3 weeks in....
Hey, not done a blog for a while so I think it's time for a catch up. =)
For those who didn't read or want to read my first blog again , I've put the link down below. My computor didn't recognise my password when I was trying to log in to create this entry and so i decided to start again after 50 million attmepts to get the right one:
http://chutchesson92.blogspot.fr/
It's been almost 3 weeks since I arrived here, and it's is flipping awesome. The weather has been really nice. Sunny, but not too hot, sometimes with a breeze (even though the French think it's cold for them atm - I've seen some in coats!), uni stuff has finally worked out I have a half price library card for the Ecully library, I've met some nice people and the food.... OMG!! For those of you who don't know, Lyon is one of THE gastrinomic places, so I've had some pretty damn good meals out and some good deals (such as a massive salad, drink and desert for 8 euros)! However, I've learnt that food can be expensive in the supermarkets if you don't choose and plan wisely =(
I am getting used to the family life here as well. I try and intergrate with them when I feel I can, and we don't live completely independant of each other or anything, which is really good. The eldest child has just started to learn English at school and she always asks me for help with her homework. She's only been doing basics like the alphabet and colours but she's improving all the time. I now also have her and the middle child, addicted to Avatar: the Last Airbender* and they are approaching the end of the 1st season - I knew that might come in handy when I notcied my dics had a French dub =P
I finally got my student card on Friday. Getting that was an actual NIGHTMARE!!! How it works is that you have to go to the International Relations department in the university and they give you your student certificate. But they won't let you have the card (even though it's made as the same time as the certificate) until you go to the bank next door and get insurance. And I was being sent back all the time because I never had the right documentation. A lot of frustration and wishing to strangle people's necks later, you get a pack of papers, one of whom, you hand back to the uni and only THEN can you get a piece of plastic. You cannot imagine my relief when I finally got it!!!!!!! I am now officially a student at l'Universite Jean-Moulin Lyon 3!!!! =D
With that, I managed to by a half-price card for the metro and buses, and as I have to take both for uni every day, (doesn't take long, but still) it's going to save me so much money!!
Also, I am picking modules at this moment. I have to take "Le Francais pour les etrangeres" and "La culture Francaise" and something Italian, but the rest is up to me. So I am hoping to do a module which specialises in French-English translations and (I really hope) Japenese. Everyone I've told has told me it's hard but to be honest, I'm not really put off by that, as it is something I always wanted to try, especially from when I got interested in Japanese anime etc. Before we left, one of the German lecturers, Linda, told us to try different stuff when we're abroad; I'm just following her advice =P The annoying thing is that we have to sort out our own timetable and when going online, some of the courses still don't have times yet, so I can't officially choose atm, but only try out some here and there and get a feel of how things are taught. It's a giant headache and has made me realise how much Bangor has done for me.
I have been out a lot, exploring Lyon etc with my friends from Bangor, Ellie, James, Josh and Heloise. We managed to find some really nice places that include flavored Jack Daniel's, beer jugs and free shots, mostly in Vieux (or to the people who don't know French, Old) Lyon. Vieux Lyon is really beautiful, with the cathedral and lots of cobbled streets and it really reminds me of when I went to the Old Town in Vilnius, which is the capital city of Lithuania (and you should really go to btw) and also parts of Italy like Venice or Verona =)
It is also round that area where Josh and I might have found a possible church. He heard about it on the internet and emailed the Pastor, who seems a fairly nice guy. I was really happy to find one actually as most churches round here are Catholic - big problem as I am not a Catholic. It felt more like the church I go to at home mixed with the Methodist down my steet that me and my family go to for Christmas, rather than Penrallt back in Bangor. But it was alright and I am keeping my mind open. Josh and I were talking to the Pastor at the end of the service and he said they do student meetings once an month, which is good =)
On Friday night, Ellie and I went to a buffet style drop-in for students. Both of us found families through an agency and the coordinator invited us to meet others who found accomodation through her. We met people from a variety of nationalities including China, the US, Germany, Spain, Ukraine and even Sweden. Here's hoping that we meet up again =)
Thanks for reading. Until next time =)
Charlotte
*NB: NOT THE CRAPPY MOVIE!!!! Watch the cartoon it's based on - THAT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!
