot.
The river at night.
This is a quiet day at uni! Very gorgeous. It's autumn, although it's still pretty warm! Sunday, September 4, 2011
Grenoble
Now I'm here!
Took the TGV Paris-Grenoble and was met by a student of the Sciences Po university, the one I'm attending, who helped me carry my things uphill to the student residence/college Le Rabot.
Honestly... in the running for the world's most uncomfortable college ever. Situated on a hill, it is accessible by a very infrequent navette (has 3 hour periods during the day when it doesn't come, doesn't come Saturday nor most of Sunday) or by a 15 minute walk up/downhill one an isolated and poorly lit street. Furthermore, the navette stops running at 20:30, so going out at night ensures you that walk (impossible with heels! :o) which isn't really ideal in the cold winter that's coming.
The first night I was in Grenoble, as I was walking home after a bar, a huge storm happened. Boom, I got slightly drenched and broke a shoe running :(
Furthermore... as much as I was looking forward to being independent again in the kitchen after a month of living with the family, I was disappointed to see this residence's definition of "kitchen": 4 gas stoves, two sinks, a table, 2 chairs. And, that is is. No sign of pots, cutlery, utensils... nothing. I mean not even an oven or a microwave. This "kitchen" is to be shared amongst around 20 people, all of whom are expected to buy all the things they need to cook and eat, and each time take them to the kitchen.
...
Moving on to the bathrooms (also in common of course):
Could you do this for five months?? And you'd also be taking toilet paper with you every time you need, for there is none provided :/
The showers, meanwhile, have a button to press for the water, to press each 10/15 seconds in fact, otherwise the water stops. And each time it makes suuuch a painful noise, seeming to plead: "nooo please don't use another 10 seconds of water... paaaaaaaaaaiiiiiin!!"
I'm not gonna talk about the room itself, because its faults are relatively insignificant. I could mention I'm surrounded by Koreans. So, really not ideal.
As I mentioned, the first night I was here I was invited for drinks at a bar, and I explained to a couple of people that I was hoping to move out of this prison. I had the luck of my life to run into people who had friends looking for a flatmate. They saw a few other people as well but I have just been confirmed that I can move in! I'm over the moon because this apartment, which I will share with two french guys and a girl, is truly amazing.
It is here: 2 Rue Vicat
If you can interpret the map, you'll see that to the west and to the north-east there are two pedestrian-only zones, which means the apartment is found bam, straight in the centre of the city. It is directly above the tram stop which takes me directly to uni.
It's 130 metres squared, very big and comfortable for 4 people.
It has a kitchen!! And a proper toilet!
There's a large lounge room with a bar and a balcony, which is quite regularly used by the guys for pre-drinks and/or after parties.
It's only around 250 euros/month of rent, including bills... very cheap for Grenoble considering the size and location.
There's heating in the room..... and a warm blanket =]
There's wifi.
The guy I'm replacing is leaving his bicycle which means I can use it if I need!
And did I mention I share it with 3 French? :)
So, I'm =] =]
Grenoble is a great city as well. I was told it only had 150,000 residents, but in Fact the shire includes around 400,000! It is the city in France with the highest number of bars & restaurants proportionate to its residents: there are over 400. The student population is enormous, at night you see hundreds of youth. It's really refreshing (brrrr... I keep thinking of how cold it's going to be in a few months!!)
So apart from having lived on sandwiches for 5 days and feeling a bit imprisoned, I've had a nice time here. I've met already a lot of people, and most of them French. I'm managing very well with French, I understand everything and it seems that becoming trilingual might be a concrete possibility by January 2012 :)
Ok, enough for now. Au revoir!
Took the TGV Paris-Grenoble and was met by a student of the Sciences Po university, the one I'm attending, who helped me carry my things uphill to the student residence/college Le Rabot.
Honestly... in the running for the world's most uncomfortable college ever. Situated on a hill, it is accessible by a very infrequent navette (has 3 hour periods during the day when it doesn't come, doesn't come Saturday nor most of Sunday) or by a 15 minute walk up/downhill one an isolated and poorly lit street. Furthermore, the navette stops running at 20:30, so going out at night ensures you that walk (impossible with heels! :o) which isn't really ideal in the cold winter that's coming.
