Okay so I lied. One more blog post before I head to Morocco and then onto Canada. If you rememeber, way at the start of my blog in my "Aurevoir" post I wrote a list of things I was looking forward to experiencing in France and things I thought I would miss from Canada. Turns out that the things I thought I would miss were not all as big of a deal as I thought so I figured the list needed a little revamping before I went home based on the actual results of my trip. I also decided to write my new list of things that I am most definitely going to miss from France now that I've lived here for 4 months. Here goes.
Things I Actually Missed from Canada
1) My friends
2) My family
3) Hugs
4) My car (especially for groceries)
5) My own bed (my mattress here is absolute crap)
6) My full closet selection (although I quickly broadened my selection here and am now dealing with the concequences while trying to pack)
7) Simple health coverage/my massage therapist
8) People who removed the snow from the streets right after a dump
9) Church and worship with others
10) Having a couch
11) Effective heating
12) Carpet in my room
13) A showerhead you don't need to hold onto
14) Alberta beef/steak
15) Thanksgiving and Halloween
16) Having a washing machine in my house
17) Being able to eat at a restaurant anytime of day, not just from 1-3pm and 7-midnight
18) The gym and working out
19) Starbucks/regular sized coffees
20) Having a backyard
Things I Will Miss from France
1) My friends
2) 2 Euro wine
3) Pain au Chocolat
4) Living in the mountains
5) Walking to school
6) Cheap shoes
7) Gelato
8) Travelling to other countries on the weekends
9) Living by a crystal blue (most of the time) river
10) Speaking French
11) Palmiers (a pastry of course)
12) Fresh bread
13) Christmas market
14) Skiing in the Alps 30 minutes away
15) 12 above weather in December
16) My small class that became my large family
17) Widespread rugby
18) Swiss chocolate being so close
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Bittersweet
Here's a little snapshot of where I'm at now. I have:
ONE full day remaining until final exam week starts (with 4 exams to write).
FIVE days until final exams are over.
FIVE and a half days until Jess and I leave for Marrakech, Morocco and most of my friends leave Grenoble.
TEN days (or just over) until I land at the Edmonton International Airport.
Every day that passes seems to be bittersweet. I'm looking forward to going home and seeing my friends and family again but everytime I think about it I am countered with the thought of leaving France and all of the friends I've made who have become my 'away from home' family. I hate the thought that I might not see some of them ever again. I'm sad that the time and effort I've put into these relationships might be 'all for not' if we struggle to keep in contact, but at the same time I'm excited to have new friends across the world, whom I can visit, as well as new travel opportunities.
I'm a little bit scared to return to Canada. Scared that it will feel different, for the adjustments I know I will need to make and scared that I will feel like I left part of myself or my heart in Grenoble. Even a little bit scared that I will settle back into my 'normal life' far too easily and not let myself be challenged by the things I've learned and what I've experienced.
No matter the mish-mash of things that I'm feeling I am certainly going to try to enjoy my last few days in Grenoble and in Europe in whatever way I even can. I write this with a sense of frustration because I wish to be living this week to the fullest and doing everything I enjoy however, the need to study for finals is a huge hinderance on my ability to follow through. Unfortunately, that means that my next 4 days will be spent in little contact with others, cooped up in my apartment, trying to pack as much knowledge in as my brain can currently handle. It also means that you should consider this my last blog post until I land on Canadian soil, or at least until I return to Grenoble (for 6 hours) after Morocco and before my departure from Europe.
Oh and with all this stuff going on its even more exciting when the thought comes to mind that there's actually only 2 weeks left until Christmas!! (just a little bit excited)
Until next time.
ONE full day remaining until final exam week starts (with 4 exams to write).
FIVE days until final exams are over.
FIVE and a half days until Jess and I leave for Marrakech, Morocco and most of my friends leave Grenoble.
TEN days (or just over) until I land at the Edmonton International Airport.
Every day that passes seems to be bittersweet. I'm looking forward to going home and seeing my friends and family again but everytime I think about it I am countered with the thought of leaving France and all of the friends I've made who have become my 'away from home' family. I hate the thought that I might not see some of them ever again. I'm sad that the time and effort I've put into these relationships might be 'all for not' if we struggle to keep in contact, but at the same time I'm excited to have new friends across the world, whom I can visit, as well as new travel opportunities.
I'm a little bit scared to return to Canada. Scared that it will feel different, for the adjustments I know I will need to make and scared that I will feel like I left part of myself or my heart in Grenoble. Even a little bit scared that I will settle back into my 'normal life' far too easily and not let myself be challenged by the things I've learned and what I've experienced.
No matter the mish-mash of things that I'm feeling I am certainly going to try to enjoy my last few days in Grenoble and in Europe in whatever way I even can. I write this with a sense of frustration because I wish to be living this week to the fullest and doing everything I enjoy however, the need to study for finals is a huge hinderance on my ability to follow through. Unfortunately, that means that my next 4 days will be spent in little contact with others, cooped up in my apartment, trying to pack as much knowledge in as my brain can currently handle. It also means that you should consider this my last blog post until I land on Canadian soil, or at least until I return to Grenoble (for 6 hours) after Morocco and before my departure from Europe.
Oh and with all this stuff going on its even more exciting when the thought comes to mind that there's actually only 2 weeks left until Christmas!! (just a little bit excited)
Until next time.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Ski Day!
It's on my bucket list to ski in both the French and Swiss Alps and on Saturday I was finally able to cross one of those off my list :)
I found out mid week that a couple people from my class were planning to head to Deux Alps to ski/ride for the day and I jumped on that like a fat kid on cake (or like Dania on a pain au chocolat). I brought most of my ski stuff to France since it was always my intention to make it to a mountain before I left and just had to borrow snow pants from someone. Luckily that worked itself out quite easily. Unfortunately, I came for the wrong school semester to ski because the ski season really only started last week and its still "low season." But either way I was determined to get out on the slopes even with my impending final exams and papers.
It had been snowing/raining for the last week solid and I completely lucked out because Saturday was just gorgeous weather and the sun was shining ALL day. No snow to blind us but super fresh powder from all the snow that had fallen the night and days before. Many of my classmates had never actually skiied before, or at least not much, so I ended up skiing by myself for the morning. This was perfectly fine by me and I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. Put the earphones in, gloves on and I was set to discover the French Alps.
Well the sad thing was that since it is still "low season" only 1/4 to a 1/3 of the lifts and runs were open since most of the snow had yet to settle and avalanche warnings were high. The guy at the rental shop (yes I had to rent gear which was a frustrating change from using my own) had actually given me freestyle skis accidently so I just stuck with them and decided it would be interesting to try them out. Different skis, powder and high altitudes led to a fun but challenging day of skiing. Not only that but after hitting up numerous black runs, which took me a while to get through, I discovered that the European rating system is different than Canada and the black runs I was taking were actually considered double blacks in Canada and the red runs here are what we consider 'black diamonds'. Plus, I was soon informed that the altitude was much higher than Canadian mountains and we got up to about 3000m above sea level. Boy, did that ever make me feel better about my skiing. For the morning I had just determined I had just gotten super out of shape since last season or that the freestyle skis were so much harder to use since it was taking so much more energy to ski the slopes than usual.
Ultimately the day was awesome; hanging out with friends, eating tasty, wood oven pizza, skiing in powder and discovering a new mountain. My only regret is that I wish I was here to experience the Alps to their fullest, for the whole winter. I guess the Rocky Mountains will have to do until the next European adventure!
I found out mid week that a couple people from my class were planning to head to Deux Alps to ski/ride for the day and I jumped on that like a fat kid on cake (or like Dania on a pain au chocolat). I brought most of my ski stuff to France since it was always my intention to make it to a mountain before I left and just had to borrow snow pants from someone. Luckily that worked itself out quite easily. Unfortunately, I came for the wrong school semester to ski because the ski season really only started last week and its still "low season." But either way I was determined to get out on the slopes even with my impending final exams and papers.
It had been snowing/raining for the last week solid and I completely lucked out because Saturday was just gorgeous weather and the sun was shining ALL day. No snow to blind us but super fresh powder from all the snow that had fallen the night and days before. Many of my classmates had never actually skiied before, or at least not much, so I ended up skiing by myself for the morning. This was perfectly fine by me and I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. Put the earphones in, gloves on and I was set to discover the French Alps.
Well the sad thing was that since it is still "low season" only 1/4 to a 1/3 of the lifts and runs were open since most of the snow had yet to settle and avalanche warnings were high. The guy at the rental shop (yes I had to rent gear which was a frustrating change from using my own) had actually given me freestyle skis accidently so I just stuck with them and decided it would be interesting to try them out. Different skis, powder and high altitudes led to a fun but challenging day of skiing. Not only that but after hitting up numerous black runs, which took me a while to get through, I discovered that the European rating system is different than Canada and the black runs I was taking were actually considered double blacks in Canada and the red runs here are what we consider 'black diamonds'. Plus, I was soon informed that the altitude was much higher than Canadian mountains and we got up to about 3000m above sea level. Boy, did that ever make me feel better about my skiing. For the morning I had just determined I had just gotten super out of shape since last season or that the freestyle skis were so much harder to use since it was taking so much more energy to ski the slopes than usual.
Ultimately the day was awesome; hanging out with friends, eating tasty, wood oven pizza, skiing in powder and discovering a new mountain. My only regret is that I wish I was here to experience the Alps to their fullest, for the whole winter. I guess the Rocky Mountains will have to do until the next European adventure!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Paris, Je T'aime
Good news. Remember when I said in my last post that I was quite saddened knowing I wouldn't be travelling again until after finals? Well that didn't last long and I was actually able to skip town again this past weekend and head for the marvellous city of Par-ee (Paris for you English speakers who didn't catch on)!
I definitely lucked out on this trip. I spent only a couple days lamenting on my lack of future travels when I g
ot an invitation from my friend Charlie to see the Australia vs. France international rugby game on Saturday November 27. That fact in itself had me quite excited and it just topped it with a cherry when I found out that the game was at the Stade de France in Paris. Yes....I was a happy camper. Then Jess decided she was going to come along to explore the city for the weekend also! So we did what we've done best and got online to check out the train schedule and book hostels. We managed to snag on right by the Montmarte area just down from the Sacre Coeur basilica.
ot an invitation from my friend Charlie to see the Australia vs. France international rugby game on Saturday November 27. That fact in itself had me quite excited and it just topped it with a cherry when I found out that the game was at the Stade de France in Paris. Yes....I was a happy camper. Then Jess decided she was going to come along to explore the city for the weekend also! So we did what we've done best and got online to check out the train schedule and book hostels. We managed to snag on right by the Montmarte area just down from the Sacre Coeur basilica.Since we had both already visited Paris on touristy trips (4 years ago for me) we deci
ded to spend another long-weekend just relaxing and wandering...boy do I enjoy brief moments of that lifestyle in the midst of the rushed craziness of my usual life. We arrived Thursday evening and searched out the nearest Starbucks. Vitally important since we are so lacking in Grenoble. We then spent the night wandering around by the Moulin Rouge and checked out maybe going to a show....89 Euro?? Didn't happen. The cold was a bit of a shock since we'd been enjoying the mild temperatures of Grenoble, and walking around all day outside just aplifies the "chilled to the bone" feeling, so it was time for the ski jacket, toque and definitely shoes with socks!
ded to spend another long-weekend just relaxing and wandering...boy do I enjoy brief moments of that lifestyle in the midst of the rushed craziness of my usual life. We arrived Thursday evening and searched out the nearest Starbucks. Vitally important since we are so lacking in Grenoble. We then spent the night wandering around by the Moulin Rouge and checked out maybe going to a show....89 Euro?? Didn't happen. The cold was a bit of a shock since we'd been enjoying the mild temperatures of Grenoble, and walking around all day outside just aplifies the "chilled to the bone" feeling, so it was time for the ski jacket, toque and definitely shoes with socks!Friday we hit up Starbucks again for a "Latte Caramel Noisette" (their Christmas special we don't have in Canada) and headed to Centre Pompidou. We voted against seeing the museums and instead just enjoyed the "modern art" architechture and went out in search of another Starbucks. We checked out the Sorbonne (only from the ouside due to security) and walked around the Latin Quarter in the afternoon looking in quaint bookshops and some jewlery stores. It was then that it started to SNOW....we were quite excited since this was the first snow of the season and we're in the romantic city of Paris....lacking men of course but that's okay. Our evening finished with a giant Indian meal and relaxation at a "tea house" near our hostel.
