Wednesday, October 28, 2009
4 great days of Dutch conversation
From Thursday until Sunday, I had some visitors from Holland! My parents and my younger sister came to see where I live and to visit the South of France.
Thursday was a day full of preparation. I had class in the morning and I wanted to clean my room, do the laundry, and buy some typical French food (and drinks) before going to the airport. I wasn’t the only Dutch, who was waiting for her relatives at the terminal. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs. Therefore, we went straight from the MP2 terminal to the car hire. Our car, a French Renault Clio (newer one), was waiting for us. I was glad to see (and touch*) a part of my family after being in France for 2 months. It took some time to find the hotel: AppartValley. After 3 days, I found the street name of the hotel, which is Allée de Pomone. Luckily the GPS system could find that street!
On (sunny) Friday, my mother and I bought some things for (French) breakfast at the Géant Casino (supermarket). I showed them around in the city center of Aix. Unfortunately, I had class in the afternoon, so I left them in front of the cathedral and took the bus. While I discussed some Leadership case studies, my Dutch visitors went to the top of the Grand Théâtre (great view over Aix!) and spent some time in Puyricard. Afterwards, we went straight from the IAE to the Meditteranean Sea. We visited Carry-le-Rouet, where the Sea was quite rough. While listening to songs of Diana Krall, we drove back to our hotel.
After a great breakfast on Saturday morning (blue sky), my mother said that she really wanted to visit Avignon. To avoid the toll roads, we took the smaller roads via Roussillon and Gordes**. Roussillon is a beautiful village with red and ochre buildings. We parked our car next to the city wall of Avignon and I showed the main streets and buildings. The organist was practicing for the Sunday mess at the Notre-Dame des Doms cathedral. We ate a crêpe (nothing special) and bought some groceries at the Carrefour supermarket in the Rue de la République. In the evening we watched the movie ‘The curious case of Benjamin Button’, which they’d brought from Holland.
Their stay in Aix was even 1 hour longer, because it became winter time, even in France! I enjoyed the cleaner shower in our hotel room, had great breakfast with my family and then it was time to say goodbye! They brought me to Estelan, I took a last glimpse and had mixed feelings***. The next time that I will see them in 3D, will be 18 December, when I’ll return to Holland by TGV. Until then, I have a couple of weeks to see more of France (ideas are welcome!)!
* Of course, I had installed Skype, such that I could ‘see’ them during the 2 months that I have been here. But seeing them in 3D was much better!
** There were lots of serpentines / curves on our way. Because I was used to the bus ride (line 21) to Puyricard, I could look around and see the wineyards and mountains of the Luberon region. But my younger sister and my mother had more problems and were glad when we (finally) arrived in Avignon!
*** It was a great weekend, but I’d wish I had more time with them. To avoid being homesick, I did lots of activities with my friends that day. We went to the creative market at the Cours Mirabeau. A friend invited us to a show (Le cirque invisible) with Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée at the Grand Théâtre. I liked the humor and the costumes. Afterwards, we had dinner at his apartment and stayed there until late in the evening.
Thursday was a day full of preparation. I had class in the morning and I wanted to clean my room, do the laundry, and buy some typical French food (and drinks) before going to the airport. I wasn’t the only Dutch, who was waiting for her relatives at the terminal. Unfortunately, it was raining cats and dogs. Therefore, we went straight from the MP2 terminal to the car hire. Our car, a French Renault Clio (newer one), was waiting for us. I was glad to see (and touch*) a part of my family after being in France for 2 months. It took some time to find the hotel: AppartValley. After 3 days, I found the street name of the hotel, which is Allée de Pomone. Luckily the GPS system could find that street!
On (sunny) Friday, my mother and I bought some things for (French) breakfast at the Géant Casino (supermarket). I showed them around in the city center of Aix. Unfortunately, I had class in the afternoon, so I left them in front of the cathedral and took the bus. While I discussed some Leadership case studies, my Dutch visitors went to the top of the Grand Théâtre (great view over Aix!) and spent some time in Puyricard. Afterwards, we went straight from the IAE to the Meditteranean Sea. We visited Carry-le-Rouet, where the Sea was quite rough. While listening to songs of Diana Krall, we drove back to our hotel.
