Wednesday, January 21, 2004
First Week of Classes
I’m just about finished with my first week of classes. Assuming that I will be able to switch one class for another, I’ll have two classes on Monday, two on Tuesday, and one on Friday. That leaves Wednesday and Thursday open for day trips, although I haven’t found anyone else who as both days off. Each class just meets once a week, but each class lasts 3 hours; most professors allow a break in the middle to go get a café, which I definitely need to make it through the 3 hours. Monday morning I have Advanced Int’l Commerce, which will probably be my most difficult, since it’s in French with all French students, except for one other exchange student. My other French class is Int’l Human Resource Mgmt, which should be pretty good. My other 3 classes are instructed in English and have a mix of French and foreign students: Brand Marketing, Marketing Globalisation & Communication, and European Business Studies. Most grades are based on participation, oral presentations, and one final exam. Most classes don’t have homework, so the final exam represents the largest % of the grade. The style of teaching is a little different, and the French students seem to talk a lot and often argue with the teacher more than I’m used to. Groupwork is a component in most classes, so I’ll be grouped with mostly French students for that. It doesn’t seem to be to difficult at this point; it’s actually more like the work I’m used to doing in high school, research reports, basic presentations, stuff like that.
Other than class, we’ve been hanging out with people in the dorm a lot this week. Tuesday night we went to Rouen for dinner with a girl from Sweden who just arrived. Melissa finally met her suite-mate, who is Scottish and was here last semester as well. One night Melissa, Kristen, and I were kinda bored, so we went to our French friend Baptiste’s apartment to watch a movie, a French film that turned out to be pretty good. We want to travel somewhere in France for the weekend, so we’re planning to go to the train station and choose a location at random, based on price and timing. We’ll see how that goes.
Weekend in Caen, France
After class Friday Melissa, Kristin, and I went to the train station with Nina, a friend of ours here from Minnesota. We had no idea where we wanted to go, but the next train was headed for a city about two hours west of here called Caen. After quickly checking the guidebook for a quick description of the town, we checked the price and decided to go. On the train we tried to call a hostel in Caen but were unable to successfully communicate with the woman who answered the phone. A French guy next to us offered to try and book the room for us, but it turns out the number listed in the guide was wrong and we were just calling some woman’s house. Then the guy asked us why we were even going to Caen because there’s nothing to do. So that wasn’t too promising. We arrived early Friday evening, started walking around the city, and randomly walked into a youth center. The people were very nice and recommended a quaint hotel. Kristin called and was able to secure a room for all 4 of us for just 40 euros a night (10 euros apiece each night for a hotel with our own bathroom and breakfast each morning – that’s good!). It turned out to be a much better option than any hostel we could have found. We went to the hotel, St. Étienne, to put our bags down. It was so cute – it was on a little side street, run by a husband and wife, just had 11 rooms, of which ours was the “family room” with two double beds for 4 people. The entrance to our room was actually directly from the street, so that was convenient as well, and it didn’t matter what time we came in and out. Friday night we found a great restaurant and had an awesome, rather large meal – started with a before-dinner apertif of Pommeau, a specialty in Normandy, then had main course and dessert, and ended with espresso, to which I have become very accustomed. After dinner we found a trendy area with several bars/outside patios, so we picked one and hung out for a while. Saturday morning we went to the little reception room of our hotel, where the innkeeper had breakfast ready for us – baskets of fresh croissants and bread, yogurt and jam, and café/hot chocolate/tea – so good! During the day we explored Caen, a city full of different types of specialty shops, lots of salons for some reason, cafés/restaurants/bars, great bookstores, and several old, beautiful churches and abbeys. We went into 3 or 4 different churches and did a little shopping as well. We looked into going to a soccer game that night because the #2 team in the French league was coming to play the Caen team, but it was cold and rainy, so we decided against it. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant (also very good – tried Kir Normand, another specialty drink of the Normandy region) and then went to a pub for a couple hours; after a couple pints each, we decided to go back to the younger, more fun area of the night before. After leaving that bar, we were talking in the street when a guy overheard us and asked if we were American. He was a student from the University of Delaware studying in Caen for a couple months and offered to take us to a couple bars. That was great because we didn’t have to worry about finding a place on our own, and he introduced us to some fun people. Although we were pulled into a couple of anti-American political conversations, the night was fun, and we finally got frites! Sunday we had another wonderful breakfast at the hotel, then packed up and visited some historical sites. We went to the huge abbey of William the Conqueror, where we went on an hour and a half tour given in French; I’m sure I missed some details, but I was able to understand the main points for the most part, which was exciting! Then we went to the Chateau of Guillaume le Conquérant, which was a really old, high-walled, fortress-like area. I got some great pictures when we were up in the towers overlooking the city. We left late Sunday afternoon and slept the whole way home on the train. Melissa and Kristin were particularly sleepy because they had Calvados, a very strong Normany brandy, at a bar next to the train station before leaving. Our bus from the train station back to the dorm was full of about 40 other students who were all returning home after traveling to various destinations for the weekend. We returned to our dorm to find the Canadians very rowdy and drunk, as they didn’t go anywhere for the weekend and had been drinking all afternoon … pretty amusing. I had a surprisingly great weekend, considering the lack of preparation and knowledge we had going into the trip. I’ll probably do more before-hand planning in the future to make better use of time, but everyone needs a little spontaneity, right? Supposedly, that’s what “backpacking” is all about. Possibilities for near-future trips are already being discussed and include: Amsterdam, Disneyland Paris, and Prague. However, I am going to have to do some more accurate semester-budgeting to make these travel plans a reality. Although I definitely look for the cheapest way to do things, it is all still adding up – welcome to Europe, I guess!!
I’m just about finished with my first week of classes. Assuming that I will be able to switch one class for another, I’ll have two classes on Monday, two on Tuesday, and one on Friday. That leaves Wednesday and Thursday open for day trips, although I haven’t found anyone else who as both days off. Each class just meets once a week, but each class lasts 3 hours; most professors allow a break in the middle to go get a café, which I definitely need to make it through the 3 hours. Monday morning I have Advanced Int’l Commerce, which will probably be my most difficult, since it’s in French with all French students, except for one other exchange student. My other French class is Int’l Human Resource Mgmt, which should be pretty good. My other 3 classes are instructed in English and have a mix of French and foreign students: Brand Marketing, Marketing Globalisation & Communication, and European Business Studies. Most grades are based on participation, oral presentations, and one final exam. Most classes don’t have homework, so the final exam represents the largest % of the grade. The style of teaching is a little different, and the French students seem to talk a lot and often argue with the teacher more than I’m used to. Groupwork is a component in most classes, so I’ll be grouped with mostly French students for that. It doesn’t seem to be to difficult at this point; it’s actually more like the work I’m used to doing in high school, research reports, basic presentations, stuff like that.
Other than class, we’ve been hanging out with people in the dorm a lot this week. Tuesday night we went to Rouen for dinner with a girl from Sweden who just arrived. Melissa finally met her suite-mate, who is Scottish and was here last semester as well. One night Melissa, Kristen, and I were kinda bored, so we went to our French friend Baptiste’s apartment to watch a movie, a French film that turned out to be pretty good. We want to travel somewhere in France for the weekend, so we’re planning to go to the train station and choose a location at random, based on price and timing. We’ll see how that goes.