How did we start Saturday you might ask? Take a guess. Starbucks. I'm tellin ya, you gotta take what you can get while it's around because deprivation sets in fast when small cups of instant coffee are the only thing around. We met Charlie there since he had to come on a later train and took the afternoon to see the Tour Eiffel and walk along the Seine river, enjoying the fall colours and the sun that decided to finally peek through the clouds. We ended up at the Champs d'Elysee where we got to experience something Canada is missing. A Christmas Market! They have little log cabins set up along the avenue selling crafts, scarves, waffles, crepes as well as food stands with giant woks of tartiflette, paella, hot wine, etc. It was a feast for my eyes and my stomach! All the trees were lit up with Chrsitmas lights and there was a ferris wheel, merry-go round and slides that were entertaining the children. It was picturesque and even better when Jess and I went back Sunda
y to see it in the dark. Saturday night we headed to Charlie's hostel for dinner, beer and cards and off we went to the RUGBY GAME! We had managed to claim the last 2 scarves for that rugby match earlier in the day and were pretty excited to show our colours while cheering on the Aussie team. Of course they whopped France's ass 61-16 final score. Definitely tops as one of the most awesome moments in my life. To end the day, Charlie and I met up with Jess and two girls we met at our hostel (one from Germany and one from Australia) and checked out an absynthe bar that had a definite punk atmosphere.
y to see it in the dark. Saturday night we headed to Charlie's hostel for dinner, beer and cards and off we went to the RUGBY GAME! We had managed to claim the last 2 scarves for that rugby match earlier in the day and were pretty excited to show our colours while cheering on the Aussie team. Of course they whopped France's ass 61-16 final score. Definitely tops as one of the most awesome moments in my life. To end the day, Charlie and I met up with Jess and two girls we met at our hostel (one from Germany and one from Australia) and checked out an absynthe bar that had a definite punk atmosphere. Sunday was our last day in Paris and we decided to get some much needed rest....which really, was a stupid plan because you never really get a good sleep in a hostel. Either way, we stayed in bed until 10, had a lunch from the grocery store and spent the rest of the day just going back to buy some things we wanted and chilling at...Starbucks. Like I mentioned previously, we also went back to see the Champs Elysee all lit up at night and headed to the train station for a 1st class trip home (they were all out of the other seats....we're too poor for that usually haha).
Needless to say the weekend was an absolute blast and I got lots of fresh air, no matter how cold it was. I quite enjoyed getting my full caffeine fix (as you can see based on the 5 or more visits) and spending time with friends. A la prochaine fois!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Chartreuse Anyone?
Just a quick post compared to the others but I wanted to mention a neat place to check out if you ever come to the Rhone-Alps area of France. After finishing two major group presentations last week, Jess, myself and Charlie (a friend from the UK) headed to Voiron, France on Wednesday November 24th. We did not pick this small town at random, rather it is home to the Chartreuse caves, unique to France and to this area specifically. So alcohol, plus t
he cheap train tickets of only 5 euro, were essentially what drew us to Voiron for the afternoon.
he cheap train tickets of only 5 euro, were essentially what drew us to Voiron for the afternoon.Voiron was only a 15 minute train ride from Grenoble but there was not much to look at while there, other than the Chartreuse caves. After some cafe au lait at a local shop to kill the time (since things are closed from 12-2pm) we headed down the road to the caves. Luckily, entrance was free (important for us poor students) and we enjoyed our tour, which ended with a free tasting!
Chartreuse is a liqueur made by the Cartheusian Monks since the 1740's. To create the flavour, alcohol is mix
ed with 130 different herbal extracts and aged for years. It ranges in alcohol content from 40-55%. Most people don't realize there are so many types of Chartreuse as restaurants and bars in Canada tend to only stock the green (55%) version and it's quite expensive at that. During the tasting we had the chance to try the green and yellow Chartreuses along with Genepi (a liquor featuring local mountain flora). In addition, there is Chartreuse VEP which is aged longer in oak casks, Liqueur du 9eme Centenaire and Chartreuse 1605. Lastly there is the Elixir Vegetal de la Grand-Chartreuse which is the original version/discovery of Chartreuse. Historically it was thought to lengthen people's lives but now you can actually find it at the pharmacy and mix a drop or two with water or sugar in order to help with digestion.
ed with 130 different herbal extracts and aged for years. It ranges in alcohol content from 40-55%. Most people don't realize there are so many types of Chartreuse as restaurants and bars in Canada tend to only stock the green (55%) version and it's quite expensive at that. During the tasting we had the chance to try the green and yellow Chartreuses along with Genepi (a liquor featuring local mountain flora). In addition, there is Chartreuse VEP which is aged longer in oak casks, Liqueur du 9eme Centenaire and Chartreuse 1605. Lastly there is the Elixir Vegetal de la Grand-Chartreuse which is the original version/discovery of Chartreuse. Historically it was thought to lengthen people's lives but now you can actually find it at the pharmacy and mix a drop or two with water or sugar in order to help with digestion.
I ended up learning a lot and enjoyed the day of relaxing away from school and homework in general. We picked up some regional wine on the way home to finish off the evening with a hot dinner and glass of red. Always makes my day. Okay so I guess this wasn't such a quick post after all...
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Inbetween
After a marvellous long weekend things headed downhill for a bit. I had woken up on the Saturday morning Jess and I left for Annecy with a sore neck. This had happened before and was only because I had slept funny...the kink worked itself out by the end of the day. But that was not the case this time. In fact, by the end of the day, the pain had moved into my left shoulder and I had a hard time sleeping that night because it was becoming so painful. This pain continued throughout Sunday and Monday where I got extremely fed up and went to buy some strange muscle relaxant from the pharmacist and hoped the misery would soon be over.
By Monday the pain had not dissipated, the relaxants hadn't helped and by the end of the night the pain was in my mid back as well (on the left side). I had determined I would call the doctor in the morning. I had been trying to avoid having to visit a health practicioner because I really didn't want to have to deal with emergency health insurance while travelling but there's only so much pain one can handle. And it's a good thing I called the doctor because by Tuesday evening the pain had spread around my side and into my chest, surrounding my lungs, and making it very painful to breathe. Let me tell you that it is one of the scariest things to feel like the breath is being taken right out of you and I was preparing myself to have to go to the hospital. I couldn't even lie in bed without being in distress and had to pace my room for an hour an a half before I could even try to sleep. At this point it was painful to laugh, cough, walk and now breathe. It had gone too far.
I made it to the doctor the next morning. It was a little different from Canada in that when I called the doctor I reached him personally, not a receptionist. When I arrived at the office I just sat down and waited until the doctor came and got me himself. He brought me into his office which was a wooden desk with papers all around and I sat down and explained what was wrong. Then he took me behind a curtain in the same room to an examination chair to check my breathing/pain, etc. At the end of the visit he gave me the perscriptions (as doctors normally do) but then gave me a bill which I pain in cash and he put into his desk drawer. So strange. At least I knew the forms were legit and I would get reimbursed, somehow, but it was definitely a different doctor experience.
Ultimately, the doctor didn't really know what was wrong so he just perscribed me with some drugs he hoped would help. I actually had to ask about potentially seeing a physio or massage therapist or a chiropractor. He said to try the drugs and if they didn't work by Friday to come back and he would refer me to see someone. They ended up helping and now the pain is gone from my back but I can still feel residue in my shoulder in neck. At this point (20 days left) I will just wait until I get back to Canada and see my massage therapist so I don't have to worry about reimbursement for emergency treatment here in France.
By Monday the pain had not dissipated, the relaxants hadn't helped and by the end of the night the pain was in my mid back as well (on the left side). I had determined I would call the doctor in the morning. I had been trying to avoid having to visit a health practicioner because I really didn't want to have to deal with emergency health insurance while travelling but there's only so much pain one can handle. And it's a good thing I called the doctor because by Tuesday evening the pain had spread around my side and into my chest, surrounding my lungs, and making it very painful to breathe. Let me tell you that it is one of the scariest things to feel like the breath is being taken right out of you and I was preparing myself to have to go to the hospital. I couldn't even lie in bed without being in distress and had to pace my room for an hour an a half before I could even try to sleep. At this point it was painful to laugh, cough, walk and now breathe. It had gone too far.
I made it to the doctor the next morning. It was a little different from Canada in that when I called the doctor I reached him personally, not a receptionist. When I arrived at the office I just sat down and waited until the doctor came and got me himself. He brought me into his office which was a wooden desk with papers all around and I sat down and explained what was wrong. Then he took me behind a curtain in the same room to an examination chair to check my breathing/pain, etc. At the end of the visit he gave me the perscriptions (as doctors normally do) but then gave me a bill which I pain in cash and he put into his desk drawer. So strange. At least I knew the forms were legit and I would get reimbursed, somehow, but it was definitely a different doctor experience.
Ultimately, the doctor didn't really know what was wrong so he just perscribed me with some drugs he hoped would help. I actually had to ask about potentially seeing a physio or massage therapist or a chiropractor. He said to try the drugs and if they didn't work by Friday to come back and he would refer me to see someone. They ended up helping and now the pain is gone from my back but I can still feel residue in my shoulder in neck. At this point (20 days left) I will just wait until I get back to Canada and see my massage therapist so I don't have to worry about reimbursement for emergency treatment here in France.
Annecy
After Venice I only had to make it through 3 days of classes before it was the Armistice Day long weekend. It was so strange to experience this holidays without seeing every second person walking around wearing a poppy on their jacket. However, I remembered the soldiers just the same and enjoyed the time away from school. Jess and I didn't have another major trip planned since travel was expensive at this time due to the long weekend, but we had decided to do some local exploration and check out the town of Annecy, France only an hour train ride north-east of Grenoble. It has been under either Swiss or French control for the last 100 years so has much influence from both cultures.Annecy already had the reputation of being a beautiful town and oh did it ever live up to
those expectations. First, the weather a balmy 16 degrees on Saturday November 13 and the sun was shining on us all day, reflecting off the turquoise-blue Lac d'Annecy and the snow capped mountains. We were able to walk around without our jackets off and bask in the sun's rays as we walked along the side of the lake watching the rowers, kayakers, playful children and just enjoying the amazing day we were given.
those expectations. First, the weather a balmy 16 degrees on Saturday November 13 and the sun was shining on us all day, reflecting off the turquoise-blue Lac d'Annecy and the snow capped mountains. We were able to walk around without our jackets off and bask in the sun's rays as we walked along the side of the lake watching the rowers, kayakers, playful children and just enjoying the amazing day we were given.Our day 
mostly consisted of wandering around and exploring but we did discover a gelato shop with at least 30 different flavours to choose from, some tasty cookies, the old part of town and Le Chateau at the top of the hill (which ended up just being a museum inside that was not as interesting as we had expected).
mostly consisted of wandering around and exploring but we did discover a gelato shop with at least 30 different flavours to choose from, some tasty cookies, the old part of town and Le Chateau at the top of the hill (which ended up just being a museum inside that was not as interesting as we had expected).I was glad we were able to get away for even just the day but it was kind of depressing when we returned to Grenoble since I realized I had no other trips planned until after finals, which was over a month away. In retrospect I lucked out because it didn't stay that way for long. But thats for another post, another day!
Venezia!
Somehow I manage to stay a month behind in my posts but I promise you I will be caught up by the end of this coming weekend.
