Jiayu Li – GW Blogs from Abroad

4 Unconventional things to do in Paris

AdminJanuary 4, 2015December 17, 2018

As I wrap up my semester abroad in Paris, here is a list of the five things that I really enjoyed doing while I was in Paris. Take a look below.

1. Macaroon. Hopefully you have all heard of what a macaroon is. The most famous brand is probably Laduree, which can be found in the United States as well. But my favorite go-to brand is Pierre Hermes. I don't know if you have ever heard of it but it's like, party in your mouth. There is actually a Pierre Hermes very close to Sciences Po (next to Eglise Saint Sulpice), about a ten minute walk. Unlike the traditional flavors from Laduree, Pierre Hermes offer flavors that might sound bizarre but taste delicious at the same time. Also, they alter their flavors in accordance to seasons so I was very bummed when I returned in December to find my favorite flavors gone. For those of you getting to Paris in the fall, please, for the sake of me, try the olive and the Ceylon tea flavor. They are to die for! In december, they also have the fois gras flavor. Unconventional? I think so. Worth the money? Absolutely.

2. Skating. I know that the rink at Waterfront is pretty great, but it's nothing compared to the open-air skate rinks in Paris. Probably starting from mid December, open-air skate rinks will pop up. There's one close to Champs-Elysee, but don't go to that one, it's tiny. I heard there's also one on the Eiffel Tower, but I'm not sure how big that can be either... but how cool would that be though, skating on the Eiffel Tower? My favorite one is probably the one in side the Grande Palais. It's massive and has all sorts of different light shows at night, though it is a little bit pricey (€25). If you're looking for a moderate sized rink at a relatively cheap price, I would recommend the one near Hotel de Ville (The Town Hall). Entrance fee is only 6 euros. The nice thing about French rinks is that they have regulations on how many people are allowed on the rink at a time, so it's never too terribly crowded. The down side? You might have to cue up in the cold wind for a very long time. My advice? Don't go when it's around Christmas time because that's when Paris is flooded with tourists and people who are on break. Go sometime earlier and in the afternoon instead.

3. Fontainebleau. You have probably heard of Versailles, but that's just, way too crowded for my taste. Actually I went to Versailles in December where there were barely any tourists. It was incredible because I never expected Versailles to be empty but I walked in the gardens this time instead of just inside the palace, and it was peaceful and quiet because most tourists would just tour the inside of the palace and call it a day. Fontainebleau is another chateau near Paris and I personally prefer it better to Versailles, simply because I've been to Versailles three times already. It's a little bit harder to get to, in comparison. You'll have to take the Transillien train from Gare de Lyon. If you have a youth card, it's approx 8 euros, other wise it would be 16. After you reach Fontainebleau, you'll have to take a bus to reach the Chateaux. The rooms are just as lovely as the ones in Versailles, if not more lavish. Napolean actually preferred it more to Versailles. We went towards the end of December and there were barely anyone there, which was awesome. "All these lands are mine! mwahaha" The town of Fontainebleau is really cute too, so that's definitely a plus.

4. Canal Saint Matin. I personally prefer the canal saint Martin cruise to the conventional Seine cruise, just because the canal passes through a part of Paris that's usually less touristy. There are usually two cruises per day. The one in the morning departs near Musee D'orsay and goes to Bassin de la Villette in the 19th arrondisement. And the one in the afternoon does the vice versa. After October I think, the cruise only operates on the weekends. The area in the 19th arrondisement has a lot of quaint bars around the canal, so it's a really nice place to chill when the weather is still nice and there are also a lot of really cool little stores scattered around the neighborhood.

I really enjoyed touring Europe in winter because it's the low season and there are so much less tourists around. So I would wait around a bit when you first get to Paris if you're doing Fall Abroad because the end of august/ the beginning of september is still sort of too touristy for my taste. Lines are long and people are everywhere. Maybe wait until around end of october/ beginning of november to start doing the touristy things. (But that's also the time when Sciences Po has its midterms and exposes, keep that in mind). I stayed for a bit after my semester is over in Paris, and I was pleasantly surprised to find the touristy spots a lot less crowded than I have imagined.

Till next time, Paris!