Weekend in Caen, France
After class Friday Melissa, Kristin, and I went to the train station with Nina, a friend of ours here from Minnesota. We had no idea where we wanted to go, but the next train was headed for a city about two hours west of here called Caen. After quickly checking the guidebook for a quick description of the town, we checked the price and decided to go. On the train we tried to call a hostel in Caen but were unable to successfully communicate with the woman who answered the phone. A French guy next to us offered to try and book the room for us, but it turns out the number listed in the guide was wrong and we were just calling some woman’s house. Then the guy asked us why we were even going to Caen because there’s nothing to do. So that wasn’t too promising. We arrived early Friday evening, started walking around the city, and randomly walked into a youth center. The people were very nice and recommended a quaint hotel. Kristin called and was able to secure a room for all 4 of us for just 40 euros a night (10 euros apiece each night for a hotel with our own bathroom and breakfast each morning – that’s good!). It turned out to be a much better option than any hostel we could have found. We went to the hotel, St. Étienne, to put our bags down. It was so cute – it was on a little side street, run by a husband and wife, just had 11 rooms, of which ours was the “family room” with two double beds for 4 people. The entrance to our room was actually directly from the street, so that was convenient as well, and it didn’t matter what time we came in and out. Friday night we found a great restaurant and had an awesome, rather large meal – started with a before-dinner apertif of Pommeau, a specialty in Normandy, then had main course and dessert, and ended with espresso, to which I have become very accustomed. After dinner we found a trendy area with several bars/outside patios, so we picked one and hung out for a while. Saturday morning we went to the little reception room of our hotel, where the innkeeper had breakfast ready for us – baskets of fresh croissants and bread, yogurt and jam, and café/hot chocolate/tea – so good! During the day we explored Caen, a city full of different types of specialty shops, lots of salons for some reason, cafés/restaurants/bars, great bookstores, and several old, beautiful churches and abbeys. We went into 3 or 4 different churches and did a little shopping as well. We looked into going to a soccer game that night because the #2 team in the French league was coming to play the Caen team, but it was cold and rainy, so we decided against it. We had dinner at an Italian restaurant (also very good – tried Kir Normand, another specialty drink of the Normandy region) and then went to a pub for a couple hours; after a couple pints each, we decided to go back to the younger, more fun area of the night before. After leaving that bar, we were talking in the street when a guy overheard us and asked if we were American. He was a student from the University of Delaware studying in Caen for a couple months and offered to take us to a couple bars. That was great because we didn’t have to worry about finding a place on our own, and he introduced us to some fun people. Although we were pulled into a couple of anti-American political conversations, the night was fun, and we finally got frites! Sunday we had another wonderful breakfast at the hotel, then packed up and visited some historical sites. We went to the huge abbey of William the Conqueror, where we went on an hour and a half tour given in French; I’m sure I missed some details, but I was able to understand the main points for the most part, which was exciting! Then we went to the Chateau of Guillaume le Conquérant, which was a really old, high-walled, fortress-like area. I got some great pictures when we were up in the towers overlooking the city. We left late Sunday afternoon and slept the whole way home on the train. Melissa and Kristin were particularly sleepy because they had Calvados, a very strong Normany brandy, at a bar next to the train station before leaving. Our bus from the train station back to the dorm was full of about 40 other students who were all returning home after traveling to various destinations for the weekend. We returned to our dorm to find the Canadians very rowdy and drunk, as they didn’t go anywhere for the weekend and had been drinking all afternoon … pretty amusing. I had a surprisingly great weekend, considering the lack of preparation and knowledge we had going into the trip. I’ll probably do more before-hand planning in the future to make better use of time, but everyone needs a little spontaneity, right? Supposedly, that’s what “backpacking” is all about. Possibilities for near-future trips are already being discussed and include: Amsterdam, Disneyland Paris, and Prague. However, I am going to have to do some more accurate semester-budgeting to make these travel plans a reality. Although I definitely look for the cheapest way to do things, it is all still adding up – welcome to Europe, I guess!!
