Paris Awaits

An Introduction... or a Conclusion

2008-08-27T13:39:00.007-04:00

It's been more than two years since I've returned from my European travels, and I'm amazed that this blog is still relevant to readers worldwide. From queries for "biere maximator" to "i met bill buckner", my blog somehow stumbles into the mix.

If you'd like to read more about my misadventures, I invite you to visit my current blog at www.julieminevich.com.

“I am a citizen, not of Athens or Greece, but of the world” -Socrates

2006-06-16T14:12:00.000-04:00

Hello Kiddos!

Two weeks in Greece have come and gone. Let me recap...

The island of Corfu in Greece was my first stop and it couldn't have been more different from Paris : no rain and good weather! I met up with my friend Liz there and we stayed at the famous Pink Palace Hostel. In addition to hanging out at the beach, Liz and I explored Corfu Town, the main port of the island, where we climbed a fortress and I reflected on the fact that Greek sounds a lot like Spanish, the weather is Mexico-like and the island itself somewhat resembles Lisbon. The highlight of my time there was the infamous Pink Toga Party where we partied like the ancient Greeks (I even got a plate smashed over my head!). My misadventures included burning my lip, losing my shoes and falling up the stairs...

Then it was off to Santorini, which included a flight to Athens and then a ferry out to the island. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. I somehow managed to get food poisoning as we were leaving Corfu. The Greeks think ahead, though, and thankfully the rest stop at the port had beds for rent where I tried to recover in between the flight and the ferry... I was out of commission (ie unable to even sit up) for about 48 hours. Just another part of travelling, eh?

In Santorini, we visited an active volcano (it didn't look anything like the ones in science books!), swam in sulfur hot springs (stinky!), and even rode a donkey (terrifying!) up to the top of island to watch the sunset. The top of the cluster of islands known as Santorini is filled with white houses that have blue roofs. From the water, it looks like the islands are covered with snow. Cool.

Ios was our third and final Greek Island. The word on the European cobble streets is that Ibiza, off the coast of Spain, is the number one party island. Ios is number two. There wasn't much to do other than lie on the beach and get crazy at night, but Liz and I both managed to find some water sports (Has anyone ever heard of fly fishing? You lie on a rubber raft, with a string tied to a boat. The boat speeds up and the rafts lifts out of the water so you are flying!) The atmosphere was incredible : fun, friendly and laid-back. The island is filled with backpackers who are working at the bars to make a little extra money. They are just like everyone else, looking to have a good time and meet people. Everything was perfect until... I BROKE MY iPOD!!!! That iPod got me through some really great times and some really hard times... I'm really at a loss without it. Life goes on?

Then, Liz and I had two days in Athens. To be frank, I was disappointed. A modern city with ancient ruins. If you want to see that, you're better off going to Rome. (By the way, one night out in Athens, I met a guy who had dated Bill Buckner's daughter. That's what travelling around Europe is all about!)

So now I'm Prague, safe, if not sound. We finally met up with Missy and Caitlin who we were supposed to have been travelling with since June 1st! (They couldn't find a flight out from Spain for a while and then when they were finally booking it, someone went into Caitlin's bag and took her cell phone, jewelry and passport. Then, later, on the way to the airport, her wallet got stolen! That girl has some bad luck!)

Anyway, I'm off to go explore this city (finally!). Hope all your summers are still going well.... Keep in touch!

Later,

Julie

PS I'll be in College Park the weekend on July 23rd. Will you?

Tags: corfu, santorini, ios athens greece

Paris reflections

2006-06-06T14:05:00.000-04:00

I writing you all from the very beautiful island of Corfu. What I should be doing is sitting out in the sun, but you all know me...

Studying abroad, while it may fuck me in the end in terms of credits, was an amazing, life-changing experience.

Some of you got my sobbing phone calls back in January when I was about to take off for this great adventure... To leave College Park (where I had a lot of great things going on) and go to a new place, without a friend or any kind of support system, and not knowing at all what to expect, was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Little did I know where the next four months would take me.

I've had the opportunity to study French in Paris, seeing the Eiffel Tower from my classroom window, and to get to know the city inside and out. This is something I started talking about doing when I chose to learn French at age ten. I also been lucky enough to travel - to different regions of France, to Ireland, to England, to Portugal, to Spain, and to Germany. I've gained a whole new perspective on International Affairs and my image of "the American" has of course been shifted.

On a personal level, a lot of things have happened for me that didn't quite fall into place back home. I had a single, solid group of friends. (At Maryland, I do sometimes struggle to balance Greek and non-Greek friends and in high school I was part of a lot of different groups.) Without these four people - Beth, Erin, John and Jeff - my time in Paris would've been a lot more lonely, a lot less funny and, simply put, boring. I also met a really great guy and I hope that we'll remain great friends. Honestly, he woke me up, he made me feel. And that's a great thing. If nothing else, I come away with a lot of incredible memories and a big hope for the future.

Anyway, I think it's time to head back to the beach. Can't wait to hear from all of you about your crazy summer beginnings!

- Julie

April showers bring May.... more rain & new adventures!

2006-05-25T16:54:00.000-04:00

Hey there, kiddos!

Classes ended on Tuesday and I have finals tomorrow and Saturday... so obviously I decided the best use of my time would be to send you all another update :) This is another long e-mail, so here's the link to the pictures. They are on facebook, but you don't need to be a member to see them.

Speaking of finals, the french system is really silly, in my opinion. When they write exams, the goal is that you will be able to fill in about half the answer, not that you will be able to answer everything correctly. In other words, a 100% is not the the thing to strive for, a 50% is! Tomorrow I have an oral exam where I have to read aloud a text and answer then answer questions in an interview format... in French. On Saturday, my exam, which apparently makes up 70% of my 10-credit class grade, is scheduled to take three hours.

There's a part that has grammar, but it's not grammar you can study for. They can ask "what's the noun form of clear?" (clarity). WTF? Then there's this thing called a dictee that they loved to do. The teacher reads a text and you have to write it down without ANY mistakes. That means all the accents have to be there, every letter of every word... it's out of 20 points and every time you make a mistake, that's another .5 off... The last section is a "resume", where the teacher reads a text of let's say, 30 lines and you have to sum it all up in 10 lines. Again, all of this IN FRENCH. Ugh.

Anyway, let's start from the beginning... I got back from Spring Break and the next weekend I was off again. This time to Perigord, a region in the middle of France, known for its foie gras. I did try it, but I didn't think it was anything special. We went to the Lascaux caves, which have ancient cave drawings, and to a chateau formerly owned by Josephine Baker, an American who came to Paris and became famous as a singer and a cabaret performer. The trip was organized by my program and on Saturday night, my friends (Erin and Jeff) and I bought a big bottle of whiskey. This was a weekend where many of you were off at formals. Well, since I went away for a weekend, got drunk in a hotel room and got some ass, I'd say it was my own little formal. ;)

The next week, my mom came to visit me. We flew to Bremen, Germany, for the weekend, where my grandma's two sisters and their families live. Has anyone heard of the story about the Bremen Musicians? Well, they're from Bremen, Germany. I used to watch the movie when I was little, so I was excited to see them... ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_Town_Musicians) Dinner on Friday and Saturday night was ridiculously, stereotypically Russian. We had caviar and cow tongue and lots of fatty food. And my family forced me to take vodka shots. Also, my family owns a nightclub, along with some casinos, in Bremen, so on Saturday night I checked out "Russian night". It was open bar for me, since I'm a member of the family, and some Russian guys hit on me. The "discotheque" stayed open until 6am and my mom found me the next morning, passed out in the bathroom. Oops. The other exciting thing was that my great-aunt's house was ridiculous (I can't think of another word, the whole weekend was just ridiculous) - inside, there was a pool, a sauna and a tanning bed!

My mom and I returned to Paris where we did touristy stuff. I finally visited Musee Rodin, which I really liked. It has different sculptures. My favorite is Le Baiser, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kiss_(Rodin_sculpture)), which shows a couple intertwined... kissing. Maybe being in Paris for a semester has gotten to me?

The next weekend I went to Troyes, (pronounced twah), where my exboyfriend, who has been teaching English there for the past year, lives. It's a really, really small town and it convinced me that pretty much all of France, other than the coast, and Paris, looks the same. It's all country, with small towns, with wooden houses... and cathedrals that resemble Notre-Dame.

My ex-boyfriend came into Paris the next week for his birthday. I finally got to walk around the Luxembourg Gardens, which were beautiful! Probably my second favorite place in Paris, after the Eiffel Tower. We went to see The Da Vinci Code. (I thought it was okay, and it was really cool to be able to recognize a lot of the places in the film, but I didn't like Tom Hanks. Also, they had French subtitles for the English parts, but no English subtitles for the French parts, which was interesting...)

Then, Ben, aka Baconstud, my best guy friend from Maryland came to visit. We did a lot of the touristy stuff again (Notre-Dame, Eiffel Tower). We also went to a bread festival that was going on, had a picnic in the park - bananas, nutella, wine, cheese and bread - , and I got to most of Musee D'Orsay, which has a lot of the famous impressionist paintings. Monet and Van Gogh are there. Ben's friend took us to a vegetarian rally (I felt like such a fake).

So, that about wraps it up for now. In between classes and visitors I've managed to go out almost every night. (Also, Jeff and I discovered after Spring Break that Highlander, one of our usual bars, will broadcast Red Sox games, which start at 1am our time, if we ask. Gotta get my Red Sox time in!)

I really am having the time of my life and it's sad to see this coming to an end. I'll save my reflections for after I leave Paris, next thursday. I'll be back in the states on June 26th . I'm going to some Greek Islands, Prague and Amsterdam before I leave Europe. I'm planning a trip to College Park (maybe July 20th??), so let me know if you'll be in town!

Congrats to all the graduates! Enjoy the beginning of your summers! Stay in touch!

Bisous,

Julie

Tags: finals, paris, perigord, foie gras, Bremen, MuseeRodin, Le Baiser, troyes, luxembourg gardens , The Da Vinci Code, Musee D'Orsay, Red Sox

Spring Break 2006!

2006-05-16T16:23:00.000-04:00

Hello Boys and Girls!

I know it's been forever. Now, in addition to not having an Internet connection I no longer have a laptop, so I really am cut off from all of civilization. I'm warning you all now that this e-mail is kinda long, so if you just want to look at the pictures, they are at http://umd.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2034729&id=5700154 it's hosted by facebook, but you don't have to have an account to view them...

Anyway, spring break has come and gone. It was a crazy ten days of travel to Lisbon, Madrid and Barcelona...

Lisbon couldn't have been more different from Paris. Paris was cold and rainy the morning we left, but Lisbon was absolutely GORGEOUS. Lisbon is very hilly (apparently seven hills) and our first adventure (after meeting up my friend Liz from high school) was climbing up to St. Jorges' Castle, with an amazing view over the whole city... We also visited Jerónimos Monastery, built in an architectural style unique to Portugal, and visited the Belem Tower, which sits on Lisbon's bay. Our last night there we saw a fado (translated it means destiny or fate) musical performance. It's kind of sad poetry set to music and the style originated in Portugal in the 1820s. We obviously also took in the local culture at night ;)

Our craziest adventure happened our last morning in Lisbon, when my friend Beth and I decided to go to the beach before catching our flight. On the way back on train, we tried to save some money by not buying a ticket. This was all fine until the conductor came on the train to check for tickets (and give out heavy fines to those who didn't have them) My bright idea was to go to the back of the train and hope that our stop would come up before the conductor could make his way to us. It soon became obvious that that wasn't going to work, so my second genius plan was to get out at the next stop and run up to the front of the train where the conductor had already checked tickets. It would have been amazing if it had worked, but alas we couldn't get back on the train fast enough... We bought tickets, got on the next train, and then HAULED ASS all over hilly Lisbon to try and catch our flight. We made it to the airport ONE MINUTE before check-in closed!

Then it was onto Madrid. I have to admit, we probably couldn't have picked a worst time to visit - It was the week before Easter and pretty much everything was closed. Our first night there, Beth and I attended a seder at the equivalent of a Jewish Community Center. The synagogue had a guard at the door and we were interrogated before being let in. We caught the tail end of services and for the seder, met a bunch of American students... Everything was in Spanish and Hebrew, but the tunes for the songs were the same. ("Wherever you go, there's always someone Jewish...")

We visited a LOT of cultural sites in Madrid: the Royal Botannical Gardens, the Prado Museum (it contains the famous Velazquez piece, Las Meninas, as well many of the Black Paintings by Goya), the Reino Sofia Museum (modern art - it includes many Picasso pieces, including the Guernica, also has stuff by Miró, Kandinsky, Dalí, Bacon...), the Royal Palace..... and we drank a LOT of Sangria. We spent Good Friday in Madrid and there were a lot of crazy processions for Easter.... People walked around wearing the white hoods the crusaders wore (which is where the KKK got the idea from). Karen (my big sister from ZTA) met up with us and off we went to Barcelona...

Our flight to Barcelona was at 7 in the morning and when we got there, we were all dead but our hostel wouldn't let us check-in. So I had my first sleeping-in-a-park-like-a-bum experience. At least it was sunny out.... In Barcelona, we walked down les Ramblas, which is the street in Europe where you are most likely to get pickpocketed. We also made it to the beach... our last time at the beach, Beth and I went topless. Hey, when you're in Barcelona, do as the Barcelonians!

Barcelona is Gaudi's city, (an architect), and I absolutely fell in love with the buildings he designed. He has a sort of Art Nouveau style and his stuff looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. The Sagrada Familia is a modern church built in the style of ancient cathedrals - that's to say that it's very contemporary looking, but once finished, it will have taken over 100 years to build! He also planned Parc Guell and the apartment buildings named Casa Batillo and Casa Milo, which are just so cool...

