My first experiences with AIESEC France :) We worked in national office for the first days, preparing the conference sessions. Finally we are together with most of the incoming team, and I'm so excited to work together!
First impressions of France:
- It's beautiful! There is always something to see and we walk everywhere.
- It's multicultural -- many different people on the metro and on the streets and everyone speaks French
- The food is amazing! I'm getting used to a croissant or chocolate pastry in the mornings. For lunch, the most typical thing is a sandwich made with delicious baguette.. There are small pastry shops and fruit/vegetable shops everywhere.
- Wine is the same cost as tea!
- There is no such thing as a "doggy bag"
- The portion sizes aren't really that much smaller; less the coffee and tea
Bordeaux is a very beautiful city. All of the buildings have similar architecture and you really feel immersed in the history. It's a UNESCO heritage site since 2007 and so all of the buildings are regularly cleaned and maintained, and the city itself is also clean and well-kept.
Highlights of the conference were certainly meeting and connecting with the delegates and seeing the reality of the local chapters through talking to the members. Since most of them speak French and feel more comfortable in French, many of the sessions were half and half, and I have to admit, it was frustrating to not be able to understand what they were saying. On the other hand, it was an absolute pleasure to have basic conversations in French and feel the delegates opening up and feeling more comfortable.
I remember this feeling quite well - being in a new environment, not always understanding what is going on, getting used to cultural specifics... every day is full of learning! It's stimulating and exciting - I love it!
Of course it has it's challenges and frustrations, but it's through those frustrations that we learn and grow :)
One of my key goals right now is to learn to speak French fluently (by the end of August); because of the French reality this is absolutely necessary and I'm certainly up for the challenge!
First impressions of France:
- It's beautiful! There is always something to see and we walk everywhere.
- It's multicultural -- many different people on the metro and on the streets and everyone speaks French
- The food is amazing! I'm getting used to a croissant or chocolate pastry in the mornings. For lunch, the most typical thing is a sandwich made with delicious baguette.. There are small pastry shops and fruit/vegetable shops everywhere.
- Wine is the same cost as tea!
- There is no such thing as a "doggy bag"
- The portion sizes aren't really that much smaller; less the coffee and tea
Bordeaux is a very beautiful city. All of the buildings have similar architecture and you really feel immersed in the history. It's a UNESCO heritage site since 2007 and so all of the buildings are regularly cleaned and maintained, and the city itself is also clean and well-kept.
I remember this feeling quite well - being in a new environment, not always understanding what is going on, getting used to cultural specifics... every day is full of learning! It's stimulating and exciting - I love it!
Of course it has it's challenges and frustrations, but it's through those frustrations that we learn and grow :)
One of my key goals right now is to learn to speak French fluently (by the end of August); because of the French reality this is absolutely necessary and I'm certainly up for the challenge!
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