Monday, January 12, 2004
Arrival
I officially arrived in France around 9am Monday, January 5th. After getting myself and my luggage through customs, I was greeted in the airport by a man holding an “IFI – Rouen” (that’s my school) sign, who was there to drive us to Rouen. I immediately met another US student from Fairfield University, and she seemed really nice. Then Melissa (from IU) arrived, and it was definitely comforting to see a familiar face. We waited for Kristen (also IU) to arrive, then put all our bags in a strange cart that was being pulled behind our minivan/taxi. The drive from Paris to Rouen took about an hour and a half, and the landscape was mostly countryside, with a few small, old French towns. When we got to Rouen, we paid for our rent and then moved into our dorm, Residence Ango, with the help of some 4th year French students. As for my dorm room, it’s probably the width of a bus with a sink, small fridge, tiny bed, closet, desk, and hot plate. I guess I’m supposed to figure out how to cook on this hot plate, since going out to eat gets expensive. I share a bathroom with Kristen. The shower is a little different because the water only stays on for about 40 seconds, then you have to push it on again. The room really isn’t that bad, except for the fact that there’s not much to do in it except sleep … no phone, no tv, etc. Although the accommodations are rather sparse, it’s really all that I need, and the people I live with make it worthwhile. It’s the international dorm, so there are students from everywhere – lots from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Finland, Italy, Spain, Germany. We’re the only Americans in our dorm, but there’s a large group from Michigan State who live in apartments in the city. So far it’s been really fun getting to know everyone, but the problem is that English is pretty prevalent, so hopefully we’ll start speaking more French together soon.
First Week
The second night there was a student get-together at O’Kallaghan’s, an Irish pub in downtown Rouen. We mostly hung out with the Canadians, but also met some French students. I even had a long conversation in French – turns out I speak a little better after drinking a little! Wednesday the school broke us into groups and paired us with French students to show us around Rouen. Our campus is actually in Mont Saint Aignan, a short bus ride from Rouen. We went to downtown Rouen and saw the Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as the place where Joan of Arc was burned. It’s mostly cobblestone streets with tons of cafes, shops, bars, restaurants – a very cute city that should be fun to explore. We didn’t have much time for shopping but did stop in Printemps, the big department store. Most things are more expensive, but everyone has sales in January. Wednesday night all the students met at a bar called Emporium; it had a cool atmosphere, lots of small side rooms and a large room down in the cellar where we all hung out. Thursday we began our 3-day long intensive French review session. We’re divided into groups according to our language level, and for 6 hours a day we have workshops on different topics. It’s not too difficult, just a basic review of speaking, pronunciation, comprehension, etc. Thursday night there was another student social event at a dance club – “discotheque.” I went to the Big Ben Pub (under the big clock in Rouen) with friends from the dorm, then we showed up to the dance club. We walked from the pub to the club and saw 3 very obvious prostitutes on the way! That was definitely the most fun I have ever had dancing, as well as the most I have ever danced in a night. The DJ played a mix of rap and techno/pop. It’s funny how much American music they play here. Anyway, the French, particularly guys, have a very different style of dancing; and by different style, I mean not much natural rhythm. Especially during the rap songs, they kind of just bop around, while Melissa, Kristen, and I are used to a more ghetto-style of dancing. So they weren’t used to how we dance, but they loved it apparently! We felt like rockstars and danced until 5am, which didn’t exactly make for an enjoyable morning, considering I had pronunciation class at 9am. And, yes, we have all been introduced to the French custom of the double-cheek kiss. Once you have met someone, upon seeing them again you usually greet them with a double kiss. It’s so fun!!
Saturday we only have class until 12, so we might make a trip into Paris (an hour by train) for the afternoon and evening. Other than class and nightlife, I have been trying to buy things for my room and just adjust in general. I’ve been pretty busy so far and haven’t really had time to be homesick. But there are definitely times when looking at pictures or listening to music from home is very comforting.
