GW Paris – Page 5 – GW Blogs from Abroad

Paris At Last!

AdminAugust 28, 2014

photo 1 (1) — Playing chess by the Seine

It still feels unreal, but I am solidly, on Parisian ground.

My visa came two days later than what was expected so I booked the next available flight and hopped on the plane. Talk about reckless, eh? I am staying with a friend at the moment while trying to find housing for myself, which made me kind of regret not taking GW's offer on housing. (A little advice reference for future GW students)

It feels very weird to be in Paris again. I have never expected myself to be living in a European country for a period of time that requires a long-stay visa. I walk on the streets and wonder how just two days ago, I was at home in China. And how 46 days ago, I was in Peru. And three months ago, I was in DC. I don't know why but the way waiters first address me in French and then switching to English after seeing me struggling with my order really annoys me. I think I was more frustrated at myself that two years of not speaking French had made me felt less confident. But the discomfort quickly faded away after I conversed in French with someone and he complimented my french. (Maybe to him, me speaking French is like the equivalent of a monkey speaking English, simply astounding and unexpected that he felt the need to "wow" in encouragement.)

My friend and I explored the center of Paris in the past two days. I tried to get my bank account and phone set up but since I arrived on saturday, nothing was open. Sciences Po mentioned how there are some banks that have partnerships with them that will give you 80 euros or something. I'll blog about it next week when I have everything set up.

Today we were walking on Quai d'Orsay along the Seine and we had a lot of fun. Along the riverbank, there was this street that was full of entertainment including photo galleries and chalk wall and tepees to chill in. We settled down for a game of chess, which was for free. There were games like backgammon and uno and other board games around us as well, which we thought was a very nice idea for a family outing. Next to the free board games there was free badminton playing. It was the weirdest sport I have ever played haha. We used a squash racket to hit a shuttlecock that had a bottom similar to a tennis ball. I thought, me with my Asian heritage plus being the president for club badminton, I'd be able to show off my crazy badminton skills but no. Low and behold, it was windy and I almost smashed a Russian girl in the face and her dad did not look to pleased. We quickly slithered away after that.

We walked along Champs-Elysee after that and saw this impressive golden gate. We stopped and realized it was the entrance to Abercrombie and Fitch. Fanciest place I've been in Paris yet. For a moment I thought I was walking in the gardens of Versailles, if not for the strong cologne that always infuses the air around Abercrombie and Fitch within a five mile radius.

The welcome program starts tomorrow. Apparently the French has a really different system than the States and the welcome program is mainly about teaching the methodologies that are going to be used for French studies. I’m excited, yet a bit scared, because I heard it’s quite hard, the French wanting to be precise and elegant and everything, but we will see. This time next week, I’d be able to tell you more about the educational difference between France and the United States. Until then!

Crash Course in French Politics

AdminAugust 27, 2014December 17, 2018

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/

Blending in with the Parisians

AdminAugust 20, 2014December 14, 2018

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!

Third Time’s the Charm

AdminAugust 11, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

You know how there are places that you don’t expect yourself to re-visit in the near future? Well, Paris is the exception. I first visited Paris when I was 15, too young to really appreciate its beauty, now looking back. I was like any eager tourist, snapping selfies with the Eiffel tower. (Were selfies even a thing back then?) My second visit to Paris was during my junior year of high school. I did not expect my return to Paris to be so soon but I wasn’t complaining. It gave me a really odd feeling of “coming home”, like when I was visiting Versailles with my friends, I knew the rooms and the stories to them. But still, it didn’t feel like I got the gist of Paris.

Part of the reason why I love traveling so much is because cities are like people too. I have to spend quality time wandering around their meandering streets in order to form deeper bonds with them. The touristy places, feel almost insincere at times. Here is a brief digression. I have just returned from a six-week-volunteering program from Peru. One of the main reasons why I wanted to go in the first place was because of Machu Picchu. I mean, who cares about educating the future generation of a country that has a 35% poverty rate? (Jokes, for those who couldn’t tell.) I was stationed in Trujillo, the third largest city in Peru, totally Peruvian. It was nothing like Lima or Machu Picchu where foreigners swarmed the streets and almost gave me the illusion that I was still in America, except the bathrooms were without toilet paper (A phenomenon that’s pretty much everywhere except in the US). In Trujillo, I taught English to kids from kindergarten up to sixth grade and they had touched my heart in a way that I never expected it to be touched. It was a very sad day for me to leave, and Peru forever holds a special place in my heart.

That’s the kind of relationship I want to form with a country, let people into my life and leave my tracks behind as well. I don’t expect my 6-week-English-lessons to change my kids’ lives, but to know that I have made impact on their lives is one of the greatest feelings I have ever experienced. So I hope that by spending a semester in Paris, I’d be able to get to know it personally. Who knows, the future is bright, maybe third time’s the charm!

Side note: for future references, those who wish to apply for a French visa should try to get it done in the United States. I did mine in China and it was the most painful experience ever. I couldn’t even get on the CampusFrance website without a proper proxy. (Thanks communism.)