19 apples and a wave of homesickness

(Yay, a post I actually wrote today!)

My iTunes must have known I was feeling homesick today as it has played an array of songs with a “coming home” theme.  One of my good friends recently wrote to me saying how proud she was of me and how she understood how difficult this experience would be for me at times.  She too studied abroad, in Budapest, and pointed out how the safety net of that sort of experience is no longer there and in this situation I really am on my own.  I don’t know why but reading those words really (no pun intended) hit home for me. (Okay, maybe a little pun was intended!)  But in all seriousness reading that kind of made me take a step back and realize I did move to a brand new, foreign city, not knowing a single person there.  (At least when I studied abroad, aside from ISA’s help, I had already been to Paris and sort of knew my way around the city and what to expect.)  However, I will say the people of Dijon thus far have been very friendly (even the waiters!) and very patient with my sometimes spacey français. 

Some small accomplishments from the past few days:

-I have started the process of opening a French banking account and getting apartment insurance

I decided on BNP Paribas as my French bank of choice.  They are sisters with Bank of America and it’s located right by my flat so it seemed logical. Gilles (what a great name, huh?) helped me set up a special account for people ages 18-25 and it has no closure regulations so it won’t be a problem to close the account when I leave in May. He also gave me a 20 euro discount on apartment insurance…not bad!  (Did I mention this was all in French....because it was. Luckily I managed and Gilles even put "français" for my language and not English!)

-I feel pretty familiar with the set up of the Intermarché

It’s large enough to have everything under the sun but small enough to figure out where everything is after a few trips.  I bought a pre packaged bag of 19 apples for 1,69 euros….I mean I like apples and all but that was a little reckless, no?  Whatever, the price enticed me and I probably will eat all those apples in no time….they are my favorite fruit after all!  I’ve rediscovered that breakfast really isn’t a big deal here so finding breakfast-y foods is going to be a challenge.  I will probably settle for cereal and milk once I get the nerve to willingly purchase the ultra-pasteurized milk that lasts on the shelf for 6-9 months. (I’ve had it before in my Parisian home-stay so I know it’s not bad or anything it’s just the American in me that gets a little put off by milk like that.)

-I set up my monthly bus pass account and identity card

It cost one euro for the identity card and then each month an unlimited pass is 24,74 euros.  It’s really nice how France (and a lot of Europe) offer discounts on various things to people under the age 25 or 26.  Although it was a little frightening to see that my 18-25 identity card expires November 4, 2014.  Will I really be 26 in 3 years?! Yikes!

-I visited the lycée (high school) I’ll be working at this year

I’ve been emailing my contact teacher but she hadn’t responded yet so I decided I might as well see what I could find out by visiting the school.  First of all, the school seems to be about the size of McDaniel and I think it’s a technical school…this will be an adventure!  I met with the school secretary who helped with some paperwork and messaged my contact prof to let her know I stopped by.  The plan is to come in on Monday the 3^rd at 2pm (or 14h) to meet with an English prof for more information about the job and that I will be observing English classes for the first week.  The orientation for all assistants in the city will be the 6^th.

-I met up with another assistante in the city

We went shopping at H&M and got a drink at a café in the city center.  It was nice to finally meet with someone and just sit and chat.  The city center has so many cool shops and cafés so I’m very excited to explore that area more.  Also the H&M has three floors and the prices are not outrageous….winning!

So I still have much to do (like get the actual bank card so I can get a French cell phone and purchase some type of internet box….the wifi hotspot in my flat is too weak for Skyping and it doesn’t stay connected for more than 3 minutes/using the 3G key is really expensive so, long story short, I need a different internet service) but I have done a lot so far so I have to keep that in mind!  Baby steps, haha.
I am meeting with some grad students (hopefully- no cell phone makes things tricky) to go to the Planetarium tomorrow and a bunch of assistants want to meet in a park on Saturday to get to know each other, etc.  I also have "March 4^th" looming over my head as I signed up for the Paris half-marathon so Sunday I am going to attempt to start my training.

Word of the Post: la pomme – apple (I did buy 19 so it’s word of the post worthy in my book :) I promise the next word won't be a fruit!