Lessons learned outside the classroom

AdminDecember 31, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

This week I'm going to talk about a few things that study abroad has taught me. I have to admit that in the beginning of my time in Europe, I'd rather be in Madrid than Paris, so I wasn't sure I would get anything out of this experience. I think at one point, I was actually a little bit bitter because I felt like I'm not enjoying my study abroad experience as much as everyone else is. But as the program is wrapping up, I did a little reflection and I realized how much I've learned/matured throughout this four months I've been away from my comfort zone.

1. An appreciation of art. Europe is the center of art. I wouldn't say I was a brute before coming to Paris but I've definitely gone to more museums than I have previously combined during my stay in Europe. I mean, there's just so much around. Louvre, L'Orangerie, D'orsay etc are just the big names. There are countless less famous museums scattered around Paris and they don't pale out in comparison either. Churches are also one of my main things. Even though I am not a Christian myself, I admire the intricate designs whenever I encounter one, and since there are so many churches in Europe, it's really fun to compare and contrast the different styles/ epoch of the churches. I even decided to take an art history course (Italian Art and Architecture in the 16th century) once I get back to GW next semester. Also, I recently got into Dan Brown's books and since a lot of the settings of his book are based in Paris/ Italy, it was very interesting for me to go see those places in real life. Not to mention the background info that was provided in the books gave me the privilege of playing the tour guide to my friends when we go visit famous historical landmarks and made me look smarter than I actually am. *brush dust off the shoulder*

2. Embrace solitude. It's hard sometimes, studying abroad, especially if you're in the direct enroll program instead of taking collective classes at a study center. That being said, sometimes, it does get a little bit lonely when I can't find people to have dinner with. Back at GW, it was never really a problem because the probability of all my friends having prior engagements and not being able to make it to dinner is miniscule. Even with the rare occasions when this does happen, I'll just get chipotle to go and eat in my room, no big deal. Solitude enlarges itself when you're abroad in a foreign land where you can't completely master the language. I used to be terrified of being alone but as I get myself lost in those winding European streets, I realized that solitude is ok. I just came back from a week-long solo trip in Italy and I visited this small island off of the coast of Venice called Burano, and as cheesy as it sounds, I found inner peace. It was a tiny fishing village with brightly painted houses. I walked past the tourists and into this very quiet neighborhood, and it was just me and the water and the houses, and I’ve never felt so at peace with myself at that moment. It was nice to get away sometimes, all by yourself, and just think, because most of the time we are so wrapped out with pesky little things, all cooped up in a city, that it's hard to hear ourselves think sometimes. I was able to think a lot of things through on my one-man-wolfpack trip.

3. Learn to let go. I hate letting go, albeit it be an old sweater or a friend. I just dread the feeling of losing things. I met a lot of new people here in Europe and 95% of them I'm pretty sure I will never see again in my life, even though we all parted with "oh yeah I'll come visit you for sure", we all know that's never gonna happen. There's this French friend of mine who's a really private person and doesn't have any form of social media to interact with others and during our last class together, I kind of puppy-eyed him and was like, "I'll never see you again." He shrugged, c'est la vie. And I realized, he is right, as much as I hate to admit it. Life is like a train, people get on and get off, rarely anyone will be there for you from start to finish. I made incredible friends at hostels while traveling and we had a blast, but it was like Cinderella's party, after the clock strikes 12, everything returns back to normal and we'll have to move on with life. It's a very helpless feeling, at least for me, because I can not stop the progression of time. I can not make those friends stay in my life, nor will I be able to stay for them either, so enjoy the feast while it lasts.

Lessons learned from outside the classroom

AdminDecember 26, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

This week I'm going to talk about a few things that study abroad has taught me. I have to admit that in the beginning of my time in Europe, I'd rather be in Madrid than Paris, so I didn't really expect to get anything out of this experience. I think at one point, I was actually a little bit bitter because I felt like I'm not enjoying my study abroad experience as much as everyone else is. But as the program is wrapping up, I did a little reflection and I realized how much I've learned/matured throughout this four months I've been away from my comfort zone.

Music. Musique. Musica

AdminDecember 22, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

This week's topic is on music.

Before coming to France, I was somewhat aware of how big electro/ house music is in Europe. I myself am not a big fan of the dubstep and mindless head-nodding to the beats, so I was quite dubious about European club music when I first came to France. To me, the beats all sound monotonous and I often get tired of it very soon and end up sulking in a corner. So I asked my French friends why they like the dubstep so much and their answer was quite, unconventional. I'm not sure if this is all-inclusive for the general feelings toward dubstep but they told me that since school is generally very stressful these days, the monotonous dubstep beats somewhat numb the mind after a while and it's kind of relaxing, to just let loose and nod along. I found this explanation so fascinating because I always thought of dubstep as noises, not music. But this actually brought me new perspective on viewing dubstep, which segways into the next topic that I'm going to discuss.