And so the story continues. After returning from Monaco I spent only 10 days swamped in midterms and group presentations/reports before Jess and I whisked ourselves away to Venice, Italy on Thursday November 4, 2010. We had both visited Italy on previous trips to Europe but my cities travelled were limited to Rome, Pisa, Florence, Naples, Sorrento and Capri so Venice was one I wasn't going to miss out on a second time around. Not only that but we managed to get our flight tickets for only 100 euro round trip and a hotel reservation for a hostel price of 20 euro a night! We definitely scored a deal. However, we spent the whole week leading up to this trip not only anxious about our school work but anxious about another French strike. Seemingly, Air France (our airline of choice) was planning a strike of their airport staff for the day we were planning to leave as well as the day after. To top it off, French transport unions had decided to strike the 3 days after which included the day of our flight home to Grenoble. Well weren't Jess and I just soooo pleased.
In the end things worked out fine and although there was only one Air France rep working the counter at the airport, it wasn't very busy anyways so we made it through and the planes still flew the skies. Luckily, the French transport unions actually shortened, or limited, their strike the following days so we were able to make it home (barely) but that's anoth
er story for later.
er story for later.Jess and I quite enjoyed our 5 day weekend in Venice. It was a bit warmer than in Grenoble (12 degrees) but the sun was nowhere to be found. I heard later on that intense fog is pretty typical of Venice for that time of year but it did add a mysterious feel to the city on water. We voted against doing the super touristy things so Jess and I spent lots of our time just wandering around, shopping, and eating gelato and pizza. Of course we visited the Piazza San Marco and the Ponte Rialto but our favourite turned out to be the island of Murano or the "glass island." It was so easy to spend a whole day there just admiring the hand blown glass art and far to easy to spend our money on unique glass jewelery.
We had a project to submit online while we were in Venice so it was the first time we took our laptops on a trip and I would never do it again. Travelling on weekends has acted as our relaxation time and escape from the craziness that school brings and bringing our laptops and having access to email just didn't provide us with that same freedom. However, homework did NOT stop us from enjoying wine in our hotel room and picking up a delicious pizza (flat crust with roasted red peppers, eggplant, zucchini and cheese) to-go from the local Restaurante Palladio up the road...YUM, YUM!
We managed to avoid rain all weekend except it caught up to us our last night there. We were quite a sight running around the main island with our shoes soaked and broken umbrella in hand trying to find our way and duck into stores whenever possible to stay some kind of dry. After a tasty meal we decided to check out a live show about Venezia at the Teatro San Gallo. It was actually very interesting to learn all about the history of the city and how they became known for the strange masks and stories, although it would have been better had we seen it at the start of the weekend and knew more about the things we saw along the way. Either way, our last night was a good one and we tried to head to bed by 10pm since we had to get up at 4am the next morning to head to the airport....early morning flights were only our choice because we still had class to attend that day.
The airport story (long story short): Jess and I were informed only a day before our flight that there were no busses that actually ran to the airport early enough to get us there for our flight at 630am (since we were staying in Malcontenta which is outside of Venice). Thus, we had to figure something else out and were advised that the best idea would be to bus to one of the train stations and catch a taxi from there to the airport, which was still going to cost us 30 euro. We weren't happy about that but we were informed that there would be taxis at the train station at that hour and they were more reliable then hoping the busses would run on time. Boy was THAT a wrong assumption! We made it to the train station on time only to find out there were no taxis. After some waiting, panicking, then imagining of the worst case scenario and the amount of cash we might have had to dish out to get home for classes, a taxi waiting for a reservation at a hotel across the street called in another taxi for us. By this point we were running out of time and had about 45 mintues before our flight was going to leave. I feared for my life as we flew down the dark, slippery roads at 110 km/hr in a 70 zone but the amazing driver got us to the airport in 7 minutes (a supposed 15 minute drive). We made it through check-in in time but boarding had started and finished while we waited through the security line up. We heard "Spillett and Steingard" paged not one but three times before we cut in line and sprinted to our gate, panting and getting a dirty look from the gate attendant. 
Of course we made it home safe and sound and off to class that afternoon but boy were we already worn out from the day by the time 7am rolled around and we had classes until 8pm that night. No....we didn't end up making it and skipped the last hour and a half of marketing. You try paying attention to a class you've already taken after that kind of day!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Bond. James Bond.
Well you can't say I didn't pre-warn you. This is basically where my blogging abilities have fallen off the bandwagon seeing as its been over a month since my last post. So much has happened since then it seems. Either way when I mentioned in my last post that I was getting really busy with school work, I was probably being too modest. Basically I got smoked with group projects, reports and presentations (at least 2 a week). This would have been more manageable had I not planned another weekend trip for October with my Dad and a trip to Venice at the start of November....more about those will follow.
Essentially I found out that not only is this semester the hardest of my whole degree program at GGSB but, the emphasis on being a Grand Ecole is actually more than I thought. It seems as though this gives the school much more status than I realized and thus, much more work. Anyone who wants to work in government/politics in Europe really needs to have graduated from a Grand Ecole and its definitely considered more prestigious than the Universities around Grenoble. This really didn't matter too much to me, considering I was barely aware, but it's nice to have that advantage on my resume if I ever decide to work in Europe.
My dad arrived in Grenoble on Wednesday Oct 13 and we left on Thursday Oct 21 for Monaco. This trip almost didn't happen. One, I was swamped with work and a midterm and project deadline got moved to the week after we were planning to escape to the South of France. Also, the French had continued to strike, interfering with life as I knew it, and were blocking off the gazole/diesel distribution channels throughout France. This might have been alright aside f
rom the fact that my dad and I had decided to rent a car and were going to drive to Monaco. Thus, we were never really certain what was going to happen the day we were planning to leave; all we knew was a rental car would be waiting but we had no idea how full the tank of gas would be and if we would be able to fill up when necessary. Ultimately everything was fine and we had no problem finding diesel when we needed it. Definitely lucked out.
rom the fact that my dad and I had decided to rent a car and were going to drive to Monaco. Thus, we were never really certain what was going to happen the day we were planning to leave; all we knew was a rental car would be waiting but we had no idea how full the tank of gas would be and if we would be able to fill up when necessary. Ultimately everything was fine and we had no problem finding diesel when we needed it. Definitely lucked out. Monaco was incredible! Due to my mad navigating skills, we made it safe and sound to Monaco, more specifically, the Fairmont Monte Carlo. Yes....my father spoiled me and it was awesome! I was so happy to have a large and comfortable bed along with new sheets everyday. Also, there was the most amazing rooftop restaurant/lounge/champagne bar overlooking the Mediterranean that was breathtaking both at night and
during the day. The moon reflecting off the sea was a beautiful sight and the warm air was a nice change from the chilly and rainy temperatures we had been getting in Grenoble the week before. In fact, the warmth was so unexpected I didn't have the proper clothes and ended up rolling up my jeans as makeshift capris. Glad we brought our bathingsuits since on Friday October 22 we spent the afternoon sun bathing, eating gelato and swimming in the sea. LOVED IT.
during the day. The moon reflecting off the sea was a beautiful sight and the warm air was a nice change from the chilly and rainy temperatures we had been getting in Grenoble the week before. In fact, the warmth was so unexpected I didn't have the proper clothes and ended up rolling up my jeans as makeshift capris. Glad we brought our bathingsuits since on Friday October 22 we spent the afternoon sun bathing, eating gelato and swimming in the sea. LOVED IT. In the end the weekend gave my dad and I lots of time to relax, aside from the fact that I had to study for a French and Business Law midterm during the evenings. We got to see the famous Monte Carlo Casino where the James Bond Casino Royale was filmed although it was 15 euro to even get entrance and 25 euro minimum bet so we didn't bother gambling there. In fa
ct, our hotel was backing right onto the side of the casino. I also received some eye candy in the form of beautiful cars; Aston Martins, Porsches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris....and I was in heaven :D In addition, we ate dinner over the marina, checked out the mini carnival between Monte Carlo and Monaco City, tried to make our way into Monaco City and spent some time walking the beach. On the Saturday we took the car for another adventure and went to visit Cannes, the location of the famous, international film festival. The weather was still gorgeous for this daytrip and so we enjoyed walking along the Boulevard de la Croisette and taking a train ride for a historical and celebrity tour of the city.
ct, our hotel was backing right onto the side of the casino. I also received some eye candy in the form of beautiful cars; Aston Martins, Porsches, Lamborghinis, Ferraris....and I was in heaven :D In addition, we ate dinner over the marina, checked out the mini carnival between Monte Carlo and Monaco City, tried to make our way into Monaco City and spent some time walking the beach. On the Saturday we took the car for another adventure and went to visit Cannes, the location of the famous, international film festival. The weather was still gorgeous for this daytrip and so we enjoyed walking along the Boulevard de la Croisette and taking a train ride for a historical and celebrity tour of the city. By Sunday we had savoured the time we had by the sea and had to make our way back to Grenoble. Of course, the ugly, rainy weather welcomed us home to the start of a week of insanity for me and my dad's last week in Grenoble.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Amsterdam
As I mentioned in my last post, Jess and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Amsterdam. It was a little sad not getting to have the traditional turkey and mashed potato meal, like we usually do in Canada, and not getting to be with our families but we still had a good time.
Once again I was pleased to get my Starbucks fix (although $8 for a grande size) and stock up on Swiss chocolate since we had to train to Geneva in order to fly to Amsterdam. We got a chance to check out the Heineken Brewery/museum, Anne Frank House, coffee shops, the red light district and just wander around taking in the architecture and sights. We enjoyed numerous Dutch meals/pastries and finally got to have some strawberries (been craving them for a while).
I think I'm in denial that its fall. In Grenoble the weather had been sitting around 21 degrees since I arrived and the last two times that I've gone away for the weekend I've experienced temperatures closer to 10 degrees. And of course, each time I am under dressed since I was planning for warmer weather. Needless to say, I bought both a jacket and some winter boots in Amsterdam. No, it wasn't that cold but at least now I'm more prepared for when fall/winter actually does come. Because its more humid here than in Edmonton you feel the cold faster than you do back home too.
Now that I'm back in Grenoble for the next little while, it's time to focus on school. I've actually become very overwhelmed by my classes and not just because I've been leaving town frequently. Within the next 3 weeks I have 5 group presentations/reports to finish and 2 midterms to study for. GEM faculty says employers are looking for graduates that can work in groups but I think they took that to a little bit of an extreme when planning the curriculum!
If you want to read about my classes and assignments, Jess (another exchange student) wrote a blog all about it so you can check that out instead of me just repeating it all. Also note that 2 of these classes have regular and necessary textbook reading to keep up with and 2 of the classes usually have weekly or bi-weekly homework assignments as well. YAY!
Needless to say...I have lots of work to do. Hopefully I can just buckle down and focus even though my dad is visiting for the next two weeks. I think I'll have mad co-ordinating skills after all this group project/meeting planning when every class has a different group mixture.
Once again I was pleased to get my Starbucks fix (although $8 for a grande size) and stock up on Swiss chocolate since we had to train to Geneva in order to fly to Amsterdam. We got a chance to check out the Heineken Brewery/museum, Anne Frank House, coffee shops, the red light district and just wander around taking in the architecture and sights. We enjoyed numerous Dutch meals/pastries and finally got to have some strawberries (been craving them for a while).
I think I'm in denial that its fall. In Grenoble the weather had been sitting around 21 degrees since I arrived and the last two times that I've gone away for the weekend I've experienced temperatures closer to 10 degrees. And of course, each time I am under dressed since I was planning for warmer weather. Needless to say, I bought both a jacket and some winter boots in Amsterdam. No, it wasn't that cold but at least now I'm more prepared for when fall/winter actually does come. Because its more humid here than in Edmonton you feel the cold faster than you do back home too.