Jet lag sans internet

(I wrote this on the 27^h)

Monday evening I reached my breaking point…I couldn’t stand not having internet anymore.  I’m pretty sure the lack of sleep combined with feeling isolated from the US/world in general made the 26^th a tough day. (I couldn’t even check the weather…by the way it’s been in the 80s!) Carmela and I tried to figure out why the 3G key she has would not work and apparently my Macbook with the Lion operating system is too advanced for the key?  (Feels like freshman year of college when Windows Vista wouldn’t work with McDaniel’s internet…I clearly do not buy laptops at the right time!)  I called my Mom and cried for almost the whole conversation.  I even uttered the words “I want to come home.”  But, I know this isn’t true because deep down my gut is telling me to stay.  I’ve already met some awesome people, have started to figure out the bus system (I’m on Liane 5 which takes me right to le centre ville), and can feel my confidence in French improving already. So, I refuse to give up just yet!  Today I went to the Macdo (McDonald’s…cool abbrev, right?) by campus and used the free and unlimited wi-fi there. (Saying wifi with French pronounciation is just amusing…wee-fee J)  Anywho, at least I got to catch up on Twitter, Facebook, the blog, and email a bit.

Carmela has many resources on campus and I am meeting with another professor who apparently knows how to get the 3G key to work even with my Mac. (*Added later: He didn't but my parents and Apple did! haha)  Maybe this internet ordeal is just a way to force me out of the apartment a bit and explore.  I have already made myself quite at home at the Université de Bourgogne…it’s almost as if I’m a student-almost!  I cannot continue to express how lucky I am to have Carmela here during my stay.  As she said she is “not here to control my life but here when I need help” and boy has she gone above and beyond!  I have met countless people at the university (she is an English professor) and I even got to sit in on one of her classes and meet some grad students.  I gave them my e-mail in case they want to practice English (and allow me to practice French) and I offered myself to them if they need help with their work for Carmela’s class.  They are science master students though so I’m not quite sure how much English I can offer but I can help with wording, grammar, punctuation, and writing style.  I haven’t sensed an anti-American sentiment so far but let’s just say when I’m asked where I am from people are not over the moon when they hear “Etats-Unis”.  I think I won the grad class over by poking fun at a stereotype of Americans.  They were introducing themselves and telling me where they were from in France but, each person kept say their city of origin and then directions of where it is located in France. Finally after three students I said “I know I’m American but I am aware of the map of France so you can just say the city you are from.”  This got a lot of laughs and I think they relaxed a bit.  Hopefully they understand that Americans generally do care about other countries in the world.  That is something I really wish to share with the French people I do come into contact with.

So hopefully this is my last post that I have to type without internet.  I’m currently sitting in the science building at the university and some of the grad students I met yesterday just walked by and invited me to go to an exhibit at the Planetarium with them on Friday.  That was pretty cool J And I just bought a little Lipton “Ice Tea” (shouldn’t it be iced?) but there was already 2 euros in the machine waiting for me.  Maybe this is my lucky day!

I think I’m going to start a French “Word of the Post” for all my Anglophones…so today’s word is: la pêche which means peach….that was the flavor of my iced tea!

My first “weekend” (if you can call it that...)

(Typed before I could post it....just FYI!)

Saturday (24th)

I went to bed around 11pm Friday and woke up at 2pm Saturday.  I thought by staying up late Friday it would help with the jetlag….false.  When I woke up I felt extremely sore (thank you, luggage) and still very sleepy so I decided to go back to bed….until 5pm…..oops? (That’s 15 hours of sleep for those of you keeping track at home haha) Lucky for me, Carmela invited me to another university event at 7pm.  I was tired and wanted to sleep more but I knew I should take advantage of this opportunity so I got up had some tea and “breakfast” and got ready to go out. 

Carmela picked me up and we went to the welcome night for the international students at the university.  Her daughter, Lorna, came too.  Lorna has down syndrome and is very sweet.  (Carmela and I bonded about Lorna and Joey so that was really cool.)  We went to the event mingled a little and I met a bunch of faculty/staff who work in the international relations department.  One of them wants to improve their English and I clearly want to improve my French so we are going to meet once or twice a week for coffee and we’ll do half of our time together in English, and half in French.  (Wahoo- day two and I’ve already made a legitimate contact with a French person.)  So, the event consisted of a dance performance by the university.  Before the performance there were French appetizers and an aperitif called Kir which is white wine and red liquor. (Here is a link for a brief history on the drink: http://www.food-worldwide.com/article/22/History-of-Kir-Appertif.html) The performance was awesome and the music was great- French rap and pop, etc….I’m going to try and find it on iTunes!  After there was a casual dinner where I chatted with some people again.  I was feeling a little tired so I walked home (my flat is only about 10 minutes from the university) and decided to write this post.  It’s a bit surreal to be sitting in my very own studio apartment in France!
I’m going to go to bed soon (still jetlagged), it’s 11pm here, and I plan on setting my alarm for not later than 10am tomorrow.  Although a lot of places aren’t open on Sundays I hope to explore the city a bit.

