Straight to the point.

I realise it has been a while since my last blog, so I do apologise for that! I am reading from fellow student's blogs that those doing British Council placements have something ridiculous like 8 weeks left of their year abroad, whereas I on the other hand am only half way through my internship and have another 5 months to go! Oui, la vie est dure... But I guess the more time in France, the better? Let's evaluate.

 

So since I am half way through my year I have asked myself  'what have you learned so far?' and 'what can you expect from the next 5 months?'. Well in all honesty, I feel like I have come to a bit of a standstill in terms of what I am getting out of this experience. I don't feel like each day bring exciting/new experiences anymore, and work is definietley not a challenge. There is nothing I can do that will bring my French to a better level I don't think. It seems like since Christmas I really haven't advanced, and it's just because evry day is the same and I am not doing challenging tasks or anything. I am trapped in the campus bubble, not getting insight into the 'real' world of France/Paris. Ok, I am at an advantage by having a French boyfriend, with whom I can watch French TV, listen to French radio in the car, talk to on the phone and in general just about n'importe quoi, but otherwise my conversations at work are not that rich and the evenings are spent gossiping in English with the girls!! I have really had enough with this library placement. In terms of having tasks and things to do, well, I don't have any! Yes, each day I have to spend 20 minutes putting magnetic strips into reviews and then putting them in their correct place but that's hardly using  my French! There are sometimes students who email and ask for a book to renewed which is my job to do for them ( they are not clever enough to do it themselves online) so i'll respond to a few messages in French or English, but it's always the same phrases so no real extention to my vocabulary there. And since I am not qualified on data base research or book covering/preparation, it's always down to me to be left as the person at the welcome desk. Sat on my bum having nothing interesting to do. Sure I can read French magazines and stuff but come on, would you want to do that all day? I need to make the effort myself to do more grammar and vocab learning, and to just strike up conversations myself with students/my colleages. I do tell my colleageus that I am here for anything they need help with. But that doesn't stop them putting up a bad translation on the English website because they didn't get me to check it first!! Of course, the students never cease to amuse me and brighten up my day when they come up to complain to me that the colour printer has printed thier documents in colour...

 

I have learned that the French are very laid back. I know that seems cliché, but it's so true! 'Coffee after lunch? I've already had an hour and a half break but sure, why not?!' 'This book was due back last monday, but I'll just bring it back the next month, no bother'. 'I'll meet you at 8' and they arrive 20 mins later. 'I'll respond to your email when I get back'. 'I'll just send it to them when I'm ready'. 'Excuse me while I take this phone call instead of serving you'. 'We'll give you full details the night before' 'I'll come and get you later sometile'... I could go on. I have also learned that Gare du Nord is a hotbed for weirdos and teethless men. The same man approched me three times at three differnent places of the station when I arrived yesterday, and I coudn't tell you even what he was asking me because he was talking jibberish.  I have equally learned that France are just a little bit behind the times. You can't scan barcodes on library cards, you have to type in the number manually. Online banking is about a week behind date, and equally you can only check your bank balance at your actual bank cash machine, not another bank. Finally, train timetables are not to be trusted! So these all seem like negative observations, huh? Well I have to say that  despite what we say I find the French verys honest people. They are just open and will tell you the truth. Perhaps this is where we get the idea that they are 'rude'. I would say differently. Not rude, just honest. I ask my colleague how she is, and she tells me exactly how she is. Even things like emails and texts. Naturally as a female I tend to elaborate and write everything out in full with terms of endearment, hearts and smileys and kisses, whereas the French will literally just respond to the question you asked using as little words as possible, followed (if you're lucky) by a full stop. No messing about with the French! Moreover, greetings and introductions are very important to the French. Everyone you pass around campus is likely to wish you a 'bonjour' whether you recognise each other or not, and also I have found that when you arrive at work in the morning, colleagues make a big thing about saying 'Bonjour' to each other, and on some occasions some of my colleagues have evn sought me out just to say 'I realised we haventt said hello yet today!'. It's nice :) And then there's the whole bisous, a kiss on each cheek even on the first meeting of someone. How is that being rude?!

 

Anyways, I am SURE that the next 5 months will be great and that things will come up to keep me going. I already have lots of exciting things to look forward to before Easter. I was in London this weekend for a flying visit to spend with the family and we went to see the stage performance of War Horse which was just fantastic. And this weekend my parents, godparents and other family friends will be in Paris for this bloomin' half marathon- and DISNEY LAND!! Quite exciting. I WILL go to both parks, even if I have to do it in a wheelchair following my run aha. Once the half marathon is over I don't know what I am going to do to fill my time with! (The words 'year abroad research project' keep flying around my ears!). Then at the end of March I will be in Nottingham celbrating my 21st Birthday (old, much) and the weekend after that I am going to Château de la Loire with friends here, then I'm seeing Drake in Paris, not sure what I am doing over Easter week end yet but perhaps something fun will come up then too! Am also looking to try and get tickets for Mamma Mia in French in Paris! I don't get any more 'official' holidays until July now. No easter, no half terms. It is currently French holidays and despite the lack of life on campus the library has still decided to stay open. Its almost one o'clock and so far ONE student has walked in the library... This week is going to drag I can tell. I have 7 days worth of congés left to take before I leave, so I need to think of how wisely I can use them. There are an insane amount of Bank Holidays in April/May which I could make use of for long weekends so I'll have to see. I feel like I am not making the most of being in France to travel around and visit people around Europe- I need to get my act together! One of the restraints of working full time is that come the weekend I just want to relax as I only have two days to turn arund and recover and prepare for the next week! But time is going so fast, there soon will be no more weekends left!