So, I'm sure you are all sick of reading by now... My spring break was a lot of fun and you can bet I'm getting ready from Spring Break 2007!!

Hope finals are going well! To all you graduating seniors, congrats! Stay in touch!

see ya,

Julie

man, oh man...

2006-04-25T08:30:00.000-04:00

I'm back in Paris after an exciting ten days of travelling for Spring Break. All I have to say for now is that the mullet is alive in well in Spain.

Tags: mullet, spain

reunions in london, giraffes in strasbourg, and april in paris...

2006-04-09T12:34:00.000-04:00

Mes chers amis,

How are you all? I hope you all had the BEST spring breaks!

Last time I wrote, I was getting excited for London trip, and it really was so much fun. I met up with Laura, Avery, Mindy (and had lunch with Jackie!)... Friday night we went to London's Absolut Ice Bar, where everything - the cups, the walls, the actual bar - is made out of ice. We wore Eskimo suits and took an absurd amount of pictures... We saw the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, had a traditional English lunch (fish and chips) at a local London pub, watched Les Miserables in London's West End (like Broadway), rode the London Eye (the world's largest observatory wheel - basically a huge Ferris wheel - where you could see all of London) and took a boat down the Thames. Other sightseeing included Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. I would say my favorite sight in London is Big Ben which, for me, really symbolizes London. It was crazy fun running all around London with some of my best friends from Maryland!

Last weekend, I went to Strasbourg with my program. We visited the Strasbourg Cathedral, they tried sauerkraut with sausage, and we sampled flavored beer and regional wines. On Saturday night, we went out to a bar and ordered giraffes, which are a mix between bongs and kegs... they resemble huge test tubes and hold about 10 beers... Good times...

What to say about Paris that I haven't said before? The city is becoming more and more beautiful every day and I'm enjoying every moment here. This is actually the first weekend in about a month that I haven't been travelling, and in the past couple days, because it's finally warm-ish out, I've been walking all over this city, exploring its many streets and sights... They say there's nothing like April in Paris, and I'd have to agree!

The hardest thing here is the fact that I live far from all of my friends and my classes, and my roommate and I usually do our own things... However, I've solved this problem by sleeping out. I'm so thankful to my friends who let me crash! We go out pretty much every night, and the thing that I love is that every night is different. You never know who you are going to meet, what crazy adventures you'll encounter....

An example: A couple weeks ago, as I was waiting for the night bus (like the circuit) with John and Jeff, a guy asked to use John's cell phone. John's a nice kid and gave him the cell phone. The guy takes off running with it! John, who's drunk, tries to run after him, but trips and fells TWICE in the middle of the street. Jeff, who loves fighting, takes off also. What choice do I have? I take off after all three of them, and am about to call the police as soon as I can figure out where they went. I'm running down the street and I see the guy coming towards me. I hold out my hands and tell him to stop. I tell him to give me the cell phone.... and he does! Ha! The guys hate that story because I saved the day, without any fighting involved. Who knows why he gave me the phone? I was just glad no one was hurt...

I'm trying to experience every moment to the fullest, as cheesy as that sounds... No regrets... I can't even describe how incredible being abroad is!

I miss you all so much... Keep me updated... I want to know how things are going in your lives....

Also, Spring Break for me started on Friday afternoon and I'm leaving tomorrow for Lisbon. I'm also going to Madrid and Barcelona. I've never been to Portugal or Spain and I can't even explain how excited I am!

Signing out,

Julie

Tags: paris, london, strasbourg, student, travel

la biere

2006-04-05T04:05:00.000-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the impossible might have happened. I may be turning into something of a "cheap date" or a "one beer queer", as some would say.

Here's how it works:
1. eat light dinner.
2. buy amsterdam maximator for 2 euro chez arabe (grocery stand)
3. drink said beer.
4. be drunk.

note: beer can contains a pint of beer and has an 11.6% alcohol content. NICE.

Tags: maximator, amsterdam, beer, paris

riots, riots, riots

2006-04-05T03:35:00.000-04:00

There were strikes, demonstrations, and riots in the streets of Paris yesterday, again because of the new CPE labor contract... and there were riots in the streets of College Park, apparently, for an altogether different reason...

CONGRATS TO THE

UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND'S

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM!

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 2006!

damn, it feels nice to be the cover story on ESPN.

springtime in paris

2006-04-03T03:45:00.000-04:00

london...

2006-03-29T17:12:00.000-05:00

this weekend was spent in london with some of my best friends from maryland. Unfortunately, if I stay here to describe it, I will miss the metro home. Thank you, Paris.

song of the day

2006-03-29T14:55:00.000-05:00

So, last time I posted The Luckiest by Ben Folds, which as I said, I think is probably the most real, the most poignant love song out there. Well, It Ain't Me, Babe by Bob Dylan is another one of my favorites, for the same reasons. The emotions in the words are what make the song. The sappiness will soon stop, I promise...

Go 'way from my window,
Leave at your own chosen speed.
I'm not the one you want, babe,
I'm not the one you need.
You say you're lookin' for someone
Never weak but always strong,
To protect you an' defend you
Whether you are right or wrong,
Someone to open each and every door,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.

Go lightly from the ledge, babe,
Go lightly on the ground.
I'm not the one you want, babe,
I will only let you down.
You say you're lookin' for someone
Who will promise never to part,
Someone to close his eyes for you,
Someone to close his heart,
Someone who will die for you an' more,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.

Go melt back into the night, babe,
Everything inside is made of stone.
There's nothing in here moving
An' anyway I'm not alone.
You say you're looking for someone
Who'll pick you up each time you fall,
To gather flowers constantly
An' to come each time you call,
A lover for your life an' nothing more,
But it ain't me, babe,
No, no, no, it ain't me, babe,
It ain't me you're lookin' for, babe.

ben folds

2006-03-27T17:54:00.000-05:00

http://www.umd.edu/features/benfolds.html

this fucking kills me. All I've wanted to for the past two years was to see Ben Folds and I wasn't able to last summer in Boston and last fall in Maryland. And now he's coming to the UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND and I won't be there.

In honor of me NOT seeing him, below is my favorite song and the song that I thought at one point I would want to be the song played while I walked down the aisle at my (future) wedding... It's probably the most real, moving love song ever written.

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns, the stumbles and falls
Brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it everyday
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike
Would I know?

And in a white sea of eyes
I see one pair that I recognize
And I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

I love you more than I have ever found a way to say to you

Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties
And one day passed away in his sleep
And his wife; she stayed for a couple of days
And passed away

I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you that I know we belong
That I know

That I am
I am
I am
The luckiest

friends in paris, riots in the streets and st. patty's in dublin... oh my!

2006-03-22T15:46:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring! So much has happened in the past three weeks... every day is a new adventure.

The trip to Normandie was a lot of fun. It actually reminded me more of Birthright than of a frat formal, though. We visited the Bayeux Tapestry, and several D-Day beaches. We also visited the American cemetery, a world war two museum and a farm, where got to buy some yummy jam and got to try Calvados, a really, really strong alcohol only made in Normandie. The american cemetery is a really powerful experience: white crosses (and stars of david) everywhere. From any perspective, it looks like the gravestones are aligned. Apparently, this is called "the last formation". I went out with a couple of friends (big surprise?) in Normandie, while everyone else in a program decided to stay in. We found a random bowling alley, that also served as the town's pool hall, pub, karoake bar and dance club. When we played pool, the balls where only red and yellow, and didn't have any numbers (I'm told that that's billiards?)

Lesley, one of my best friends from home, came to visit last week. It was amazing having a friend here and I finally got to do all that tourist stuff: going up the Arc de Triomphe, shopping on the Champs-Elysees, going up the Eiffel Tower...

On a different topic, as you may have heard on the news, Paris is in a little bit of political turmoil right now. If I can't go to the riots, I guess they come to me! The french government passed the CPE which says that young people - those under 26 - can be fired, without any reason, for up to two years into their employment. Now, for Americans, that doesn't seem to be a big deal because that's the way it is in the US. However, in the US you can be fired for any reason, unless it's discriminatory. This law is inherently discriminatory by targeting only those under 26. And it also means that people can be fired because of their skin color, their gender... you get the idea.

The Sorbonne has been closed for the past couple days. First there was a sit-in, which the police broke up, using force... then, the government decided to close the institute for reasons of security. Because I'm in the International Students department, I still have classes, but I haven't given up hope that our teachers will go on strike, too. There have been a few demonstrations all around the city, and now they are saying that the government might actually amend or repeal the law. The students on the streets are gaining power!

I was in McDonalds last week... I turned and saw Deborah Wohls trying to figure out how to get to the Catacombs. And yesterday, I went to the Highlander, one of our usual bars, and saw a kid who I did a french immersion program with in Nova Scotia Summer 2001. Small world. I guess that doesn't only happen in Israel, that you bump into the entire world!

Anyway, this weekend, I flew to Dublin to celebrate St. Patty's day. I met up with Missy, who is studying in Florence. Friday night we went to a traditional Irish pub at Temple Bar (think Adams Morgan or Faneuil Hall). I discovered a downstairs with a dance club. At the end of the night, the club turned into a deaf club. It was definitely an interesting experience not being able to communicate with people there because they couldn't hear me, not because they couldn't understand my language. Good thing Missy knows American Sign Language. :) Saturday, we went to the Guinness factory, where we stayed for five hours, "sampling" the beer. Apparently, it goes really well with oysters, but I just couldn't bring myself to try them. Saturday night we went out to another traditional Irish pub (music and drunkies and all). Sunday, we had a quick tour of the rest of the city and then it was back to Paris.

Caitlin, another one of my best friends from home, was here this weekend and left yesterday. I took her to Queen which I would say is the most famous club in Paris. It's a gay bar and it's on the Champs-Elysees. Monday night, it's disco night and straight night. We got to go into the VIP section! It was an experience, let me tell you!

So, now that I've bored you all thoroughly, it's time for me to sign off. Thanks for the e-mails, I'm doing my best to answer them (have I mentioned how much it sucks not having internet!?!). Enjoy your spring breaks! Keep in touch!

Mwah,

Julie

more cpe info

2006-03-22T12:54:00.000-05:00

A bit of History: The CPE (contrat premiere embauche) is a work contract that the government has just voted into place, which is meant for people under 26 years of age. This contract differs from others that exist in France in that for the first 2 years of work, a young person can be fired without the employer having to justify his or her decision to terminate the position or the employee. This may sound pretty normal to you since in the US, employers pretty much have this liberty (this is of course excluding any unlawful discrimination), but in France this idea is brand new. Up until now, all French people have fought for, succeeded in getting, and enjoyed very good job security no matter what the sector of employment or the age of the employee. With this new contract, French people are objecting to the decrease in job security, the touchy issue of age discrimination (this contract is for under 26 year olds), and the obvious issue that there are some sectors where young people will be hit harder than others. Take for example a construction worker and a lawyer. Well, the construction worker probably could start his or her career at age 18 or 19 since there is little schooling/training required before jumping into a job. That person would have to deal with this controversial contract for 7-8 years of his or her career! A lawyer, however, won't finish school until about 25 or 26, so this person could basically avoid ever being a victim of this contract since he or she will be old enough to be considered unaffected by the contract. You all see the socio-professional issues this raises.....time to strike!! And there is more! The issue is obviously more complicated than I have just described...

What is going on now?: Saturday, March 18th is meant to be the largest of the official strike days announced since February. Authorities are expecting 1.5 million protestors on the streets of France. In Paris, these demonstrations will take place throughout the city (basically from Denfert Rochereau to Nation) starting after lunch (must have a good meal first!) The demonstrations have proven quite successful thus far; as yesterday officials announced that while only about 1/2 of French people disapproved of this contract a couple of weeks ago, now 68% of French people wish the government to retract the decision to put the contract in place! Chirac is calling for negotiations now, which is a sign that the demonstrators are making ground! We can be sure that next week will be a turning point in the issue, and more demonstrations and strikes may be put into place.

Advisory for Americans in France-March 17, 2006-U.S. residents and travelers to France are advised that large street demonstrations are planned for Saturday, March 18. Authorities estimate that one million people may turn out in cities across France in opposition to a proposed youth employment plan. Demonstrations already held on March 16 involved several hundred thousand people. Events turned violent as police responded to unruly behavior by firing rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors who pelted them with paving stones, crowd control barriers and Molotov cocktails. There have been over 300 arrests nationwide and injuries on both sides.Americans are warned to avoid any demonstrations and to immediately move away from areas where large congregations of people have gathered, as apparently peaceful demonstrations can quickly turn violent. There is no prediction as to which areas to avoid, as the previous demonstrations have occurred in many areas of Paris, including areas often frequented by tourists, as well as other cities throughout France including Marseilles, Bordeaux, Rennes, Nancy, and Toulouse. Americans should stay informed about the current situation by paying attention to the extensive news coverage of events. U.S. citizens living in France or visiting for even short stays can register with the U.S. Embassy at the website shown below. Americans who find themselves in emergency situations can also find contact information for the U.S. Embassy below.

riots, again

2006-03-16T08:50:00.000-05:00

So, here's the deal boys and girls, apparently, if Julie can't go to the riots, the riots come to Julie.

The past week has been full of political talk (although, when is it not??)... The french government passed the CPE which says that young people - those under 26 - can be fired, without any reason, for up to two years into their employment. Understandably, this has the "young" french pissed.