Sunday (25th)

I had trouble falling asleep between 11pm and 5am.  I called my family (Brain was home/it was only 11pm U.S. time) and after our chat I fell asleep sometime after 5am…..and woke up at 5pm….FAIL.  (So much for setting my alarm!)  I woke up feeling very discouraged as I essentially slept my first weekend away but I can’t be too hard on myself.  I did fly half way around the world (as Carmela said) so I should cut myself a little slack.  Since I was still feeling jetlagged I listened to some music and started to unpack/set up my studio.  I had my first meal at home tonight.  Carmela and her husband didn’t want me “to starve to death” so they bought a microwavable meal, sweet corn, tuna, pasta, and cookies to get me started. (There’s also 2 kinds of tea and hot chocolate!)  The microwavable meal was a “Claude Léger” brand and was called “Poulet Colombo”….essentially chicken, white rice, and créole inspired spices.  It was pretty good! The box advertised other meal options including: ”Lapin aux 2 Moutardes” or “Rabbit in two mustards”…you know you’re in France when you can have microwavable rabbit! Don’t plan to try that one but if I do I’ll be sure to post about it.  Called my parents as I needed contact with the outside world and it was nice to chat with them but a little bittersweet.  I know it’s only been a weekend with no internet (and I’ve only been awake for a small portion of it) but it is still really strange to feel so disconnected.

Monday I am getting up at 9am or 10am and going grocery shopping as well as trying to figure out the internet situation. For real…no more of this sleeping all day business- I start work on October 3rd so I need to be adjusted sooner rather than later!

The first few hours

(This was also written sometime between the 23rd and 24th)

Let me just say that I am beyond lucky to have Carmela as a landlady.  It honestly feels like a home-stay but without living in her house/flat.  She is so friendly and open so we’ve already had a lot to talk about.  After picking me up she brought me to my adorable, furnished flat.  It’s perfect- has everything I could ever need and it’s within walking distance of an Intermarché (fantastic super market) as well as a BNP (bank that doesn’t charge my card for withdrawls) and the high school I’ll be working at.  It’s also within walking distance of the Université de Bourgogne which is really cool as it offers a variety of events and entertainment. (And I may volunteer as an English tutor there!)  After she showed me around my flat [which has an entrance with a closet, a loo (haha), and a main living area] she left me to get some rest.  I slept for a couple of hours, washed up, and then Carmela picked me up and we went to “La nuit des chercheurs”, at the Université de Bourgogne, where students and professors briefly presented on their topics of research.  Some included global warming in Europe, the birth of stars, modern music, influential political leaders, strikes within the different French political parties, and so on.  Each topic had its own little area and while it was all in French I could catch a lot of what was being said.  After that Carmela offered to take me out to dinner in the center of the city.  We walked around le centre ville (city center) and I even touched the owl on Notre Dame de Dijon.  There is a legend that you touch the owl (la chouette in French) with your left hand for good luck and you make a wish.  Pretty cool I got to do this on my very first day!  We wandered around a bit and then went to a small Italian café where we spilt a bottle of wine and got pizzas.  Her son and his girlfriend met us and we chatted with them for a little.  Her son, Malcolm, asked me if I was from Nebraska or Texas (a change from Paris where everyone asked California or New York) and I told them a little about good old Massachusetts.  After that we went back to her flat to do some administrative stuff, (I also met her other son, Steven) and then she called a taxi for me and even paid for the fare!  (Not real life that your landlady takes you to events, around the city, out to dinner, and pays for your cab…I’m SO lucky!!)  I called my parents before I went to bed and typed up some of the previous entry for the blog.  I don’t have internet yet but hopefully that will be worked out soon.  I was pretty exhausted so when I hit my pillow I was out like a light.  I’ve had a very interesting and jam-packed first few hours in Dijon!


