Yes, I know... wasn't I supposed to go to Villefranche today to look at an apartment? Well, as I was getting ready this morning I hear my cell phone ring and its the lady from the agency. She tells me that she accidently scheduled 2 appointments at the same time. I was a little annoyed and tried to see if she could change the other by saying that I had already bought my ticket (which I had done yesterday). She then pointed out that even though I had bought a ticket for today, I could use it for the next day. She was right.
So now, I will be going back to Villefranche tomorrow instead to check in at the school I will be working at and checking out the apartment that is available.
Sorry for the lack of editing but I tried to post all these blog entries plus upload pictures on Facebook and respond to emails at the same time.
Enjoy and Bisous!
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
September 28, 2009
I have made it through my first week! Its hard to believe that I have only been here for a week since I have done pretty much everything I expected to do in a month…well, maybe. I’m just shocked that so much has happened already and it’s only the beginning. I guess this is going to be a pretty good year.
Last night, once we got back from St. Symphorien, we accompanied Guillaume’s friend, Guillaume, to the Gare de Perrache (train station). He was going back to Paris since he is studying there at a business school. Once his train left, Guillaume and I started walking home. My parents called me and I talked to them while we walked back.
We were ready to go to bed. I planned on watching a movie before going to sleep but our plans changed as soon as we walked into the hall way. One of Guillaume’s neighbors was locked out of her apartment. She had her keys and what not, but the lock was blocked or stuck somehow. So, being the nice guys that we are, or that Guillaume is, since I didn’t really do much. He let her use his phone to call her parents, helped her to try and find a number she could call, and eventually helped her by giving her a check for almost 500 euro!
Her parents were able to give her a number of a 24/7 locksmith. But wow, was it expensive! It took the guy less than 3 minutes to get the door open. But, just for calling him, it cost 200 euro. Then he added extra because it was a Sunday night/Monday morning. And, on top of that, she also had to pay for the part that was replaced on the door. Fortunately, Guillaume is a really nice guy and let the guy leave with a signed check for the amount. The girl didn’t have a checkbook or anything, so the check had to be used as a deposit. Guillaume will get his check back but only when the girl’s parents send her a check to take to the locksmith. As of today, still no word from her so he’ll have to wait.
Today was a good day. I woke up at 10, got ready, and went out to discover Lyon. I left at about 11 and was back at the apartment by 6 or so. During that entire block of time, I was able to walk all over Lyon and do all the tourist stuff. The only thing that I wasn’t able to do was go to the museums since they are all closed on Monday. But, I did a good job. I had no idea how to get around Lyon, so I just went with my instinct. I looked at a map in my guidebook and kinda planned out where and what I wanted to see.
The pictures I took were pretty awesome. The day was beautiful. It was sunny and warm but not hot like I imagine it was in California. I went to the Bellecour district, walked past the University of Lyon 2, crossed both the Rhone and Soane rivers, went into several churches and visited la Basilique de Fourviere – the cathedral that can be seen from almost anywhere in Lyon since its at the top of a hill. It was cool to walk around the old roman ruins and then move into the old part of the city and eventually coming back to the modern area.
I came back to Guillaume’s after going to the Gare and buying my ticket to Villefranche for tomorrow. I have a meeting with a housing agency and hopefully, the apartment they show me will be nice. I am also going to the school where I will be working to find out where exactly I have to go on Thursday. It also won’t hurt to see how much time it will take me to walk from the train station to the school so that I can be prepared to arrive on time on Thursday.
After smoking some hooka or “chi cha (shi-sha)” with 2 of his friends, we all went out to eat Qwik – the French version of a fast food restaurant. It wasn’t bad since it definitely tasted natural and fresh! I could tell the difference right away. The taste was also a little special since they had some pretty weird sauces.
Now, I am just plain tired. I don’t know how many miles I walked but I must have only sat for 20 minutes the entire time. I’m probably going to bed early since I have to wake up, get ready, and head out for Perrache to catch my train to Villefranche. There is still a strike going on in Lyon so the metro I would take to Part Dieu – the first station I went to Villefranche from – is too far to get to. Luckily, I was able to get tickets from Perrache and will only have to walk 15 minutes instead of an hour. I hope my day will be just as good as today and that I have more luck with my housing than I did last time.