Now, I don't really know where I stand. I'm usually very liberal... so I should support the students by default. Here's the thing, the right says that this law won't actually change anything because there are so many costs involved with firing someone and finding another employee able to do the job. But then, why make a law that is not going to do anything? If you'd like more info about this whole thing, here's a news article in english.

My other little point, is that although maybe rioting isn't the best way to prove your point, at least the young french people are doing something about the fact that they are pissed off! I think what's going on back at home is completely insupportable (unacceptable?). I know that there are many others that feel the same way. So why are we sitting idly by?

The sorbonne has been closed for the past couple days. First there was a sit-in, which the police broke up, using force... then, the government decided to close the institute for reasons of security.

Tuesday night when Lesley and I were heading out, there was tear-gas in the metro station, from which my throat is still irritated. Some metro stops are closed. There have been demonstratoins yesterday and today, and a big one will take place Saturday (but I'll be in DUBLIN for St. Patty's day!) We walked by a demonstration yesterday and it was indeed police with riot gear standing ready for the students to pounce - but they were sitting/standing peacefully around, chatting among themselves...

VIVE LA REPUBLIQUE!

Tags: sorbonne, paris, cpe greve riot

adventures on the metro

2006-03-07T10:47:00.000-05:00

I spend a lot of time riding the metro, and I often see some strange things. There are the usual bums, the performers, and the general people riding the subway. I love getting on a train and hearing Russian. I am able to be invisible - I can listen in on the conversation without it ever being known. (It's not that I particurarly care what is being said, but hearing my langue maternelle reminds me that I'm not SO far away).

Anyway, today, after class, on my way to McDonalds (where else), I sat next to young women with an unusual look. She had a buzz cut, except for several green braids that where randomly placed on her head. I didn't really think anything of it... until a rat peeked out from under her hood. My initial reaction was to move away. She reassured me that it wouldn't climb out, and out of politeness I stayed seated, but the guy sitting across from me could see that I was trying not to laugh. It was a little unnerving... but hey, it makes for a great story.

"March is the month of expectation..." - Emily Dickinson, XLVIII

2006-03-03T09:46:00.000-05:00

Happy March! Tuesday marked four weeks of being in France... so much has happened, and I'm so excited for the time that I have left here.

March means many things:

1. I'm starting to travel! I've spent the past four weekends in Paris, and while it has been very fun - I've made a good group of friends, I have a set of fall-back bars, I started really being able to find my way in the city, and begun recognizing landmarks - I'm ready to explore other places.

Tomorrow morning, I leave for Normandy, a northwestern region of France. We are going to visit D-day landing beaches ( Omaha Beach, Arromanche and the American Cemetery), the Tapestry of Bayeux (The story of William the Conqueror and Harold, Earl of Wessex, the men who led the Norman and Saxon armies in 1066...) and a local Normand farm to learn about and taste regional products... It's sure to be a good time (ha, ha), but really, everyone in the program is able to go, so it'll be fun to all be together in one hotel, enjoying the nightlife, or creating the nightlife, i should say... (does this remind anyone of aepi formal, freshman year??)

Then, I'm off to Dublin for St. Patty's Day (sure to be a shitshow), and then the next weekend, I reunite with Mindy, Avery and Laura in London!

2. I can use my NaviGo! I use the Metro everyday to get pretty much everywhere. (I do at least three sudoku puzzles per trip!) The Metro here reminds a lot of the Metro in Washington. You buy a ticket (if it's monthly, it's a called a Carte Orange) that you have to pass through when you enter and sometimes when you exit (depends if you are on the local or the express train)... This is going to sound stupid, but every time, it means opening your bag, looking for the little ticket stub - I have a monthly pass - putting it through, putting it back in your bag... meanwhile, you are susceptible to pickpocketing... Anyway, so you can send away for a NaviGo card, which reminds me of a Mobil Speedpass. It looks kind of like a credit card and has a chip in it. You can just put your whole bag on top of the sensor, it goes PING! and you're through. I have been talking about using my NaviGo for the past month and I am so excited that I can finally use it. (I had to wait until March because I had already bought a monthly pass for February and it's not transferable). Wikipedia info: "The Navigo pass is a means of payment for public transportation introduced in the Paris region in 2004. It is implemented as a Smart Card. It is planned to replace the magnetic-strip-based Carte Orange. This new tarification system carries a photo of the user on the card itself and is based on an account that the user has with the RATP. Thus, unlike the Carte orange, when a Navigo pass is lost or stolen, it is replaced (for a fee). (If you're interested in seeing what it looks like - http://www.ratp.fr/corpo/service/navigo.html)

3. I'm going to have a visitor! Lesley is arriving in Paris next Saturday and I am most excited to have a friend from home come see what my Parisian lifestyle is all about...

4. The weather has to get better, right? So, I'm not going to lie, the weather here has pretty much sucked so far. It'll be kind of nice in the morning, and by the time I get out of class (At 2), it's already cold. There have been only three or four days that have been relatively nice and sunny. It's mostly just rain, and my umbrella has become a permanent item in my purse. My french teacher tried to tell me that part of Paris's charm was the rain, and I guess it is, but I'll be liking Paris better on a whole different level once the sun appears. Also, I'm going to really be able to start all that sight-seeing once I don't have to worry about being soaked all day long.

In other news, I switched levels of my French class and am now in the Advanced level. One of my good friends, Beth, who I plan to travel with for spring break is in my class, which makes it go by a lot quicker. I no longer see Notre-Dame coming out of the metro stop I need to take, but I do see the Eiffel tower (when it's not cloudy or rainy) outside my classroom window. Rock on. In order to switch levels, I had to go to the main Sorbonne building (like Maryland's Mitchell Building), which is where the actual famous Sorbonne building is (it looks kind of like the Pantheon)... I don't have any classes there (just like you don't always have classes on the Mall), but I was able to eat lunch and I can't describe the feeling of sitting lunch in the courtyard of the Sorbonne, one of the oldest, most prestigious, famous universities worldwide. The courtyard kind of reminded me of Maryland's mall, which was cool, except there was no grass, just stone...

Also, I don't know if you guys have heard, but there was a young Jewish Parisian who died here last week on the way to hospital, after having been held hostage by a gang called the "Barbarians" for three weeks, who tortured him. Police found him naked in the street with burn marks all over him. He was kidnapped and the gang held a ransom for him. Their thinking was that since Jews have money, even if his family couldn't pay 450,000 EURO, the community would be able to come up with the money. At first, the French government refused to classify this as a hate crime... Jacques Chirac, France's president, went to a memorial at a Synagogue last week, which was quite an unusual thing to see. I obviously do not think that I am in any danger, but this is certainly a reality check and a sad thing to see in 2006. (I urge you to read the Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/24/AR2006022402016.html).

I don't want to end on a sad note, and this e-mail is already far too long... People have been asking me for the link to my pictures. They can be found at http://community.webshots.com/user/julieabroad. I tried to describe the things as best as I could... I haven't been so great at taking pictures when I'm out, but there's something to be said about living the experience without worrying about documenting it.

Bisous,

Julie

PS I look foward to reading all your emails. Hint, hint.

Tags: March, paris, NormandyTags: NaviGo

Killing in France Seen as 'Wake-Up Call'

2006-02-25T10:35:00.000-05:00

Okay, the following is a (long) article from the Washington Post. This murder made the French news a couple of days ago, but I think it's just now hitting the US papers. I do not believe that I am in any danger here, but things like this serve as a reminder that I'm "not in Kansas, anymore".

Being Jewish hasn't been an issue yet. I've met a lot of people, among them Arabs, and I sometimes wonder how they'd react if they knew I was Jewish, but, well... Also, at the beginning, I took off my Star of David necklace, and only wore the ring I bought in Jerusalem this summer with a Hebrew inscription on it (Remember the past, live in the present, and believe in the future), so at least I'd feel like I was defying the "rules" a little bit. Well, last weekend I hung out with Ben and Orli, who are both Jewish and Ben was wearing a gold Star of David necklace. He's French, so I figure if he's doing it, I'm okay to do the same. I opted to start wearing my Chamsa necklace (pictured on the left), which, just like my ring, is something that unless you were Jewish or had knowledge about the faith, wouldn't mean anything to you. Something like a secret handshake, if you will.

The only thing that's been hard is finding meat. I don't eat pig. The French do. A lot. At my Franprix (like a Giant or a Stop and Shop) deli, they don't even carry turkey. So that's on my list of things to find!

So, last night, I was walking to Franprix after just having sent an email about the murder to my friends back home. I was deep in thought about being Jewish and being in Paris... when I saw a man walking with his son, who was wearing a kippah (headcovering) - not the kind you would picture - it was kind of like a hat, with a woven design. It was Friday night, so I got really excited and wished them a Shabbat Shalom. The man did a double take, probably didn't know what to make of me since I was carry a workbag and obviously not on my way to the synagogue, and returned my salutation.

(Here in Europe, you're either Orthodox or your not anything. Conservative or Reform Judaism don't exist. So, it appears weird to a European that I would be wishing someone a Shabbat Shalom if I wasn't planning on observing it.)

I don't think I can put into words how that made feel. To know that I was still able to find someone here to wish a Good Shabbos made me feel right at home, and at peace.

Anyway, that's my Jewish update.

Anti-Semitism Blamed in Kidnapping, Torture of 23-Year-Old Salesman
By Molly Moore
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, February 25, 2006; Page A10

PARIS, Feb. 24 -- One day last month, a young woman entered the Paris mobile phone shop where Ilan Halimi worked. She had no interest in a new phone, according to Paris police. She wanted to flirt with the 23-year-old salesman. She left the shop with Halimi's cell phone number, and soon after, the two arranged a date.

Last week, French police found Halimi -- the son of Jewish Moroccan immigrants -- near a railroad track in a southern Parisian suburb. His naked body was covered with cigarette burns and he was handcuffed. He died in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

French police initially described the brutal kidnapping and killing as a crime-for-cash perpetrated by a gang calling itself "The Barbarians." It routinely used young women to lure unsuspecting victims.

But in ensuing days, family members, Jewish organizations and a French magistrate labeled the killing a hate crime, directed against Halimi because of his religion. Many have cited the torture and reports that the gang's suspected leader was later arrested in a Muslim neighborhood in Ivory Coast, in West Africa.

In a country that experienced a surge in anti-Semitic attacks, most of them blamed on Muslims, in the first years of the current Palestinian uprising against Israel, top politicians have rallied to publicly condemn the crime. Dozens of national leaders, including President Jacques Chirac, crowded into a memorial service for Halimi at a Paris synagogue Thursday night.

"The truth is that these hoodlums first of all acted for villainous and sordid reasons -- money," Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy told French legislators this week. "But they had the belief, and I quote, that 'Jews have money,' " he said, referring to police interrogations of two people accused of involvement in the kidnapping.

The crime has incited outrage among Jews across France. Many fear that animosities simmering below the surface of a divided French society could easily reignite. There are about 6 million Muslims in France and 600,000 Jews.

"Ilan's death may be an isolated action, but it is also a wake-up call," said Sarah Aizenman, a representative of the French Union of Jewish Students. She said anti-Semitic crime has declined in France in recent months but threatens to rise again.

"The engine wasn't anti-Semitism, but the fuel certainly was," said Michel Wieviorka, author of the recent book "The Anti-Semitic Temptation: The Hatred of Jews in Today's France."
"It was based on the idea that the Jews are wealthy, and that if the boy doesn't pay, the community will," Wieviorka said.

Ruth Halimi, the victim's mother, told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, "If Ilan hadn't been Jewish he wouldn't have been murdered."

She said she last saw her son alive on Friday, Jan. 20, as he was leaving for a date with the woman who had come into his shop. "On Saturday night, he called and said he had been kidnapped and asked us to check our e-mail," Halimi said. A message there included a photograph of Ilan, blindfolded and with a gun pointed at his head. The text read, "450,000 euros or call the funeral home," she said. That sum is equal to about $540,000.

Over the next three weeks, the kidnappers negotiated with Ilan's family members. Halimi told Haaretz that on instructions from the police, the family stopped answering telephone calls and text messages from the kidnappers in order to force them to use e-mail that might be tracked to Internet cafes from which they transmitted messages. The ransom demand eventually dropped to 5,000 euros, or about $6,000, French newspapers have reported. It is unclear what ultimately prompted the kidnappers to dump their dying captive.

The suspected gang leader, Youssouf Fofana, 26, fled France and was arrested Wednesday in Ivory Coast. Police have detained 16 other people for questioning in connection with the case.

The members of the group have a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, French police said. But most appear to be residents of the same low-income housing project in the suburb of Bagneux, southwest of Paris.

A rash of arson incidents and clashes with police erupted across the Paris suburbs last fall, spreading to virtually every town in France. Much of France's immigrant populations and their children live in suburban housing built by the government.

With high unemployment and crime and substandard living conditions, the youth populating the suburbs have become increasingly angry. Although last fall's violence had no overt religious overtones, many of the rebellious youth were Muslims.

French officials and Jewish leaders have been hesitant to allege that the killing was solely an act of anti-Semitism. "The question is, what kind of anti-Semitism are we talking about?" said Michel Serfaty, a rabbi at the synagogue in the Paris suburb of Ris-Orangis and an activist promoting Jewish-Muslim dialogue.

"It's a combination of gangsterism, villainy and old cliches where Jews mean money," Serfaty said. "It's young people of all origins in the suburbs expressing their resentment: 'The Jews are rich and they don't share it with us. They're smart and we don't have jobs. They dominate the world and we have no power.' "

Emmanuel Weintraub, an official of the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions, said the case reflects deeper troubles in French society. "There's something striking about this gang," he said. "It's a pretty big cross section of our multiethnic society. It's the story of a group of friends who went too far. It shows a far-reaching phenomenon of social decay."