PARIS – JANUARY 11
Kristen, Melissa, and I woke up early Sunday morning to go to Paris for the day. We bought train passes and left from the station in Rouen around 10:30 for the 1-hour trip to Paris. From Gare St. Lazare in Paris, we took the Metro to the Champs Elysées and got out at L’Arc de Triomphe, a war memorial at the round-about at the end of the Champs Elysées. From there we walked about a mile down the Champs Elysées, passing tons of great stores. For the most part, we didn’t do any shopping; however, I did have to go into Gap, just to see what they’re like in France (basically the same, just more expensive). We walked through the Tuileries and passed Le Louvre; we decided not to go into any museums today but will save that for another trip. We went to the apartment of Geoffrey, Melissa’s “friend” from her stay in Paris this summer. A very entertaining Frenchman, he took us all out to lunch at a nearby sandwich shop. From there the girls and I went to the Cathédrale de Notre Dame, which was absolutely amazing. We were lucky enough to be there right before a mass, so there was music playing and we were able to walk through the inside. Words really can’t describe the beauty of it. The view along the Seine was great, and we walked from there to le Quartier Latin, where we sat outside and had cafés. This was one of my favorite parts of the city that we saw – tons and tons of cafés with outdoor seating, small alleys with cute bistros, and outdoor vendors selling everything from antique posters to t-shirts to fresh crêpes. The best part of the day was our trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, which we did when it was dark. There are three levels, and we bought tickets to take the glass elevator all the way to the top. Even at night, the view was awesome, although it was very windy and the tower swayed slightly at the top level. At night, every hour on the hour the tower lights up with twinkly lights. Kristen even recognized someone from IU while we were up there – small world! I will definitely go back to the tower during the day, as the ride up is definitely worth the 10 euros. We had dinner back by the train station at an Italian place and left for Rouen on a 10:30 train. We ran into about 15 other students from our program who had spent the weekend in Paris, so it was fun to compare stories with them. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Paris – awesome weather, great company, and a perfect variety of activities and sightseeing. We were particularly lucky to have Melissa with us since she is so familiar with the Metro and famous landmarks; however, I hope to make a couple trips by myself later in the semester once I get more comfortable with everything. I think we got a lot done in just a day, but I definitely plan to take day trips back as often as possible. And it was a good learning experience, as well – with all of our ticket purchasing, food ordering, and direction asking done in French, which is improving by the day! With the endless charm here, I definitely see how people fall in love with Paris. Now I have to settle back into school to begin my first week of classes – yikes – a little nervous but hopefully they’ll go well!
I officially arrived in France around 9am Monday, January 5th. After getting myself and my luggage through customs, I was greeted in the airport by a man holding an “IFI – Rouen” (that’s my school) sign, who was there to drive us to Rouen. I immediately met another US student from Fairfield University, and she seemed really nice. Then Melissa (from IU) arrived, and it was definitely comforting to see a familiar face. We waited for Kristen (also IU) to arrive, then put all our bags in a strange cart that was being pulled behind our minivan/taxi. The drive from Paris to Rouen took about an hour and a half, and the landscape was mostly countryside, with a few small, old French towns. When we got to Rouen, we paid for our rent and then moved into our dorm, Residence Ango, with the help of some 4th year French students. As for my dorm room, it’s probably the width of a bus with a sink, small fridge, tiny bed, closet, desk, and hot plate. I guess I’m supposed to figure out how to cook on this hot plate, since going out to eat gets expensive. I share a bathroom with Kristen. The shower is a little different because the water only stays on for about 40 seconds, then you have to push it on again. The room really isn’t that bad, except for the fact that there’s not much to do in it except sleep … no phone, no tv, etc. Although the accommodations are rather sparse, it’s really all that I need, and the people I live with make it worthwhile. It’s the international dorm, so there are students from everywhere – lots from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Finland, Italy, Spain, Germany. We’re the only Americans in our dorm, but there’s a large group from Michigan State who live in apartments in the city. So far it’s been really fun getting to know everyone, but the problem is that English is pretty prevalent, so hopefully we’ll start speaking more French together soon.
