Week Three: I'm Here For the Longrun

The third week of living in France has come to an end. It’s official: I have stayed in France longer than I have on my vacations. The whole concept of not being a tourist is finally sinking in for me. I live in Paris (eek!). With classes having started last week, my daily routine is beginning to slowly come together. Of course though, I’ve left parts of my days unscheduled to roam about Paris. I’ve really begun to enjoy walking around the streets of Paris with my friends throughout the day. It’s amazing that I can utter out the words “let’s go to the Eiffel tower” or “want to go shopping on St.Germain today?” casually. I feel like the coolest girl in the world when I can casually after a day of classes walk around Paris. I’m also begging to grasp the concept that Paris is my classroom, not just the space at IES. I’m lucky enough to be taking classes through IES that allows me to see artwork, monuments, and historical sites as part of the curriculum. For example, this week my class went to see the Louvre and Carnavalet. As much as I hate to admit it, it’s nice having classes that give you an extra push to go see these museums. They’re honestly fabulous and with my student card, getting in to see spectacular art pieces is astounding. Tip for future and current students: Take your student card with you at all times. Some days I have no idea what I have in store. I’ll just be walking around with my friends and we’ll decide to go to a monument or museum. With the student card you can get in to most places for free or at a discount. For example last night I went with some friends up the Arc de Triumphe for free. The rules are getting a bit tougher (some will ask for your passport to see if you’re from the EU), I simply respond in French that I don’t (which really for a museum why would I?) and it’s all peachy. If you’re going with a group of friends (and you should be doing this regardless if you’re trying to get in for free or not) speak French. If you’re speaking English with your friends it will be an automatic give away that you’re not an EU citizen. Last blog post, I talked about that I had my first interview in France. For my internship class I went to two interviews. I won’t go into full detail about the interviews because honestly, it would require a novel. The drive through version will have to suffice. So here it goes: Just like in the US, there will be both informal and formal interviews. Now I’ve only had two interviews while here in France, so I wouldn’t consider myself an expert on the topic. But I have noticed a few trends from what I’ve experienced as well as my friends who are partaking in an internship this semester. Interviews are informal here. Now that doesn’t mean dress code. When I say “informal” I’m referring to how I felt during the interview process. It was very relaxing and I felt “at home” during the interviews. Of course, each interview is going to be different depending on the enterprise that you’re trying to work for. My first interview was at the company’s headquarters while the second interview was at a restaurant. Just like in the US, interviews are going to be nerve wracking at first. But remember friends- an hour after the interview- all will be fine. Like all internships, the waiting game can be stressful. Practice with someone what you’re going to say. Both of my interviews where in French and English (or as I like to say Franglais) so I translated my titles and job descriptions in French. At the end of the day, its better to be safe than sorry. Oh and one last thing- always bring a copy of your resume (or CV as they say here) with you to the interview. This weekend was my first three day weekend. I’ve enjoyed having a couple days to do chores, homework (because after all there is the “study” in study abroad), and getting to explore France a bit more. My friends and I decided this week to try a fondue restaurant. Honestly, it was one of the most enjoyable nights here in Paris. I love when I have the opportunity to get to know more people, especially at places that serve their drinks in baby bottles. Paris has a lot to offer, both normal and odd, so why not try a bit of both? This was my first weekend being in Paris on a Sunday. I remembered hearing from my family back home that stores might not be open on Sunday. The idea baffled me. I’m in Paris- why would things ever be closed? I was wrong. Fortunately I prepared myself yesterday and had gone to the grocery store yesterday just in case. Boy was that smart. Today my roommate Harriet and I decided to take a walk in our part of town. Almost everything was closed. Even Zara. And the cafes that were open (or at least the one that we went into) only served drinks. Paris (or at least the area that I’m in) feels like as if a Zombie apocalypse took over. What to look forward to this week: It’s the beginning of February. The weather has been a bit off putting lately. Even though I’m from Minnesota, I hate the snow. It’s been snowing here in Paris for the past couple of days and it has not made me as motivated as I hoped to go outside. But I’m in Paris. The snow will not damper my day. I have decided this month that I’m going sans Pass Navigo. I’m excited to get my exercise in walking to and from school, even if it happens in the rain :) . The great thing about Paris though is that I never know what to expect for the day. I'm excited to see what this week has in store and who I will meet. But in order for me to do that, I'm going to have to get off of my laptop and stop writing. So until next week, Sabrina