Researcher Marie Valla contributed to this report

Tags: jewish, paris, Ilan Halimi

no more notre-dame

2006-02-24T10:47:00.000-05:00

The view from the Metro stop I take to school (pictured to the right) is no more. No, Notre-Dame has not collapsed or been destroyed or anything like that. Simply, I've switched my French Grammar Course from Intermediare 1 to Superieur 3 (Intermediate to Advanced), and now my class is in a different location.

I'm sad though, to leave this majestic view, which I had gotten used to welcoming me to my class...

1664

2006-02-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

Remember that time I ordered a beer at McDonalds? (Okay, okay, so I did it at when I was fifteen at the Champs-Elysees McDonalds, but it was just as fun this time!)

Other things of note about French McDonalds:

THERE'S A BOUNCER
people order two or three meals at a time and stay for hours
the maxi (extra size) menu is the size of a medium meal at home
the service is worse, but the taste of the food is better
free wireless

this list will be continued as I remember stuff....

hi!

2006-02-20T18:04:00.000-05:00

Hey Littles,

(I have a minute and a half before mcdonalds - and my internet - closes for night, so don't be offended that this is short!!)

How is everything?? I've been getting all the Zeta emails and they make me SO HAPPY! It sounds like you guys did a great job with recruitment! And you guys have so much cool stuff planned!!!!

I also saw that you guys signed up to Bigs!!! I am so excited for you... make sure you guys pick some cool littles that know how to have a good time (it's a prerequisite for being a Monkey!!)

I miss you guys and Zeta and College Park so much, even though I am having a lot of fun here. I can't wait to hear all about your semesters!!

zlam,

Julie

hey

2006-02-20T17:49:00.000-05:00

Hi Lana,

I miss you a lot, too, but I'm glad that you are having fun and playing with Deena. Putting on plays is lots of fun... I think I have a box of old costumes and dress up clothes - ask mom, I think it might be in the attic - and it can help you come up with some new stories.

I heard it was really cold in Boston. I hate the cold!! Here, it's not that bad, but it is really rainy. When I wake up in the morning, it is really nice outside, the sun is shining and it's not so cold. But then... when I leave my class, it is rainy and dark and cold. Hopefully, the weather will be nicer soon.

So what else is new with you? Do you have big plans for this vacation?

McDonalds is closing so I have to go, but know that I love you and miss you VERY MUCH.

Hugs,

Julie

french and food, funny how they go together!

2006-02-16T11:01:00.000-05:00

Salut!

School started this week and can officially call myself a Sorbonne student. I am now on a hunt for a Sorbonne sweatershirt to wear so I can display my school spirit (too bad I have a Maryland one in pretty much every color). Anyway, eventually I'm going to be taking 4 different classes: French Grammar, French Phonetics, Paris and the Economic and Social Geography of France. BUT Phonetiqcs doesn't until March 6 and the other two don't start until February 23rd.

So right now I just have my one grammar class that meets everyday for 2 hours. Let me tell you, it's weird not to have powerpoint slides to copy (even if i am often unsuccessful), to actually be required to participate instead of being lectured to, and to study something non-business related. The grammar class is really indepth. For example, today we discussed five different verbs to describe the action of talking (to talk, to say, to discuss, to dispute, to chat) and learned 10 different phrases for each (to talk to someone, to talk with someone, to talk about something, to talk on the subject of, to talk without thinking, to speak well, to speak a language, to speak loudly). It's a little overwhelming and a little mundane at the same time, but really, that's how you learn a language, right?

The other thing that I often think about is how Russian and English are languages that I speak and write without thinking. When I hear them in passing I don't have to think about their meaning - I just know what is being said. I really don't know if I'll ever be able to reach that level of fluency. Really, the only way to do it is to move to France permanetly, but to somewhere where English is not well known as it is in Paris.

Okay, the other adventure of the week is that I've begun attempting to cook. I've almost mastered pasta and fish nuggets and now I've moved onto scrambled eggs which I made today. I obviously took pictures. The point of telling you all this is not to bore you, but to ask for EASY, QUICK, CHEAP, EDIBLE recipes from all of you. I know a lot of you live on your own or at least have some experience cooking for yourself. Please, please, please send me any and all recipes (but please be specific because I really am a dumbass in the kitchen).

Anyway, I have two more minutes on the computer. :( HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! (On the 14th, I went out to a bar called "FUBAR" which apparently stands for "fucked up beyond all recognition" (those who were on birthright with me, remember when we went to Fubar in Eilat???))

I love you all and miss you more than you could ever know. I finally put some pictures up in my room so now I get to see all your lovely faces everyday!!

Peace,

Julie

The 3 guidebooks I carry make it hard to explain that I'm not really a tourist...

2006-02-12T15:35:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

This week has been as full of culture and intelligent activity as I could have hoped for...

Wednesday I walked around a little bit and saw the outside of Centre Georges Pompidou (France's National Modern Art Museum - it was built between 1971-1977 and also has a huge public library inside), the fountains by the Centre (they are also modern, reminded me of Mardi Gras - there's free moving art in the water), and then made my way to the Louvre.

Fifteen euros later, I'm now the proud owner of a student year pass to the Museum. For those of you that have read Da Vinci Code, you'll understand the signficance of me taking a picture by where the pyramid coming down meets the pyramid coming up. Also, I made sure to visit La Jaconde (that's how you say Mona Lisa in French). When I was last at the Louvre, Mona Lisa had her own room, which was small and white and filled with tourists. This time, she was in a spacious room surrounded by similar paintings. She has her own wall in the middle of the room and this change of location does her much better justice.

Thursday, I walked around Les Halles, which is an area of little shops that reminded me of Harvard Square (maybe Georgetown, but more pedestrian). France stores are only allowed to have sales two times a year, in the winter and in the summer, (they aren't even allowed to use the word SOLDES (sale) at any other time), so now is the time to buy, buy, buy.

I headed to Versailles on Friday. But I didn't actually tour the castle. We went an saw the Royal Jewel Collection of the Saxon Empire. It wasn't as bad as it sounds and we did walk around for a few minutes outside. I've already been to Versailles, so I'm in no rush to get back, plus, it's much more amazing after spring, when everything is in bloom.

Friday night I went out to a nice dinner - red wine and everything. The waiter was really cute and when we were leaving I left my number for him on the paper placemate. Lol. When in Paris... The rest of the night was the usual - Latin Quarter craziness. Let's just say the night ended with a midget mistaking me for a talk black woman and trying to spit at me. :)

Saturday night was more of the same. We tried to go to a Jazz Club, but that didn't work out so it was off to the Highlander, a Scottish Pub that I've been frequenting. We stayed there until four when some poor bloke who had been buying me drinks got a little too drunk and started being a little too touchy-feeling. Anyway, we headed to a cafe for drunk politics, another beer and breakfast as we awaited the opening of the metro. There we met two Arabs, one from Algeria and the other from Tunisie and later two Irishmen joined us. Ah, Paris. (One of the Arabs talked about how "the Jew has the Money. America doesn't not have the power, the Jews has the Power". The other one got my number. And do you guys know HOW hard it was to keep my mouth shut??)

Today, I had a walking tour of the two Islands of Paris: Il de la Cite and Il Saint Germain, and visited Notre Dame de Paris. I won't bore you with details, but it really is majestic and beautiful. I loved all the detail on the front of the outside. There are sculptures everywhere to educate the masses and children who couldn't read.

And now I'm at McDonalds on the internet because I'm addicted.

Tomorrow, I start my language classes a la Sorbonne. I got the 12 to 2 time slot, which is pretty hot. What's not as hot is that it's probably going to take me 45 min and two metro-line switches to get to class. There are three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. Within each of those, there are 15 additional sublevels. I placed into Intermediate 1, which is the highest of the Intermediates. I'm going to try it out for three days, and then maybe/hopefully/unfortunately try to switch to the lowest Advanced (to ensure I get credit, and hey, let's be honest, it sounds cooler). It's funny, though, because everyone has been trying to show off the French skills, and I placed higher than all those goons.

Anyway, as always, hope everything is going great with everyone. Congrats to Zetas on recruitment!! Write e-mails!! Stay in touch!! I miss you all!! Keep me updated!!!!!!!!

Ciao (ya ya, it's italian, but they say it here in France, too!),

Julie

post script

2006-02-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

I watched the superbowl on sunday night with a couple of my new friends in a local canadian bar called the moose. (it started at midnight.) the boys left during halftime and the girls stayed. talk about bad calls, though!

life's a rollercoaster, man

2006-02-08T08:01:00.000-05:00

Salut,

So most of you are still asleep but it's already the afternoon here in Paris. I know you are expecting to finally get a culturally-rich e-mail from me, but really that would be no fun (it'll have to wait!).

Apparently, I had a little too much fun this weekend because Monday night I started really sick. (There's something going around my program group - and the guy that got me sicks feels really bad). It was when I started to feel near-death on Tuesday that I decided that I needed to see a doctor. Here in France, they still make housecalls and since I could only stand for a couple minutes without fear of fainting, I decided that was the way to go. The doctor gave me my medicine, but I needed to go to the pharmacie to get it. Well, I felt so sick I couldn't even get dressed for another for hours. Now, a day and a whole bunch of drugs later, I'm feeling much better. [Insights/Side notes/interesting facts: housecall doctors are called "SOS Medecins" and carry around a little black purse. Paris's medical system is socially leaning, so the medicine is really cheap. Pharmacies give you the medicine right away and the pharmacists are trained like doctors - they can prescribe medecine.]

Anyway, today I'm hoping to start my Paris sight-seeing. This weekend people are going to crazy places like London, Amsterdam, and Italy, but since I plan on going later in the semester (and because I feel like it's really expensive to do stuff last minute), I'm going to try to convince people to explore some other region of France with me.

Hopefully, next time I write, I'll have some crazy story about getting lost in the Louvre or in the Catacombs (crazy underground tunnels where they used to bury people). I've realized that I need to get my hands on a guide-book so that I can actually figure out the history and details of what I'm visiting...

Stay in touch,

Julie

PS for those of you getting LCap's e-mails, she mentioned Skype as a way to talk to people. It's definitely the way to go. www.skype.com. You download it and then you can talk for free through the computer (but you will need a set of headphones with a microphone - macs have the mic built in).

no way to top this...

2006-02-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

I'm writing to you from a McDonalds by the Opera House. One of my new friends, Whitney, and I spent three hours "seeing the sights" (trying to find a McDonalds that has free wireless internet!). T

This weekend has been completely crazy... (By the way, what I forgot to mention in my last e-mail was HOW I met Michael Stipe... we went to this bar called Highlander by the Seine, where my roommate new the bartender and it turns out that they were holding the Christian Dior after party there. REM played at the fashion show and was there for the party.)

Anyway, Thursday night we went bar hopping... first to a bar called Frog Prince where we met a huge group of frenchies who we spent the rest of the night hanging out with and then back to the Highlander. The only thing of note about Thursday is that we saw a girl fight in the metro that was so scary and crazy.

Friday night, I went to Club Mix with my roommate, Anna, and our friend, Bridget. Anna had met this guy who got us in for free and we sat in the VIP section. It was everything you'd imagine a european club to be - drugs, techno, crazy outfits, glowsticks, topless girls dancing on stage...

Last night was maybe the most fun night for me. I live right by the Bastille and there's a fun bar area there. I went out with three people from my program, John, Jeff and Sarah. At the first bar we went to, I made friends with the bartender who asked for my number and gave me free drinks all night. When that bar closed we went to another bar and then afterwards went to cafe for some more drinking.

Funny thing about Paris is that I guess it hasn't realized that it's a major city - the metro closes at 12 only to re-open at 6. so you can either take a cab home or just stay out until it opens. So we tried the second method.

I have been meeting people from all over the world, and my phone number might as well be posted on a billboard because I give it to every person I meet. In the cafe, we met a Christian Lebanese guy with whom we talked drunk politics for two hours. He got my number and is taking me to dinner some time this week (if I don't chicken out or decide he's too old).

Classes don't start until Febraury 13th so I'm debating whether to travel somewhere this week... we'll see...

My battery is about to run out, but I hope everything is going well wherever you may be. Write me and keep me updated!

biya,

Julie

PS I uploaded my pics : http://community.webshots.com/user/julieabroad

Bonjour!

2006-02-01T04:09:00.000-05:00

Hi all,

Today is my second day in Paris! Orientation is about to start so this is going to be quick and not so funny. I don't have internet though, and I haven't been able to bum it off my neighbors (and that's DEFINITELY not funny). My roommate is crazy in a good way, as soon as I got in, she started talking about how much fun she had last weekend going out until 7am! Obviously, last night she dragged me out (well, not dragged, but I was a little jetlagged). We went to a couple bars and some girls she had met. One of them was really really cool so hopefully we'll become friends (i'm a loser). Another one is from Penn State and the last one is from Orange County and is friends with Laguna Beach people. Crazy. Anyway, we met the lead singer of REM last night and had a lot of fun. Gotta run. Stay in touch!!!

Julie

ps no cell phone yet
ps miss you all!

tomorrow

2006-01-29T13:59:00.000-05:00

I leave for Paris tomorrow.

I think this may be the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

the beginning of the end

2006-01-26T00:55:00.000-05:00

Today, my best friend's boyfriend, TJ, turned 21. (That's me and him and, appropriately, a Corona beer bottle, in the picture on the left. It was taken about a month ago when we were all in Montreal for New Years.) This got me thinking...