One of the most popular musicians in France is Stromae. (He is actually from Belgium, but most people automatically assume he's French.) His song "Alors on danse" (which translates to "so one dances")became a huge hit in the US and from first glance, I, like many other americans, thought this was just a normal dance song and since it's in French and I didn't pay much attention to the lyrics. But one time I actually paid attention to the lyrics and it's actually quite dark and pessimistic. I read more into Stromae and his songs are in general quite representative of the current generation of European youth. "When we say money we say spending. When we say forever, it means divorce. When we say family, we say grief, because misfortune never comes alone. So we go out and forget our problems. So we dance." Referring back to what my French friends were saying about numbing themselves with dubstep, the current European generation is facing a slumping economy so they are under a lot of stress. The youth unemployment rate in France is roughly 24% and in countries such as Spain where the economies were really hard hit by the crisis in 2012, youth unemployment rate reached to almost 50%, which is a ghastly prospect. Stomae's songs, albeit catchy, all have deeper meanings underneath, which I found fascinating because most songs these days have mindless lyrics talking about unrequitted love and insignificant things but having songs that have meaningful lyrics and catchy at the same time.

It's interesting to see how music across the world varies. When I was in Peru this past summer, they played a lot of latin/bachata/cha cha music (which I absolutely loved but couldn't really dance to). I loved how everyone there can dance, not just girls. The guys actually got really good moves and every time when I ask the boys at the school that I taught at if they like to dance, they always responded with "oh yeah I love dancing" and then start busting out moves on the play ground. Whereas guys dancing in the US is kind of perceived as feminine, it's very normal and popular there in Latin America, which I really liked.

Tips for finals

AdminDecember 6, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

This upcoming week is going to be rough, seeing as how most of my finals and papers are due this week so here are a few tips for you future youngsters to avoid being snowed under seven feet of work, like me.

1. Time management. Ok, I exaggerated in the previous sentence. I do have a lot of work due this week but since I'm a little bit of a control freak so I had everything sort of planned out ahead of time. That's the key: keep a planner/calender. I don't think I need to stress the importance of having a planner as you are all probably used to doing that back at GW. The thing is, the last week here at Sciences Po generally contain some make-up class periods. Some time during the semester, if your professor had decided to cancel class, they will generally be made up during this week and the schedule does get a bit hectic because depending on the time and availability of the rooms, your make-up class might not be at the same time/room as your normal class period. So keeping a planner will definitely help you keep track of what's due on what day.

2. Some classes will have their finals during the last week of classes. Actually I think most electives and seminars do. (Hence the importance of having a planner and knowing when your classes are during this week) But the lectures usually have exams during a designated week after classes are done, kind of similar to GW. So bear that in mind when making travel plans.

3. The second half of November, starting December is generally hell-ish for a lot of the students here at Sciences Po. Exchange students generally take a lot less classes than those who are actually enrolled in the school. I have quite a number of friends who are doing their Masters at ScPo and their schedule is just, overwhelming. Whereas I am only taking six classes, they usually take up to 10 or 12. So when they say they really don't have time, it really is, because they are dying from all the work, not because they don't like you. Which brings me to my fourth point:

4. If you can, stay a little bit after your semester is done in Paris, catch up with friends who are too busy to meet up with you during finals weeks or do the things that you haven't done yet in Paris. I regret not doing as much as I could back in September/ October when I still had a lot of free time on my hands. I always thought, oh I'll have time for that later when the tourist season thins out but now I only have a week left and I have all these things on my bucket list that I have yet to cross off.

Final rant: for as much as I've complained about Paris through my #dailyrant statuses on Facebook, it is very depressing to be leaving Paris in like, a week. Especially with all the Christmas lights up and going. Paris truly is magical.

Behold, Young Padawan…

AdminNovember 30, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

As I am swarmed with papers and finals these coming two weeks, it is also scary how fast the semester came winding down. It didn't hit me till today that my finals are next week. When most of my American friends are celebrating thanksgiving, I'll be over here slaving over school stuff. So I have decided to write a few pieces of advice I have for those who are planning on studying abroad in the future. (If that idea hasn't popped up in your head already, I strongly recommend you to consider it, starting now.)

