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Tag: France

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By bevvy2212

It’s been a month since I’ve been in France and three weeks since classes have started. I can’t believe time has gone by so fast and I’ll only have about three months left before the semester ends.

Even though it’s already been three weeks, I still feel rusty in terms of grasping what I have learned so far. Because I was on a plane the day class registration opened, I did not get the chance to be enrolled in my preferred courses and I was a little bit bummed in the beginning. Currently I am enrolled in four normal classes taught in English and a French language class, which isn’t bad at all in comparison to the French students who actually go to Sciences Po.

I was a little bit concerned at first because I am not at all familiar with the topics of my classes: 1) Foundations of moral and political thought. 2) Social policies in Europe. 3)International Law. 4) What is social democracy. For someone who is an international affairs major with a security policy concentration, I have no idea what went on with the welfare states in Northern Europe nor about the foundations of western philosophy.

The first two weeks were hard, mainly because it was a little bit difficult to bring up my interests for these classes that I didn’t intend to sign up for. Back at GW, I always had the perfect schedule with the perfect professors all planned out, so these uncertain classes made me a bit nervous. But it turned out that I was being overly worrisome. The professors are Sciences Po are… awesome. It didn’t matter that I have no previous knowledge about the subject, they made the class so interesting that I now have this unknown energy and motivation to finish all my readings and take diligent notes in class. (I mean, I did all that back in GW of course, *cough cough*)The one thing that I don’t like about the professors here is that they don’t offer office hours, nor do they respond promptly to my emails. We were warned before we got to Sciences Po that professors here are usually adjunct professors and they all have busy lives outside of the academic life. I guess I’m just used to being able to discuss the topic more in depth during office hours instead of seeing the professors fled the scene as soon as class is over.

We also went on a GW-organized trip to Giverny this Saturday. It was my first GW trip and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the trip. Giverny is the place where French Impressionist Claude Monet lived. He created his famous Water Lilies there and it was very fun to see all the places where he painted.

Monet's house. It was very interesting because there weren't any corridors so in order to go from one end of the house to the other, we had to walk through every room. Talk about no privacy huh.
Monet's house. It was very interesting because there weren't any corridors so in order to go from one end of the house to the other, we had to walk through every room. Talk about no privacy huh.
The bridge in Giverny, Monet's water gardens. He was greatly influenced by Japanese culture so his garden consisted of various bridges and a lot of bamboos.
The bridge in Giverny, Monet's water gardens. He was greatly influenced by Japanese culture so his garden consisted of various bridges and a lot of bamboos.
he famous pond where he painted his water lilies.
The famous pond where he painted his water lilies.

It’s funny because I did not consider myself an “artsy” person before I came to Paris. I do like art but I usually just breezed past them due to lack of time. But because we are technically “French” students, we can get into all the museums and galleries for free, so I ‘ve enjoyed strolling inside the Louvre every Wednesday (because it opens till 9:30pm on Wednesdays and Fridays). I intend to make it a routine thing. It’s very nice to take my time instead of rushing through the gallery like other tourists.

Hotel de VilleOn a side note, the weekend of September 20 and 21 is the French National Heritage weekend. A lot of the offices that are usually closed to public are open on these two days. I was going to go visit the Palace Elysée (aka the White House of France) but the line was insane and I didn’t feel like waiting. So I waundered into Hotel de Ville (the City Hall) instead. Typical French to have golden chandeliers and oil paintings everywhere.Inside City Hall

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By mcbitter

Over the past three weeks, I can honestly say that I've never been bored in Paris! There's an abundance of things to do here - in fact, I already know that this semester is going to be really short. (As I'm writing this, it's already September 21st!) I just hope that I'll have enough time to feel like I've made the city my own. That said, here are a few things I like to do with my free time in the City of Lights.