Now that I'm back in Grenoble for the next little while, it's time to focus on school. I've actually become very overwhelmed by my classes and not just because I've been leaving town frequently. Within the next 3 weeks I have 5 group presentations/reports to finish and 2 midterms to study for. GEM faculty says employers are looking for graduates that can work in groups but I think they took that to a little bit of an extreme when planning the curriculum!
If you want to read about my classes and assignments, Jess (another exchange student) wrote a blog all about it so you can check that out instead of me just repeating it all. Also note that 2 of these classes have regular and necessary textbook reading to keep up with and 2 of the classes usually have weekly or bi-weekly homework assignments as well. YAY!
Needless to say...I have lots of work to do. Hopefully I can just buckle down and focus even though my dad is visiting for the next two weeks. I think I'll have mad co-ordinating skills after all this group project/meeting planning when every class has a different group mixture.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Thanksgiving
Okay, okay so I know that's not until next weekend (at least for us Canadians) but seeing as I will be in Amsterdam, Netherlands without computer access I will write about it now. For some reason thankfulness has been on my mind lately too. Maybe it has something to do with the amazing experiences I am having or the incredible scenery around here....or maybe just the fact that I've had lots of reflection time either on the tram, trains, busses, planes or walking. Also, I had my first option class yesterday and I'm taking International Humanitarian & Development Intervention. We talked about countries in need of aid and UN assistance and that also got me thinking on the things I take for granted, either here in France or in Canada. Or maybe God was just trying to get me to realize how lucky I am. Most likely a mixture of all those things.
Either way, during my time living in France I've gone through some periods of missing the comforts of home and sometimes missing the predictability of my life in Canada (although that part doesn't usually last for long). Because I've been fighting a brutal cold this last week it seems my desire for those things was recently heightened. However, as I was walking home from a marvellous shopping trip this afternoon, I flipped a switch in my thinking and started considering all the things I love about being here. Don't get me wrong...thats not a rare occurance as I am so enjoying my time here.
I know this list could really go on forever but these were some of my more recent considerations.
I am thankful that:
-I live at the base of the French Alps near a river full of clean glacier water with a gorgeous view to be had, everyday
- It's October 2 and I was able to wear a tank top, shorts and sandals today (even though the lady at the grocery store asked me why I wasn't cold dressed like that--which makes me consider that this is normal weather for them)
- I have hot water to shower with and a warm apartment
- I have a computer to keep in contact with friends and family
- I have friends in places all over the world
- I have the ability to travel freely, without persecution, all over Europe
- I can afford to buy food to feed myself
- I feel am living in a generally safe place where I have no fear of being shot or attacked on my way to school and to the store
- Although I may be fighting off illness, I am not in an area suffering from malaria, malnutrition, exposure and dysentry
- My walls are thin and I often wake up to screaming kids or loud footsteps but I am not waking up to bombs and gunfire
- I learned French when I grew up and can now get along on a daily basis in a language other than my mothertounge
- I got to enjoy Haagen-Dazs icecream AND a dark chocolate-banana crepe with Jess this afternoon
- There is an English speaking church in Grenoble
- I am privy to an education
- I am loved
As I walked contemplating all these things I really was overwhelmed at how much God has blessed me.
As it comes close to Thanksgiving, try to consider not only the things directly around you for which you are thankful but the things you might take for granted, which people in under-developed/war-torn countries are likely missing. Now consider how lucky and blessed you really are.
Dania
Either way, during my time living in France I've gone through some periods of missing the comforts of home and sometimes missing the predictability of my life in Canada (although that part doesn't usually last for long). Because I've been fighting a brutal cold this last week it seems my desire for those things was recently heightened. However, as I was walking home from a marvellous shopping trip this afternoon, I flipped a switch in my thinking and started considering all the things I love about being here. Don't get me wrong...thats not a rare occurance as I am so enjoying my time here.
I know this list could really go on forever but these were some of my more recent considerations.
I am thankful that:
-I live at the base of the French Alps near a river full of clean glacier water with a gorgeous view to be had, everyday
- It's October 2 and I was able to wear a tank top, shorts and sandals today (even though the lady at the grocery store asked me why I wasn't cold dressed like that--which makes me consider that this is normal weather for them)
- I have hot water to shower with and a warm apartment
- I have a computer to keep in contact with friends and family
- I have friends in places all over the world
- I have the ability to travel freely, without persecution, all over Europe
- I can afford to buy food to feed myself
- I feel am living in a generally safe place where I have no fear of being shot or attacked on my way to school and to the store
- Although I may be fighting off illness, I am not in an area suffering from malaria, malnutrition, exposure and dysentry
- My walls are thin and I often wake up to screaming kids or loud footsteps but I am not waking up to bombs and gunfire
- I learned French when I grew up and can now get along on a daily basis in a language other than my mothertounge
- I got to enjoy Haagen-Dazs icecream AND a dark chocolate-banana crepe with Jess this afternoon
- There is an English speaking church in Grenoble
- I am privy to an education
- I am loved
As I walked contemplating all these things I really was overwhelmed at how much God has blessed me.
As it comes close to Thanksgiving, try to consider not only the things directly around you for which you are thankful but the things you might take for granted, which people in under-developed/war-torn countries are likely missing. Now consider how lucky and blessed you really are.
Dania
Friday, October 1, 2010
Oktoberfest
I'm not going spill all the juicy details and stories on my blog so if you guys are still interested in hearing more about my trip to Oktoberfest you'll just have to ask once I get home to Canada. For now, I just have a few things to share...including the fact that going to Oktoberfest 2010 in Munich was probably one of the most memorable experiences of my life!
It was super nice the whole drive to Germany and as soon as we arrived at our super cute hotel in Talhausen (25 min outside Munich because prices were crazy $$ in the city) it started pouring. That didn't da
mpen our moods though as we were determined. I love German food so we had an authentic meal at our hotel and hitched a ride to Freising to the train station in order to get ourselves to Munich for the evening (Fri, Sept 24).
Because it was raining it was easy to find a spot at a beer tent at Oktoberfest. Just meant we had to keep our jackets and hoods up since there was no cover. And so the litres came....just kidding. Only two each, that night.
Woke up crazy early Saturday morning (5am) to be at Oktoberfest in line for a tent at 7:30am. Loved the breakfast of bratwurst on a bun and soooo loved my Chai latte from Starbuc
ks that morning even though I paid almost $7CAN for it. We got into the tent fast enough (luckily) and the beer started flowing at 9am. We were back at our hotel and crashed in bed by 10:30pm and everything that happened in between...those are stories for in person HAHA. No, the rain never let up so that was part of it but 5L of beer in 7 hours or so will also help to do one in.
Sunday morning we got up, not at all hungover due to the 10:30pm bedtime, and made our way back to Switzerland with a quick stop in Munich to see the Olympic Park and the new soccer stadium.
It was super nice the whole drive to Germany and as soon as we arrived at our super cute hotel in Talhausen (25 min outside Munich because prices were crazy $$ in the city) it started pouring. That didn't da
mpen our moods though as we were determined. I love German food so we had an authentic meal at our hotel and hitched a ride to Freising to the train station in order to get ourselves to Munich for the evening (Fri, Sept 24).Because it was raining it was easy to find a spot at a beer tent at Oktoberfest. Just meant we had to keep our jackets and hoods up since there was no cover. And so the litres came....just kidding. Only two each, that night.
Woke up crazy early Saturday morning (5am) to be at Oktoberfest in line for a tent at 7:30am. Loved the breakfast of bratwurst on a bun and soooo loved my Chai latte from Starbuc
ks that morning even though I paid almost $7CAN for it. We got into the tent fast enough (luckily) and the beer started flowing at 9am. We were back at our hotel and crashed in bed by 10:30pm and everything that happened in between...those are stories for in person HAHA. No, the rain never let up so that was part of it but 5L of beer in 7 hours or so will also help to do one in.Sunday morning we got up, not at all hungover due to the 10:30pm bedtime, and made our way back to Switzerland with a quick stop in Munich to see the Olympic Park and the new soccer stadium.
Switzerland
AND I'm back.
Holy smokes, what a week. Well....weekend mostly.
It started Thursday afternoon as Jess and I were finishing up International Marketing class. We had our backpacks packed and everything ready to go for our long weekend in Switzerland/Germany. We were enjoying break and talking to others about our upcoming trip when someone blurts out, "Don't you know the French transit is on strike again today?" Needless to say, NO, we did not know that. Its never written anywhere when these days are going to happen yet somehow, other people are in the know and I am not. We decided to check the train anyways at 1:30pm and no, it was no longer scheduled. Here we go again I thought...
Luckily the busses were still running to the Geneve (Geneva to English speaking people) airport so we paid our extra $50 for the inconvenience and hopped on that one leaving only 30 minutes later. Unfortunately that meant missing our planned train connection. Thank goodness for flexible tickets because it let us just hop on the next train from Geneve to Zurich with the same ticket we had previously purchased. From there it was Zurich to Zug where we met up with Marc, a friend of mine who lives in Switzerland but had come to work in Canada for the last year or two (where we met).
Although w
e arrived in Switzerland at night it was already amazing. We had dinner on a patio of an Italian restaurant right off the Lake of Zug and then headed to Lucerne to a lounge called "Suite" on the roof of a hotel. Here we experienced a breathtaking view of the mountains, the Lake of Lucerne and all the city lights. Luckily, we planned to come back Monday for more exploring, after our weekend in Germany.
The drive through Switzerland (and even 20 minutes in Austria) was incredible. It was a marvellous 25 degrees, although we were in a car, and the mountains were looking glorious while the lakes reflected the clear blue of the sky. The stereotypical green pastures, with cows everywhere, was exactly how I pictured. I decided this would be the place to paraglide if I get the chance to go back. We even drove past the country of Liechtenstein during our drive!
For ease of reading I'll write about Oktoberfest in the next post. We arrived home from Germany Sunday (Sept 26) evening, enjoyed a warm meal in the midst of crappy weather and headed to bed. Marc had to work Monday so Jess and I headed by train to explore Lucerne. we wandered around, marvelled at the view, climbed up some of the towers, crossed the famous Chapel bridge and munched on some Swiss goodies. Yes, there was some shopping in there too.
After a far to early start on Tuesday morning Jess and I finally made it back in Grenoble at 12:45pm for a class that started at 1:15. And so started another week of classes.
Holy smokes, what a week. Well....weekend mostly.
It started Thursday afternoon as Jess and I were finishing up International Marketing class. We had our backpacks packed and everything ready to go for our long weekend in Switzerland/Germany. We were enjoying break and talking to others about our upcoming trip when someone blurts out, "Don't you know the French transit is on strike again today?" Needless to say, NO, we did not know that. Its never written anywhere when these days are going to happen yet somehow, other people are in the know and I am not. We decided to check the train anyways at 1:30pm and no, it was no longer scheduled. Here we go again I thought...
Luckily the busses were still running to the Geneve (Geneva to English speaking people) airport so we paid our extra $50 for the inconvenience and hopped on that one leaving only 30 minutes later. Unfortunately that meant missing our planned train connection. Thank goodness for flexible tickets because it let us just hop on the next train from Geneve to Zurich with the same ticket we had previously purchased. From there it was Zurich to Zug where we met up with Marc, a friend of mine who lives in Switzerland but had come to work in Canada for the last year or two (where we met).
Although w
e arrived in Switzerland at night it was already amazing. We had dinner on a patio of an Italian restaurant right off the Lake of Zug and then headed to Lucerne to a lounge called "Suite" on the roof of a hotel. Here we experienced a breathtaking view of the mountains, the Lake of Lucerne and all the city lights. Luckily, we planned to come back Monday for more exploring, after our weekend in Germany.The drive through Switzerland (and even 20 minutes in Austria) was incredible. It was a marvellous 25 degrees, although we were in a car, and the mountains were looking glorious while the lakes reflected the clear blue of the sky. The stereotypical green pastures, with cows everywhere, was exactly how I pictured. I decided this would be the place to paraglide if I get the chance to go back. We even drove past the country of Liechtenstein during our drive!