I am writing this blog post in the center of Paris, an Atlantic away, so behold these words of wisdom about study abroad, young Padawans.

Keep your options open.

GW offers so many options for studying abroad, whether it be direct enroll or partnering up with another organization (IES, CIEE etc). Keep your options open because, as in the case of myself, I had a very rigid plan on where I wanted to go. I took AP French in high school so naturally, I thought I’d go to France for a semester, not to mention the institute (SciencesPo) that I’m enrolled in is rumored to be “The Harvard of Europe”. However, during the summer of my Freshman year, I went to Spain on a whim to study Spanish, and I just fell in love with the culture and the language. But I never took my mind off of going to Paris. It has always been France France France. Up until about two months before my arrival in Paris, I started seriously contemplating about studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country. But at that point, it was too late. I am not saying I’m not enjoying my time in Paris, as I munch on my pain au chocolate, but just bear in mind that maybe there are other alternatives to your study abroad destinations.

Plan Ahead

First off, tickets are A LOT cheaper if you buy them earlier, needless to say. Second of all, if you’re planning on going to a country that’s a little bit different than the western world, it might do you well to brush up on some of the cultural aspects of that country. Just because you are a foreigner doesn’t mean you can disregard the local social norm. Thirdly, look around the region in where you’re studying abroad. Perhaps you might like to do some traveling around after your program is over?

It’s ok when things don’t go as planned.

You’re in a foreign land, stuff happens, plans fall through, expectations are not met. Stay loose and just be adaptable. When I first arrived in Paris, I’d expected more people to speak English just because it’s a capital full of tourists but they don’t. After being in America for so long, it’s really easy to forget that most of your friends here did not learn English the “street way” and they will literally look up towards the sky as if a meteor is approaching if you ask them, “What’s up?”. It’s ok. Go with the flow and be understanding. Just like if my French friends suddenly come up to me with a bunch of street slangs, I’d be freaked out too.

Prioritize and make goals.

Before you leave, make some goals on what you plan to achieve while you’re abroad. Are you simply there for the fun and kicks? Are you there to experience the vigorousness of academic intensity and to challenge your intellectual capacity? Are you there to become fluent in the language? I found it very helpful to keep in mind the reason why I have came to Paris, and would like to promptly kick myself when these goals have failed to materialize. (I planned to become fluent in French, so far I can order croissants at restaurants. #progress)

Treasure it

Yes, you will get home sick. You will miss your friends back home when everyone around you is squabbling in a language that you don’t understand, but hey, when are you ever going to spend 5 months in a foreign land in the foreseeable future? Even if you disliked your study abroad experience at the time being (if you’re someone like me who likes to be cynical and complains a lot just for the sake of complaining), you will still miss being abroad once you have returned. I know I will.

As above, so below.

AdminNovember 23, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

One of the good things about writing a blog is that it prompts me to go out and explore. This past Tuesday was November 11th and a national holiday in France, so there was no school. I took the advantage to explore Musée des égouts, namely the sewage system of Paris. Fun side note, Victor Hugo was good friends with the sewage designer back then, so he knew a lot but the Parisian sewage system and Jean Valjean from Les Miserables used the sewage as a hiding place.

The museum is near the RER stop Pont de l'alma. Ticket was about 3.60 euros for students. The smell... was a bit atrocious even at the entrance. I have some really dull senses so the smell wasn't that bad for me. My friend on the other hand was about to faint. According to her, "I was lucky enough not to die from the Beijing poisonous smog and now I land myself in the sewers of Paris." So think before you go.

It was quite an interesting experience and a bit confusing/gross at times. The Parisian sewage system is the only one of its kind in the world, made up of 2100 km of sewers that can be inspected and really well constructed (since Paris is so big), so it's really hard to imagine how it all began on the Cité Island where Notre Dame sits. Yes, the original Paris was that big. An Island. People used to take water from the Seine and dump their wastes back into the Seine, a bit un-sanitary if you ask me. But since the population was small enough back then, it was still under the Seine's capacity to purify the water. As the city grew, water became an urgent concern. Fountains and aqueducts were built to introduce fresh water into the city but the waste water still flowed into the Seine, example of how not to build a sustainable living city. But then again, drastic circumstances calls for drastic actions, which was the main motivation for refining the Parisian sewage system to how it is today. As we were walking inside the Museum, we could actually see the sewage water and the grimy stuff that was floating on the surface. Definitely quite the experience, but not sure if I would recommend that to anyone.