For those who didn't read or want to read my first blog again , I've put the link down below. My computor didn't recognise my password when I was trying to log in to create this entry and so i decided to start again after 50 million attmepts to get the right one:
http://chutchesson92.blogspot.fr/
It's been almost 3 weeks since I arrived here, and it's is flipping awesome. The weather has been really nice. Sunny, but not too hot, sometimes with a breeze (even though the French think it's cold for them atm - I've seen some in coats!), uni stuff has finally worked out I have a half price library card for the Ecully library, I've met some nice people and the food.... OMG!! For those of you who don't know, Lyon is one of THE gastrinomic places, so I've had some pretty damn good meals out and some good deals (such as a massive salad, drink and desert for 8 euros)! However, I've learnt that food can be expensive in the supermarkets if you don't choose and plan wisely =(
I am getting used to the family life here as well. I try and intergrate with them when I feel I can, and we don't live completely independant of each other or anything, which is really good. The eldest child has just started to learn English at school and she always asks me for help with her homework. She's only been doing basics like the alphabet and colours but she's improving all the time. I now also have her and the middle child, addicted to Avatar: the Last Airbender* and they are approaching the end of the 1st season - I knew that might come in handy when I notcied my dics had a French dub =P
I finally got my student card on Friday. Getting that was an actual NIGHTMARE!!! How it works is that you have to go to the International Relations department in the university and they give you your student certificate. But they won't let you have the card (even though it's made as the same time as the certificate) until you go to the bank next door and get insurance. And I was being sent back all the time because I never had the right documentation. A lot of frustration and wishing to strangle people's necks later, you get a pack of papers, one of whom, you hand back to the uni and only THEN can you get a piece of plastic. You cannot imagine my relief when I finally got it!!!!!!! I am now officially a student at l'Universite Jean-Moulin Lyon 3!!!! =D
With that, I managed to by a half-price card for the metro and buses, and as I have to take both for uni every day, (doesn't take long, but still) it's going to save me so much money!!
Also, I am picking modules at this moment. I have to take "Le Francais pour les etrangeres" and "La culture Francaise" and something Italian, but the rest is up to me. So I am hoping to do a module which specialises in French-English translations and (I really hope) Japenese. Everyone I've told has told me it's hard but to be honest, I'm not really put off by that, as it is something I always wanted to try, especially from when I got interested in Japanese anime etc. Before we left, one of the German lecturers, Linda, told us to try different stuff when we're abroad; I'm just following her advice =P The annoying thing is that we have to sort out our own timetable and when going online, some of the courses still don't have times yet, so I can't officially choose atm, but only try out some here and there and get a feel of how things are taught. It's a giant headache and has made me realise how much Bangor has done for me.
I have been out a lot, exploring Lyon etc with my friends from Bangor, Ellie, James, Josh and Heloise. We managed to find some really nice places that include flavored Jack Daniel's, beer jugs and free shots, mostly in Vieux (or to the people who don't know French, Old) Lyon. Vieux Lyon is really beautiful, with the cathedral and lots of cobbled streets and it really reminds me of when I went to the Old Town in Vilnius, which is the capital city of Lithuania (and you should really go to btw) and also parts of Italy like Venice or Verona =)
It is also round that area where Josh and I might have found a possible church. He heard about it on the internet and emailed the Pastor, who seems a fairly nice guy. I was really happy to find one actually as most churches round here are Catholic - big problem as I am not a Catholic. It felt more like the church I go to at home mixed with the Methodist down my steet that me and my family go to for Christmas, rather than Penrallt back in Bangor. But it was alright and I am keeping my mind open. Josh and I were talking to the Pastor at the end of the service and he said they do student meetings once an month, which is good =)
On Friday night, Ellie and I went to a buffet style drop-in for students. Both of us found families through an agency and the coordinator invited us to meet others who found accomodation through her. We met people from a variety of nationalities including China, the US, Germany, Spain, Ukraine and even Sweden. Here's hoping that we meet up again =)
Thanks for reading. Until next time =)
Charlotte
*NB: NOT THE CRAPPY MOVIE!!!! Watch the cartoon it's based on - THAT IS AMAZING!!!!!!!
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