- that famous type of French bread, because that's what I'm eating right now.
Getting into France was massively exciting. I was lucky enough to run into three other people from my program at the airport, so not only did we get to split the cab fare (yay for saving euros!) but it also instantly banished my nervousness about the success rate of my reaching the university. After a few attempts to make awkward conversation with the cab driver in French (whose English was significantly better than our graceless French 4 conversational skills) we made it to the university without any trouble at all, and were soon released into the wild that is Bordeaux, France.
When I say "wild," I really don't mean wild at all. Bordeaux was, for lack of a better word, quaint. Or, as quaint as you can get when every building is 3-4 stories high. The city was eclectic - stately and modern at the same time. All of the architecture was clearly old, with its stone walls with graceful, curvy embellishments on the outer walls, but the shops and cafes on the ground floors clearly kept up with the times, blending the new with the old in an effect that was actually really charming. Though I was in a completely new country, I still saw some names I recognized - Sephora, Subway, and of course, McDonalds.
A few unpleasant surprises when it came to the dorming situation, though. First, we'll apparently have to fend for ourselves when it comes to food. However, to my knowledge, there are no restaurants/cafes/grocery stores within walking distance of the dorms. Also, we have no access to a refrigerator/microwave/pots/forks/two-sticks-that-could-possibly-pass-for-chopsticks, so we couldn't store or cook food even if we wanted to. I anticipate some interesting food improvisations in the near future (though I'm currently satisfied with my baguette and cheese!) Second, we have no access to internet in our dorms, so I don't know how I'm going to post this blog entry, or more importantly, let my ever-loving parents know that I have indeed made it to my destination with all my limbs (and travel papers) intact. Third, and my personal favorite, the toilets in our dorm don't have toilet seats. Yeeah...
Sounds exciting!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the French students in the dorm (assuming there are any) handle the food situation. Do they have their own appliances in their rooms? Or is there a stove you can use, but need to go buy a pot to use and rewash over and over?
I can't help but compare it to when I was doing an internship in Japan. Food was super easy since the company dorms there had cafeterias and covered meals. Internet was harder; I had access at work but my email was blocked so I had to go to internet cafes. And of course I got to deal with Japanese toilets...
Good luck with all the culture shock :).
I think that during the year, there are school cafeterias that are open for the students to eat. But right now, they aren't open since the school year hasn't started yet. Oh, and there are hot plates, but not an actual stove.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the best wishes. :)