After that, we walked over to the Eiffel Tower because it's right around the corner. It's probably one of the most touristic things one can do in Paris and I've put it off for so long. Walking up the Eiffel Tower is still on my bucket list, not sure if I will be able to cross that off during this time I'm at Paris, but then again, more the reason for returning to Paris, right? We took the elevator to the second viewing deck, and switched elevators to go to the top. You have to have a ticket to the summit, otherwise you will be turned away at the door after being in line for two hours. The people in front of us found this out the hard way.

I love cities by nights. I think it offers a very different view. I haven't been to the top at night so it was definitely an awesome/freezing experience to see Paris at night. No pictures can do it justice, truly. They offer champaign in a brightly lit cup at the top of the tower. Applications are now open for those who would like to buy me a drink at the top of the Eiffel Tower, limited time offer, snatch it up before it's gone.

So from one of the lowest point of Paris to the highest point, as above, so below.

Meow– Cat Café in Paris

AdminNovember 16, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

For those of you who don't know me already, (and those of you who are going to know this about me very soon,) I'm that crazy cat lady that's gonna have 40 cats and knit sweaters for each of them when I'm 80. So... you can imagine how fulfilling it was for me to visit the Cat café in Paris yesterday. Pretty much internally combusting the whole time. Seriously, I have longed for a touch of the cats since I left my own kitty three months ago. This obsession is kind of a problem. On a completely random side note, did y'all know there is a cat park in Lima, Peru? Like, cats just roam around and chill there like it's their hood? Yeah, favorite place on Earth.

There are two cat cafés in Paris. One is in Le Marais (4th arrondissement) and the other is near Bastille in the 11th. The one in the 4th is more well-known, thus requires reservation and such. We went around 12:30pm, which was a good time to go because the cafe opens around noon and the cats are usually still lounging around if you go earlier. Later towards the day they kind of get tired of people and disappear downstairs.

The café itself was very quaint and clean. You see cats everywhere, lounging, sitting on people's laps, stealing food (which was not allowed). The waiter told us the rules when we first entered. Apparently we can't disturb the cat, like if a cat is sitting on a chair, that's his chair, we can't just re-locate him somewhere else. We can't forcefully pick up the cat if the cat doesn't want it. (consensual pick up?) We can't feed the cat because they follow a very strict diet. (Though from the size of the cats there, I presume they sneak in a bite here and there). The cats are mostly adopted from an animal shelter or rescued from the streets. There were information on each cat and their lives before being adopted by the cat café. As a cat lover, it really breaks my heart to see how a lot of them had been abandoned or mis-treated really badly by their former hosts. I never understand why anyone would do that.

The food was mediocre. Nothing too outstanding. Though I highly recommend the planche vegetarian. The salsa and the guacamole was to die for. Their quiche looked pretty enticing too. But again, i have the tendency to order the wrong thing and mooch off of others.
During the time that we were there, I picked up a kitty and he wouldn't stop clawing at my food. Eventually he got two pieces of potatoes on to the floor. As I was about to bend down and pick up the potatoes (so the cats don't eat them). The kitty snagged one away from me and bolted into a far corner of the room. He was like, HA HA stupid human, peace out! Too bad, I thought it was love, but he only used me for food.

So, in case international affairs and security policy doesn't pan out, cat café is my destiny.

Down to the underworld we go. Allons-y!

AdminNovember 9, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

In the spirits of Halloween, my friend and I decided to go visit the infamous Catacombs of Paris. It has always been on the top of my to-do-list since the previous two times I have visited Paris, I missed out the opportunity to check this supposedly spooky place so, why not do it during one of the scariest weekend of the year?

The Catacombs (Les Catacombs in French), is located in the 14th arrondisement in Paris, metro stop is Denfert Rochereau (Line 6.) We got there at around 12:30pm and the line was already all the way around the park. Probably because it was Sunday. The wait was ... hideous. We basically stood in line for almost four hours, so definitely remember to bring a book with you to avoid death from boredom. However, I did made tremendous progress in my Gender Equality in the Welfare States book while waiting in line <-- Another reason why you gotta love the city: the wait is so insanely long that it makes you very productive.