Now, my friends have slowly begun turning 21 and it's not that hard for me to get alcohol if I need it (although it's a lot easier at school than at home!)... but between the time that I leave on Monday and my return at the end of June, I counted that at least FIFTEEN of my VERY close friends at home and at school will turn 21 and be legal to buy alcohol.

This means that this weekend will basically be the last weekend in my life where I have to even question if/when I will be able to get alcohol. Even though I'm not turning 21 for another eight months. (Because in Europe, the drinking age is eighteen.) And that's a very weird feeling.

Although, I won't even really have to worry, because as I said, Lesley's boyfriend is now twenty-one and when I go up to her University to visit tomorrow night, I'm sure that he will be more than willing to stop by the "packy" (that's what we call it up here).

Tags: alcohol, boyfriend, report, montreal, new years

sundries

2006-01-25T00:07:00.000-05:00

1. I have two sisters: the middle sister, Lana, will turn 10 in March, and Deena, the youngest, will be 4 in October. Since I live a home only during vacations, and because of the big difference in age, I am not that close with my sisters. I really do want to try and change this. I wanted to take Lana to the movies while I was home this time to see Cheaper By The Dozen 2. The problem is that I haven't seen the first one and I don't really think going to the movies qualifies as quality bonding time. Also, since I'm leaving in five days, I don't really have time to do that. Please help me and leave your suggestions on fun hanging out/bonding activities for me and my nine-year-old sister.

2. One of the things that I knew I would miss while abroad was The West Wing, arguably my favorite show right now. Well, NBC has made the transition easier by CANCELLING THE SHOW. Now, everyone says that the show became less enjoyable as the seasons went on, but since I'm only on season 3 or 4 or 5 right now, I haven't reached that point yet. Although there are some character switches I'm not such a fan of. (Will Bailey needs to go!) Anyway, I'm upset it's cancelled, but at least this gives me some hope of catching up at some point. Oh, and I found a great quote on the Scripps Howard News Service website:

"It was often said that the TV series "The West Wing" was the Clinton administration the way Hollywood wished it would be."

3. I started packing today. I took out all the clothes I wanted to bring and they actually all fit in one of my suitcases. The other suitcase will have shoes, delicates, toiletries, etc. Things are looking good. Although my list of things to do is still long. Anyway, I decided to leave my "everyone loves a jewish girl" shirt at home, but I couldn't resist bring my "j'adore zeta" shirt. (That's the best picture I could find of me wearing it...)

4. I have a new favorite cheap flight search website - http://www.skyscanner.net/ ! I like the site because it searches a LOT of airlines, and it includes the budget airlines, while Kelkoo does not. The only downside is that it only does certain airports. But really, it shows you the two best flights each day and how much they cost and you can pick any day you want. It's hard to explain, but really, you should check it out. I should start charging for this advertising!

5. I don't know if you've noticed but I love lists!

Au Revoir!

2006-01-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,

Contrary to popular belief, I'm not in Paris just yet. I leave Monday!

Below you'll find my information for this semester. I'm getting a cell phone but not until I after arrive so that number will have to wait. I'll be in Paris until June 1st and then I'll be travelling around Europe (Greece, Prague, Amsterdam) until June 26th. I'd love to hear from you or see you if you are going to be in Europe!

I know many of you are starting school (and recruitment) this week. I wish you luck in both, or in whatever else you may have in store this semester. I'm going to miss all of you so much!

Also, I'd REALLY love to hear about your adventures this semester! Keep me updated! Send e-mails!

love & miss / zlam / much love,

Julie

--
Class of 2007
RH Smith School of Business
University of Maryland

Seek the Noblest

n to the y to the c

2006-01-23T02:20:00.000-05:00

unfortunately nothing to report really, other than I was in New York this weekend visiting my father. I'm back and tomorrow is my last day of work. The rest of the week is to be spent doing the things on that awful to-do list, packing and re-packaging, and just generally stressing out about going to a foreign country by myself for five months where they hate people like me...

to do

2006-01-14T11:36:00.000-05:00

Things to be done before I leave - an abridged list!

1. Pay the parking ticket I got in Harvard Square two days ago when I was there with Micki, one of my best friends from school, who was visiting Boston after a semester abroad in Florence, Italy, and a three-week vacation in South Africa. We met up with another one of our friends from school and had lunch at the famous sandwhich shop (where the sandwiches all have names like Jeb "favorite bush" Bush sandwich), browsed at Urban Outfitters and the Gap, walked a lot. And somewhere in between I got the meter 7 minutes late...

Maybe I should use http://www.parkingticket.com/, which guarantees that my parking ticket will be reduced or dismissed. Although, it would probably cost more to fight my ticket than to just pay the $20.

2. Buy a Wi-Fi USB stick. Right now, I have a linksys adapter and it kills me that for my wireless internet connection to work, I need a wire!

3. Buy a backpacking backpack. My stepfather has one so I might just use his... but really, I have no clue on this one. It just needs to be done.

4. Submit my petition for reduced dues for my sorority. Because, although I'll still have to pay about $150 for National Dues, it's better than paying the whole amount. This is easy to do, I just have to write a letter explaining where I'll be next semester and fill out an application. I just have to stop putting it off.

5. Comfortable walking shoes and well-fitting jeans. Perhaps a sweater or two, also.

6. Put together e-mails and physical addressses of people I want to stay in contact with abroad.

7. Get 6 passport-sze photgraphs taken. I was told that they don't need to be high quality - I can et them done at one of those 2 minute photo booths that cost $3. The problem is that the only one I know of is at the AMC Theatre in Burlington and it hasn't been there for at least 4 years. Does anyone know of another one in the Boston area?

That's all I can thinking of for now. But I'm sure this list needs to be continued...

three's company

2006-01-13T00:32:00.000-05:00

Today, three of my fellow Bostonians began their Spring 2006 adventures. Three different young women headed to three very different destinations. (Thinking about it now, they left in the order that I've known them... coincidence? I think... probably.)

Sarah and I met in sixth grade. We were in the same big group of friends. This picture was taken sophomore year of high school (Spring 2001)... as the years went on we became closer. She's off to New Orleans as a transfer student at Tulane University. She hasn't been in school (college) since Fall 2004, so this will be a big change for her.

My friends at Maryland and I always talk about what we would do if we were students at Tulane. Our consensus is that if we had been there from Freshman year, and all our friends were there, we'd go back without a doubt, even though the area surrounding the school is a disaster and the structure at Tulane has changed. However, if we were transferring, or if we were Freshmen, we all agree that we'd probably go somewhere else. Most people choose Tulane for the city, and if the city's not there anymore...

Anyway, Sarah left for Tulane this morning. I saw her last night and said bye to her. I wish her the best of luck and hope that she has a happy, enjoyable, crazy semester.

I'll always remember the way I met Liz. It was seventh grade and she had just moved from a different town. For some reason, this girl she knew from beforehand didn't like me, so Liz threatened me... something about the fact that she was from the ghetto and would cut me with a knife if I hurt her friend. Long story short, we ended up having the same crazy best friend in common, and after high school we got really close (this picture was taken Spring Break 2004). I hand out with her all the time now when I'm back home on vacations.

Liz left today around 1:00pm for Sevilla, Spain. She's nervous because she doesn't speak Spanish, but is doing a homestay. This summer she travelled to India for five weeks to work in an orphanage. I figure if she can conquer India, Spain should be no problem. Liz and I traveling around Europe for a month after our programs end.

I wish her the best of luck and hope that she has a happy, enjoyable, crazy semester.

Jackie is one of my best friends at school (college). What makes it even better is that she lives 20 minutes from me at home, so I get to see her on breaks. We met through mutual friends Freshman year and are in the same little tight-knit group of friends.

Jackie is bubbly and fun. When I hang out with her, it's a refresher course on how to not take life to seriously. Jackie is spending the semester abroad in Rome. Hopefully, I will get to see her.

Jackie was freaking out a little bit this week, understandbly. Her main concern was that once she gets to Rome, there's really no coming back until May. You're stuck there.

I don't doubt that her worries will disappear as soon as she arrives. I wish her the best of luck and hope that she has a happy, enjoyable, crazy semester.

(Saying bye to these three girls was a little surreal. I can't believe that they are actually going off to explore the world - I still have seventeen days before I leave. And that's a very long time.)

kelkoo

2006-01-12T10:09:00.000-05:00

I found the website I was looking for - Kelkoo!

"Kelkoo is a one-stop shopping service, which helps shoppers to find,
research and buy products online with confidence. We provide shoppers with
essential tools to compare prices and product features in
seconds."

I was excited because Kelkoo searches all of the following airlines, and I thought, "wow, how useful, instead of me trying to go to all these different websites, Kelkoo will do it for me."

the important part

2006-01-10T01:23:00.000-05:00

Today, at work, I was looking for all this flight information (let's assume it was lunchtime). I don't really remember what I googled but I imagine it included some combination of "go, fly, europe, cheap, travel". I found a great, great, european travel search engine. It started with a K and was called something like Kanando or Kamazoo or Kanzono... you get the idea. It searched about 30 airlines for me. It was the most amazing thing ever! Now, the expedia fare is fine, and that's what I'll probably end up booking, but I have spent the past two hours triving to find that search engine with no success. Does anyone out there know the website I am refering to?

airlines, airlines

2006-01-10T00:43:00.000-05:00

Before this whole changing program thing, Caitlin, Liz, Missy and I (that's us on the left this summer at the Black Rose in Boston) were all planning to meet up in Athens, Greece on June 1st and take a 5:50pm Aegan Airlines flight from Athens to Corfu.

This would have been no problem since my program was scheduled to end May 19th and I planned to travel for a week in Spain before heading over to Greece.

Now, my program ends ON June 1st (the day we are all supposed to meet) so I have spent the last two days trying to find a flight that got to Athens in time for me to make the 5:50pm flight. There are two Olympic Airlines and Air France flights on June 1st, but they each arrive after 5:50. There is a flight from Paris to Athens that gets in at 5:25pm, but I know that there's no way I would make the second flight. Then, there's a flight from Milan (Malpensa) that departs at 12:45 and arrives at 4:15, but there's no flight from Paris for me to make it to Milan in time. Trains from Paris to Milan take about six hours. There are flights with perfect timing, going from Paris to Athens, but they cost around $1500. I don't really have that kind of money. Are you still with me?

Tonight I decided that I would get to Corfu from Paris on my own because it seems like there's no way for me to make it to Athens in time to take the flight with all my friends. So I started researching and researching and researching. I was very excited when I finally found a flight leaving from Paris at 1:05pm, arriving in Corfu at 8:35pm, and only costing 178.60. What I didn't factor in is that the price is in British Pounds and equals approxiametly $316. I knew that the two flights: Paris-Athens, Athens-Corfu on June 1st were my only option, so it would all come down to where I went to book my ticket. I'd like to display my findings below. (This is a list of TOTAL price, in dollars.)

Airgorilla: $330
Ticketspotter: $329
Just The Flight: $320
opodo: $316
STAtravel: $311
Orbitz: $308
SideStep: $301
Travelocity: $297
Expedia: $293

I, personally, was surprised that expedia.com ended up having the lowerst fare. I wouldn't have thought to check out their site except for the fact that it came up in my google search everytime. Which brings me to the real point of this post.

Today, at work, I was looking for all this flight information (let's assume it was lunchtime). I don't really remember what I googled but I imagine it included some combination of "go, fly, europe, cheap, travel". I found a great, great, european travel search engine. It started with a K and was called something like Kanando or Kamazoo or Kanzono... you get the idea. It searched about 30 airlines for me. It was the most amazing thing ever! Now, the expedia fare is fine, and that's what I'll probably end up booking, but I have spent the past two hours triving to find that search engine with no success. Does anyone out there know the website I am refering to?

(One of my best friends from school is flying here tomorrow after her semester abroad so I'm taking a couple of days off of work and won't be able to look through my history to see what the site was in time to book the ticket.)

advice

2006-01-09T17:20:00.000-05:00

Me: any encouraging words?
Melanie: shower often
Melanie: you'd be surprised how many travellers don't
Melanie: and don't be afraid to talk to strangers
Me: i'll do my best
Me: on both counts

'til you drop

2006-01-08T14:50:00.000-05:00

One of the most fun things about getting ready to go abroad is the incredible amount of shopping that I must do.

It works like this: my mother has decided that since I'm leaving for six months, this is an opportune time for me to get rid of clothes, shoes, belts - basically anything and everything - that I don't need... Apparently, it doesn't matter that I spent Summer 2005 trying to complete this very task.

The new twist is that she gives me various gift cards (which have been oh-so-popular this holiday season) that I am free to spend to "update my wardrobe". ["Gift card sales were expected to hit more than $18 billion this holiday season — 6.6 percent higher than a year earlier" says an article in The Ithaca Journal.] I am A-okay with this part.

The must-get item for this week is comfortable walking shoes. I now direct your attention to the photo to the above left.

I found these boots at The Maxx (which apparently doesn't have its own website - probably the only thing around that doesn't have a website - but is an offshoot of TJ Maxx and sells only accessories and shoes). They were on sale for $40 and looked like just the thing a young, chic European female would own... Plus they are a step up from my other shoes which my sister is modeling in the picture on the right.

And yes, they don't look like the comfortable-est (I know it's not a word) of shoes, but I guess I'll just have to work on that next week.

l'horaire... une autre fois!

2006-01-08T01:02:00.000-05:00

2006 Spring Semester (French Language & Culture)

1/31/2006

Arrival/Program Begins Official Program Start Date.