For ease of reading I'll write about Oktoberfest in the next post. We arrived home from Germany Sunday (Sept 26) evening, enjoyed a warm meal in the midst of crappy weather and headed to bed. Marc had to work Monday so Jess and I headed by train to explore Lucerne. we wandered around, marvelled at the view, climbed up some of the towers, crossed the famous Chapel bridge and munched on some Swiss goodies. Yes, there was some shopping in there too.
After a far to early start on Tuesday morning Jess and I finally made it back in Grenoble at 12:45pm for a class that started at 1:15. And so started another week of classes.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Party Time
I have to say I told you so. I told you I fail at keeping journals and thus am also failing at updating this blog AND I bet it's just going to get worse as the semester wears on. Either way, here I am again backtracking on the last week or more.
I spent most of last week settling in to life in Grenoble after all the random travelling thus far. Grocery shopping, getting internet at home, doing laundry and catching up on the things I hadn't accomplished during the first week which Jess and I spent in Spain instead. We also had more orientation sessions to attend and had to get our supplies for school. Unfortunately I learned that France does not like to use regular, lined, looseleaf paper. Nope. Instead, they use some weird graph paper type thing and their paper sizes and binders are all longer than ours in Canada. I accepted this eventually and went searching for a clipboard to carry notes back and forth to school. Nope. Couldn't find one of those either. An agenda with a monthly calendar also? Nope. And yes, randomly, peanut butter? Nope again.
Anyways, it was clearly a discovering week, discovering all the things France doesn't have that made me miss Canada just a little bit more. In the end the week was not a bust as we spent Wednesday (Sept 15) on a team building adventure where we hiked up the the Bastille on the mountain and got to play a variety of sports, eat baguettes and pain au chocolat, explore tunnels and just enjoy the 26 degrees it was that afternoon.
Let me tell you that the French like to party. It all started Wednesday evening. Yes, school was in session for some people but there was a party in one of the residences for the Mexican Independence Day from 9pm til oh, 5am...however, I decided to be lame and hit the hay that night since the sun at the team building event about drained my energy. Probably the best plan since you couldn't move within the room and I heard the police ended up at the residence to break it up anyways.
Then came Thursday. Jess and I decided we needed to integrate ourselves more with all the other students at GEM so we signed up for the Bureau des Estudiants' (BDE - Student Union type thing) Integration Weekend or Week End de Integration (WEI) as the French would say. We were to leave for an unknown location in the south of France, on the Mediterranean, on Friday at 1:30am in the morning. Well I figured I'd sleep til then, get up and catch the bus and fall asleep again til we got there in the morning. Boy was I wrong. We soon found out we were supposed to meet at 7:30 for dinner and then at 10:30pm for the pre-bus party at someone's apartment. Let's just say everyone was pretty drunk by the time it was 1:30 and time for us to board the bus. Did the party stop? Hell no, this is France. And it continued all the way until 6am, about an hour before we arrived and the point when everyone decided it was finally time to put down the microphones and sleep for a bit.
I eventually found out we ended up in Canet du Plage, France which was very near to the border of Spain. Needless to say the weekend was awesome even though it proceeded to rain most of the time. Some of the activities included hanging at the beach, paintball, bumper cars, human slingshot, mini rodeo, foam party, random drink parties, inflatable slip n slide, etc. Some sleep was had and also a lot of fun. The 6 hour drive took us home Sunday afternoon and I prepared to start classes for the semester on Monday morning! Yup...that's the boring part of this all. Haha.
The only thing about Integration Weekend that I would mention to future students of GEM is that it seemed to be mostly French students who went. As a result, not much "integration" actually happens unless you are willing walk up to a random stranger and strike up a conversation in French. They do appreciate the effort though but sometimes the conversations are short-lived.
So...I'm headed off to Switzerland tomorrow with Jess to meet up with a friend and head to Oktoberfest but when I get back I'll share a bit of my first week of school experiences as well as some of this upcoming trip.
PS- I just sucked it up and bought a replacement camera today so there should be more pictures to come on Facebook. And one of these days I'll add some to the blog so your eyes don't start to cross from all the reading.
A la prochaine (no I can't figure out accents either on here for the French words)!
I spent most of last week settling in to life in Grenoble after all the random travelling thus far. Grocery shopping, getting internet at home, doing laundry and catching up on the things I hadn't accomplished during the first week which Jess and I spent in Spain instead. We also had more orientation sessions to attend and had to get our supplies for school. Unfortunately I learned that France does not like to use regular, lined, looseleaf paper. Nope. Instead, they use some weird graph paper type thing and their paper sizes and binders are all longer than ours in Canada. I accepted this eventually and went searching for a clipboard to carry notes back and forth to school. Nope. Couldn't find one of those either. An agenda with a monthly calendar also? Nope. And yes, randomly, peanut butter? Nope again.
Anyways, it was clearly a discovering week, discovering all the things France doesn't have that made me miss Canada just a little bit more. In the end the week was not a bust as we spent Wednesday (Sept 15) on a team building adventure where we hiked up the the Bastille on the mountain and got to play a variety of sports, eat baguettes and pain au chocolat, explore tunnels and just enjoy the 26 degrees it was that afternoon.
Let me tell you that the French like to party. It all started Wednesday evening. Yes, school was in session for some people but there was a party in one of the residences for the Mexican Independence Day from 9pm til oh, 5am...however, I decided to be lame and hit the hay that night since the sun at the team building event about drained my energy. Probably the best plan since you couldn't move within the room and I heard the police ended up at the residence to break it up anyways.
Then came Thursday. Jess and I decided we needed to integrate ourselves more with all the other students at GEM so we signed up for the Bureau des Estudiants' (BDE - Student Union type thing) Integration Weekend or Week End de Integration (WEI) as the French would say. We were to leave for an unknown location in the south of France, on the Mediterranean, on Friday at 1:30am in the morning. Well I figured I'd sleep til then, get up and catch the bus and fall asleep again til we got there in the morning. Boy was I wrong. We soon found out we were supposed to meet at 7:30 for dinner and then at 10:30pm for the pre-bus party at someone's apartment. Let's just say everyone was pretty drunk by the time it was 1:30 and time for us to board the bus. Did the party stop? Hell no, this is France. And it continued all the way until 6am, about an hour before we arrived and the point when everyone decided it was finally time to put down the microphones and sleep for a bit.
I eventually found out we ended up in Canet du Plage, France which was very near to the border of Spain. Needless to say the weekend was awesome even though it proceeded to rain most of the time. Some of the activities included hanging at the beach, paintball, bumper cars, human slingshot, mini rodeo, foam party, random drink parties, inflatable slip n slide, etc. Some sleep was had and also a lot of fun. The 6 hour drive took us home Sunday afternoon and I prepared to start classes for the semester on Monday morning! Yup...that's the boring part of this all. Haha.
The only thing about Integration Weekend that I would mention to future students of GEM is that it seemed to be mostly French students who went. As a result, not much "integration" actually happens unless you are willing walk up to a random stranger and strike up a conversation in French. They do appreciate the effort though but sometimes the conversations are short-lived.
So...I'm headed off to Switzerland tomorrow with Jess to meet up with a friend and head to Oktoberfest but when I get back I'll share a bit of my first week of school experiences as well as some of this upcoming trip.
PS- I just sucked it up and bought a replacement camera today so there should be more pictures to come on Facebook. And one of these days I'll add some to the blog so your eyes don't start to cross from all the reading.
A la prochaine (no I can't figure out accents either on here for the French words)!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
First Week
First? Yes, I'm about through my first full week in Grenoble since Jess and I returned from Spain last Wednesday. I'm going to try and catch up with this blog so I can be up-to-date on the information I post for you and the events will actually be current.
Well, once we got back from our Spanish gallivanting I really felt the need to relax, get established and start feeling settled in my apartment and in Grenoble. I still didn't know where anything was or feel confident in taking the tram so I had a definite need to discover such things before school started. At this point I can say I have been mostly successful and school still doesn't start until next Monday (Sept 20th).
First things first was food. I had gotten so sick of consistently eating out at restaurants and trying to find something that was decent priced, which proved to be more challenging than expected. Let me tell you that it is NOT a good plan to shop for all your apartment basics plus a full fridge of food all at once. Yes, I did think it was a task I could conquor and was later proven wrong. Friday afternoon Jess and I ventured out to Casino Geant (kind of like a Superstore). I later discovered this was prob
ably the most expensive place to buy groceries but it was nice to be able to get everything at once and not have to search through numerous stores. Needless to say I piled my full shopping cart of groceries into 3 of those enviro-savvy bags (since they don't give you plastic ones). When you have laundry detergent, milk, dish soap, glass jars plus a jumbo pack of toilet paper this becomes a bigger load than you might think. Finally we waddled outside with our bags and realized it was pouring rain. Getting soaked was really not my concern since I was more worried about how I was going to carry my bags from the tram to my house (5 min walk). In the end two French, 19 year olds actually took pity on me, when I had only managed to walk 1/2 block in 5 min, and helped me all the way to my apartment and up the 4 flights of stairs. Thank you humanity! I have some faith in you again.
Over the course of the next few days I attended orientation presentations for school for a couple hours each day. Since I decided to relax a bit and not skip town for the second weekend in a row I ended up with a lot more free time. Some of that was spent doing more errands and some spent trying to get rid of a sore throat but I had a definite highlight. Saturday (Sept 11) the Bureau des Sports (Sports Club at school) had free tickets to see the FC Grenoble rugby team play right in town! I LOVE that they speak of rugby as casually and as often as we do in Canada about hockey or football. Tickets are cheap and games are easy to find. One of the presenters today even used a rugby analogy in class....that NEVER happens at the U of A. I am a happy camper.
Other than that I discovered that some movie theatres in Grenoble have smaller screens than there are in some Edmontonians houses and there is very little leg room while only 30 people or so fit in the theatre.
In a sense I'm anxious for school to start but I guess thats mostly to know when my exams and assignments are due so I can get planning my weekend trips. The task right now is to try and find accomadation in Munich for Oktoberfest. Kind of had to wait until I had my school schedule just to make sure I could manage the trip but now everything is booked or $200 a night or more.
Note: If you notice a lack of photos posted on my Facebook it's because my waterbottled flipped and opened in my purse on my way to the rugby game...and my camera did not survive. I can turn it on and have access to my images and can take a few but many of the functions don't work properly. I'm hoping to find a way to fix it or else I'll have to suck it up and buy another (even though they're more expensive here than in Canada) because I won't last another 14 weeks without one.
Hope you all are enjoying at least some of my ramblings!
Well, once we got back from our Spanish gallivanting I really felt the need to relax, get established and start feeling settled in my apartment and in Grenoble. I still didn't know where anything was or feel confident in taking the tram so I had a definite need to discover such things before school started. At this point I can say I have been mostly successful and school still doesn't start until next Monday (Sept 20th).
First things first was food. I had gotten so sick of consistently eating out at restaurants and trying to find something that was decent priced, which proved to be more challenging than expected. Let me tell you that it is NOT a good plan to shop for all your apartment basics plus a full fridge of food all at once. Yes, I did think it was a task I could conquor and was later proven wrong. Friday afternoon Jess and I ventured out to Casino Geant (kind of like a Superstore). I later discovered this was prob
ably the most expensive place to buy groceries but it was nice to be able to get everything at once and not have to search through numerous stores. Needless to say I piled my full shopping cart of groceries into 3 of those enviro-savvy bags (since they don't give you plastic ones). When you have laundry detergent, milk, dish soap, glass jars plus a jumbo pack of toilet paper this becomes a bigger load than you might think. Finally we waddled outside with our bags and realized it was pouring rain. Getting soaked was really not my concern since I was more worried about how I was going to carry my bags from the tram to my house (5 min walk). In the end two French, 19 year olds actually took pity on me, when I had only managed to walk 1/2 block in 5 min, and helped me all the way to my apartment and up the 4 flights of stairs. Thank you humanity! I have some faith in you again.Over the course of the next few days I attended orientation presentations for school for a couple hours each day. Since I decided to relax a bit and not skip town for the second weekend in a row I ended up with a lot more free time. Some of that was spent doing more errands and some spent trying to get rid of a sore throat but I had a definite highlight. Saturday (Sept 11) the Bureau des Sports (Sports Club at school) had free tickets to see the FC Grenoble rugby team play right in town! I LOVE that they speak of rugby as casually and as often as we do in Canada about hockey or football. Tickets are cheap and games are easy to find. One of the presenters today even used a rugby analogy in class....that NEVER happens at the U of A. I am a happy camper.