A bientôt!
Last night, once we got back from St. Symphorien, we accompanied Guillaume’s friend, Guillaume, to the Gare de Perrache (train station). He was going back to Paris since he is studying there at a business school. Once his train left, Guillaume and I started walking home. My parents called me and I talked to them while we walked back.
We were ready to go to bed. I planned on watching a movie before going to sleep but our plans changed as soon as we walked into the hall way. One of Guillaume’s neighbors was locked out of her apartment. She had her keys and what not, but the lock was blocked or stuck somehow. So, being the nice guys that we are, or that Guillaume is, since I didn’t really do much. He let her use his phone to call her parents, helped her to try and find a number she could call, and eventually helped her by giving her a check for almost 500 euro!
Her parents were able to give her a number of a 24/7 locksmith. But wow, was it expensive! It took the guy less than 3 minutes to get the door open. But, just for calling him, it cost 200 euro. Then he added extra because it was a Sunday night/Monday morning. And, on top of that, she also had to pay for the part that was replaced on the door. Fortunately, Guillaume is a really nice guy and let the guy leave with a signed check for the amount. The girl didn’t have a checkbook or anything, so the check had to be used as a deposit. Guillaume will get his check back but only when the girl’s parents send her a check to take to the locksmith. As of today, still no word from her so he’ll have to wait.
Today was a good day. I woke up at 10, got ready, and went out to discover Lyon. I left at about 11 and was back at the apartment by 6 or so. During that entire block of time, I was able to walk all over Lyon and do all the tourist stuff. The only thing that I wasn’t able to do was go to the museums since they are all closed on Monday. But, I did a good job. I had no idea how to get around Lyon, so I just went with my instinct. I looked at a map in my guidebook and kinda planned out where and what I wanted to see.
The pictures I took were pretty awesome. The day was beautiful. It was sunny and warm but not hot like I imagine it was in California. I went to the Bellecour district, walked past the University of Lyon 2, crossed both the Rhone and Soane rivers, went into several churches and visited la Basilique de Fourviere – the cathedral that can be seen from almost anywhere in Lyon since its at the top of a hill. It was cool to walk around the old roman ruins and then move into the old part of the city and eventually coming back to the modern area.
I came back to Guillaume’s after going to the Gare and buying my ticket to Villefranche for tomorrow. I have a meeting with a housing agency and hopefully, the apartment they show me will be nice. I am also going to the school where I will be working to find out where exactly I have to go on Thursday. It also won’t hurt to see how much time it will take me to walk from the train station to the school so that I can be prepared to arrive on time on Thursday.
After smoking some hooka or “chi cha (shi-sha)” with 2 of his friends, we all went out to eat Qwik – the French version of a fast food restaurant. It wasn’t bad since it definitely tasted natural and fresh! I could tell the difference right away. The taste was also a little special since they had some pretty weird sauces.
Now, I am just plain tired. I don’t know how many miles I walked but I must have only sat for 20 minutes the entire time. I’m probably going to bed early since I have to wake up, get ready, and head out for Perrache to catch my train to Villefranche. There is still a strike going on in Lyon so the metro I would take to Part Dieu – the first station I went to Villefranche from – is too far to get to. Luckily, I was able to get tickets from Perrache and will only have to walk 15 minutes instead of an hour. I hope my day will be just as good as today and that I have more luck with my housing than I did last time.
A bientôt!
September 25/26, 2009
The weekend had started on Thursday. And Guillaume was not ready to stop. We ate dinner with his parents and then I waited for him to come back from a meeting. Meanwhile, I talked to his mom and his sisters about what I had been up to since I had last seen them in February.
Guillaume came back at about 11pm only to tell me to get dressed and ready to go. He wanted to take me to Pablos – a club that was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by crops.
His friends Ivan and Jean-Charles picked us up and we left for Pablos which was 30 minutes away. We stopped at a bar and had a beer and then made it to the club eventually. It turned out to be pretty cool but I was shocked by the prices for the drinks. We split a half bottle of vodka between 3 of us which in total cost 80 Euro! FML.
We left the club early since it wasn’t packed like it usually is and stopped at a boulangerie (bakery). Since it was 3 am, the bakers were already making the bread for the morning. For about 1, 50 euro, I was able to buy some fresh pain au chocolat right out of the oven.