Owl at Notre Dame de Dijon:

Planes, and buses, and trains...oh my!

(Warning: this is a bit lengthy!)

(FYI: This was written sometime between the 23rd and 24th but I am just posting now from free WiFi at a McDonalds by the Université de Bourgogne)

I traveled a total of 3,601 miles (or 5 794 km....I should start using the metric system, huh?) by plane, bus, and train in order to arrive in the city famous for its mustard.  If someone told me that the most stressful part of the trip would be at Logan International Airport in Boston I would have laughed.  I had been worrying about lugging around 4 (heavy!) pieces of luggage onto busses and trains, through Charles de Gaulle airport, as well as up & down stairs, but Logan proved to be the most testing.

Logan:

Since American Airlines allow passengers to check in online, when my parents and I arrived at Logan we were able to check my larger luggage curbside and proceeded to the security line. Simple, right?  Well, while in line a Logan employee told me one of my carry-ons was too large.  (Why the curbside employee OK-ed it I will never know!)  I am lucky that my parents were there to help me take things out and rearrange other items.  I was already stressed, nervous, and knew I was saying goodbye soon so this made my security process a lot more tearful than expected.  My parents and I said a rushed goodbye and I tried to compose myself in the line.  Luckily the guy behind me saw the carry-on ordeal combined with the fact that I was visibly upset so he started talking to me, asking me where I was going, and was just generally friendly.  It really helped me to relax and be able to wave goodbye to my parents one last time with a (quasi) braver face.  After that security was a breeze and I proceeded to my gate.  When I got to my gate (B32, all the way at the end) I was greeted by various international flags and found an empty seat.  I called my parents from my temporary phone (which I am so happy to have) and let them know I made it and was feeling a little better.  Obviously they knew better (I am a stress muffin after all) and their encouragement was so needed at that moment.  When I hung up I sat for a few minutes and realized it was hitting me that I was actually leaving for France.  A good part of me wanted to tell my parents to turn around and come back as nerves were beginning to multiply but then an automated announcement came over the loud speaker saying “Welcome to Boston, home of the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Bruins, the Boston Celtics, and the New England Patriots” and it reminded me that this is always home no matter where I am in the world. (Then I smiled to myself and wondered what international travelers must think when they hear that)  It’s corny but that little recording really did serve as a wake up call.  I reminded myself I was taking advantage of life and being able use what I went to school for all at once….not a bad deal.  (Also, someone joked that my time in France is less than a woman’s pregnancy so that puts some real perspective on how short it truly is and how much I need to do while I’m here!)  Before I knew it my group was boarding and it was time to go!

Airplane:

I was the first to sit in my row and plopped into the middle seat (not by choice but c’est la vie!).  Then an older woman sat in the window seat.  We exchanged stories (she was on business, my teaching job) and she was very enthusiastic about what I was doing and guaranteed it would be a fabulous experience.   Can’ t be upset about that, right? Then the aisle seat passenger arrived, a middle-aged woman.  She sat down, turned to me and said: “I’m supposed to meet the man of my dreams on this plane, what are you doing here?”  I legitimately laughed out loud and said “Sorry?” She turned out to be really nice and very funny.  (With an intro like that though, how could she not be funny?)  I was expecting to be more freaked out on the plane but a strange calm washed over me.  The ride was turbulent free, the movie that played was Arthur (cute) and the food was so-so.  I got tortellini, some unappetizing sides, and a ginger ale. I didn’t feel like spending $7 on a tiny bottle of Chardonnay (especially when I prefer Pinot Grigio) so I settled for soda. (Come on, you can get much larger bottles of good wine in Westminster, MD for $7- as if I’m going to buy overpriced, crappy airplane wine.)  The plane ride overall was nice but if you need to fly international I’m going to plug AirFrance or Lufthansa.  Not only is their food better and (alcoholic) drinks are free but, there is a lot more room and comfort in the seating.  I slept on and off for an hour and then “breakfast in a box” (muffin, banana, gross yogurt) & OJ were served, and it felt like 5 minutes later we were landing at Charles de Gaulle.