2/1/2006 - 2/4/2006

Orientation Mandatory CEA Orientation will be held.

2/13/2006

Classes begin at Sorbonne on this day.

4/8/2006 - 4/23/2006

School is closed for Spring Break. No classes will be held.

5/1/2006

Holiday Fête du Travail (French Labor Day). No classes will be held.

5/8/2006

Holiday Victoire 1945 (End of WWII in Europe). No classes will be held.

5/31/2006

This is the last day of classes at Sorbonne.

6/1/2006

Program Ends/Move-Out. Official Program End Date. Students must move out of
housing no later than noon of this day.

let's make it official...

2006-01-08T00:55:00.000-05:00

Wow.

You will get credit for 6 of these credits with no problem at all. Probably choosing one language course and one of your electives. Choose the one that's most interesting to YOU>

It's a terrific turn of events for your education in general!

LC
(French Advisor)

Hi Julie-

Here's what the ECON advisor said: The two do not have specific UMCP equivalents for Economics, but would merit a 3xx-level ECON designation (we would allow them to fill an Economics requirement that allows a non-specific 300 level Economics course).

I spoke with BH who agreed that you could take either of the other classes for credit as your second ECON.

LM
(Business Advisor)

Your credits at the Sorbonne will transfer. Congratulations! Have a wonderful time in Paris.

RS
(Study Abroad Advisor)

Dear Julie,

We have received your request to change your participation from the 2006 Spring Semester (International Business) program in Paris, France to the 2006 Spring Semester (French Language & Culture) in Paris, France.

I am excited to continue to help you to plan!

Sincerely,
AM (CEA Paris Advisor)

only me

2006-01-06T00:48:00.000-05:00

Here's the update:

As of 6:03pm Eastern Standard Time today, upon receiving a confirmation e-mail from CEA, I am no longer a registered student at the American Business School in Paris. Since ALL of the classes that I had been planning on taking for credit (other than one french class) were cancelled due to low enrollment - similar to what UMass was forced to do last spring - I decided that it wouldn't be worth it for me to go.

That's the bad news. Kinda.

The good news is that after spending the past month trying to find any sort of solution, with options ranging from changing my study abroad location to Grenoble to not going at all to taking two summer classes to dropping one of my double majors to setting up two independent studies... And after trying to figure out what works for my mom, CEA and my THREE advisors - french, business, and study abroad - (in terms of what credits will transfer back)... We have found a solution.

As of 6:03pm, I became a student at the University of Paris IV - Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne! I will take an intensive French course, plus two elective courses taught in French. One of these can be anything I want, and the other is Econ-focused.

The University of Paris IV is one of the most prestigious and oldest universities in the world. It was founded by Robert de Sorbon in 1253 and has attracted thousands of students each year from around the world. It is often referred to as the “Sorbonne.”
The University is located in the Latin Quarter. Fashionable cafés, restaurants, movie theatres, classy boutiques and street vendors play an essential role in the vibrancy of the 5th arrondissement. The overall student population at the University is 25,000, with an international student population of 3,000.

I'm actually pretty excited. The fact that I'm going to be studying at the Sorbonne is crazy. Everything seems to be working out.

The only little hiccup is now the program starts a week later than my old one. CEA has already purchased housing for me for that week. Should I go as planned and bum around Paris for a week not knowing anyone or anything? Or should I change my plane ticket and arrive in time for orientation with the rest of the students? Hmm..

um... so... well... speechless

2006-01-03T18:04:00.000-05:00

the good news: after walking in the rain, passing through security three times, pay $120 and waiting an hour and a half i got my visa for France. By the way, the application can be in English, and they process the application in 10 minutes, not three days.

the bad news: i was supposed to be taking three classes for credit abroad. I found out on December 9th that had been cancelled. i found out two weeks ago that a second one would only maybe transfer. i found out today that the third class was cancelled. So.. now, I might be taking two independent studies, one class that might count, and one class that's worthless. awesome.

Can someone remind again me why I'm going?

don't leave home without it

2006-01-02T23:13:00.000-05:00

The plan for tomorrow morning is to go get my visa at the Consulat Général de France à Boston (the French Consulate in Boston).The visa I'm getting won't help me buy bagettes or vin, but it will help me get into France.

"A visa is an official authorization appended to a passport, permitting entry into and travel within a particular country or region. When visas are required, they are necessary entry documents, but they do not guarantee entry into a country. The Immigration Officer at the point of arrival will review visas and/or other documents and make a determination as to whether entry will be permitted, based on the purpose of entry and the length of stay. There is no legal right to a visa." (according to Cultural Experiences Abroad)

I'm nervous because I don't really have a letter from my University saying that I'm a currently enrolled student although I do have the bill for this past semester and next semester, in addition to an unofficial transcript... I am leaving three weeks from today and I don't really know what I would do if I didn't get a visa! If I do get it, it will be glued into a page of my passport and look something like the image on the right.

Among the things I need to bring with me tomorrow are two filled out long-stay visa application forms. This would be easy enough - expect they are in French! Now, I could understand pretty much everything on the form, but since it's an official document and could determine whether or not I get my visa, I sure as hell didn't want to mess it up. I searched the internet and found an english translation of the application. Maybe the French Consulate should think about doing something similar because I sure was stressed out before I found the translation. And nowhere does it say whether to fill out the form in English or French (I did it in English - hopefully it's okay).

So tomorrow I go. And then I panic for three days as I wait to see if I've gotten my visa.

Oh, and apparently it's supposed to snow heavily tomorrow. This should be interesting!

two thousand six

2006-01-02T00:51:00.000-05:00

I spent my New Year's in Montreal (with the rest of the 18-21 year olds from Massachusetts and New York). It was great fun. I went with my best friend from home, Lesley, and a bunch of her friends from school... and their friends. There were twenty of us total.

The point of the story is that although, obviously, I'm aware that Montreal is bilingual, I was still surprised to see how much was in French. It was the first time in a long time that I had to put my French knowledge and skills to the test. I think I did okay... I'll have to work on not taking the easy way out and speaking English. Gotta start using my French when I finally am overseas.

Anyway, Happy New Year. Or as the French say, Bonne Annee!

procrastination is like...

2005-12-28T00:58:00.000-05:00

I've been avoiding posting because posting means dealing with my feelings. In the span of a week I've gone from overwhelmed to overworked to devastated to relieved to nervous to... You get the idea.

First off, on December 9th I found out that the American Business School had changed its course offerings. In order for me to stay on track for graduation, I need to get credit for three, yes, just three, classes next semester. I big reason why I chose Paris over Grenoble was because I thought that I would be able to get those credits. Well, now it looks like I will only be able to get credit for two classes.

Now, my finals basically started December 13th, and I had already been dealing with study abroad issues for the past two months, plus I was leaving College Park in a week, I had my mother breathing down my back to figure out where I was going to store my things while I was abroad, AND I had to pack and ship the things I needed to bring home... So as you may imagine, I wasn't quite focused on figuring out the credit situation. Instead I was hard at work and hard at play. (That's me, with the curly hair, in 2001 - "hard at work").

Finals went okay... I think I should have been a lot more stressed out than I was (I was stressed out with crap, but not specifically about finals), and I probably should have studied more than I did (although I studied, but maybe I could have studied harder?)

I figured out the storage situation... My big sister, Karen, was kind enough to let me store some boxes in her basement. :) It was hard to part with my picture frames, my sorority paddles, my favorite mug...

The worst part of the end of the semester was definitely saying bye to my best friends. There are people that I have been friends with since freshman year, who know me better than anyone, others are friends I've met along the way and have become even closer to this semester, and then there are those people that I would have never expected to become friendly with, but did this semester, and I can't imagine life without them.

It's hard at times, being in a large group of friends, and being in a sorority, in both, you get lost at times. Not only do you have to find your place within each group, but then you have to make sure that the group knows when you are with them and when you are with the other group (if that makes sense...).

The point of the story is that saying bye was really hard to do because these people have become my family at some point during the past two and a half years. (That's me, with four of my best friends, taken on December 18th). Especially the day that I life - the last three people I said goodbye to are my three closest friends at school. I spent the car ride to the airport crying.

So... Then I'm home, and I'm sad to be without my friends. My mom starts getting on my case about what to do about credits and everything kind of blows up. She's furious that ABS has changed their courses, she's furious that CEA let it happen, she's furious that I didn't get everything figure out sooner. She's on the phone with everyone and she has me freaking out. I got home last Wednesday and since then my life has been consumed with figuring out this credit crisis.

One of the solutions we've come up with is for me to do an independent study, but between you and me, I don't want to do it. I'm sure it's not going to be fun, it's probably going to be a lot of work and I'm not going to meet any people (as I would if I were enrolled in a normal-sized class). Grr.

Anyway, I think I need to talk to my mom because her pressuring me to figure something out is only making me really stressed out and nervous about going. I need her to calm down. Or something.

get up and go

2005-12-19T21:27:00.000-05:00

so, i know it's been a while, so i figured i'd write a real (quick) post since i'm procrastinating writing a 6 page consumer analysis paper that will officially end my junior year here in the states. (It sounds weird saying that - "the states" - but I have a feeling I'm going to be saying that a lot next semester...)

Basically, as soon as one thing gets figured out, something else goes wrong. I'm still trying to figure out what classes i'm taking abroad, because as of now, going abroad is putting me one class behind schedule (and it makes me very uneasy to be behind schedule). I'm trying to figure out whether to stay at the American Business School and really, whether to stay in Paris after all. Which brings me back to the whole debate of Paris versus Grenoble which I was all to happy to bring to an end back in October. Whatever, I don't want to think about it anymore. I'll deal with it tomorrow.

Basically, just like the typical five-year-old impatient child in the back of the car during a long car-ride, I JUST WANT TO BE THERE ALREADY!

The anticipation is killing me. I haven't been able to fall asleep the past three nights; I've lied awake thinking about how it's going to be. It's not even that I'm scared, although a part of me is a little scared of going to this foreign country where I don't know anyone, where they don't speak English, where I've heard they aren't very friendly... But it's more that I just don't know what's going to happen!

It's kind of like that feeling you get the night before the first day of school. You have your outfit all planned out, you can't wait to see your friends, you're nervous about whether your teachers will be hard... But you begin imagining what the school year will hold - will it be the year you get chosen to be the lead in the play? The year of your first kiss? The year you get all As? Will you meet a new best friend? Make an enemy? Fall in love? Get hurt playing softball?

So that's where I am right now. Except in addition to all the excitement of studying abroad, I have to deal with all the little details right now, along with packing all my things and worrying about finals and saying bye to friends.

Oy. I just want to be there already.

l'horaire

2005-12-18T22:18:00.000-05:00

1/24/2006

Arrival/Program Begins Official Program Start Date. Students must arrive at Charles de Gaulle airport on this date in order to be eligible for airport pickup. Students will then be transferred to the CEA Paris Office for a brief orientation, then to their respective housing.

1/25/2006 - 1/29/2006

Orientation Mandatory CEA Orientation will be held.

1/30/2006

Classes Begin Classes begin at American Business School (ABS) on this day.

3/18/2006 - 3/26/2006

School Break School is closed for Spring Break. No classes will be held.

5/1/2006

Holiday Fête du Travail (French Labor Day). No classes will be held.

5/8/2006

Holiday Victoire 1945 (End of WWII in Europe). No classes will be held.

5/19/2006

Classes End This is the last day of classes at ABS.

5/22/2006

Program Ends/Move-Out Official Program End Date. Students must move out of housing no later than noon of this day.

an update

2005-12-06T00:58:00.000-05:00

Things are slowly getting worked out regarding my travel plans after my official study abroad program ends. I will be traveling with two of my crazy friends from high school, and one of their roommates from college that we are all friends with. It's going to be an interesting adventure.