We got back to Guillaume’s around 4 and slept until
We got to the house and proceeded towards the barn, which is where all the fun was happening. We sat and talked to everyone and eventually carried on with the drinking. Guillaume got so drunk that we had to stay the night at his friends place. He passed out early and I was able to keep playing the French drinking games until eventually we were all ready to pass out.
We came back to his parents’ house at noon, hung-over and tired and then relaxed outside with the family. Maelle, Guillaume’s sister, and I went to the Chateau down the street from their house. We came back and then went out in the car to visit an aunt and an uncle.
For being a weekend in the countryside, it ended up being a lot crazier than I thought and could have imagined. But, the beauty that surrounded the small towns amazed me.
September 24/25, 2009
I waited for Guillaume while he was in class and used his login info to use the computer at the lab in Science Po (the school). I knew that I had to be rested because Guillaume had mentioned how there was a soiree that night.
Guillaume is like the French version of me. We have similar family histories, went abroad at the same age, and do a lot of things outside of school. He is in charge of multiple committees at his school that deal with “integrating” the new students with the older ones.
The soiree was done for that reason. Each older student was paired up with a first year or international student. They were paired up by having all the new students take off a shoe, throw it in a pile and have the older students pick one at random. This was done at about 5:30pm. Then, the older students would have to take their partner out to dinner and then to a place to take an “apero” before going to the dance.
Guillaume and a friend of his took their partners and I to a kebab place. I missed Kebabs sooo much! They are like the European equivalent of Jack in the Box tacos! You can pretty much get them anywhere and at any time.
After that, we stop at an Epicerie (small grocery shops) and buy some beer and start drinking it on the way to the pre-party. There was a metro strike so we had to walk a couple blocks to finally take a metro that would take us closer to our destination. I loved how I had not even been in France for a week and I was already experiencing a strike – they are not always the best things to experience.
We get to the apartment and start drinking some more. French parties are a lot more social than parties in the US. You have to come in and say hi to everyone before finding a group to stick with. I like the “intimacy” that everyone shares. I was welcomed by everyone and of course an interest for them since I was the foreigner. About an hour in, the neighbors came over and asked to keep it quite. That’s when the guys living at the apartment started to send groups of people to the elevator and to the club.
I left with the last group and talked to some people that had studied in California and that were interested in going. For not being around Guillaume, I was fairly comfortable with the strangers.
We walked for what seemed almost 30 minutes before we got to the club. There was a line outside but I was able to cut since I was dressed in the proper attire and didn’t have to leave a jacket at the front. I walked in and it was madness everywhere. The club was full of students. I ran into Guillaume and we proceeded to the bar.
It was fun to party with the French. I also ran into some Californians that are studying through EAP for the semester. We had a good time since the majority of the music they played at the club was all the latest English pop. It was actually kinda funny listening to the French trying to sing along.
The party went on and eventually things started to die down. I was leaving with one of Guillaume’s friends since he had asked me earlier to ask someone if I could stay at their place. Guillaume is also hosting his cousin (for a few more days) and there really wasn’t any room for 3 people in his apartment. So, I went home with Paul, who had gone to Australia for a year. We spoke in English and it was weird to hear him speaking English with an Australian accent.
We got back to his place at 5am. I was completely “broken” as the French say. I woke up at 11 am and helped clean up the apartment a little. I left and then made my way back to Guillaume’s. We were both really tired so we went back to sleep and woke up at 3pm.
We showered, packed, and then met up with one of his friends and his friend’s dad. They gave us a ride to St. Symphorien – Guillaume’s hometown in the countryside.
We arrive and I greet his parents and sisters.
Guillaume is like the French version of me. We have similar family histories, went abroad at the same age, and do a lot of things outside of school. He is in charge of multiple committees at his school that deal with “integrating” the new students with the older ones.
The soiree was done for that reason. Each older student was paired up with a first year or international student. They were paired up by having all the new students take off a shoe, throw it in a pile and have the older students pick one at random. This was done at about 5:30pm. Then, the older students would have to take their partner out to dinner and then to a place to take an “apero” before going to the dance.
Guillaume and a friend of his took their partners and I to a kebab place. I missed Kebabs sooo much! They are like the European equivalent of Jack in the Box tacos! You can pretty much get them anywhere and at any time.
After that, we stop at an Epicerie (small grocery shops) and buy some beer and start drinking it on the way to the pre-party. There was a metro strike so we had to walk a couple blocks to finally take a metro that would take us closer to our destination. I loved how I had not even been in France for a week and I was already experiencing a strike – they are not always the best things to experience.
We get to the apartment and start drinking some more. French parties are a lot more social than parties in the US. You have to come in and say hi to everyone before finding a group to stick with. I like the “intimacy” that everyone shares. I was welcomed by everyone and of course an interest for them since I was the foreigner. About an hour in, the neighbors came over and asked to keep it quite. That’s when the guys living at the apartment started to send groups of people to the elevator and to the club.
I left with the last group and talked to some people that had studied in California and that were interested in going. For not being around Guillaume, I was fairly comfortable with the strangers.
We walked for what seemed almost 30 minutes before we got to the club. There was a line outside but I was able to cut since I was dressed in the proper attire and didn’t have to leave a jacket at the front. I walked in and it was madness everywhere. The club was full of students. I ran into Guillaume and we proceeded to the bar.
It was fun to party with the French. I also ran into some Californians that are studying through EAP for the semester. We had a good time since the majority of the music they played at the club was all the latest English pop. It was actually kinda funny listening to the French trying to sing along.
The party went on and eventually things started to die down. I was leaving with one of Guillaume’s friends since he had asked me earlier to ask someone if I could stay at their place. Guillaume is also hosting his cousin (for a few more days) and there really wasn’t any room for 3 people in his apartment. So, I went home with Paul, who had gone to Australia for a year. We spoke in English and it was weird to hear him speaking English with an Australian accent.
We got back to his place at 5am. I was completely “broken” as the French say. I woke up at 11 am and helped clean up the apartment a little. I left and then made my way back to Guillaume’s. We were both really tired so we went back to sleep and woke up at 3pm.
We showered, packed, and then met up with one of his friends and his friend’s dad. They gave us a ride to St. Symphorien – Guillaume’s hometown in the countryside.
We arrive and I greet his parents and sisters.
September 23, 2009
So after having Guillaume explain to me how to go from his place to the Gare Part-Dieu (train station), I set off all by myself for the first time in
I was already running a little late since I was supposed to be back in
I finally got to the window and bought my ticket aller-retour (round trip). But, the ticket that I ended up buying was for a bus since that was the only option at the time. By the time I had my ticket in hand I had to run to find where I had to get on the bus. I found it right away and got on. Thank goodness I made it just in time. I think the bus was only there for about another 2 minutes before it closed the door and started moving. That’s also when I finally noticed that the bus ride would be an hour – twice as long as I had anticipated. Oh, well.
The bus ride wasn’t bad at all. I liked taking the bus because I was able to see what is between the big city of
Once I got to Villefranche I started my adventure immediately. I guess adventure would not be the best way to describe it since I had a lot of stuff to take care of in a short amount of time. It was 11:20 and I knew that I would have to hurry and get as much done as I could before noon. Everything closed between noon and 2pm. So, I walk into a sandwich shop, buy some food and then ask where the closest “agence immobilier” (housing agency) is. The woman in the shop points outside and shows me the agency across the street. I go in and ask for a studio or one bedroom apartment, but with no luck. I left Guillaume’s number since I didn’t have a cell phone yet. Then, it was noon so I had nothing else to do but wait until the other agency reopened.
While I waited, I just decided to walk around and check out the town since I figured that it wouldn’t hurt considering that I plan on living there. The town is small but pretty busy. There were people walking all over the Rue Nationale – the main street in Villefranche. From what I had seen on Google maps, I thought the town was pretty big. But, it actually took about 30 minutes to walk around the main areas. I’m sure there was a lot more that I didn’t see, but I have a pretty good idea of how the town is divided.
So after waiting for an hour or so, I finally walk into the agency and ask about the apartments that I had seen online. It was too late. They had already been taken. So, I asked if there were anymore available and fortunately yes. I was a little confused because I thought that someone would go with me to show me the apartments but instead, I left my passport and they gave me the keys for 5 different apartments. I had to go to each one by myself.