1. Grocery shopping. As mundane as it may sound, shopping for food is actually really fun here! It's interesting to see what kind of products they have in France that are different than the ones at home. (Admittedly, I did eat Oreos today... whoops.) I've shopped at a few different places, including Monoprix (kind of like Target - they have everything!), Franprix (smaller selection but tons of locations), and little produce-only stores. Monoprix is perfect for when you're doing a lot of shopping but you don't know exactly what you need. In particular, I found really good gnocchi and pizza there (I'm buying Italian food in Paris, go figure). Franprix is where I go when I realize I didn't buy something I needed, as it's only a block from my apartment. As for the produce stores, they're all tiny! And yes, the one on my block sells only fruit and veggies. I make sure to buy my bananas and salad ingredients from there because they seem to have a better selection than the larger stores.

2. Bus rides. Overall, Paris has a great public transportation system. Buses, trams, metro, trains, they've got it all. If I'm not in a hurry, I always try to take the bus because it lets you see and appreciate the city. For example, the other day, some friends and I went to the Champs-Elysées after class. The bus ride home showed us many Parisian landmarks as well as low-key places I'd like to check out. Unfortunately, it's impossible to take the bus to class in the mornings because traffic is usually too unpredictable to always make it on time.

3. Museums. There's too many to count! This weekend, my program offered an optional day trip to Giverny, France, where we visited Claude Monet's House and Gardens as well as an Impressionist Museum nearby. On Monday of last week, I stopped by the Louvre for a few hours, the highlight of which was seeing Napoleon's private apartments. (No, I did not brave the crowds to check out the Mona Lisa. Not this time, at least.) Other museums that are on my list are the Musée Rodin (dedicated to the works of sculptor Auguste Rodin) and the Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (the biggest science museum in Europe).

4. Talking with locals. Don't get me wrong, I love hanging out with all of the GW students on my program, but I'm happy to say that I've made French friends, too! Last week, I went to an event called "Franglish," and I can't wait to go to another one. Held Sunday through Wednesday nights at bars around the city, each night accepts 25 English speakers and 25 French speakers, and is aimed at improving your foreign language skills. It's set up like speed-dating (it's not for dating, but that's the best way to describe it!), and with each person, you spend seven minutes speaking in each language. Basically, it's an awesome way to meet locals and exchange a little bit about your lives.

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By mcbitter

Does the life of a typical college student look the same in the United States and in France? Or does 3,828 miles create a world of difference?

During my two weeks in Paris, I've had a lot of opportunities to interact with French students and figure out the answer to this question. As you might guess, SciencesPo students are very similar to those at GW in some ways (the resemblance can be almost scary), but in other ways, we could be from different planets. Here are a few of my observations!

In general, many of the French students seem to be involved in the myriad of opportunities that SciencesPo offers - intramural sports, political groups, you name it, they have it. I've seen this firsthand through the five SciencesPo students in my program. I asked one of them what groups he was involved with, and I was still listening to his answer five minutes later (not really, but you get the point). In my experience, many GW students are the same way, getting involved with things like Greek life, student leadership roles, and academic organizations. In fact, one GW organization - the Student Association - has a French twin at SciencesPo! The BDE, or Bureau des Elèves, is their version of student council and seems to be one of the most well-received groups on campus. This past week, they hosted a party at the Moulin Rouge called the Soirée d'Intégration, a kind of beginning of the school year event.BDE Logo

One thing that is very different between the lives of American and French college students is campus jobs. At GW, I have had a position on campus each semester (shoutout to GW Jumpstart and the Center for Career Services!). At SciencesPo, having a campus job is far less common (and I'm not even positive if many are offered). Internships during the year don't seem to be very common among French students, either. One of the students in my program was telling me that he always tries to get an internship in December when they're on winter break. Overall, this concept was pretty foreign to me, especially coming from a place like Washington, DC, where student jobs and internships are in abundance.