Other than that I discovered that some movie theatres in Grenoble have smaller screens than there are in some Edmontonians houses and there is very little leg room while only 30 people or so fit in the theatre.
In a sense I'm anxious for school to start but I guess thats mostly to know when my exams and assignments are due so I can get planning my weekend trips. The task right now is to try and find accomadation in Munich for Oktoberfest. Kind of had to wait until I had my school schedule just to make sure I could manage the trip but now everything is booked or $200 a night or more.
Note: If you notice a lack of photos posted on my Facebook it's because my waterbottled flipped and opened in my purse on my way to the rugby game...and my camera did not survive. I can turn it on and have access to my images and can take a few but many of the functions don't work properly. I'm hoping to find a way to fix it or else I'll have to suck it up and buy another (even though they're more expensive here than in Canada) because I won't last another 14 weeks without one.
Hope you all are enjoying at least some of my ramblings!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Holy Toledo!
Ok ok, so I'll admit that I'm about 3 glasses of wine in at this point in my postings but the wine is just so good and so cheap here!
Anyways...to the point. As I did not finish my stories about Spain in the last post I am back again to continue. Jess and I decided we were going to take the night train from Barcelona to Madrid in order to save some cash (since this time, train was cheaper than flying). Well, turns out that 2 days in advance is just not good enough to buy a train ticket and many other people already had the same idea. So, we ended up being forced to buy 1st class (Preferente) tickets on the train. I was briefly excited at the though of being in 1st class until I realized that this is the night train, an old train, and it only costs us 17 Euro more than a regular ticket so it might not mean much. Truth be told, that was exaclty the case. 1st class train tickets meant we ended up with reclining (economy class airpline-like) seats for the 9 hour train ride to Madrid which normally only takes 2 hours. Needless to say it was another night very much lacking in sleep.
Madrid was neat to see and I was pleased that the language had changed from Catalan (one I don't understand) to actual Spanish, however I have decided that I much prefer Barcelona. Madrid is lacking the beaches and is much more versed in the area of business, museums, and government rather than shopping, beach and food (yes, I have my priorities straight,
haha). We still enjoyed Madrid and got to see the palace of the Royal family (Palacio Real) as well as the famous Museo del Prado with works by Gaudi, etc. However, after the first day, and day 5 of our trip, we were about done with the touristy stuff and decided to take of to the random little town of Toledo, only an hour south of Madrid.
Toldeo was a neat city with much history and Roman architecture. We only spent half a day roaming around but the city was filled with cathedrals, synagogues and mosques...pretty Holy I've gotta say....plus I was amused getting to say "Holy Toledo" whenever I wanted without Jess getting irritated, haha! We also discovered some amazing stuffed baked potatoes filled with deer meet, cheese, salsa, veggies, etc. Fun times thats for sure.
Well our trip was almost over but the excitement sure wasn't. We got home to our hostel that night only to discover that the French transit workers were on strike and that almost all flights into France had been cancelled, including ours that was scheduled to fly out the next afternoon. Needless to say, Jess and I weren't pleased but we had seen that the strikes were only scheduled for 24 hours so we decided to wait until the morning and see what happened, and choose then if we should panic or not.
Luckily, after a restless sleep, we found out our flights had been rescheduled and we were still set to arrive back in Grenoble on Wednesday night (Sept 8) ready to start school orientation the next morning.
Mon dieu, what a week!
Anyways...to the point. As I did not finish my stories about Spain in the last post I am back again to continue. Jess and I decided we were going to take the night train from Barcelona to Madrid in order to save some cash (since this time, train was cheaper than flying). Well, turns out that 2 days in advance is just not good enough to buy a train ticket and many other people already had the same idea. So, we ended up being forced to buy 1st class (Preferente) tickets on the train. I was briefly excited at the though of being in 1st class until I realized that this is the night train, an old train, and it only costs us 17 Euro more than a regular ticket so it might not mean much. Truth be told, that was exaclty the case. 1st class train tickets meant we ended up with reclining (economy class airpline-like) seats for the 9 hour train ride to Madrid which normally only takes 2 hours. Needless to say it was another night very much lacking in sleep.
Madrid was neat to see and I was pleased that the language had changed from Catalan (one I don't understand) to actual Spanish, however I have decided that I much prefer Barcelona. Madrid is lacking the beaches and is much more versed in the area of business, museums, and government rather than shopping, beach and food (yes, I have my priorities straight,
haha). We still enjoyed Madrid and got to see the palace of the Royal family (Palacio Real) as well as the famous Museo del Prado with works by Gaudi, etc. However, after the first day, and day 5 of our trip, we were about done with the touristy stuff and decided to take of to the random little town of Toledo, only an hour south of Madrid.Toldeo was a neat city with much history and Roman architecture. We only spent half a day roaming around but the city was filled with cathedrals, synagogues and mosques...pretty Holy I've gotta say....plus I was amused getting to say "Holy Toledo" whenever I wanted without Jess getting irritated, haha! We also discovered some amazing stuffed baked potatoes filled with deer meet, cheese, salsa, veggies, etc. Fun times thats for sure.
Well our trip was almost over but the excitement sure wasn't. We got home to our hostel that night only to discover that the French transit workers were on strike and that almost all flights into France had been cancelled, including ours that was scheduled to fly out the next afternoon. Needless to say, Jess and I weren't pleased but we had seen that the strikes were only scheduled for 24 hours so we decided to wait until the morning and see what happened, and choose then if we should panic or not.
Luckily, after a restless sleep, we found out our flights had been rescheduled and we were still set to arrive back in Grenoble on Wednesday night (Sept 8) ready to start school orientation the next morning.
Mon dieu, what a week!
Viaje
Yes...as I am delayed in writing these blogs as of late it has been 4 days since I arrived home from my vacation in Spain or "viaje en Espana" as the Spanish would say. However, I am still determined to write about the trip it will just be less of a detailed/play-by-play account and more of a summary of the highlights.
As many of you know, I am the type who likes to plan things out and know what I'm getting into before I get into it. This was not really that sort of a trip, although I did my best to make it be.
Like I said in my previous post, Jess and I spent the Wednesday (Sept 1) planning our trip to Spain, since Egypt was now out of the question). We were dealing with crappy internet connection at school so it was really challenging to book hostels and check flights. In the end, by 8pm, we managed to sort it all out and had to get straight on packing since we were to leave at 6:45am the next morning!
We arrived in Barcelona first and it was awesome! After staying for 3 nights, and 4 full days, here are some of the highlights:
La Rambla
A street running from Plaza Catalunya to the marina that is full of buskers (sometimes doing strange things), restaurants, and souvenir shops. Needless to say it is a tourist trap but an interesting promenade none the less.
Tapas
A typical Spanish event, I say event because it can start as late as 10 or 11pm and last for hours. You go to a restaurant and pick all different types of dishes to try (more of an assortment of appetizers) along with your sangria, beer or wine. Jess and I opted to try this experience and although it led to a hefty bill, it was a lot of fun as we especially enjoyed the sangria and extra long (3 foot) straws that accompanied.
The Beach
We clearly cou
ld not go to Barcelona and not spend at least a couple afternoons at the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Much to my surprise the beach was not like those in Nice, France where the "sand" is actually all pebbles. I was quite pleased that is was real sand and not a painful experience to get into the water as it was in Nice. We enjoyed the sun immensely (although it drained our energy) and I have to say our homemade glasses for the 1L cartons of sangria we purchased were the highlight of our trips to the Beach.
Passeig de Gracia
The main avenue running down the centre of Barcelona. It reminded me much of Les Champs d'Elysees in France with the boutiques, restaurants and stores like Hugo Boss, Burberry, Chanel, Yves St.Laurent, etc. It was always bustling with people and activity with some hidden architectural gems along the way. Personally, I was entralled by all of the colonial architechture in Barcelona. The only frustration was that although I can speak some Spanish, Barcelona was a city in the Catalunya region and most people spoke Catalan rather than Spanish.
Familia Sagrada
Considered the 3rd cathedral of Barcelona and a symbolic landmark, la Familia Sagrada started construction in 1882 and isn't supposed to be completed until 2025. It is one of Gaudi's most recognized, and admired, pieces of architecture, and it was amazing to see the inspiration he drew from the shapes, movement and characteristics of nature. It really was incredible and would certainly stand out among one of the top cathedrals I've seen from around the world.
Well, I guess I should space these out a bit so you guys get a break from my rambling so I'll share some stories from Madrid in the next post.
As many of you know, I am the type who likes to plan things out and know what I'm getting into before I get into it. This was not really that sort of a trip, although I did my best to make it be.
Like I said in my previous post, Jess and I spent the Wednesday (Sept 1) planning our trip to Spain, since Egypt was now out of the question). We were dealing with crappy internet connection at school so it was really challenging to book hostels and check flights. In the end, by 8pm, we managed to sort it all out and had to get straight on packing since we were to leave at 6:45am the next morning!
We arrived in Barcelona first and it was awesome! After staying for 3 nights, and 4 full days, here are some of the highlights:
La Rambla
A street running from Plaza Catalunya to the marina that is full of buskers (sometimes doing strange things), restaurants, and souvenir shops. Needless to say it is a tourist trap but an interesting promenade none the less.
Tapas
A typical Spanish event, I say event because it can start as late as 10 or 11pm and last for hours. You go to a restaurant and pick all different types of dishes to try (more of an assortment of appetizers) along with your sangria, beer or wine. Jess and I opted to try this experience and although it led to a hefty bill, it was a lot of fun as we especially enjoyed the sangria and extra long (3 foot) straws that accompanied.
The Beach
We clearly cou
ld not go to Barcelona and not spend at least a couple afternoons at the beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Much to my surprise the beach was not like those in Nice, France where the "sand" is actually all pebbles. I was quite pleased that is was real sand and not a painful experience to get into the water as it was in Nice. We enjoyed the sun immensely (although it drained our energy) and I have to say our homemade glasses for the 1L cartons of sangria we purchased were the highlight of our trips to the Beach.Passeig de Gracia
The main avenue running down the centre of Barcelona. It reminded me much of Les Champs d'Elysees in France with the boutiques, restaurants and stores like Hugo Boss, Burberry, Chanel, Yves St.Laurent, etc. It was always bustling with people and activity with some hidden architectural gems along the way. Personally, I was entralled by all of the colonial architechture in Barcelona. The only frustration was that although I can speak some Spanish, Barcelona was a city in the Catalunya region and most people spoke Catalan rather than Spanish.
Familia Sagrada
Considered the 3rd cathedral of Barcelona and a symbolic landmark, la Familia Sagrada started construction in 1882 and isn't supposed to be completed until 2025. It is one of Gaudi's most recognized, and admired, pieces of architecture, and it was amazing to see the inspiration he drew from the shapes, movement and characteristics of nature. It really was incredible and would certainly stand out among one of the top cathedrals I've seen from around the world.
Well, I guess I should space these out a bit so you guys get a break from my rambling so I'll share some stories from Madrid in the next post.
Ciao amigos!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Plans
Well, I said I love to travel so yes, that's right...I was fully aware it was day three (Sept 1) of our adventure in France but Jess and I met at the school to use internet, since ours were not set up, and to plan a vacation! We had a week until we had to be back for orientation and were no longer able to head to Egypt, as explained in my previous post, so where were we to go?!