Here's what it looks like right now:

June 1st - 5th: Corfu, Greece
June 6th - 14th: Other Greek Islands (Santorini or Kos, Ios, Athens)
June 15th - 20th: Prague, Czech Republic
June 21st - 26th: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Now the stressful part is finding hostels, finding flights, finding guidebooks and finding things that everyone will want to do. Also, I need to figure out what I'm doing from May 21st, the day my finals end, until June 1st when we will meet up in Greece.

schedule

2005-11-10T16:02:00.000-05:00

jan 23: depart boston
jan 24: arrive in paris
jan 30: classes begin
march 18: spring break begins
march 26: spring break ends
may 19: classes end
may 21: finals end
may 22: program ends

i am the first from my program to find out this information, as I called the office yesterday, and after about half an hour of conversation realized that i still had no idea what my schedule looked like. Angela, the program's coordinator, told me that it was "hot off the presses". The other thing that I realized after half and hour, that between me and my mother, they probably have about 20 red flags on my application with "pain to talk to" "don't answer the phone" "lots of questions" "annoying" or something to that effect. Although, it's more my mother's fault than mine. And as long as I don't have to deal with her... well, sucks to be them.

other things we talked about was whether the program would be cancelled if the riots continued or the situation worsened, not that i'm concerned, (and it wouldn't), what the best airlines would be for buying open-ended tickets, how to ensure that I was paired up with a roommate who was outgoing and social like me, what's the best way to get a job abroad, how long i can travel after my program ends...

but the question that tops the cake, since it's really the reason I called in the first place, was how urgently they needed my six passport-size photos. I got them taken last week at Kinkos for $25 but they came out horribly; they are quite possibly the worst pictures of me ever taken. So obviously I don't want anyone to see them, and I would hate for them to be on my student ID. The program had sent a deadline of November 2th to send them in, and since yesterday was the 9th, I figured it wouldn't hurt to give them a heads-up. Well, Angela told me that not only was it not urgent ("just send them in by Christmas"), but she also told me that they don't really have to be passport pictures, just sized that way, meaning that I could go to a $3 movie photobooth machine and get them done there! I was not happy that I had already spent $25 on pictures I was going to throw away anyway!

consumption

2005-11-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

so the problems that have been consuming my life lately are pretty unglamorous .

i need to buy a roundtrip plane ticket. i want to travel after i'm done with my program. no one knows what their plans are after their programs end. which means that i can't tell my mom when i'll be returning because i don't know. i don't know who i'm traveling with, i don't know where i'm traveling, and honestly, i don't even know if i'm really going to travel. maybe after four months of being abroad, i'll just want to come home. or maybe i'll be satisfied by the travel i do on the weekends. really, i never realized how hard it is to try and plan your life out six months in advance. i don't even know where i'll be next week.
usually, people figure out in the spring where they are going to be living the next year. i won't be here in the spring, so i need to figure it out now. well, no one knows what they are doing because it is so early. so i feel like i am pressuring people to commit when, really, they can't give me any answers.

both the situations are the same because i have to depend on other people who can't tell me what i need to know. but i get more and more frustrated because i can't control the situation. fuck.

forget-me-not

2005-10-27T18:29:00.000-04:00

tomorrow i have an appointment with my academic advisor where she signs of on the papers that say officially that i will be abroad and that the university is letting me go and i cannot forget about this meeting or i will never ever ever be able to go see my advisor again.

ps i sent in my medical, room and course selections forms. an apartment with a roommate who is "neat, outgoing, considerate and mature" sounds amazing. so does taking only 4 class, and only needing a C for the credits to transfer and having the grades not factor into my GPA. although i freaked out for ten seconds today because what if i get there and all my classes are at eight am or something ridiculous like that? i might just have to turn around and come back home.

e-mails

2005-10-24T00:51:00.000-04:00

it excites me greatly that when my french teacher e-mails me (i got a new one on friday, related to an exam i had taken) that i not only understand the whole thing, but can easily write back. however, i think about the fact that i'm going to be missing my best friends' 21st birthdays and my spring formal while i'm abroad and that makes me a little sad.

camus

2005-10-19T01:49:00.000-04:00

Today I had my meeting with the UMD Study Abroad advisor. Nothing too exciting, she gave me a couple of different forms that I need to get signed by a couple different people and then bring back... but I am one step closer to going. (Which makes me wonder... did my mom send in the confirmation deposit yet to secure my spot?)

Anyway, tomorrow I am presenting in my French Literature class on Albert Camus, writer of The Stranger, most recognized for his development of existentialism. (Wow, I sound like a real college student. Like the type I used to want to be like in on the TV shows...) The presentation isn't directly related to study abroad, but it did get me in the mood. Although I hate my accent, I can usually express myself, which is good. And hopefully the accent thing will work itself out when I'm there.

I know that there are small spelling and grammar mistakes, along with missing accents, but I'll fix all that tomorrow morning when I get up early to practice it one more time...

Albert Camus est ne à Mondovi, un petit village en Algérie, le sept novembre mille neuf cent treize (1913). La prochain année le père de Camus été blessé à la bataille de la Marne et il est mort à l'hôpital militaire de Saint-Brieuc le 17 octobre 1914. Parce que son père été mobilise deux mois avant la naissance de Camus, Camus ne connais pas son père que une photo et une anecdote significative : son dégoût devant le spectacle d'une exécution capitale.
Camus est grandi et faisait ses études à Alger. La, il a découvert les joies du football et de la philosophie. En mille neuf cent trente deux (1932), Camus a obtenu son bac et a commence des études de philosophie. Il publie ses premiers articles dans une revue étudiante.
A ces temps-la, Camus a eu son premières atteintes de la tuberculose. Il était frappe pas l'injustice faite à l'homme. Il a commence a penser que la mort est le plus grand scandale de la création. Sa maladie lui apprend qu'il est seul, et mortel.
En mille neuf cent trente quatre (1934), Camus s’est marie avec Simone Hie. L’année prochaine, il a fonde le théâtre du travail pour mettre les œuvres dramatiques, classiques et contemporaines à la portée du public défavorisé. Pendant cette année, il a joint le parti communiste.
Camus s’est séparé avec Simon Hie en mille neuf cent trente six (1936) et l’année
prochain il a publie L’envers et L’endroit, deux ouvres qui montrent qu'« amour de vivre » et « désespoir de vivre » sont inséparables.
En mille neuf cent trente huit (1938), Camus devient journaliste à Alger-Republican, un journal socialiste, ou il écrit au sujet de procès politiques algériens. Deux années plus tard, il s’est marie avec sa deuxième femme, Francine Faure, et ils sont quitte l’Algérie pour la France.
En mille neuf cent quarante et un (1941), Camus a joint la Résistance et a publie des articles dans combats, un journal dont il a devenue le rédacteur principaux. Pendant cette année, Camus a écrit L’Etranger, son plus connaît roman.
En mille neuf cent quarante quatre (1944), Camus a fait la rencontre de Jean Paul Sartre et l’année suivante il est quitte le journal Combat.
Camus a publie L’Homme Revole en mille neuf cent cinquante et un (1951) et l’histoire irrite des surréalistes et des existentialistes. L'année suivante ce sera la rupture définitive entre Camus et Sartre. Sartre reprochait à Camus son anticommunisme et sa soumission aux valeurs bourgeoises.
En mille neuf cent cinquante six (1956), Camus a publie La Chute- un livre plein de
cynisme et de pessimisme.
En octobre, mille neuf cent cinquante sept (1957), a l’age de 44 ans, Camus a reçu
le prix Nobel de littérature "pour l'ensemble d'une œuvre qui met en lumière, avec un sérieux pénétrant les problèmes qui se posent de nos jours à la conscience des hommes".
Camus était un écrivain humaniste. La carrière de Camus était celle d'un psychologue et d'un moraliste. Camus est connu pour l’idée d’existentialisme, mais la contribution philosophique peut être le plus significative de Camus était son idée de l’absurde. Il a cru que nous désirons clarté et les raisons pour les choses qui ce passe dans un monde qu’on ne peut pas comprendre. A son avis, la vie n’a pas la signification. Il a cru qu’il y a trois types de personnes : celle qui ont d’accord avec lui et donc suicider, celle qui créent la signification artificiel (comme des religions), et celle qui ont d’accord avec lui mais comme même vivre. Camus a appelle la
troisième groupes, « les héros absurdes ».
3 ans après il a gagne le prix Nobel, le 4 janvier, mille neuf cent soixante, Camus a
voyage à Paris et pour une raison inconnue, le chauffer a perdu le contrôle de la voiture. Il s’est tue dans cet accident de voiture. C’est tellement ironique parce que plus tôt dans sa vie, Camus a remarque que la manière la plus absurde de mourir serait dans un accident de voiture.

killed "le chat"

2005-10-17T13:36:00.000-04:00

How do you think Parisians feel about tongue rings?

And because I think I should start practicing...

Comment pensez-vous les Parisiens se sentent au sujet des piercings de la langue?

one good, one bad

2005-10-12T00:48:00.000-04:00

This week is hell week. Today I had a group project and a Business Law exams. Tomorrow I have a Marketing exam and International Econ exam. Thursday is Yom Kippur and I can't do anything and Friday I have an essay due. Plus, going home last week for five days for Rosh Hashanah and missing three days of school doesn't help either. So no Julie Blogger McBlogsALot this week.

But I have a couple things to say before my MIA status begins.

First off, yesterday, I set up my appointment to meet with University of Maryland's French Study Abroad Advisor next Tuesday. I assume she's going to help me figure out how to transfer my financial aid, and get my study abroad-ship approved by the University. Exciting and a bit scary.

Second, I got the actual physical acceptance package from CEA today in the mail. Which makes it official, almost, except forth $500 I need to send in to confirm my spot. But I read through the booklet they provided with general useful information for students traveling to France. Also exciting and a bit scary.

Then, I've also gotten to study abroad related e-mails in the past few days. One good, one bad.

One of my friends who is studying abroad this semester writes:

so im not in the greatest place right now. im starting to really rethink this semester and i dont know if it is the best idea for me to stay. that being said i think it would also be academic suicide to leave in the middle and ive never quit anything in my life. i dont know what it is but something is just not meshing right. i like my roomates and friends they are really sweet, but they arent you guys. it is different. like i feel like they are alright friends but no major connections. i kind of get the feeling its all superficial... i also really miss havign close guy friends. its so funny how much you take for granted back home. im just kind of going through a rough patch with all this stuff.

My primary concern was obviously writing her back and telling her that there will be rough patches, that's just part of the process, that going abroad is scary and takes guts, and that her friends are there for her and miss her. I also told her that if she left, she'd regret it. But, her email made me really nervous.

On that note, I've been trying to think about next semester abstractly, "oh, I'll be in Paris", without really concentrating on the fact that I'll be abroad and in a foreign country by myself... I'll deal with that once I get off the plane. In some ways, I feel like I'm going to take next semester to just be by myself... I don't know how to explain it. I guess that's a too poetic way to look at all of it. Once I get there, I'm sure I'll want to make friends and go out every night and not be alone.

Okay, so the second e-mail I received tonight. It's from my French teacher this semester, who I asked about the current attitudes towards Jews in France:

Bonsoir Julie,
J'ai parle a mes amis en France au sujet de votre sejour en France l'an prochain. C'est une famille, d'une part, aux racines juives et, d'autre part, vraiment politisee, donc, je suis sure qu'on peut se fier a leur opinion, ils sont sans aucun doute au courant. Bon, on m'assure qu'il n'y a rien a craindre de ce cote-la. S'il y avait des faits d'antisemitisme la-bas, c'etait toujours l'opposition surtout entre les adolescents des communautes musulmanes et juives, et cela ne concernait jamais que le milieu vraiment orthodoxe. Les etidiants d'universites sont vraiment tres loin de cela. Tout comme aux Etats Unis, il n'y a pas d'anisemitisme d'Etat en France. Moi personnellement, comme je vous l'ai deja dit, j'ai sejourne a Arles et a Avignons deux fois, et pour longtemps (plusieurs semaines), et jamais je n'ai senti aucune inimitie raciste de la part de la population de ces villes (pourtant je suis tres vulnerable sur ce point).
Donc, voila tout ce que je peux vous dire a ce sujet. Du courage!

It's getting late so here are the cliff notes:

I can't believe she wrote it in French, it's a 200-level class and I can tell a lot of people are lost in it (not me so much though)
I was exited to understand it all
I don't have time to translate it now, but it basically says, "no worries"
Hopefully my francophone blog visitors will enjoy some French on the page!

Like I said, one good, one bad. And, now, I'm back to studying.

no more "kinda"

2005-10-07T15:57:00.000-04:00

I've been checking the CEA website frequently over the last couple days to see if I've been accepted. Unfortunately, until today, the website was not working. I happened to check it today after class and it showed that my ACCEPTANCE PACKET was sent out to me today!

Which means that barring some emergency or unforseeable event...

I will be studying abroad in Paris during the Spring 2006 semester!

I feel like it is appropriate to now change my blog title from "Paris Awaits... Kinda." to "Paris Awaits." :).

Paris awaits. Finally.

a real one this time

2005-10-06T19:34:00.000-04:00

So, what's funny about this reply is that I think this person was mentioned in the first reply I received... She talks about her boyfriend and how that helped her meet locals. The first person talked about how their roommate had a boyfriend and that helped them meet locals...

Julie,

Hello. For your first set of questions: I lived in an apartment provided by cea. The apartment was nice and came with a bed and bedding, pots pans, dishes, etc. The apartment I had was nice and it wasn't too far from centre ville and the universite. I lived with other Cea students who became my closets friends while I was in Grenoble. As for meeting locals, i meet locals in 3 ways: I put up a sign saying i was looking for a language exchange partner and like that i met several french students, 2) When i was out at bars I met people, and generally when they found out I was American they were thrilled to talk to me, 3) I met a french guy who became my boyfriend and through him I met his friends and was able to hang out with even more french people.

second set of questions: I studied at the universite de Grenoble so I dont know how classes are at the other school. The business program is brand new and this spring will be the first semester it is put into action. But I found the scheduling of classes to be different. But overall I didnt think there was a big difference between the american and french styles of teaching. Because I was studying only the language plus french electives in french it was hard at first. Since everything was in french it was mentally exhausting at first, but eventually my level in french got better and it became easier.

third set of questions: Theres a good nightlife in grenoble. There are lots of bars where students, american, french and foreigners alike go. In the very beginning I went out with other people from cea. Then once I started to meet other students in my classes, my nights out were multi-national. Which is great because then you have the chance to learn a bit about other cultures. There are things to do in Grenoble. They have a mall ( centre de commerce) that is only a short bus or tram ride away. Then theres walking around centre-ville which nice since the scenery is such a contrast to america. Plus the night life if fun. Grenoble is less than 2hrs away from Geneva Switzerland by train, so you can always hop on a train and go visit la Suise for a weekend. Its only a 3 hr train ride to Paris, and from Paris you can go anywhere in Europe you want.

I hope I have answered all your questions. If you have any more, don't hesitate to ask me.

bonne chance!!!