Speaking of DC, you would think that SciencesPo and GW had a lot of shared elements due to the city environment, but that's not exactly the case. SciencesPo doesn't have dormitories, so students either live in apartments around the city or with their families. Everyone uses public transportation to get to school, and commuting can take over an hour every morning. (Mine is about 35 minutes.) It's not uncommon for students to live together, though, just as upperclassmen at GW frequently choose to do. Because there are no students living on campus, SciencesPo is pretty much closed on the weekends - aside from the library, which is open on Saturdays.

All of that said, if you sit in SciencesPo's garden around noon, the scene could very easily be one at an American university. The garden, or le jardin, is where many students congregate to de-stress from classes and schoolwork. I'm fond of grabbing lunch at the nearby campus food places (you can't beat a baguette du jambon et beurre that costs two euros!) and sitting down on benches or the grass with friends. Additionally, people are fond of grabbing an espresso together after class, and there's even a Starbucks nearby for us Americans who crave it!

Overall, learning about the similarities and differences between French and American students has been an interesting process. Adjusting to a new school kind of felt like being a freshman again, as it adds a whole new layer of things to learn, but it's not too difficult once you get the hang of it!

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By bevvy2212

Three things I miss about the U.S/ GW

 

I never thought I would say this, but I actually miss Gelman… Sciences Po is kind of like GW. It does not have an actual campus; instead it has several academic buildings randomly scattered around in the 6eme arrondissement of Paris. That being said, space is quite scarce. Therefore, finding a desk to sit down and do some work is quite the challenge. For once in my life, I am actually motivated to do work and here I am, unable to even set a foot in the library because it’s so packed. Why Sciences Po, whyyyy. I also miss being able to physically go into the aisles and find books that I want because most of the books in Sciences Po are being stored underground that stretches miles and miles under Paris, so it requires some time to get the requested book transferred above ground.

 

  • Big Portions

Maybe I have been spoiled, but I am constantly starving in Paris because food is so expensive and the portions are tiny in comparison. 3 euros for a bottle of coke? What is this, capitalism! No refills? Blasphemous! I’m not a big fan of bread, wine, or cheese. So I honestly don’t know what I’m doing here in Paris.

 

  • The way I dressed.

The weather drops down to the 50s in the mornings here… while it’s been in the 80s in DC. It’s the first week of September. It’s barely fall yet. I should not be breaking out my llama sweater when I wake up for my 8am class. Also, I’m a pretty casual-dress person, so all the posh clothing and Louis Vuitton make me feel a little under-dressed at times. What I don’t understand is the Parisians’ need to dress up for badminton. Badminton! I went to my badminton class on Tuesday, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, I considered myself as dressed appropriately. But I was confused by the group of students in khakis, loafers, skirts, and flats when I reached the gym. I double-checked the address and came into realization that these poshly dressed people are, indeed, my fellow badminton players.

The teacher later cancelled class which was when I realized that my fellow posh badminton players immediately blended in with the Parisians on the street because of their way of dressing and I was left looking like I was going to the Olympics in my sports attire. Not to mention the amount of stares I have received again because of my shorts, God forbid that a girl should not show some skin when it is 82 degrees out!

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Picnic at the Eiffel Tower

If I had to choose one word to describe my first week in Paris, I would choose fantastique! It's hard to believe that we've been in the City of Lights for a week already. Just like at GW, everyone in my program (GW Paris Fall Business Studies) is really diverse and brings a lot to the table. There are people from each region of the States, plus Puerto Rico and Switzerland. We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the past week, which has been something like a “welcome week.” There have been a lot of small excursions, during which we’ve explored the campus, met professors, and enjoyed a lot that the city has to offer. Some other highlights include:

  • A picnic under the Eiffel Tower
  • A wine and cheese tasting on a rooftop overlooking the city
  • A guided tour of the Musée d'Orsay

During these excursions, I think a lot of people (myself included) have discovered one particular challenge of living in Paris: navigating the metro. You'd think that we would be able to do it easily, as there's a metro in DC, but the Paris metro is rather tricky with many different tunnels and ways to exit. On top of that, all of the station and direction names are unfamiliar to us, which applies to city streets as well. (When I went on a run in my neighborhood yesterday, I made sure to write down each street that I turned on should I need to retrace my steps!) So far, no one has gotten terribly lost (yet!) and it will undoubtedly get easier as the semester goes along.