The ticket was 8 euros with a student ID and 3 euros extra if you want an audio guide. After that, it was down to the underworld we go.

After winding stairs which seemed to be forever long, we landed in a small room that had a few descriptions of the Parisian underground and how the place was first used as a quarry. P.S., if you're claustrophobic, this is probably not your thing. We walked through a lot of winding tunnels that were quite cramped. Also, don't wear heals, or you'd probably die in case if something starts chasing after you. Jk, but seriously. No heels. (Because you'd probably hit the roof if you're taller than 5'11)

unnamed — "Arrete! C'est ici l'empire de la mort” The entrance to the catacombs

The quarry walk took a while, long enough to made me doubt whether I had really signed up to visit the massive human grave of Paris. Then, there it was, the gate to the Underworld. It had a plaque over it in French, saying: stop, here is the empire of the dead. Too bad, movin' on.

The view once you enter, was quite stunning. The amount of skulls and shin bones that were neatly piled up was un-imaginable. I had once been to the Catacomb in Lima, Peru, and that one looked like a tiny playground in comparison to this sprawling underground maze. Approximately six million people were buried in the Catacombs because during the Bubonic Plague, too many people were dying that they had nowhere to put them but underground. Then later in the 17th century, someone decided to make a neat pile of them and voila. The French took after the Roman Catacombs in terms of naming their own Empire of the Dead, and I'm very excited to visit the one in Rome when my program ends in December.

While we were down in the tunnel, I heard this ruffling sound coming from beside me and I peered into the piles of bones and saw nothing. The ruffling sound kept on moving along with me and out of instinct, I jumped a mile away from my friend who was walking next to me, nearly falling onto another pile of bones in the process. My friend looked at me with bewilderment: "Bev the heck are you doing?". "Shh.... I hear a ghost I think." She then raised her plastic bag, which was the source of the ruffling sound. Ok. Not a ghost.

unnamed (3) — Setting for the concert of Mozart’s Funeral March.

We then reached a spot where they once held a concert there and played Mozart's Funeral March, how wicked cool is that?!

Later when we exited, the workers asked us to open our bags for them to check, in case we have stolen some bones from the Catacombs coz you know, I'd love to give some 700 hundred-year-old bones as house-warming gifts.

Dirty Laundry

AdminOctober 21, 2014December 14, 2018

By bevvy2212

I am proud to say that after being in France for 51 days, I have finally successfully done my own laundry…. Sad, really. (I am not an un-hygienic person, it’s just the previous times, my roommate did it for me, so this time, it was my turn.)

Two things that I have learned in life thus far regarding laundry services is 1) Don’t complain. 2) Don’t tempt fate. Back in high school, I complained about spending a dollar, think about it, a whole dollar, on washing and drying. So I waved my fist angrily at fate, I dare you to give me worse laundry conditions. And fate promptly gave me college, where I now have to spend three dollars on washing and drying. Again, I thought to myself, watch me tempt fate, because it can’t get worse than this. (Mind you, I said it in a sarcastic tone, so it shouldn't count.) But fate did not disappoint, it sent me to a public Laundromat.

To be clear, I’m a selective germaphobe. I might be messy sometimes but when it comes to germs lathered on the clothes that’s touching my skin? Unacceptable. Which was why I put off doing laundry for a while because hey, at least it’s my own germs, not the germs of the entire Paris city being swished around in a washing machine. But eventually I caved, hence the outcome of this post.

I took a suitcase to the Laundromat while dressed like a hobo, because I had absolutely nothing else to wear and a toga would be too scandalous. Laundry here is expensive! Depending how much clothes you have, you select the washing machine ranging from 3kg to over 10kg, and they differ in prices. First you put your clothes in. Then you remember the number of your machine and go over to the paying machine. You key in your number, and it will tell you how much to pay. You pay, then you return to the washing machine, flip open the lid on top and pour detergent into the little containers. Start the machine and voila. It might look simple but to be honest, it took me a while to get everything going, especially since when everything was in French. 60k education per year and can’t properly operate in a Laundromat, Greeaat.

The wait took about 40 minutes. I just took some work with me and sat around inside the Laundromat because I was too lazy to go back to my studio. The drying cycle actually took a lot less time than back at GW. It was one euro per cycle and the wait was 20 minutes. So after spending 8 euros and fumbling around like a fool, I now have clean clothes. Fresh like a bunny.