First Week
The second night there was a student get-together at O’Kallaghan’s, an Irish pub in downtown Rouen. We mostly hung out with the Canadians, but also met some French students. I even had a long conversation in French – turns out I speak a little better after drinking a little! Wednesday the school broke us into groups and paired us with French students to show us around Rouen. Our campus is actually in Mont Saint Aignan, a short bus ride from Rouen. We went to downtown Rouen and saw the Notre Dame Cathedral, as well as the place where Joan of Arc was burned. It’s mostly cobblestone streets with tons of cafes, shops, bars, restaurants – a very cute city that should be fun to explore. We didn’t have much time for shopping but did stop in Printemps, the big department store. Most things are more expensive, but everyone has sales in January. Wednesday night all the students met at a bar called Emporium; it had a cool atmosphere, lots of small side rooms and a large room down in the cellar where we all hung out. Thursday we began our 3-day long intensive French review session. We’re divided into groups according to our language level, and for 6 hours a day we have workshops on different topics. It’s not too difficult, just a basic review of speaking, pronunciation, comprehension, etc. Thursday night there was another student social event at a dance club – “discotheque.” I went to the Big Ben Pub (under the big clock in Rouen) with friends from the dorm, then we showed up to the dance club. We walked from the pub to the club and saw 3 very obvious prostitutes on the way! That was definitely the most fun I have ever had dancing, as well as the most I have ever danced in a night. The DJ played a mix of rap and techno/pop. It’s funny how much American music they play here. Anyway, the French, particularly guys, have a very different style of dancing; and by different style, I mean not much natural rhythm. Especially during the rap songs, they kind of just bop around, while Melissa, Kristen, and I are used to a more ghetto-style of dancing. So they weren’t used to how we dance, but they loved it apparently! We felt like rockstars and danced until 5am, which didn’t exactly make for an enjoyable morning, considering I had pronunciation class at 9am. And, yes, we have all been introduced to the French custom of the double-cheek kiss. Once you have met someone, upon seeing them again you usually greet them with a double kiss. It’s so fun!!
Saturday we only have class until 12, so we might make a trip into Paris (an hour by train) for the afternoon and evening. Other than class and nightlife, I have been trying to buy things for my room and just adjust in general. I’ve been pretty busy so far and haven’t really had time to be homesick. But there are definitely times when looking at pictures or listening to music from home is very comforting.
PARIS – JANUARY 11
Kristen, Melissa, and I woke up early Sunday morning to go to Paris for the day. We bought train passes and left from the station in Rouen around 10:30 for the 1-hour trip to Paris. From Gare St. Lazare in Paris, we took the Metro to the Champs Elysées and got out at L’Arc de Triomphe, a war memorial at the round-about at the end of the Champs Elysées. From there we walked about a mile down the Champs Elysées, passing tons of great stores. For the most part, we didn’t do any shopping; however, I did have to go into Gap, just to see what they’re like in France (basically the same, just more expensive). We walked through the Tuileries and passed Le Louvre; we decided not to go into any museums today but will save that for another trip. We went to the apartment of Geoffrey, Melissa’s “friend” from her stay in Paris this summer. A very entertaining Frenchman, he took us all out to lunch at a nearby sandwich shop. From there the girls and I went to the Cathédrale de Notre Dame, which was absolutely amazing. We were lucky enough to be there right before a mass, so there was music playing and we were able to walk through the inside. Words really can’t describe the beauty of it. The view along the Seine was great, and we walked from there to le Quartier Latin, where we sat outside and had cafés. This was one of my favorite parts of the city that we saw – tons and tons of cafés with outdoor seating, small alleys with cute bistros, and outdoor vendors selling everything from antique posters to t-shirts to fresh crêpes. The best part of the day was our trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, which we did when it was dark. There are three levels, and we bought tickets to take the glass elevator all the way to the top. Even at night, the view was awesome, although it was very windy and the tower swayed slightly at the top level. At night, every hour on the hour the tower lights up with twinkly lights. Kristen even recognized someone from IU while we were up there – small world! I will definitely go back to the tower during the day, as the ride up is definitely worth the 10 euros. We had dinner back by the train station at an Italian place and left for Rouen on a 10:30 train. We ran into about 15 other students from our program who had spent the weekend in Paris, so it was fun to compare stories with them. All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to Paris – awesome weather, great company, and a perfect variety of activities and sightseeing. We were particularly lucky to have Melissa with us since she is so familiar with the Metro and famous landmarks; however, I hope to make a couple trips by myself later in the semester once I get more comfortable with everything. I think we got a lot done in just a day, but I definitely plan to take day trips back as often as possible. And it was a good learning experience, as well – with all of our ticket purchasing, food ordering, and direction asking done in French, which is improving by the day! With the endless charm here, I definitely see how people fall in love with Paris. Now I have to settle back into school to begin my first week of classes – yikes – a little nervous but hopefully they’ll go well!