It was actually pretty scary. The first apartment was all the way at the top of a small 3-story building – the scary part was that the stairs sounded like they were ready to give out. So that one was a definite no. By the end, I had gone to 5 apartments of which 2 were ok – just ok. I was a little bummed but I knew that I couldn’t give up.
Once I was done with that I went to a cell phone store and asked about prepaid phones. And, they are not cheap! In
Overall it was a pretty good day because I was able to go around
September 21st, 2009
Yes, I know. Didn’t I already write an entry for this date? Well, there was much more that happened after I made it to Lyon.
Guillaume drives us back into the city to his apartment. On the way he begins to tell me that he had met a girl from California who I knew. I had no idea who he could possibly be talking about. Turns out that a girl I knew in high school, who was actually in my French class, is studying in Lyon for the year (I think). Again, small world. I say small world because the week before I left, I hosted a student from Lyon who is going to UCR for the year – from the same school Guillaume came from.
Also, Guillaume asked me how tired I am since there was a soirée taking place at a bar for the 1st year students in l’IEP (Institute d’Études Politiques). I figured, why not? I had nothing to lose – except sleep, but I’m sure you all know the saying to counter that.
So, we get to his apartment and start to get ready. After showering and getting dressed, we decide to go find a place to eat. Funny thing was that I was expecting to go out and get some French cuisine (since I am in France) but instead we try this small Chinese restaurant. The place was good and cheap – our bill came out to be 10 euro.
We then start our trek to the bar. We walked all along the Rhone (one of the 2 rivers in Lyon) accompanied by each other and our Amsterdam Maximators (11.6 % Alc Beers = 2,5 euros). I forgot that you could drink on the street in France, and in Europe for the most part. At first, I was a little paranoid, but I got over it quick. I knew I was back in France but this was probably the moment when I realized, I am not in the States anymore and about to try to get accustomed to the French lifestyle. Actually, there were plenty of moments that only added to this feeling.
We get to the bar and all the introductions begin. I can’t tell you who was who since there were way too many names to remember in such a small amount of time. I was able, however, to carry on short and simple conversations with people, which was a big deal for me. Considering I had been in the country for less than 5 hours, I was able to talk to the natives. It was good to start meeting the people since I knew I would be seeing them a lot. Guillaume continues to be the social butterfly – just like in Riverside only more “au natural” being in his home country. There were a couple of times when he disappeared and left me alone with his friends, but it was cool. One of his friends, Maxime, who I had already talked to once in Riverside on Skype, bought us drinks and then “taught” me a French game. I wouldn’t call it a game since it involved taking the cylindrical ice cubes from the bucket holding the rosé bottle, placing it on the table, and smashing it with your forehead. Humor and fun are not the same in France. I couldn’t refuse to do it, as stupid as it was, because I figured: “if this is what they do for fun, then why not?”. It wasn’t like I had not done anything as stupid in Riverside. Only now, I’m typing this with a sore forehead.
So the night went on and we leave the bar at midnight. We decide to walk a girl home, so we proceed to the metro to catch the last one. I knew very well that I had to buy a ticket, but Guillaume insisted on me running through the gates with someone else and pushes me through. I was afraid. I knew that I would be fined if they checked for tickets and I can’t afford to be paying tickets for stupid things. But, I made it on the metro ride without being checked. We leave the metro and then get on the tram, again, without a ticket. Only this time, as the doors were closing, we see the controllers hop on and begin checking for tickets. We were on the other end of the tram so we had time to figure something out. All I was ready to do was to not speak French and apologize for not understanding what to do – I was ready to pull the American card. Luckily, Guillaume had 2 unused tickets of which he was able to hand me one before the controller got to me. I didn’t say a word while Guillaume explained that I was an American and didn’t know what to do. I validated the ticket and was home free. Phew!
We exit the tram and finally get back to Guillaume’s apartment at 1 am. We get ready for bed and pass out. Or at least, I did since I could not believe I had already gone out on my first night.
Overall, it has been a great start. I’m at Guillaume’s waiting for him to come back from class so that I can start looking for an apartment, get a cell phone, turn in my paper work, etc, etc.
There is much to do, but I’m sure I’ll take care of it all.
Guillaume drives us back into the city to his apartment. On the way he begins to tell me that he had met a girl from California who I knew. I had no idea who he could possibly be talking about. Turns out that a girl I knew in high school, who was actually in my French class, is studying in Lyon for the year (I think). Again, small world. I say small world because the week before I left, I hosted a student from Lyon who is going to UCR for the year – from the same school Guillaume came from.
Also, Guillaume asked me how tired I am since there was a soirée taking place at a bar for the 1st year students in l’IEP (Institute d’Études Politiques). I figured, why not? I had nothing to lose – except sleep, but I’m sure you all know the saying to counter that.
So, we get to his apartment and start to get ready. After showering and getting dressed, we decide to go find a place to eat. Funny thing was that I was expecting to go out and get some French cuisine (since I am in France) but instead we try this small Chinese restaurant. The place was good and cheap – our bill came out to be 10 euro.
We then start our trek to the bar. We walked all along the Rhone (one of the 2 rivers in Lyon) accompanied by each other and our Amsterdam Maximators (11.6 % Alc Beers = 2,5 euros). I forgot that you could drink on the street in France, and in Europe for the most part. At first, I was a little paranoid, but I got over it quick. I knew I was back in France but this was probably the moment when I realized, I am not in the States anymore and about to try to get accustomed to the French lifestyle. Actually, there were plenty of moments that only added to this feeling.
We get to the bar and all the introductions begin. I can’t tell you who was who since there were way too many names to remember in such a small amount of time. I was able, however, to carry on short and simple conversations with people, which was a big deal for me. Considering I had been in the country for less than 5 hours, I was able to talk to the natives. It was good to start meeting the people since I knew I would be seeing them a lot. Guillaume continues to be the social butterfly – just like in Riverside only more “au natural” being in his home country. There were a couple of times when he disappeared and left me alone with his friends, but it was cool. One of his friends, Maxime, who I had already talked to once in Riverside on Skype, bought us drinks and then “taught” me a French game. I wouldn’t call it a game since it involved taking the cylindrical ice cubes from the bucket holding the rosé bottle, placing it on the table, and smashing it with your forehead. Humor and fun are not the same in France. I couldn’t refuse to do it, as stupid as it was, because I figured: “if this is what they do for fun, then why not?”. It wasn’t like I had not done anything as stupid in Riverside. Only now, I’m typing this with a sore forehead.
So the night went on and we leave the bar at midnight. We decide to walk a girl home, so we proceed to the metro to catch the last one. I knew very well that I had to buy a ticket, but Guillaume insisted on me running through the gates with someone else and pushes me through. I was afraid. I knew that I would be fined if they checked for tickets and I can’t afford to be paying tickets for stupid things. But, I made it on the metro ride without being checked. We leave the metro and then get on the tram, again, without a ticket. Only this time, as the doors were closing, we see the controllers hop on and begin checking for tickets. We were on the other end of the tram so we had time to figure something out. All I was ready to do was to not speak French and apologize for not understanding what to do – I was ready to pull the American card. Luckily, Guillaume had 2 unused tickets of which he was able to hand me one before the controller got to me. I didn’t say a word while Guillaume explained that I was an American and didn’t know what to do. I validated the ticket and was home free. Phew!
We exit the tram and finally get back to Guillaume’s apartment at 1 am. We get ready for bed and pass out. Or at least, I did since I could not believe I had already gone out on my first night.
Overall, it has been a great start. I’m at Guillaume’s waiting for him to come back from class so that I can start looking for an apartment, get a cell phone, turn in my paper work, etc, etc.
There is much to do, but I’m sure I’ll take care of it all.
September 20th/21st, 2009
Notice how I decided to run the dates together – I figured it was appropriate since I had no idea when I went from one to the other. All I knew was that at one point I would cross from Sunday to Monday.
The flight was not as bad as I had expected. I was able to watch some movies and sleep – more like dose off for 30 minutes before wanting to move into a more comfortable position. After 9 hours, I finally made it to
The flight from Frankfurt to
Once I walked out of the exit, I see Guillaume standing behind the rail. The feeling of relief was great. I had made it across a continent and an ocean to begin my “new life” in
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