The first night I was in Grenoble, as I was walking home after a bar, a huge storm happened. Boom, I got slightly drenched and broke a shoe running :(
Furthermore... as much as I was looking forward to being independent again in the kitchen after a month of living with the family, I was disappointed to see this residence's definition of "kitchen": 4 gas stoves, two sinks, a table, 2 chairs. And, that is is. No sign of pots, cutlery, utensils... nothing. I mean not even an oven or a microwave. This "kitchen" is to be shared amongst around 20 people, all of whom are expected to buy all the things they need to cook and eat, and each time take them to the kitchen.
...
Moving on to the bathrooms (also in common of course):
Could you do this for five months?? And you'd also be taking toilet paper with you every time you need, for there is none provided :/
The showers, meanwhile, have a button to press for the water, to press each 10/15 seconds in fact, otherwise the water stops. And each time it makes suuuch a painful noise, seeming to plead: "nooo please don't use another 10 seconds of water... paaaaaaaaaaiiiiiin!!"
I'm not gonna talk about the room itself, because its faults are relatively insignificant. I could mention I'm surrounded by Koreans. So, really not ideal.
As I mentioned, the first night I was here I was invited for drinks at a bar, and I explained to a couple of people that I was hoping to move out of this prison. I had the luck of my life to run into people who had friends looking for a flatmate. They saw a few other people as well but I have just been confirmed that I can move in! I'm over the moon because this apartment, which I will share with two french guys and a girl, is truly amazing.
It is here: 2 Rue Vicat
If you can interpret the map, you'll see that to the west and to the north-east there are two pedestrian-only zones, which means the apartment is found bam, straight in the centre of the city. It is directly above the tram stop which takes me directly to uni.
It's 130 metres squared, very big and comfortable for 4 people.
It has a kitchen!! And a proper toilet!
There's a large lounge room with a bar and a balcony, which is quite regularly used by the guys for pre-drinks and/or after parties.
It's only around 250 euros/month of rent, including bills... very cheap for Grenoble considering the size and location.
There's heating in the room..... and a warm blanket =]
There's wifi.
The guy I'm replacing is leaving his bicycle which means I can use it if I need!
And did I mention I share it with 3 French? :)
So, I'm =] =]
Grenoble is a great city as well. I was told it only had 150,000 residents, but in Fact the shire includes around 400,000! It is the city in France with the highest number of bars & restaurants proportionate to its residents: there are over 400. The student population is enormous, at night you see hundreds of youth. It's really refreshing (brrrr... I keep thinking of how cold it's going to be in a few months!!)
So apart from having lived on sandwiches for 5 days and feeling a bit imprisoned, I've had a nice time here. I've met already a lot of people, and most of them French. I'm managing very well with French, I understand everything and it seems that becoming trilingual might be a concrete possibility by January 2012 :)
Ok, enough for now. Au revoir!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
la belle Paris...
Paris
I was in Paris 8 days altogether, to round off nicely the month of August, quite enough to get a good taste of the city that's supposed to be the world's most beautiful.
The first five days I really enjoyed, as I was with my parents whom I hadn't spent much time with in the last 7 months ( - a slight understatement). We did lots of nice things!
- Notre Dame & Crypte
- Tour Eiffel
- L'hopital des Invalides
- Louvre
- Moulin Rouge
- Champs Elysees
- Montmartre
- L'Arc du Triomph
- La consiergerie
- Le Pantheon
- Cathedrale du Sacre Coeur
- Quartiers Latin et Marais
- Les Egouts
- Hotel de ville
- Jardins des Tuillerie
- boat cruise on la Seine
- Palais Royal
- Grand & petit Palais
- L'Opera
We also ate lots of nice things, like:
- Fondue traditionelle et a la Bourguignonne
- Lots of cheeses and pates on baguettes
- Escargots!