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GW Paris students in front of the Muse d'Orsay

Despite the looming threat of classes starting tomorrow, one thing that I'm really looking forward to is spending more time with the five French SciencesPo students in our group, both in and out of class. Each of them is really interested in learning more about us and American culture, and they're more than welcoming to us. In my opinion, this has made the transition to Parisian life a lot easier. We will be taking all of our classes with them (three GW business courses and two SciencesPo electives), so it will be interesting to see the differences between American and French academic settings.

Overall, this week has had a lot crammed into it, but I wouldn't have it any other way! All of the activities have served as a great introduction to the city that will be our home for the next three months. See you next week!

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By bevvy2212

I have been in Paris for a week now and even though France and the U.S. are both modernized, developed countries, I definitely did not mistake myself for being in the U.S.

 

  1. College—French Style.

GW automatically enrolled us in the Welcome Program that is offered by Sciences Po, which I am truly grateful for. Even though going to classes is a bit of a bummer in comparison to those who aren't participating in the Welcome Program, I have benefited greatly from the classes. The French, they are a classy bunch, and they like to think their education is a superb and exquisite pursuit to true knowledge. Hence, their expectation of us had quite hit the roof. They like to question everything, just like Descartes had put it, “I think, therefore I am.” For the full week, we learned how to dissect question prompts to pieces. For example, we were given an essay prompt, which was “Should we live in a world without borders.” From first glance, this seemed like a pretty easy topic to go at and I would have probably attacked it from all the wrong angles according to the French standards. Our professors walked us through the process, dissecting each important word and gave those words boundaries. For example, we had to narrow down the word, “borders”. Does it include political borders, or national ones, or geographical ones etc. Then we would have to derive a paradox from the question, like, border has a negative connotation to it yet humans need borders in order to establish their individuality. So towards the end of the week, I was really paranoid and started to question everything… It is as if I am in Inception or something. Where am I? Am I REALLY in Paris? Is this real? Am I real?

The French also put a lot of emphasis on exposés, which means oral presentations. I personally really dislike speaking publicly. Don’t get me wrong, I usually can be a chatter box and go on and on for days. But once you put me on a podium, I’m like a deer in the head light. We had to each do a five-minute oral presentation for our classes and mine was on the U.S. policy in the Middle East. It went fairly well, which was surprising. My professor thought I was quite composed and relaxed, which again, was blasphemous. But after it was all over, the exposé doesn't seem nearly as bad. So I guess at least I’ll come back from France, fully able to take charge and give public speeches. *I hope*.

 

  1. Cat calling.

Another aspect of the French culture, or maybe the European culture in general which I find quite appalling, is the amount of cat callings I have received. I admit that maybe I should have swapped dresses for pants, seeing as how most Parisians think winter has descended upon them already, but it’s been 60 to 70 degrees, like, come on. I have felt very uncomfortable walking down the streets in my dresses simply because of the amount of vulgarity and explicit sexual content that was directed toward me. For heaven’s sake I’m in France! I never expected for this to happen. I never considered myself to be a true feminist but after a week in Paris, I feel the strong need to advocate the fact that the way men view women as if they are some fresh meat need to be changed. Like, I felt safer when I was in Peru. PERU! (Not like I’m discriminating against Peru or anything, I love the country.) Way to go, Paris.