Charles de Gaulle:

As I deplaned and walked into the airport the same calm washed over me that had while on the plane.  I’m not sure if it’s because when I studied abroad in Paris I already did the whole “fly alone internationally thing“ or what but nonetheless it was a nice feeling.  The line for customs wasn’t too long and neither was waiting for my luggage.  CDG Airport offers those nifty luggage carts for free so I took full advantage of that.  Then I asked an airport employee (yes, en français)  where I could find the AirFrance shuttle and wheeled my 3583495257 pounds (slight approximation) of luggage to the shuttle.  I think the AirFrance shuttle to Gare de Lyon (train station) was the best 16,50 euros I have ever spent.  The mere thought of the alternative route to Gare de Lyon (RER + métro during morning rush hour + 4 luggage bags) was frightening.  The shuttle was quick and I took in the small glimpses of Paris that I could.  Recognizing streets and metro stops along the drive made me realize once more how much of an impact my semester abroad had on me and how much I will always love Paris. 

Gare de Lyon:

When the shuttle arrived at Gare de Lyon the only way to the station was up a fairly tall set of stairs.  (Side note for any study abroad girls reading- there was a homeless man with a bunny outside the stairs so in case you were wondering the “pet +homeless person thing” is still happening haha) So, there I was standing with all my bags at the bottom of what felt like a mountain.  (Slight exaggeration but come on, these bags were heavy and there was only one of me!)  Luckily, a man offered to carry one of my bags to the top!  Then I purchased my TGV train ticket and waited on the yellow platform for my train to Dijon.  Time-wise things worked out quite well as I purchased my ticket at 9:50am and my train left at 10:29am…not a lot of waiting.  I called my parents during the down time to let them know I was at Gare de Lyon and okay.  It was very nice to be able to have contact with them through this part of the trip.

TGV:

Once my train arrived I put my suitcases on (one at a time- sorry people behind me!) and found my seat (number 88).  After learning/hearing all about the famous TGV the nerd in me was very excited to finally be on one!  Waiting for me on my seat was a TGV magazine where Dijon was highlighted as an up and coming city- very cool.  Then before I knew it I passed out and woke up with only 15 minutes left of the 1:40 hr ride.  What I did see during the ride was some of the most beautiful countryside--a lot of farm land and a lot of small towns clustered together.  France really is a beautiful country and I cannot wait to visit more of it!  We arrived at Dijon’s stop: Dijon Ville and that’s when it started to hit me that I was in France.  From my phone I called Carmela (my landlady) who picked me up, or as she would say “collected me” (I love the British) and took me to my studio.

So all in all I managed quite well during my travel experience.  It was long but worth it!

Au revoir, USA!

This evening I fly to France!

My plane is scheduled to depart Logan at 6:50pm and I will arrive in Paris at 7:35am on the 23rd!

My flight was booked through British Airways but when I checked in online I discovered I am actually flying American Airlines.  (Slight disappointment as I was looking forward to British accents galore!)

I wouldn't be able to embark on this amazing journey without the help, love, and support from my family and friends.  I will be thinking of you all the time during my stay à Dijon :)

My next post will be from France!

Me in a few hours:
(Hopefully there are good in-flight movies!)

And so it begins...

As many of you know, I will be spending the next eight months in Dijon, France.  When I studied abroad in Paris (Fall 2009) I kept a personal journal but for this time around I have decided to try blogging.  Here I will share the ups and downs of my life as an English teaching assistant in a French high school.  I'm also excited to explore and post about the major differences in French and American culture as well as the differences of Dijon and Paris!

My luggage is 90% packed (2 suitcases, 1 tote, and 1 duffle) and I am making copies of all the paperwork I'll need once I'm across the pond.  I'm one of the lucky assistants to have already found housing (a studio apartment in the city) with a fabulous (British!!) landlady.  My landlady has been so helpful in the few days we have spent exchanging e-mails that I'm confident she will be a great resource during my time in Dijon.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous but I am eager to see what these next months bring!  I have been reading up on all that Dijon offers and I cannot wait to take full advantage of it!


To Do:
-Fly to CDG Paris (direct flight-- lucky me!)
-Find/take shuttle to Gare de Lyon (train station)
-Take TGV train to Dijon
-Contact landlady from train station
-Move in to my studio!

...now that doesn't seem too bad but I'm positive that some good stories will come out of it! (Let's be real: yours truly attempting to get 4 pieces of luggage onto a train....it's comical just thinking about it!)

So, here's to my first attempt at blogging, my first attempt in the "real world", and my first attempt at living on my own....in France!


Here's a map of France: