Right now, I'm at Victor Hugo park at the moment so I can get internet. I don't have internet at my dorm at the moment because I don't have my student card from INPG. It's only like a 10 minute tram ride to Victor Hugo. Everything is practically closed on Sunday here, supermarkets, French restaurants, clothing stores, pharmacies... except McDonalds and bars.
I had such an eventful weekend. Friday night, there were 6 of us who wanted to cook at the hostel. So, we all bought some spaghetti, sauce, cheese, bread, and ham. Our cooking wasn't bad. The only bad thing was that I had to share plates and forks, because there were only 2 plates and 2 forks. It was interesting. Then, we decided to drink at the bar. YES, THERE IS A BAR IN THE HOSTEL. It made me happy. :)
Saturday, I moved into my dorm. Thank god, Céline came to the hostel and helped me move all my stuff to my dorm. After, I unpacked a bit and went to the supermarket. I'm happy it's only like a 5 minute walk. So, I bought a pillow, sheets, soap, cleaning solution, and some food. It ended up being about 75 euros. God damn, everything in France is just god damn expensive. Also, I think because there are a couple of dorms nearby, they can get away with a huge increase in prices. I went to another supermarket just 10 minutes down the road and it was so much cheaper. Later that day, all the international students met up and we climbed up a mountain to see the Bastille. What a beautiful view of the city. It was damn hot. It took us about 2 hours to walk up there. I almost died and killed the turk, because we decided to take a shortcut, and let's say that the shortcut was not very safe. Thank god, I didn't fall backwards, because that probably would have not been pretty. I do have some sick scars from it. Haha. At the top of the Bastille, we were all sweaty and disgusting, but the view was just beautiful. I will put up some pictures on facebook.
Later that night, we all went out to the bar, after taking showers. We had the previous Brazlians, Spanish, Germans, Russian, Italians, Swedish, but we added another Swede, German, 2 Brazilians, and a Polish person to the group last night. I tried a beer, Welscotch, and am in love with it. For a pint, it was like, 6 euros. Fucking outrageous! But I had 2 of them. DELICIOUS! I might have drank way too much last night, but I think it's because I didn't really get to eat dinner that night. Haha.
Anyway, I think the international students are going to another bar tonight. This time, I won't drink that much. :)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
More foreigners?
Today, I met a bunch of other students who are studying abroad with me. They're all going to INPG, but we're all in different schools. There are 4 Brazilians, 3 Germans, 2 Italians, 1 Turk, 1 Russian, 2 Spanish, and 1 Swede. Oh, there's also Anne. It's interesting to talk to them. I'm disappointed though, because everyone knows English and they all want to speak English. Anyway, they suck at speaking French. Only the Brazilians are the ones who want to speak French with me. The other people suck.
My mind is basically in French mode right now. I answer everything in French and want to speak it constantly. It's amazing. I even sometimes get stuck on my English now. It's sad. I found a new hobby of speaking English with a French accent. I think I'm actually pretty good right now. I might put a video up. Haha.
Fanny packs, tiny man purses, guy capris, and wearing jeans in 90+ degree weather is all the fad here. It's horrible. Haha!
My mind is basically in French mode right now. I answer everything in French and want to speak it constantly. It's amazing. I even sometimes get stuck on my English now. It's sad. I found a new hobby of speaking English with a French accent. I think I'm actually pretty good right now. I might put a video up. Haha.
Fanny packs, tiny man purses, guy capris, and wearing jeans in 90+ degree weather is all the fad here. It's horrible. Haha!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Hostel!
This morning, I went to the train station to meet up with Olivier, Xavier, Céline, the 3 Brazilians (Léonardo, Joel, and James), and Anne. We were looking for another exchange student from Italy, but we could not find him. I hope that kid is going to be fine by himself. Anyway, the students helped me move from my hotel to the hostel. I moved in with the 3 Brazilians. This hostel is so much cheaper than the hotel. I'm getting 2 nights and free breakfast for less than 1 night at the hotel, which didn't offer a free breakfast. However, I'm now living with 3 other guys, in a dirtier hostel, about a 15 minute bus ride from the center of Grenoble. I guess it's not too bad for 2 more nights.
Anyway, today, I met with Céline and she took me on a tour of the campus of INPG. She showed me the PHELMA school and where my dorm is located. She also attempted to explain "renter's insurance, social security, and health care" in French to me. Didn't work out too well, but apparently, it's all really cheap and I get amazing care. Céline had to go back to work, so I went and got a bus pass for the year. It costs about 205 euros, but it works on all the city buses and trams. I also finally got a sim card and a pay-as-you-go plan for my phone. Thank god I unlocked my phone and am using it over here. It's so much cheaper. Phones in France are insane. At least, 40-50 euros for even the most basic phones. The phone plans are even worst. It's like, 26 euro a month for only 1 hour of calling and you have free texting from like, 6pm to 10pm. Any other texts costs 10 cents each. The plans just get worst as you go up in minutes. I am happy that I actually have a phone now.
I am becoming extremely mentally exhausted from these days. All day, I have to concentrate on everything people say and I have to think about everything I want to say. It's really challenging. I haven't felt this challenging in a long while. These first 3 days have been insane. :)
Anyway, today, I met with Céline and she took me on a tour of the campus of INPG. She showed me the PHELMA school and where my dorm is located. She also attempted to explain "renter's insurance, social security, and health care" in French to me. Didn't work out too well, but apparently, it's all really cheap and I get amazing care. Céline had to go back to work, so I went and got a bus pass for the year. It costs about 205 euros, but it works on all the city buses and trams. I also finally got a sim card and a pay-as-you-go plan for my phone. Thank god I unlocked my phone and am using it over here. It's so much cheaper. Phones in France are insane. At least, 40-50 euros for even the most basic phones. The phone plans are even worst. It's like, 26 euro a month for only 1 hour of calling and you have free texting from like, 6pm to 10pm. Any other texts costs 10 cents each. The plans just get worst as you go up in minutes. I am happy that I actually have a phone now.
I am becoming extremely mentally exhausted from these days. All day, I have to concentrate on everything people say and I have to think about everything I want to say. It's really challenging. I haven't felt this challenging in a long while. These first 3 days have been insane. :)
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Pictures!
First thing, I finally took some pictures of the city. I'll put them up on facebook soon.
This morning, I wondered around the city for about 2 hours. I was looking for a razor and q-tips, but was unsuccessful. Sucks. I really need those items. Then, I met up with Olivier and Tatiana, the two who picked me up from the train station, and we looked at cell phone plans. Cell phone plans in France suck. It's so expensive, you don't get a lot of minutes, and barely any texts. I don't really know if I am going to be talking much on the phone, so I don't even know which plan to get. Sucks. After, we went to LCL to set up a bank account. I'm was trying really hard to understand everything the bank lady said, but she was speaking in bank terms. It was really confusing, but I got the majority of it. After, we met up with 3 Brazilian kids, who are attending INPG with me. Leonardo, Joel, and James. I really like them. It's interesting because they speak Portuguese, English, and French. So, when they don't know something in French, they'll try to speak English with me. Unfortunately, I only have the option of French. The four of us, with our international buddies, decided to go to a bar for an evening drink. I got the Allifgem Blonde. It's a pretty good Belgium beer. After, we went back to our places. I'm starting to like this place quite a bit. It's literally, surrounded on every single side by mountains. And now that I met some people, I'm starting to enjoy it. The only thing that sucks is that things in France are just so much more expensive than in the United States.
In other news, I'm going to have a sick upper body after this week. I've been hulling my heavy luggage around and carried a heavy backpack for 7 hours today. Haha. :)
This morning, I wondered around the city for about 2 hours. I was looking for a razor and q-tips, but was unsuccessful. Sucks. I really need those items. Then, I met up with Olivier and Tatiana, the two who picked me up from the train station, and we looked at cell phone plans. Cell phone plans in France suck. It's so expensive, you don't get a lot of minutes, and barely any texts. I don't really know if I am going to be talking much on the phone, so I don't even know which plan to get. Sucks. After, we went to LCL to set up a bank account. I'm was trying really hard to understand everything the bank lady said, but she was speaking in bank terms. It was really confusing, but I got the majority of it. After, we met up with 3 Brazilian kids, who are attending INPG with me. Leonardo, Joel, and James. I really like them. It's interesting because they speak Portuguese, English, and French. So, when they don't know something in French, they'll try to speak English with me. Unfortunately, I only have the option of French. The four of us, with our international buddies, decided to go to a bar for an evening drink. I got the Allifgem Blonde. It's a pretty good Belgium beer. After, we went back to our places. I'm starting to like this place quite a bit. It's literally, surrounded on every single side by mountains. And now that I met some people, I'm starting to enjoy it. The only thing that sucks is that things in France are just so much more expensive than in the United States.
In other news, I'm going to have a sick upper body after this week. I've been hulling my heavy luggage around and carried a heavy backpack for 7 hours today. Haha. :)
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Finalement, en France!
This one's going to be long...
Monday: It was the hardest day so far. I finished packing in the morning and spent time with my family and Anne after. I'm not good at saying goodbyes... It's just really hard to let go.
My flight: Long, restless, and boring. It was an 8 hour flight from Detroit to Amsterdam. I really should have gotten a good night's rest the night before, but that didn't happen. The reason I say this is because I arrived in Amsterdam at noon. I left at 9:00 at night. I did manage to fall asleep for about 4 hours and that's all I've been running on today. Amsterdam's airport Schipol was impressive. It's pretty much a huge, fancy shopping mall with airplanes. It looked so nice. Oh, I also exchanged about 800 US dollars for about 515 euros. What a crappy exchange rate.
Flight #2: A much shorter flight this time. It was only an 1 hour and 20 minute flight from Amsterdam to Geneva. Once again, Geneva's airport is impressive, but not as impressive as Amsterdam's.
Geneva airport to train station: Anne Thiel and I first had to figure out how to get to the train station, with our heavy bags. We got onto a tram and successfully got there. However, Anne had to pick her ticket from the office but the line was too long and the train was leaving soon. So, we barely made the train and she had to buy a ticket on the train. Close call.
Train ride: Geneva to Grenoble. Beautiful. The Alps, rivers, lakes, all the green vegetation. All so pretty.
Once I got off the train, Anne was meeting with her international buddy, Sophie. Sophie came with her mom. I was greeted the French way, with a bise. It was cute. I was surprisingly greeted by two people from the International Bureau for INPG Phelma. Tatiana and Olivier showed up. It was really exciting. I sent the International Bureau at least 4 emails and they never replied. They helped me carry my heavy luggage. They advised me on not staying in the hostel, since it's so far away. It's a good 10-15 minute drive from the center of town. So now, I'm in a cheap hotel for the first night. Anyway, they showed me around the city. They showed me where the students hang out, the campus of INPG, where to get good food, and things to do. It was really nice of them. Apparently, they'll be helping me out tomorrow with my cell phone and bank account. That is really nice of them. I know this is all very exciting, but the reality of being here for a year is starting to creep in. Damn.
Well, I'm going to finally get some rest after 4 hours of sleep and over 13 hours of travel. Good night. I'll try to update when I have internet again. :)
Monday: It was the hardest day so far. I finished packing in the morning and spent time with my family and Anne after. I'm not good at saying goodbyes... It's just really hard to let go.
My flight: Long, restless, and boring. It was an 8 hour flight from Detroit to Amsterdam. I really should have gotten a good night's rest the night before, but that didn't happen. The reason I say this is because I arrived in Amsterdam at noon. I left at 9:00 at night. I did manage to fall asleep for about 4 hours and that's all I've been running on today. Amsterdam's airport Schipol was impressive. It's pretty much a huge, fancy shopping mall with airplanes. It looked so nice. Oh, I also exchanged about 800 US dollars for about 515 euros. What a crappy exchange rate.
Flight #2: A much shorter flight this time. It was only an 1 hour and 20 minute flight from Amsterdam to Geneva. Once again, Geneva's airport is impressive, but not as impressive as Amsterdam's.
Geneva airport to train station: Anne Thiel and I first had to figure out how to get to the train station, with our heavy bags. We got onto a tram and successfully got there. However, Anne had to pick her ticket from the office but the line was too long and the train was leaving soon. So, we barely made the train and she had to buy a ticket on the train. Close call.
Train ride: Geneva to Grenoble. Beautiful. The Alps, rivers, lakes, all the green vegetation. All so pretty.
Once I got off the train, Anne was meeting with her international buddy, Sophie. Sophie came with her mom. I was greeted the French way, with a bise. It was cute. I was surprisingly greeted by two people from the International Bureau for INPG Phelma. Tatiana and Olivier showed up. It was really exciting. I sent the International Bureau at least 4 emails and they never replied. They helped me carry my heavy luggage. They advised me on not staying in the hostel, since it's so far away. It's a good 10-15 minute drive from the center of town. So now, I'm in a cheap hotel for the first night. Anyway, they showed me around the city. They showed me where the students hang out, the campus of INPG, where to get good food, and things to do. It was really nice of them. Apparently, they'll be helping me out tomorrow with my cell phone and bank account. That is really nice of them. I know this is all very exciting, but the reality of being here for a year is starting to creep in. Damn.
Well, I'm going to finally get some rest after 4 hours of sleep and over 13 hours of travel. Good night. I'll try to update when I have internet again. :)
Monday, August 17, 2009
Less than 19 hours!
Salut, tout le monde! I started this blog to share with all of you my study abroad in Grenoble, France. So, get excited!
Update! I leave in about 19 hours from now. I am almost completely packed up and ready to go. I can't believe I was able to fit basically, my life, into 2 big suitcases, a backpack, and a small carry-on bag. I hope that my bags aren't over the 50 pound weight limit. Eeeekk. I should get some rest tonight, and in the morning, I can finish up packing and clean up my room a bit before I go.
Other than the mindless packing and preparation, saying goodbye to everyone has been one of the hardest things that I've had to do. It feels like I'm going to be gone for a lifetime, but in reality, I'm only going to be gone for a year. I'm really going to miss my family and friends. It's really hard leaving my little brother, as he's going to be going to Michigan State this year and I want to be there for him. My parents are freaking out quite a bit. It's also difficult leaving my close friends and my girlfriend. I'm absolutely horrible at saying my goodbyes. I mean, leaving this comfort zone that I have here is one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome. It really isn't easy to leave and go to an unknown area. Remember Mikey, it's only one year.
Otherwise, I'm excited. I don't know what to expect when I get there. I'll be living in a hostel for the first couple nights, until I can move into my dorm. I'll spend the first night in the hostel and if I feel like it's too shady for me, I might get an hotel.
I'm just going to take it one step at a time. :)
Update! I leave in about 19 hours from now. I am almost completely packed up and ready to go. I can't believe I was able to fit basically, my life, into 2 big suitcases, a backpack, and a small carry-on bag. I hope that my bags aren't over the 50 pound weight limit. Eeeekk. I should get some rest tonight, and in the morning, I can finish up packing and clean up my room a bit before I go.
Other than the mindless packing and preparation, saying goodbye to everyone has been one of the hardest things that I've had to do. It feels like I'm going to be gone for a lifetime, but in reality, I'm only going to be gone for a year. I'm really going to miss my family and friends. It's really hard leaving my little brother, as he's going to be going to Michigan State this year and I want to be there for him. My parents are freaking out quite a bit. It's also difficult leaving my close friends and my girlfriend. I'm absolutely horrible at saying my goodbyes. I mean, leaving this comfort zone that I have here is one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome. It really isn't easy to leave and go to an unknown area. Remember Mikey, it's only one year.
Otherwise, I'm excited. I don't know what to expect when I get there. I'll be living in a hostel for the first couple nights, until I can move into my dorm. I'll spend the first night in the hostel and if I feel like it's too shady for me, I might get an hotel.
I'm just going to take it one step at a time. :)
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