 

  1. Pick pocketing

I think I should consider myself lucky that I have yet to be pick pocketed, in the U.S., or in France. But I feel like sometimes, things such as theft seem very far to you unless they actually happen to you. We have been so used to the safe environment in GW that when we are outside of the cocoon of campus, we don’t realize that we obviously don’t blend in with the locals and are easy targets for thieves. My friend actually got her wallet stolen in the Paris Metro. The thieves were two girls, and their moves were unbelievably fast. Luckily for my friend, she was able to hold onto one of the thieves and a nice Parisian rang the alarm in the Metro for her. The thieves freaked and gave her back her stuff. Nonetheless  I know for sure now that I am going to be extra careful with carrying my bags. (Though I can barely find my wallet most of the time, I’d like to see them thieves try.)

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By mcbitter

In less than 24 hours, I will be boarding a plane to Paris! It seems like many of my peers have already left for their programs, but my departure date was perfect for me - it allowed me to spend about two weeks with family and friends at home, as I had stayed at GW the majority of the summer for an internship.

One question I've been asked a lot is "What are you most looking forward to in Paris?" That's an easy one for me (and no, it's not sampling all the croissants and macaroons I can find, though that's a close contender!). After paying a visit to all the typical tourist attractions and sites, I'm really excited to discover what we can call 'city gems,' or the niches that locals enjoy regularly and that a tourist might stumble upon while exploring a neighborhood. (Hopefully, finding these places will help me feel like less of a tourist!) Although I'm not originally from the area, I've found many places like this during my time in Washington, DC, and they've really made me feel like I have my own grasp on the city over the years. (For example, if you have a sugar craving and need a cupcake in Georgetown, go to Baked & Wired rather than Georgetown Cupcake! GW students practically swear by this.)

Another thing that I'm excited to enjoy is one advantage of participating in the GW Paris Fall Business Program (which is for GW Business students). Though we have classes Monday through Thursday, each Friday includes a "site visit" (aka field trip!). Some of this year's highlights include visiting the European Union, paying a visit to Normandy, and seeing Monet's Giverny estate. It should be a lot of fun!

I could probably go on for many more paragraphs, but I'm going to limit it to this - gotta get some sleep before the big day! Safe travels to all the other GW students out there!

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By mcbitter

In French courses over the years, I’ve learned a lot about France - its language, culture, and government, to name a few topics. (GW’s French department is, in my opinion, intent on creating a well-rounded understanding of France and the Francophone community within its students - something for which I’m grateful now, as I'm traveling to Paris in exactly one week!)

One thing that I learned about in classes is French politics, and how much it contrasts with that of the United States. Perhaps the most obvious difference is the multi-party system. Instead of having two main political parties like the Democrats and Republicans from which nearly all officials come, the French have what seems like a plethora of parties. (The number of parties was actually a little overwhelming the first time I encountered it.) Two of the most well-known are the Parti Socialiste (the Socialist Party) on the left, from which current president François Hollande was elected, and l’Union pour un Mouvement Populaire, or l’UMP (the Union for a Popular Movement), the right party of former French president Nicolas Sarkozy. Other parties, without naming them all, include:

  • Le Front National (the National Front; far right)
  • Le Nouveau Centre (the New Center; right)
  • Le Mouvement Démocratique (the Democratic Movement; middle)
  • Europe Ecologie Les Verts (the Green Party; left)

France also has a different set of rules to govern the actions of these and other political parties, especially around campaign season. Each verified candidate in an election must receive the same amount of time on radio and television broadcast programs. Additionally, the government regulates the amount of money that candidates can spend campaigning and that individual donors can contribute. According to a TIME article (link below), companies, unions, and special interest groups are not allowed to provide political funding at all! To top it all off, France recognizes an official campaign period that only lasts two weeks before voting. (And here we are, watching political advertisements for what seems like months on end.)

While I won't encounter a presidential election during my name in France (the next is schedule for the spring of 2017), I certainly enjoy learning about their political customs, especially when they differ so greatly than ours. I wonder what our political landscape would look like if we adopted some of their policies?