Jill M

p.s. just a little bit of extra information. I'm still in contact with several of the friends I met through CEA and in Grenoble. I'm working for a year in the Haute-Loire which isnt too far from Grenoble, and pretty much every weekend I return to Grenoble to visit my boyfriend, and my other french friends. And this winter I will be going to Africa to visit an old CEA roommate of mine who works in the peace corps.

second reply

2005-10-06T17:08:00.000-04:00

Julie-

I would love to answer all you questions and talk with you about studying abroad, but first I think you should know that I studied in London so my experience was very different than yours would be in a foreign speaking country. So let me know if you are still interested and I will be happy to answer your questions.

Marilyn

OOPS. Well, CEA had her listed as Grenoble Alum.

e-mails

2005-10-06T01:35:00.000-04:00

Cultural Experiences Abroad has this cool feature on their website where they list four alum from their programs. Since I was having reservations about going to either Paris or Grenoble, I decided to take advantage. I sent out an e-mail to eight people and so far I've gotten four responses.

My questions included:

How was your housing situation? (Was it hard living in a family / apartment / residence? Was it hard to meet people?, Was it hard to meet locals?)
How hard were your classes? I would be studying at American Business School / Grenoble Ecole de Management. Are the classes comparable to classes in the US?
How was the nightlife? Did a lot of American students go out? Were there a lot of locals out? How hard was it to find things to do? What kind of things did people usually do at night?
What did you think of Paris? Was it dirty? Were the people unfriendly? Was it expensive?

Hopefully they won't mind if I post their responses.

Here's the first:

Hi,

I absoluetly loved Grenoble, not being from a huge city in my opinion it was a good sized town without being huge. I lived in an apartment while I was there, I'm not sure if that is still an option that they offer, but the apartment itself was nice. I didn't have too much trouble meeting people who were outside the CEA program most of them I met through classes, or through other CEA members. I did meet some locals, however my situation was a bit unique because one of my roommates had studied through CEA the previous year and she had a boyfriend, so I was able to meet some of the locals through him. I didn't really meet any other locals other than these.

My classes weren't too bad, but I did when I went the option to study at Grenoble Ecole de Management wasn't available, so I am not sure how those classes would compare to the oned that I took. I did the language and culture program through the Centre Universitaire des Etudes Francaises. We had language classes 4 days a week in the mornings and then a break between 12 and 2 before the elective classes in the afternoons. You took 4 electives total and then a translation class, but these only met once a week, and Friday afternoons were always free, no class after 12, which was nice for taking weekend trips. Then at the end of the semester we had our exams, the only grade for the elective classes. But, the exams weren't too bad, as long as you went to class and reviewed your notes you were fine, no textbooks were necessary, they gave you little packets with the info that you would need. The language classes had things that were graded during the course of the semester just like our classes here, but there was no final exam for my class
(not sure about the others)

Nightlife was nice, there are some good bars in Centre Ville, not too far from Patrick's (the program director's) office. I don't recommend going alone though, just for safety's sake, especially if you will be out after the trams and/or busses stop running. I went out some with the other Americans, although some of them that stayed with families didn't go out too often or too late because they didn't want to disturb their host families. The nice thing about having the apartment was being able to offer a place to crash for those people so that they could go out with us. There were always a lot of locals in the bars, things would be rather tight inside, the places are not very big and so there were times when you couldn't hardly turn around inside (lots of fun though)!

As far as finding things to do, I never had too much trouble. Grenoble is about 3 hours from Paris by train, and not too much longer to get to the Mediterranean. Lyon is also a nice little day trip and only takes about an hour to get there. Geneva is not too long of a ride either, but you do have to change trains. Grenoble also has a couple of museums that are fun to go in and check out, and each month you can pick up a schedule of events that are going on around town. There was a wine tasting in town one weekend that we went and checked out, and I really enjoyed just walking around and taking in the scenery, camera(s) in hand. I also went with one of the other girls in the program and saw a performance of Pierre et le Loup (Peter and the Wolf), very fun as there were a ton of little French kids there too. There is also an ice skating rink near the outskirts of town and if you are there in the Fall they have a little Christmas market that comes just after our Thanksgiving.

CEA also "pays" for 4 excursions, 2 overnight and 2 day trips. We went to Orange, Avignon, the Pont du Gard, Chartreuse, Aigues Mortes, and Lyon for the festival of lights just before Christmas. As far as doing things at night it depends, they have a couple of movie theaters, some of which play American movies with French subtitles and some of which are dubbed, I recommend you see at least one movie in the theater while you are there. It's even better if you see one that you have already seen in English. Otherwise you would just see people hanging out at the bars or the cafes. There are also a couple of night clubs too, but I didn't go to any of them, too expensive.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any more questions, or if you want I can give you a link to my webshots account where I have pictures from the semester posted. It might give you an idea of the atmosphere of the town.

Nicole

Octobre 2000

2005-10-05T14:52:00.000-04:00

5 years ago, as a sophomore in high school, I participated in a French exchange. Sixteen French students came to Lexington for two weeks in October and then in April the Americans went to France, traveling for a week and staying with families in Antony (it even says that Lexington, Massachusetts and Antony, France are partner cities) for the second week.

I, being a loser and being bored at home, found my old scrapbook, which has the names of the French students.

Marine Abello
Angelique Cheizel
Sophie Bray
Cyril Bonnet
Laure Masson
Camille Becker-Kerurien
Sophie Chen
Florence Coquinot
Arouny Sonphone
Emilie Nief
Patricia LeVan Tinh
Nicholas Bouvet
Cecole Vaudey
Mael Sonrier (My exchange student. He lived with us and then I lived with him.)
Julie Lecarpentier
Marion Douzou

I would love to get in touch with some of those people!

I tried googling them, but couldn't really find anything. Mael may or may not be enrolled at the Lille Graduate School of Management.

But, perhaps they'll try googling themselves someday soon. And then they'll find this blog (and will know I'm looking for them). :)

2005-10-04T21:21:00.000-04:00

Can anyone tell me any good things about Paris?

That would just make this all easier.

ps i got sick of all this back-and-forth. so i just applied. yay. finally.

options

2005-10-04T19:59:00.000-04:00

My mom asked me today when I was going to actually send in my application for Paris. I told her that I wasn't 100% that's where I want to go. I'm totally a city girl at heart, but I keep hearing bad things!

It's dirty. There's dog poop everywhere. It's expensive. The people are unfriendly... You get the idea.

I even got an IM this morning from someone I know who is in France for the year:

(6:46:39 AM): and by the way, if you have the opportunity to go to somewhere OTHER than paris, I'd do it...I've been there twice now and i'm really not such a fan so far
(6:47:59 AM): it's really not too different from DC...just with more languages and more scary, crazy drunk homeless people on the subway

AWESOME.

My mom brought up a good point, "where else are going to go?". I have no idea.

So I went on studyabroad.com and searched for academic programs in Northern France (If I'm not in Paris, I think I still at least want to be close by)...

CIEE has programs in Rennes and Paris. But the only housing option is housestays. That's out.
SUNY Rockport has a program in Tours. Housestays. And it's just one big French immersion course. Two strikes.
Syracuse has a program in Strasbourg. No. (Personal reasons.)
IES Dijon is a business program. Homestays. Out.
Rutgers has a program in tours. Apartments. That's good. Although the deadline's passed.
BCA has a business program in Nancy (Strasbourg). I'll have to check back into it.
Miami's French programs are all taught in French. See previous post.

Well after that, it started to be all repeats and I got bored. So I'll research the BCA program further. But I don't know if I wanted to go through all the trouble of making sure it has everything I need and if the courses transfer. Ugh.

Can anyone tell me any good things about Paris?

That would just make this all easier.

grenoble. not.

2005-10-04T18:19:00.000-04:00

For about three weeks in September, I convinced myself that I should go to Grenoble with API's International Business & Business Studies Program. I would take classes at Grenoble Ecole de Management.

Courses are taught in English, which is important. As comfortable as I am in French, I don't think I could handle Intermediate Microeconomics or International Business Law being taught in French.

There are two different housing options: homestays and residence halls. I would do residence halls and I was okay with it... kinda.

Grenoble (Occitan: Grasanòbol) is a city and commune in south-east France, situated at the foot of the Alps, at the confluence of the Drac into the Isère River. Located in the Rhône-Alpes région, Grenoble is the préfecture (capital) of the Isère département. Population of the city (commune) of Grenoble at the 1999 census was 153,317 inhabitants (157,900 inhabitants as of February 2004 estimates). Population of the whole metropolitan area (in French: aire urbaine) at the 1999 census was 514,559 inhabitants. (wikipedia.com)

I much as I'm embarrased to admit it... There were two things that really worried me:

Difficulty of the classes. I don't want to go abroad and spend all of my time studying
Availability of activites. I hate the cold - Skiing, Snowboarding are fun once in a while but spending four months in the Alps is something that really appeals to fans of such things.
Quality of night life. see below.

The Grenoble Ecole de Management says:

There are many busy bars centered around Place Notre Dame, there is the London Pub which has 2 floors and is packed with all nationalities every night, (open until 1am), there is Café Notre Dame which is also a popular student haunt (open until 1am), and the Couche Tard (open until 2 am) rue Brocherie. The Couche Tard has happy hours every night from 8 to 10 pm and is extremely lively, it is popular with locals and students alike and will normally always have English speaking bar persons, and people dancing on tables is a common practice there.
Of course there are many other bars but these three are the most popular with foreign students. Nightclubs are ok but don't get too excited, drinks are expensive (around 8/10 € for a drink) and the music is not fantastic according to international students but it's somewhere to go after the bars shut.
The most popular for nightclub for students is the Vieux Manoir in Rue St Laurent, there is free entrance on Thursdays for everyone but you must pay on Friday and Saturdays to enter the nightclub, there is a bar as well inside which is free to enter on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and it stays open until 5 am.
Grenoble is a fantastic place to study and to meet people of all nationalities (British, Spanish, Scandinavian, Dutch, American, Mexican, Brazilian…).

Gotta say, that's not too convincing.

According to world66.com, there are sixteen bars. Good news, I guess. However, what I kept hearing from study abroad advisors, API advisors, my french advisors, people I talked to... If I wanted a nightlife, I would have to seek it out. But I'd be getting a more authentic French experience.

I don't know. I guess my reasons for against Grenoble are dismissable, but I wasn't excited about my decision. And that's what matters most.

europe

2005-10-04T01:03:00.000-04:00

I spent the whole summer mulling over whether or not to still go abroad and whether or not Paris is where I wanted to go... but by the end of the summer I was still not any closer to making a decision.

When I got back to school I realized I had to actually start taking this whole thing seriously.

Things that I knew:

I wanted to go to Europe
I didn't want to do a homestay

So I did what any logical person would do. I found a map of Europe (gotta love Google) and made a list of places I was interested in going to and places that didn't appeal to me at all.

Places I could go:
Belgium
Czech Republic (Prague)
France
Italy
Spain

No desire at all:
Austria
Bulgaria
Croatia
England
Estonia
Greece
Germany
Holland
Hungary
Ireland
Latvia
Lithuania
Northern Ireland
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Scotland
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey

And here's the conclusion I came to...

Belgium is too small. Don't want to go there. Prague (Czech Republic) is sandwiched between Poland and Germany. Don't want to go there. That leaves France, Italy and Spain. Well, if I go to either Italy or Spain I might as well go to France since I've been taking French for the last ten years. It would be stupid to be in one country over.

And so it was decided. I would go to France. But where in France?

evaluation and approval

2005-10-03T13:00:00.000-04:00

My major academic advisor, Lisa, and I met last week to figure out what classes I needed to take abroad in order to still graduate on time. I have 13 classes left. I take 5 per semester, and I would have two more semesters left at Maryland when I got back.

13 - 2(5) = 3

I need to take three classes abroad that count towards something.

For a while I had been thinking about going to Grenoble (it's not Paris and we have a partner Business school there). But I would be taking one french class and five business class, and they would probably be challenging classes. First of all, I think it's stupid to go abroad and take all business classes AND I don't want to spend my time abroad just studying...

Here's what my advisor figure out... I would find a program where I would get credit for

2 french classes (to finish my french minor)
1 upper level econ elective (since unless I go to Grenoble, nothing I take abroad can count towards my major)

I was very excited since I knew I could do that with one of the Paris programs... until I met with my french advisor, Madame C.

One of the two french classes offered is taught in English so I can't count towards my minor. I needed to find another class that would give me credits I needed!

They say everything happens for a reason, and that everything works out in the end. Well, I had been putting off my Non-Lab Science Course that I need for CORE (General Education classes that everyone is reguired to complete at the University of Maryland). The Paris program offers an Environmental Science course.

What makes everything so complicated is that after I've chosen where I want to go, and decided which program to go on, I still have to make sure that the courses I take are approved by each department.

The Econ department needs to evaluate and approve the Econ course. The French department needs to evaluate and approve the French course. The Geology department has to evaluate and approve the Science course. And the Business School has to evaluate and approve any business electives I want to take abroad. You get the idea...

best known for

2005-10-03T02:05:00.000-04:00

april in paris

2005-10-03T01:49:00.000-04:00

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris, chestnuts in blossom
Holiday tables under the trees
April in Paris, this is a feeling
That no one can ever reprise

I never knew the charm of spring
I never met it face to face
I never knew my heart could sing
I never missed a warm embrace

Till April in Paris
Whom can I run to
What have you done to my heart

Will I see April in Paris? I don't mean that in a sad way - more like a curious one.

questions

2005-10-03T01:06:00.000-04:00

Soon I'll start from the beginning. But not tonight.

For the past four months I've been trying to figure out:

if I still want to go to abroad
whether Paris is the place I want to go
whether I can get the credits I need there
what kind of housing I want

I haven't fully answered any of those questions, but tomorrow I am applying to go to Paris. I think.