- Omelette
- Crepes
- Lots of pastries and croissants
- Creme brulee
- Onion soup
- Duck
- Beaujoulais & Bordeaux
- Raclette
- Creme fine
We were luck to stay in a lovely apartment with all the comforts, so although we did lots of walking, it still felt like a holiday - although not quite like we were in France, as we heard more Italian spoken anywhere than French.
We taught my father how to say one sentence in French (although he's quite convinced he can almost say anything): "Peux-je avoir la note, s'il vous plait?" - strategic teaching, I call it ;) but it was quite funny him associating the pronunciation of peux-je to pesce ('fish' in Italian).
Other nice memories were of the cute restaurants we endulged in, and after-dinner walks in nice quartiers, which proved that Paris is, really, undoubtedly beautiful, more than I expected. No extremely snobby Parisians encountered, although there seemed to be an unexplainably disproportionate amount of urine on walls and footpaths.
I also spent 3 more days in Paris with Patrick, a good friend from Austria, who joined me there the day my parents took off for Perth.... sniff sniff! On my own again :(
Anyway we had a good few days wondering around the city, using the Velibs, eating baguettes, and going out a bit (shame it was the start of the week!). We were able to stay in a cute studio, also leased from the guy who gave us the other apartment, and slightly cheaper than a hostel bed would have been. So, if anybody has plans to go to Paris, ask me for accommodation contacts :)
Here are photos!
And right now I'm in Grenoble, where I'll be the next 5 months or so doing my second exchange. It is now rather past my bedtime and I shall blog about Grenoble in the next few days. The arrival has not been as I expected so keep an eye out for news!
I was in Paris 8 days altogether, to round off nicely the month of August, quite enough to get a good taste of the city that's supposed to be the world's most beautiful.
The first five days I really enjoyed, as I was with my parents whom I hadn't spent much time with in the last 7 months ( - a slight understatement). We did lots of nice things!
- Notre Dame & Crypte
- Tour Eiffel
- L'hopital des Invalides
- Louvre
- Moulin Rouge
- Champs Elysees
- Montmartre
- L'Arc du Triomph
- La consiergerie
- Le Pantheon
- Cathedrale du Sacre Coeur
- Quartiers Latin et Marais
- Les Egouts
- Hotel de ville
- Jardins des Tuillerie
- boat cruise on la Seine
- Palais Royal
- Grand & petit Palais
- L'Opera
We also ate lots of nice things, like:
- Fondue traditionelle et a la Bourguignonne
- Lots of cheeses and pates on baguettes
- Escargots!
- Omelette
- Crepes
- Lots of pastries and croissants
- Creme brulee
- Onion soup
- Duck
- Beaujoulais & Bordeaux
- Raclette
- Creme fine
We were luck to stay in a lovely apartment with all the comforts, so although we did lots of walking, it still felt like a holiday - although not quite like we were in France, as we heard more Italian spoken anywhere than French.
We taught my father how to say one sentence in French (although he's quite convinced he can almost say anything): "Peux-je avoir la note, s'il vous plait?" - strategic teaching, I call it ;) but it was quite funny him associating the pronunciation of peux-je to pesce ('fish' in Italian).
Other nice memories were of the cute restaurants we endulged in, and after-dinner walks in nice quartiers, which proved that Paris is, really, undoubtedly beautiful, more than I expected. No extremely snobby Parisians encountered, although there seemed to be an unexplainably disproportionate amount of urine on walls and footpaths.
I also spent 3 more days in Paris with Patrick, a good friend from Austria, who joined me there the day my parents took off for Perth.... sniff sniff! On my own again :(
Anyway we had a good few days wondering around the city, using the Velibs, eating baguettes, and going out a bit (shame it was the start of the week!). We were able to stay in a cute studio, also leased from the guy who gave us the other apartment, and slightly cheaper than a hostel bed would have been. So, if anybody has plans to go to Paris, ask me for accommodation contacts :)
Here are photos!
And right now I'm in Grenoble, where I'll be the next 5 months or so doing my second exchange. It is now rather past my bedtime and I shall blog about Grenoble in the next few days. The arrival has not been as I expected so keep an eye out for news!
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