SPAIN/ESPANA/ESPAGNE!
That pretty much summarizes our day of dealing with crappy internet connections, deciding where in Spain we could visit in 7 days and searching for flights and hostel accomodation.
Bedtime soon became midnight and Thursday (Sept 2) at 5AM Jess and I were awake and ready to catch the hour bus ride (Rhone-Alps for 27.50 Euros round trip) to the Lyon airport.
I'll keep this post short and tell more about our trip over the next few blogs. Some pictures are to come but you can also check out my Facebook "France albums for the complete photo collection.
SPAIN/ESPANA/ESPAGNE!
That pretty much summarizes our day of dealing with crappy internet connections, deciding where in Spain we could visit in 7 days and searching for flights and hostel accomodation.
Bedtime soon became midnight and Thursday (Sept 2) at 5AM Jess and I were awake and ready to catch the hour bus ride (Rhone-Alps for 27.50 Euros round trip) to the Lyon airport.
I'll keep this post short and tell more about our trip over the next few blogs. Some pictures are to come but you can also check out my Facebook "France albums for the complete photo collection.
EE-KAY-UH
And I'm back. Yes, I might be posting one after another today and tomorrow just to catch you all up. Don't worry, you'll have less and less to read as time goes on.
My second day in Grenoble started with an early morning wake up to meet my landlord at the school and sign my lease (yes, it was in French, and yes, I understood almost all of it). He took me and my luggage to MY apartment** to get settled in but realized he had left his key at his house, up a mountain. Jess and Kathi (another student from Germany) met up with me as I waited for my landlord and we managed to stumble across a patisserie for lunch. Once I got my luggage inside we decided to head downtown to “centre-ville” to take care of some things and look into heading to Egypt for the next week (since international orientation doesn’t start until September 9).
**In actuality I am living in Fontaine, France. Its basically right across one of the rivers that runs through Grenoble and feels just like a different neighborhood rather than a different town. Really it's so close that it still only takes me 15 mintues to walk to Grenoble Ecole de Management/school/GEM.
Once downtown, the girls and I started with getting cell phones, so we could be connected to the real world again, and stopped at the bank (LCL) to confirm my housing insurance (1 Euro per year for students) by providing my new address. Might I add this was the second time we had been to the bank since they all close, and at random times, for lunch. This isn’t just banks but stores and restaurants as well. Jess and I were disappointed to find out from the travel agents that tours to Egypt only leave Lyon (the main airport for us that is actually situated almost an hour away) on Sundays and Mondays which would mean we wouldn’t get back in time for school orientation. Thus, Egypt became a NO GO and I was thoroughly dissapointed.
After buying a few things from a drug store (Schlekers) we hopped on a tram to IKEA, which I discovered is pronounced EE-KAY-UH and if you don’t say it that way then the French will have no idea what you are talking about. We got a ride from the metro to IKEA by some random lady we had asked for directions whose motivation seemed to be that maybe we would then believe that “the French are sympatic (ie. the French are nice people)." The IKEA trip left us with heavy bags of dishes, pillows, sheets and floor mats and a sad Dania who discovered that they only serve Swedish meatballs for dinner on Thursdays and Fridays. This has been noted for next time we make a trip to IKEA.
Well, after IKEA we were hungry so of course we decided it was a good idea to stop at the Géant Casino(a superstore/Wal-Mart type thing) for some food for dinner…WITH our IKEA bags. We were wrong. This trip was followed by much complaining, hunger and impatience as we worked out our shoulders and biceps like never before whilst carrying our massive and heavy bags all the way home. In the end Jess and I arrived at my new apartment and enjoyed a meal of Swedish meatballs, salad, fruit and a fresh baguette.
My second day in Grenoble started with an early morning wake up to meet my landlord at the school and sign my lease (yes, it was in French, and yes, I understood almost all of it). He took me and my luggage to MY apartment** to get settled in but realized he had left his key at his house, up a mountain. Jess and Kathi (another student from Germany) met up with me as I waited for my landlord and we managed to stumble across a patisserie for lunch. Once I got my luggage inside we decided to head downtown to “centre-ville” to take care of some things and look into heading to Egypt for the next week (since international orientation doesn’t start until September 9).
**In actuality I am living in Fontaine, France. Its basically right across one of the rivers that runs through Grenoble and feels just like a different neighborhood rather than a different town. Really it's so close that it still only takes me 15 mintues to walk to Grenoble Ecole de Management/school/GEM.
Once downtown, the girls and I started with getting cell phones, so we could be connected to the real world again, and stopped at the bank (LCL) to confirm my housing insurance (1 Euro per year for students) by providing my new address. Might I add this was the second time we had been to the bank since they all close, and at random times, for lunch. This isn’t just banks but stores and restaurants as well. Jess and I were disappointed to find out from the travel agents that tours to Egypt only leave Lyon (the main airport for us that is actually situated almost an hour away) on Sundays and Mondays which would mean we wouldn’t get back in time for school orientation. Thus, Egypt became a NO GO and I was thoroughly dissapointed.
After buying a few things from a drug store (Schlekers) we hopped on a tram to IKEA, which I discovered is pronounced EE-KAY-UH and if you don’t say it that way then the French will have no idea what you are talking about. We got a ride from the metro to IKEA by some random lady we had asked for directions whose motivation seemed to be that maybe we would then believe that “the French are sympatic (ie. the French are nice people)." The IKEA trip left us with heavy bags of dishes, pillows, sheets and floor mats and a sad Dania who discovered that they only serve Swedish meatballs for dinner on Thursdays and Fridays. This has been noted for next time we make a trip to IKEA.
Well, after IKEA we were hungry so of course we decided it was a good idea to stop at the Géant Casino(a superstore/Wal-Mart type thing) for some food for dinner…WITH our IKEA bags. We were wrong. This trip was followed by much complaining, hunger and impatience as we worked out our shoulders and biceps like never before whilst carrying our massive and heavy bags all the way home. In the end Jess and I arrived at my new apartment and enjoyed a meal of Swedish meatballs, salad, fruit and a fresh baguette.
Arrival
Alright so I have now stopped to breathe long enough so write a blog post after arrival. Because I said I would love future exchange students to be able to take advantage of my blog before they head to Grenoble, I will make the next few posts pretty detailed (with sometimes boring information) that would be useful for others who visit/come to live in this town. As well, I will be posting for the past week so there will be some back-tracking involved.
It has been a ridiculous first week in France so far. Many of you have been updated by my Facebook statuses or have emailed me so thank you for that. It's always nice to stay in touch with eveyrthing going on in your lives as well.
For future reference, if I haven't already mentioned, I am flying to Grenoble with Jessica Steingard, another student from the U of A Faculty of Business. We have spent a lot of time together preparing for the trip and will be traveling together in Europe I'm sure. You can check out her blog as well if you're interested.
My trip to Grenoble, France began with a 3AM wakeup call on Sunday (August 29) morning after only heading to bed at midnight. The flights were fine and there was of course a lack of sleep, some of which was made up for with my 2 hour nap, on the floor of the Toronto airport, in the middle of the afternoon. The craziness began when our flight from Toronto to Frankfurt landed a little bit late and then they didn’t let people off the plane for a good 20 minutes. This would have been fine except for the fact that we really only had an hour and a half layover, which was now reduced to one hour. Luckily we already knew that we didn’t have to collect our bag and they were going straight to Lyon but that didn’t stop the insanity. We followed all the people to the “connecting flight” area which then became a “passport control” area…ie. customs. The line up was ridiculous so I knew from immediately we weren’t going to make our flight if we waited through the whole thing. I asked one security person for advice and they pointed me to the info booth who then pointed me to the customs officer who then pointed me to the customs officer in the different line up who then said it was up to me to ask the people in the front of the line if we could get in front of them. Well, luckily at least one person could understand some English, and passed the message onto the others who let us through. Home free…we thought.
Well then we scrambled along and arrived at security and then proceeded through a similar process as there was of course, another long line. Jess and I then found out we were in the wrong terminal. Well in the Edmonton airport this is not a big deal, however, Frankfurt was a different story and we hauled our butts down some stairs, through the terminals, up an elevator and made it to the gate aft
er everyone had already boarded. Luckily we still made it our flight and landed in Lyon on Monday (August 30) morning like planned.
We had some difficulty finding the school once we arrived as the roads turn unexpectedly and the train station seemed a little convoluted for us who are not used to taking the trains on a regular basis. After ditching our luggage in a room at the school we met the ALOHA team (welcome desk for international students). They helped me set up a bank account, get housing insurance and then started helping me search for an apartment. I could barely keep my eyes open and hadn’t had much to eat but I made it through the day. By the end of my first day I had looked at 4 apartments/studios and already informed my landlord that I wanted to sign a contract for his place, although this couldn’t get done until the Tuesday morning. I’m happy I had pre-arranged temporary housing with a student from ALOHA for that night b
ut they weren’t very organized in that aspect and I didn't know where I was sleeping until 10PM. In the end it worked out and I finally got a warm shower and a pretty decent sleep…after a 4 Cheese Gnocchi dish and half a bottle of red wine. There was so much rich cheese on that dish that I may have to recuperate and go sans-fromage for the next few days. I really never thought I could say there might be too much cheese in a dish.
Whew, what a trip and that was only the FIRST DAY!
It has been a ridiculous first week in France so far. Many of you have been updated by my Facebook statuses or have emailed me so thank you for that. It's always nice to stay in touch with eveyrthing going on in your lives as well.
For future reference, if I haven't already mentioned, I am flying to Grenoble with Jessica Steingard, another student from the U of A Faculty of Business. We have spent a lot of time together preparing for the trip and will be traveling together in Europe I'm sure. You can check out her blog as well if you're interested.
My trip to Grenoble, France began with a 3AM wakeup call on Sunday (August 29) morning after only heading to bed at midnight. The flights were fine and there was of course a lack of sleep, some of which was made up for with my 2 hour nap, on the floor of the Toronto airport, in the middle of the afternoon. The craziness began when our flight from Toronto to Frankfurt landed a little bit late and then they didn’t let people off the plane for a good 20 minutes. This would have been fine except for the fact that we really only had an hour and a half layover, which was now reduced to one hour. Luckily we already knew that we didn’t have to collect our bag and they were going straight to Lyon but that didn’t stop the insanity. We followed all the people to the “connecting flight” area which then became a “passport control” area…ie. customs. The line up was ridiculous so I knew from immediately we weren’t going to make our flight if we waited through the whole thing. I asked one security person for advice and they pointed me to the info booth who then pointed me to the customs officer who then pointed me to the customs officer in the different line up who then said it was up to me to ask the people in the front of the line if we could get in front of them. Well, luckily at least one person could understand some English, and passed the message onto the others who let us through. Home free…we thought.
Well then we scrambled along and arrived at security and then proceeded through a similar process as there was of course, another long line. Jess and I then found out we were in the wrong terminal. Well in the Edmonton airport this is not a big deal, however, Frankfurt was a different story and we hauled our butts down some stairs, through the terminals, up an elevator and made it to the gate aft
er everyone had already boarded. Luckily we still made it our flight and landed in Lyon on Monday (August 30) morning like planned.We had some difficulty finding the school once we arrived as the roads turn unexpectedly and the train station seemed a little convoluted for us who are not used to taking the trains on a regular basis. After ditching our luggage in a room at the school we met the ALOHA team (welcome desk for international students). They helped me set up a bank account, get housing insurance and then started helping me search for an apartment. I could barely keep my eyes open and hadn’t had much to eat but I made it through the day. By the end of my first day I had looked at 4 apartments/studios and already informed my landlord that I wanted to sign a contract for his place, although this couldn’t get done until the Tuesday morning. I’m happy I had pre-arranged temporary housing with a student from ALOHA for that night b
ut they weren’t very organized in that aspect and I didn't know where I was sleeping until 10PM. In the end it worked out and I finally got a warm shower and a pretty decent sleep…after a 4 Cheese Gnocchi dish and half a bottle of red wine. There was so much rich cheese on that dish that I may have to recuperate and go sans-fromage for the next few days. I really never thought I could say there might be too much cheese in a dish.Whew, what a trip and that was only the FIRST DAY!
