6 weeks and counting :O

Hmm, well what can I say? I feel like I don't have much now that the whirlwind of Paris is over. This week have been relaxing and fun and we've all really gotten into the daily groove of things.

Sheila, one of the girls from Germany, turned 25 last Friday so we went out to party for her birthday. The day before, it was also Sophie from Belgium's birthday. So we doubled them up and headed out for happy-hour crepes again (we're definitely weekly regulars there), then to my place for drinks (where we somehow ended up listening to Disney tunes), and then to the bar Cargo. It was a fun night, followed by a day with Katri (from Finland) spent by the canal snacking on cookies and laying in the sun. God I love the weather here.

This week is relatively busy for me, school-wise. I have 4 classes! :O shock. I never really have more than 2 or 3, so I must get crackin' ;) Then Friday it is off to Bordeaux with Meghan (fellow Winnipegger) to visit my friend Lucie who was on exchange at U of M last semester, as well, I'll hopefully be able to visit another former exchange friend living there too.

... til next time :)

a valentine's day in paris

I was reunited with Melissa this weekend! We met up in Paris on Thursday and it was magnificent. It had a minor panic attack on the train because I hadn't read my ticket properly so I arrived at a different train station than I had expected, and that was much further from where Meliss was, so I hopped in a cab and booked it over to la Gare de l'Est. Once I found her, all was fine.

Hostel!

Our hostel was fantastic, great location in the 10e arrondissement, and we even ended up with a room to ourselves.

We spent the first night just hanging out in a restaurant, having long dinner and stretching out a bottle of wine, topped off with a round of free shots on the house. Friday morning, we got up early and did a ton of sightseeing around the city. Checked out place des Vosges and Victor Hugo's apartment. Then Notre Dame, where we saw them in the middle of mass. Then walked to see Sorbonne university, and then the Pantheon, which was the coolest. It has a huge pendulum hanging from inside the highest dome that keeps the time. Then we lurked around inside the crypt and looked at people's tombs (we got shushed a couple times for laughing). That night, we hit up the Louvre.

Notre-Dame de Paris

Pantheon

Saturday, we spent the afternoon in Montmartre, saw Moulin Rouge and the Montmartre Cemetary (and lurking around peoples' tombs). But then we came across this basilica, and on the long stretch of steps in front of it, a couple guys were setting up for an impromptu little concert. So we sat down and hung out for a good hour in the sun listening to them play. The steps had the most fantastic panoramic view of the entire city. It was incredible.

Do I even need to caption this?

Montmartre concert... overlooking the entire city.

Once that was over, we headed down to see the Arc de Triomphe, took a walk along the Champs Élysée, and then to the Eiffel Tower. It was Valentine's Day, so the line up to the top was nuts, but of course, well worth it. We saw our share of smoochy, kissy couples to last us a good while. I had my fingers crossed we would witness a proposal or something, but no such luck.

Sunday morning, I had breakfast at the hostel and overhead two girls saying they were from Manitoba. I chatted them up and we of course discovered we had about 10 mutual friends. Oh Winnipeg. Then we headed off to Versailles and took our time just meandering along. It was a great weekend that could not have gone better. The only snafus were the train rides there and back. We ended up missing our train to Montpellier, but we had a very nice ticket agent man who did his best to save us our money and get us on the next one :)

the windy city

So not only did eating raw mussels give me food poisoning, it also left me with a little nasty bug of a parasite in my stomach. So I had to cancel my trip to Marseille this past weekend because I fell ill once again. Hopefully, it's all over, because by Saturday night I was feeling good again and was able to meet up with my friends in Marseille on Sunday and not completely lose out on my train ticket.

I was most excited to take a boat to the island of the Chateau d'If, an old prison. Except it was too windy so no boats were going out. So next plan... coffee and croissant at a cafe, then a kitschy trolley/train tour to the top of a hill where we visited Notre Dame de la Garde. And we almost got blown off the steps. It was so incredibly windy in the whole town, but at the top of the hill, I could barely keep my eyes open. But when I did, the view was incredible.














View of the top
(Notre Dame de la Garde)

View from the top











Trying to keep warm with our scarves

a little work and a little more play

If you're looking for a positive opinion about the French school system, I'm not the person to ask. Luckily I am only in a few classes, because I don't think I would be able to take much more of the way things work here. I've already mentioned that classes are mandatory - not that it's a terrible rule, but... - from the very little things to the big general rules, the French system loves having as much of a stranglehold on their students as possible. And for most people who know me, you know I hate being told what I can and cannot do. Apparently teaching students responsibility is not in the curriculum.

There is a very big feeling of ageism in the classroom. The young and the stupid - never dispute your teacher and if you do, don't expect concession. In some ways the teachers want to hold your hand so you don't fall, but they are only doing it out of expectation that you will screw up one way or another. However, I think it's developed a self-fulfilling prophecy among students and the way they behave.

And notice how I have been using teachers instead of professors. It was accidental at first, but I feel like teacher is more appropriate since they treat us like we're in junior high and not in university.

If this sounds all a little too judgmental, our exchange coordinator here explained to us that French students are not smart or responsible enough for certain things, so they have those rules for a reason... her words, not mine. oi.

*****

First, I will quickly explain ERASMUS. Pretty much, it is a European organization for university students to get funding to easily attend a foreign university. Almost everyone from Europe here is here as part of ERASMUS.

That being said, about half of my year is exchange students - so every Tuesday night is student night at the Australian Café. All the exchange students head there and the place is pretty well always packed. I ventured there for the first time this week and it did not disappoint. An outback themed bar, this time they decided to lay down sand. Which I learned was not a regular thing, thank god, cause sand isn't something you plan to have in your shoes when you head to the bar.

Sophie from Belgium and me

Inside The Australian

This one's for you Jess ;)

My rain boots on the sandy floor.