Learn more about French politics and campaigns with this TIME article: http://world.time.com/2012/04/20/frances-stringent-election-laws-lessons-for-the-americas-free-for-all-campaigns/

 

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By mcbitter

As I prepare for my upcoming semester abroad in Paris (fourteen days and counting!), the number one thing on my mind is simple: fit in, fit in, fit in.

Why do I want to blend in with the Parisians, you might ask? Surely such a task is impossible - after all, they are widely regarded as the most chic creatures under the sun. (I’m not sure how they pull off wearing leather so well, but I’m not going to push it. Or try it for that matter.) Ultimately, I am pursuing this goal in an attempt to avoid those awkward stares from the locals (mon dieu, another American tourist). Indeed, there exist certain attitudes that Americans seem to associate with Parisians - that they are not always welcoming, or that they accept us begrudgingly, when we visit the famed City of Lights. While I have not experienced this treatment myself (in fact, all of the Parisians I have encountered in the past were nothing but gracious!), I am still anxious to avoid attracting it. If such an attitude is true, anyway, I would imagine that the Parisians are not entirely at fault - similarly prevalent are stereotypes of tourists ignoring foreign customs and the very culture that draws us to them in the first place.

In an effort to understand and embrace these customs, especially those that are regarded as common courtesy, I have taken to several books, one of which I especially recommend. “The Sweet Life of Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City,” is written by David Lebovitz, and it provides an insider’s look into an American’s Paris - what to do (greet shopkeepers with a Bonjour Monsieur/Madame), what not to do (don’t leave the house in comfy clothes and flip flops, for one!), and what to eat (all of the mousse au chocolat, in my case).

By the end of my time in Paris, I hope that I will be able to say that I have had an authentically Parisian experience - and maybe, just maybe, I’ll have tricked some of the locals into thinking I was one of them!

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By msotomayor12

I wrote this article in Terminal 3 of Charles de Gaulle with a feeling of nostalgia and relief to be leaving Paris. It’s the first time I've felt this way leaving the City of Lights and I think I know why. For starters my high-school level French is almost non-existent, making it more difficult than ever to communicate with the already reserved Parisians. While awkward conversations build thicker skin, knowing that you can’t express your sentiments makes me quite hesitant, which isn’t my personality at all.

Another first was traveling alone with my brother. Man, does that make any situation fun and lively. Even though he is 17, I still act like the protective older sister; a feeling I’ve come to realize will never cease. For this reason, I was constantly on alert looking out for him more than I was for myself. I naturally went along with what he wanted to do since he always finds cool places to visit. At this point it’s in my instinct to do so. Thankfully his interests didn’t take us to the touristy parts of the city, which made me see Paris in a different light.

And although we walked around a majority of the city meeting up with friends along the way, I felt as if something was missing. I think the best way to explain this is by sharing artist David Douard’s way of understanding the world. His exposition in the Palais de Tokyo, Mo’Swallow, shows random pieces of everyday tools and resources (water, plaster, cages, lights, etc.) and mixes them together to produce “art” (I put this in quotes because many people would think his art looks more like garbage pieced together). The whole point of the exhibition was to prove that everyone’s understanding of the sculptures would be completely unique because we all live in our own “pseudo-environments.” While languages connect people, each individual can interpret the meaning of a word differently based on the experiences they associate with it. By communicate our interpretations of things we, in turn, define the use of it until it is accepted by all. In other words, things could have a different purpose if we defined it another way.

Philosophical right?

This could explain why I feel so different about Paris this time around. To clarify, the way I see Paris is how I see New York. They are two cities that are aesthetically beautiful because the buildings are almost exactly the same. That creates a perfect order, but the people in it make it quite chaotic. The people define it, which takes away from the beauty and calm that is constantly present if you look away from the streets. I think this is why I’m nostalgic and intrigued by both cities—there’s something more to it, but I haven’t found it yet. That is why I prefer to leave and stay nostalgic about Paris because if I were to stay, my romanticized vision and intrigue of the city would definitely disappear.

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