Week 2

I'm almost through with week 2 of my year long escapade, a long ways to go.  A lot of fun has happened in the past week.  Over the weekend I went on a trip with 470 other students (French and International) to Southern France on the Mediterranean Sea.  It was very nice, and in the heart of French Wine Country.  It reminded me of Pasadena, CA, but with vineyards comparable to the corn fields of the Midwest.

It was a 12 hour bus ride from Strasbourg to Valares Plage, our destination.  The bus ride was rough, it is hard to sleep on a bus.  When we arrived it was roughly Noon the next day, so we headed straight to the beach.  We were housed in small cabins, I had three other roommates.  Two were Russian, Victoria and Inna, and the third was Colombian, Maria Theresa.  The cabins were small  but comfy, they had sinks, stove, fridge, full bathroom, ect.  The weekend was an all inclusive weekend, all food and drinks included.  The idea was very neat, but nothing that could be pulled off in the states.  All the wine, beer and liquor drinks one could have, but since the drinking age here is 18, everyone can participate.  Both days were pack with sports, parties and the beach.  It was more reminiscent of a spring break.  On Sunday, we all packed back into the buses for a 12 hr trip back to Strasbourg.

Since then, It has been school school school.  Classes are easy, once you have done your undergrad and a majority of an MBA, you have seen a lot of material. Schedules are weird here.  It isn't like the U.S. when you have a class on the same day at the same time throughout the semester.  My classes happen almost at random.  I have had 12/20 hours of my International Mktg. class in the past 2 weeks and I won't have it again for another 4 weeks.  I will say that it does break the monotony the predictable U.S. schedule can have.  I have noticed though that it seems the French are comparatively unorganized as compared to a lot of other cultures.  For example, this past weekend could have been better organized by 8th grade students.  No clear directions on procedures for showing up, signing in, getting access to your cabin, which bus you would be on.  A simple directional email could have fixed a lot of problems, but it was quite the cluster at some points.  Also, the registration for classes.  The program is fairly new here at EM, but I can say that customer service is quite excellent.  It might take an hour to wait in line and a couple mins for the French to figure out what is going on, but they do provide a level of service that is quite higher than in the U.S.

What else...More cultural differences.  Guns guns guns, no one over hear hunts or shoots for sport.  I was describing what life was like back in the states and I received some savage looks when I talked about my hunting trips.  It was very interesting, but no one owns a gun for sport or hunting.  Most Europeans shrieked at the though of killing an animal...don't understand that since they eat a lot of meat over here. But it was quite interesting to talk about.  Also the food.  Food is great, but when it comes down to the basics...they eat alot of fats and carbs.  I was listening to one talk about unhealthy Americans as they were cramming 5oz of cheese, a 18 inch baguette, pasta and a coke down their throat.  Although fast food is more prevalent in the U.S., the carbs, fat and protein intakes are quite similar.  U.S. gets it from hamburgers and fries, while Europe gets it from cheese, pastas and breads.  The biggest difference is the amount of walking.  Here, you walk EVERYWHERE.  Outside of my daily workout, I walk at least 6 km (3.73 miles) a day, not including the tram.  So, it seems basic activity such as walking aids a lot of the Euro's with the perceived healthiness.

I have all of Thursday and Friday off from class, which is nice.  It is time to set up a French bank account.  I need one for the CAF, a housing allowance.  The French government will give me about 130 Euro ( 170 U.S.) per month as a living subsidy. Going to do some more exploring, Strasbourg is the Capital of Alsace and house to the EU Parliament and other EU institutions, so I'm going to visit them.

Also, working on the details for a trip to Munich for Oktoberfest.  Looks like it will be on 23 Septembre.  There is also a trip being planned for students on a weekend to Munich, either way I will be at Oktoberfest, so expect tons of pictures from there.

Another thing, TV, cell phones and the internet.  It is amazing that you can still live without all three!  I have no TV and it has been amazing.  I do miss some TV shows, but I have found so many more interesting things to do without it.  Also, cell phones.  It is awesome to not have text messages, calls or voice mails blowing up your pocket at all hours of the day.  I have been able to stay in touch with all of my new friends and I don't need one to do that (although many of them have bought one but Euro plans are far more expensive than U.S. plans and I am starting to hear some regrets).  And the internet.  It is how I communicate with you all back at home, but I don't have it in my flat (well I do but it is slow and we borrowed someones password to a router).  At first it was quite annoying, but like the absence of TV, you find many things you can do without it.  I am willing to say I have exposed 6 more hours of time per day that I can do other interesting things, or un-amusing like homework.  I almost like it so much that I just might incorporate these attributes when I come back to the U.S.

Well, I have a French for Dummies class here in 15 mins.

Au revoir!

Bill (or as the French pronounce it B-eel)