 

 

The sun has got his hat on again at least in ol' JouY en Josas which naturally lightens the mood of things. I am pleased that cold spell is out of they way, now we can move into spring and Easter and happy bunnies prancing everywhere :) I kid you not, there are rabbits on campus! And the FATTEST cat you have ever seen. And ladybirds everywhere. And ducks. And green parrots. And red squirrels. Quite the nature park HEC campus!

 

Clearly I am running out of things to say as I have started rambling on about the wild life here. Time to call it a day and say bye , to be honest ( see what I did there).

 

Bye.

 

(And again)

La meuf à la bibliothèque!

Roughly translated as 'That library chick'. Yes, that is what I am often reffered to as by drunken HEC students at parties and events.  The HEC annual Gala being no exception to this, literally every other guy that past me would suddenly stop (and stumble slightly in the process), squint, and wave their finger at me while they tried as hard as they could to figure out where they know me from... I wait patiently for the realisation to kick in. And then it hits them like a snowball:  'LA BIBLIOTHEQUE!'. Still could be a worse nickname, at least they are not shouting out 'RUT' every time they see me!

The 2012 edition of the Gala HEC took place in Hotel Intercontinenta, a very swish hotel next to the Opéra in Paris. An evening divided into two parts, the first being for those rich enough to afford the'exquisite'three course meal ( which I am told consisted of a tomato, piece of lamb and chocolate mousse) and unlimited wine and the second part for those who want to pay to dress up and join the party just for laughs. The latter of which we attended! (A very last miute decision for me in fact, I only reserved my ticket at midnight the night before!) It would have been nice to have been able to participate in the round tabled, chandeeller-lit (how do you spell that?) dinner but we really don't have 90€ to do that! So instead us girls opted for the 'soirée' at less than half the price and spent a (very) long time getting ready here, taking the train into Paris wearing leggings and boots under our dresses, splashing out near the Opéra on a two course meal + martini for 20€, and then transforming into belles of the ball in the toilets and running into the hotel to avoid freezing our bare legs off in the cold! Such a fun start to the night. We arrived at 11pm and already the Gala was well under way. A night with lots of champage consumption ( not so much on my part, I must say!), suits, dresses, and of course, drunken HEC students! 

Sunday felt like a dream. It was one thing hitting the pillow about 5am, but another waking up to a winter wonderland a few hours later! The whole day was a write off, we all slobbed about not really knowing what to do with oursleves, not being able to go out, and just generally being tired and recovering from the gala! The snow hasn't put the world on hold like usual thankfully. Apparently last year at Christmas it was so bad that staff actually slept in their offices over night! So at least it's not that bad. We had one lot of snow fall and most of it is pretty much cleared now, apart from on the little countryside paths around campus. It has made campus quite pretty, especially when the sun shines and bounces off the white snow, it's dazzlling. 

Work has been pretty slow recently. I wish my days were more eventful! The only exciting thing which happened the other day was making a phone call to the USA, which bought me back to my A level interpreting oral exam where I had one person speaking French to me in one ear, and one person speaking English to me in another ear, and me being the interpreter between the two! But otherwise, I'm not gonna lie, I have managed to catch up on Glee and Desperate Housewives whilst manning the front desk! ( My colleagues randomly disappear for about 20 minutes at a time, and leave me. I have no idea where they go!). And I sometimes add a paragraph or two to my Year Abroad Research Project when I run out of people to facebook stalk..

I disciplined myself not to go to POW last night. Despite it being the  event of the week. Named ' La Luxure' and tied in with HEC Fashion Week, it was a big POW open to all students from whereever. I think the facebook even description explains it all really : Because debauchery is our motto, concupiscence is our way of life... and itemperance is our deep nature. For this party, you will find to rooms and to atmospheres, but only one goal : the LUXURE!

The program of these Bacchanalia: strip-teasers, chipendales, erotic show, massage room, open condoms, open bar, and goodies... And that is just the begining of a long list of even crazier surprises... all night long!

I'll say no more. Other than, would you ever find this in England?? Scandelous.

On a less controversial note, I have my first visitors from Souhampton coming this weekend which will be nice. I stress the word FIRST. Friends, are you coming?!

The Half Marathon is three weeks away and I am already fed up of running. I got to a peak in my training and I just wish the race had been like last week so that it was done and over with, because now my legs are aching and getting tired and the thought of this 13 mile run in 3 weeks is not exciting for me at the moment. I just want the event to come so I can stop running in this icy weather!!

Another slow day at work today I imagine. Post POW Friday's are always dead! But made day just got ten times better as my colleague has just walked in wearing.. Leather pants!! ( Any 'Friends' fans out there want to share a giggle with me?!)

Bisous mes amis :)