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Au Revoir
So I'm intending for it not to be this long between posts while I'm in France because otherwise you will only see 4 or 5 up here. I just haven't had much to write about lately. My life has been going on as usual, however I have spent the last month ridiculously busy trying to see all my friends before I leave. In addition to those extra plans I am running errands and had added numerous items on my to-do list of things to get done before I leave. Combined, those things have made for an insanely busy, and pricey, August.
I woke up this Sunday and reality hit me hard for a moment. I had just been crazy excited all the way to this point and it finally hit me that I will be across the globe, away from my friends and family, the conveniences I'm used to, my car and English...until Christmas. It didn't scare me or make me less excited but it definitely created a moment of apprehension. After that I kinda stopped counting down the days until I leave since I looked at my to-do lists and the number of days and sat wondering how the hell I was to get everything done...especially since I work my full time job during the day until Friday the 27th!
Thankfully, my lists are finally getting shorter and I'm starting to get excited again.
I can't wait to:
1) Find an apartment and make it my home
2) Explore my new locale that is Grenoble
3) Live in the mountains!
4) Live somewhere where the average December temperature is 5 above
5) Travel to other countries on the weekend
6) Pay 3 Euros for a bottle of wine
7) Plan all my trips once I get my school schedule (hopefully including Egypt, Oktoberfest and, Spain and Switzerland...at least)
8) Live in Europe
9) Become fluent in French again
10) Enjoy the fresh pastries and cheese that France is so well-known for
Things I'll miss (some already mentioned):
1) My friends
2) My family
3) My car
4) My own bed
5) My full closet selection
6) Having an income
7) My cell phone and being able to text people without an international fee
8) Using Canadian Dollars and not having to constantly convert currencies in my head
9) Being fully understood in English
10) Smoke free restaurants and bars
As for my next blog, I leave way too early on Sunday morning so I won't be writing again until my feet are on French soil.
Au revoir mes amis!
I woke up this Sunday and reality hit me hard for a moment. I had just been crazy excited all the way to this point and it finally hit me that I will be across the globe, away from my friends and family, the conveniences I'm used to, my car and English...until Christmas. It didn't scare me or make me less excited but it definitely created a moment of apprehension. After that I kinda stopped counting down the days until I leave since I looked at my to-do lists and the number of days and sat wondering how the hell I was to get everything done...especially since I work my full time job during the day until Friday the 27th!
Thankfully, my lists are finally getting shorter and I'm starting to get excited again.
I can't wait to:
1) Find an apartment and make it my home
2) Explore my new locale that is Grenoble
3) Live in the mountains!
4) Live somewhere where the average December temperature is 5 above
5) Travel to other countries on the weekend
6) Pay 3 Euros for a bottle of wine
7) Plan all my trips once I get my school schedule (hopefully including Egypt, Oktoberfest and, Spain and Switzerland...at least)
8) Live in Europe
9) Become fluent in French again
10) Enjoy the fresh pastries and cheese that France is so well-known for
Things I'll miss (some already mentioned):
1) My friends
2) My family
3) My car
4) My own bed
5) My full closet selection
6) Having an income
7) My cell phone and being able to text people without an international fee
8) Using Canadian Dollars and not having to constantly convert currencies in my head
9) Being fully understood in English
10) Smoke free restaurants and bars
As for my next blog, I leave way too early on Sunday morning so I won't be writing again until my feet are on French soil.
Au revoir mes amis!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Official
I'm pleased to report it is officially legal for me to live and study in France. My trip to Vancouver was successful, and tons of fun, and the French Consulate gave me my student visa on the spot. It's nice to have that stress over and done with because there's not really anything major I have left to do from this point until I arrive.
As some of you know I am a list person. Thus, I have multiple lists on the go so I dont forget anything; lists on email, Word, paper, stickies, in my mind and in my folder of France documents. You'd think that many lists would actually make me more confused, but somehow it all works out and I keep track of all things necessary.
Also, I've started packing already. Yes, I'm fully aware there are still 28 days until I leave but I figure this way I'm less likely to forget anything or not be able to find things I need when I'm desperate to pack. There's still lots to figure out such as how I am going to pack few enough items that it won't cost me a small fortune in luggage fees to come home in December. As well, I'm hoping to play rugby with "Les Givrees" women's rugby in the fall which means I'll be bringing most of my rugby gear with me (aside from the warmer clothes I might have to buy there since I'm used to practicing in 20 degree weather rather than the zero degree mark). Plus I'll also be bringing along my snow gear for skiing and boaring in the Alps (if it snows early enough since the ski season in the Alps usually doesn't start until mid-December). All of the sudden my giant suitcase and a backpacking bag just don't seem like enough space...
Anyways, I don't want to bore you with the details running through my mind. Needless to say I am distracted by France. I dont think this next month could go by fast enough but at the same time I'm quite enjoying my summer and all the activities I've had a chance to do before I leave. Let me tell you that the longer a person can go before they start a countdown the better. I think I started a good month ago at least and it just makes time seem to go by so much slower.
I'm a little bit frustrated (being a person who likes to plan in advance) because we don't get our school schedule until September 9th. This means I don't get to start planning my weekend trips to far-away-lands until over a week after I arrive in Grenoble. This seems counter intuitive to me since you'd think they'd want students to be focused on the begining of classes and have planned their trips already during their summer and prep time rather than just as school starts. Maybe they just like to play ignorant to the fact that school is probably the last priority for many exchange students and that the tally of countries visited clearly takes presedence.
Alright well this has been enough rambling for now but I'll probably make another post or two before the departure date (August 29) depending how absorbed I am in tying up lose ends and seeing whomever I can before I say aurevoir to Canada!
As some of you know I am a list person. Thus, I have multiple lists on the go so I dont forget anything; lists on email, Word, paper, stickies, in my mind and in my folder of France documents. You'd think that many lists would actually make me more confused, but somehow it all works out and I keep track of all things necessary.
Also, I've started packing already. Yes, I'm fully aware there are still 28 days until I leave but I figure this way I'm less likely to forget anything or not be able to find things I need when I'm desperate to pack. There's still lots to figure out such as how I am going to pack few enough items that it won't cost me a small fortune in luggage fees to come home in December. As well, I'm hoping to play rugby with "Les Givrees" women's rugby in the fall which means I'll be bringing most of my rugby gear with me (aside from the warmer clothes I might have to buy there since I'm used to practicing in 20 degree weather rather than the zero degree mark). Plus I'll also be bringing along my snow gear for skiing and boaring in the Alps (if it snows early enough since the ski season in the Alps usually doesn't start until mid-December). All of the sudden my giant suitcase and a backpacking bag just don't seem like enough space...
Anyways, I don't want to bore you with the details running through my mind. Needless to say I am distracted by France. I dont think this next month could go by fast enough but at the same time I'm quite enjoying my summer and all the activities I've had a chance to do before I leave. Let me tell you that the longer a person can go before they start a countdown the better. I think I started a good month ago at least and it just makes time seem to go by so much slower.
I'm a little bit frustrated (being a person who likes to plan in advance) because we don't get our school schedule until September 9th. This means I don't get to start planning my weekend trips to far-away-lands until over a week after I arrive in Grenoble. This seems counter intuitive to me since you'd think they'd want students to be focused on the begining of classes and have planned their trips already during their summer and prep time rather than just as school starts. Maybe they just like to play ignorant to the fact that school is probably the last priority for many exchange students and that the tally of countries visited clearly takes presedence.
Alright well this has been enough rambling for now but I'll probably make another post or two before the departure date (August 29) depending how absorbed I am in tying up lose ends and seeing whomever I can before I say aurevoir to Canada!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Prelude
Hello all!
If you read my "About Me" section you'll see that I am heading to Grenoble, France on August 29, 2010 to start a 4 month, semester abroad at Grenoble Ecole de Management (this will be the second last semester of my Bachelor of Commerce degree). This blog will begin by telling the tales of my French adventure and, if I can keep up the writing, will continue to serve as documentation of my travels. Bear with me as I'm a detailed person and parts of my blogs you might not find very interesting however, I hope you will find other parts enjoyable as you join me on my journeys.
I must say I found it especially helpful and interesting to read other blogs written by students who have already gone on an exchange to Grenoble so I'll do my best to document the process, my frustrations, what I learn, amazing places I visit and of course...the best cheese and wine I experience! That way, hopefully, other people can benefit just as much from my blog as I did from others.
The process of my exchange began in the idea stages last October/November. Although I have already been in post secondary for 5 years and will have finished the Cooperative Education program, I started seriously thinking about adding in one last experience before I graduate in April 2011. Because my major is International Business...and I ADORE traveling...an international exchange was the first thing on my mind. Deciding on a location was a tough call. I had already visited Europe twice (France, Italy, Germany, England and Greece), but it was mostly with my parents and living there on my own would be a whole different story. I thought about Mexico, and South or Central America but based on previous experience, I determine it would be a lot harder (almost a logistical nightmare) to travel between countries, during my spare weekends, then it would be in Europe. The reason I had already ruled out most other areas of the world is because I thought it would be advantageous, to my degree and to my language skills, to live in a country that spoke a language I also spoke (English, French and Spanish). Well that left me with France or Spain. I have never been to Spain but I decided I could actually communicate fairly efficiently in French so that would be better for signing leases (for my appartment), setting up a bank account, maybe scoping out a job (for after graduation) and for social reasons as well.
Anyways, point being, here I am now after much preparation and bureaucracy (which I was expecting but not really before I even arrived) I'm headed to Vancouver, BC this weekend for an appointment with the French Consulate to get my Student Visa. Hopefully everything goes smoothly since this would be the last thing that could potentially stop me from studying in France.
If you read my "About Me" section you'll see that I am heading to Grenoble, France on August 29, 2010 to start a 4 month, semester abroad at Grenoble Ecole de Management (this will be the second last semester of my Bachelor of Commerce degree). This blog will begin by telling the tales of my French adventure and, if I can keep up the writing, will continue to serve as documentation of my travels. Bear with me as I'm a detailed person and parts of my blogs you might not find very interesting however, I hope you will find other parts enjoyable as you join me on my journeys.
I must say I found it especially helpful and interesting to read other blogs written by students who have already gone on an exchange to Grenoble so I'll do my best to document the process, my frustrations, what I learn, amazing places I visit and of course...the best cheese and wine I experience! That way, hopefully, other people can benefit just as much from my blog as I did from others.
The process of my exchange began in the idea stages last October/November. Although I have already been in post secondary for 5 years and will have finished the Cooperative Education program, I started seriously thinking about adding in one last experience before I graduate in April 2011. Because my major is International Business...and I ADORE traveling...an international exchange was the first thing on my mind. Deciding on a location was a tough call. I had already visited Europe twice (France, Italy, Germany, England and Greece), but it was mostly with my parents and living there on my own would be a whole different story. I thought about Mexico, and South or Central America but based on previous experience, I determine it would be a lot harder (almost a logistical nightmare) to travel between countries, during my spare weekends, then it would be in Europe. The reason I had already ruled out most other areas of the world is because I thought it would be advantageous, to my degree and to my language skills, to live in a country that spoke a language I also spoke (English, French and Spanish). Well that left me with France or Spain. I have never been to Spain but I decided I could actually communicate fairly efficiently in French so that would be better for signing leases (for my appartment), setting up a bank account, maybe scoping out a job (for after graduation) and for social reasons as well.
Anyways, point being, here I am now after much preparation and bureaucracy (which I was expecting but not really before I even arrived) I'm headed to Vancouver, BC this weekend for an appointment with the French Consulate to get my Student Visa. Hopefully everything goes smoothly since this would be the last thing that could potentially stop me from studying in France.
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