After a great breakfast on Saturday morning (blue sky), my mother said that she really wanted to visit Avignon. To avoid the toll roads, we took the smaller roads via Roussillon and Gordes**. Roussillon is a beautiful village with red and ochre buildings. We parked our car next to the city wall of Avignon and I showed the main streets and buildings. The organist was practicing for the Sunday mess at the Notre-Dame des Doms cathedral. We ate a crêpe (nothing special) and bought some groceries at the Carrefour supermarket in the Rue de la République. In the evening we watched the movie ‘The curious case of Benjamin Button’, which they’d brought from Holland.
Their stay in Aix was even 1 hour longer, because it became winter time, even in France! I enjoyed the cleaner shower in our hotel room, had great breakfast with my family and then it was time to say goodbye! They brought me to Estelan, I took a last glimpse and had mixed feelings***. The next time that I will see them in 3D, will be 18 December, when I’ll return to Holland by TGV. Until then, I have a couple of weeks to see more of France (ideas are welcome!)!
* Of course, I had installed Skype, such that I could ‘see’ them during the 2 months that I have been here. But seeing them in 3D was much better!
** There were lots of serpentines / curves on our way. Because I was used to the bus ride (line 21) to Puyricard, I could look around and see the wineyards and mountains of the Luberon region. But my younger sister and my mother had more problems and were glad when we (finally) arrived in Avignon!
*** It was a great weekend, but I’d wish I had more time with them. To avoid being homesick, I did lots of activities with my friends that day. We went to the creative market at the Cours Mirabeau. A friend invited us to a show (Le cirque invisible) with Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thierrée at the Grand Théâtre. I liked the humor and the costumes. Afterwards, we had dinner at his apartment and stayed there until late in the evening.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Bienvenue chez les Bruns
I and 3 international friends were invited to the family house of a French friend of mine. It was a great, maybe the best, weekend and I’ll tell you why.
On Saturday we took the bus (5 euros) to Carpentras. We got out in the city which was called l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Island on the Sorgue river). When we walked to the house, we passed many canals. You could say that it’s the Venice of France. The house was like a little castle (19th century), surrounded by a typical garden for the South of France I think.
What I liked the most of this weekend was the French food. Lunch was already waiting for us, when we arrived. The lunch and dinner meals (3/4 courses) were bigger than I’m used to in Holland, of course all served with wine*. Most of the courses were French, one was Lebanese**. But I liked all of them very much!
We played two card games and the family gave us a tour in the region (Luberon, Vaucluse) on Saturday afternoon. We visited the touristic village Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, where the most powerful spring (of the Sorgue river) of France is situated. I liked the (touristic) shops in the building of the paper mill. Afterwards, we went to a parking lot close to Gordes, which is one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’. I had a great view over Gordes and the region from there. We visited an abbey near Gordes. You could hear the monks chanting, great atmosphere. In the evening, we saw an American movie (English version, French subtitles) with the French title ‘Et au milieu coule une rivière’.
When I woke up and moved the curtains, the blue sky made my day. We had breakfast with pain au chocolat. Afterwards my French friend gave us a tour around the city. There was a big market in the city center. Seriously, I could hear more German and Dutch than French! L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue was crowded (with tourists)in the morning. I saw many water mills and antique shops, that’s what the city is famous for. We played some more card games. Everyone became more and more competitive, it was great! At the end of the afternoon, we ate a crêpe in the city center. And then it was time to say goodbye, give 3 kisses (normal in the Vaucluse region) and go back to Aix by car. It took us 45-60 minutes to go from l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to Aix-en-Provence.
I noticed a few interesting things, while I was there. The son of the family was often asked to help his mother, though the daughter was just a few years younger. And perhaps it is impolite to refuse to take a second portion of each course, but I’m not sure. However, I didn’t have any problems with that!
It was a pity that I couldn’t find (Dutch) tulip bulbs to give as a present. Instead, we gave a bunch of flowers and Belgian beer.
*Wines: Baume de Venise (Sat. lunch), Merlot (cote du Rhône; Sat. dinner) / Muscatine (Sun. lunch)
**Saturday at lunch: salad, “boeuf bourguignon”, dessert, coffee
Saturday at dinner: “soupe de courge”, different kinds of cheese, dessert
Sunday at lunch: “quiche Lorraine” and “tarte aux oignions”, Lebanese dish, “tarte des Alpes”, piece of fruit, coffee or tea
On Saturday we took the bus (5 euros) to Carpentras. We got out in the city which was called l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue (Island on the Sorgue river). When we walked to the house, we passed many canals. You could say that it’s the Venice of France. The house was like a little castle (19th century), surrounded by a typical garden for the South of France I think.
What I liked the most of this weekend was the French food. Lunch was already waiting for us, when we arrived. The lunch and dinner meals (3/4 courses) were bigger than I’m used to in Holland, of course all served with wine*. Most of the courses were French, one was Lebanese**. But I liked all of them very much!
We played two card games and the family gave us a tour in the region (Luberon, Vaucluse) on Saturday afternoon. We visited the touristic village Fontaine-de-Vaucluse, where the most powerful spring (of the Sorgue river) of France is situated. I liked the (touristic) shops in the building of the paper mill. Afterwards, we went to a parking lot close to Gordes, which is one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’. I had a great view over Gordes and the region from there. We visited an abbey near Gordes. You could hear the monks chanting, great atmosphere. In the evening, we saw an American movie (English version, French subtitles) with the French title ‘Et au milieu coule une rivière’.
When I woke up and moved the curtains, the blue sky made my day. We had breakfast with pain au chocolat. Afterwards my French friend gave us a tour around the city. There was a big market in the city center. Seriously, I could hear more German and Dutch than French! L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue was crowded (with tourists)in the morning. I saw many water mills and antique shops, that’s what the city is famous for. We played some more card games. Everyone became more and more competitive, it was great! At the end of the afternoon, we ate a crêpe in the city center. And then it was time to say goodbye, give 3 kisses (normal in the Vaucluse region) and go back to Aix by car. It took us 45-60 minutes to go from l’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue to Aix-en-Provence.
I noticed a few interesting things, while I was there. The son of the family was often asked to help his mother, though the daughter was just a few years younger. And perhaps it is impolite to refuse to take a second portion of each course, but I’m not sure. However, I didn’t have any problems with that!
It was a pity that I couldn’t find (Dutch) tulip bulbs to give as a present. Instead, we gave a bunch of flowers and Belgian beer.
*Wines: Baume de Venise (Sat. lunch), Merlot (cote du Rhône; Sat. dinner) / Muscatine (Sun. lunch)
**Saturday at lunch: salad, “boeuf bourguignon”, dessert, coffee
Saturday at dinner: “soupe de courge”, different kinds of cheese, dessert
Sunday at lunch: “quiche Lorraine” and “tarte aux oignions”, Lebanese dish, “tarte des Alpes”, piece of fruit, coffee or tea
Friday, October 16, 2009
Spare time in Aix
Since I don’t have many classes, I can explore Aix and the South of France. But during the week and in the evening, I don’t feel like taking the bus to a different city by myself. I would like to tell you about my life next to the IAE and those touristic visits.
The day before I went to Aix, I saw a movie called ‘Yes man’. This movie really helped me a lot in the first weeks of my exchange period! When people had ideas for the evening, the next day or weekend, I often said: Yes! I want to come! There were some activities that I’ve never done in Holland like going out, having lunch in restaurants and ‘climbing’ a mountain. Now I’m going out at least once a week, what a change!
There are some nice bars in Aix. I like all the Irish bars, because they have my music style and the atmosphere is great. We often went to O’Shannon, an Irish pub on the Rue de la Verrerie. That street has lots of bars and the “Feria de la Verrerie” is a wonderful experience (for students). ESN (an international student network) organizes parties and happy hours in the Wohoo Bar; we go there almost every Tuesday night. The bars with terraces (great in the evening until mid September) are situated on or near the Cours Mirabeau and the ‘Hotel the Ville’. I don’t like clubs, but IPN is definitely a “go” for international students. It’s normal that the rooms of the bars and clubs are under the ground like caves.
I run once or twice a week. I could have paid for a membership (+/- 10 euros?) for the university sports centre. However, I didn’t choose it, because I needed a doctor’s “attestation” (the French loves this word!) etc. It’s too much administration for me… Be careful! Running in Aix is harder than in Holland. Because of two reasons: in the summer months it’s hot from 7.30 AM until 8.00 PM and Aix has (too) many steep streets/hills. Still, the Parce de la Torse is great for it. I’m not sure about running along the river Arc, but I’ll try to run there as well in the next weeks. I often see runners in Puyricard, where the IAE is located, but I’m not yet ready to take the bus in my sports outfit!
The day before I went to Aix, I saw a movie called ‘Yes man’. This movie really helped me a lot in the first weeks of my exchange period! When people had ideas for the evening, the next day or weekend, I often said: Yes! I want to come! There were some activities that I’ve never done in Holland like going out, having lunch in restaurants and ‘climbing’ a mountain. Now I’m going out at least once a week, what a change!
There are some nice bars in Aix. I like all the Irish bars, because they have my music style and the atmosphere is great. We often went to O’Shannon, an Irish pub on the Rue de la Verrerie. That street has lots of bars and the “Feria de la Verrerie” is a wonderful experience (for students). ESN (an international student network) organizes parties and happy hours in the Wohoo Bar; we go there almost every Tuesday night. The bars with terraces (great in the evening until mid September) are situated on or near the Cours Mirabeau and the ‘Hotel the Ville’. I don’t like clubs, but IPN is definitely a “go” for international students. It’s normal that the rooms of the bars and clubs are under the ground like caves.
I run once or twice a week. I could have paid for a membership (+/- 10 euros?) for the university sports centre. However, I didn’t choose it, because I needed a doctor’s “attestation” (the French loves this word!) etc. It’s too much administration for me… Be careful! Running in Aix is harder than in Holland. Because of two reasons: in the summer months it’s hot from 7.30 AM until 8.00 PM and Aix has (too) many steep streets/hills. Still, the Parce de la Torse is great for it. I’m not sure about running along the river Arc, but I’ll try to run there as well in the next weeks. I often see runners in Puyricard, where the IAE is located, but I’m not yet ready to take the bus in my sports outfit!
Enjoying La Ciotat
Last weekend, the packed* (!) Cartreize bus took us to La Ciotat. The small city is situated at the Mediterranean Sea between Marseille and Toulon. It’s great for nature friends. First impression: lots of small boats (yachts, sailboats, fisher boats)! My Belgian friend took a picture of me and a very small boat (see the slideshow). We had “Moules frites” for lunch (9.50 euro p.p.) and tried 3 different ways: à la marinière (white wine), à la provençale (tomato sauce with herbs), and à la sétoise (cream). It was delicious!
Next, we walked to the Calanques, the cliffs near La Ciotat. They were quite hard to find. But when we came there, we first had to sit down for a few minutes to enjoy the view: glistering water, pebbles beach, lots of trees and the brown Calanques. All in perfect sunlight, because it was (again) a sunny day! We found another beach with a different view in another setting. The mainland to the East of La Ciotat was great to see.
We visited the Mugel parc with (exotic) plants and animals. After we climbed a hill in the parc, we could see the Mediterranean Sea and the steep cliffs. The effort was worth it! Before going home to Aix (via Aubagne) we ended our visit to La Ciotat with an ice-cream near the Tourist Office (2 balls for 3 euro = normal price in the region).
*Most people went off the bus in Cassis, luckily.
Next, we walked to the Calanques, the cliffs near La Ciotat. They were quite hard to find. But when we came there, we first had to sit down for a few minutes to enjoy the view: glistering water, pebbles beach, lots of trees and the brown Calanques. All in perfect sunlight, because it was (again) a sunny day! We found another beach with a different view in another setting. The mainland to the East of La Ciotat was great to see.
We visited the Mugel parc with (exotic) plants and animals. After we climbed a hill in the parc, we could see the Mediterranean Sea and the steep cliffs. The effort was worth it! Before going home to Aix (via Aubagne) we ended our visit to La Ciotat with an ice-cream near the Tourist Office (2 balls for 3 euro = normal price in the region).
*Most people went off the bus in Cassis, luckily.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The IAE - ECTS, presentations and lunch!
Since 17 September, I follow 5 courses at the IAE. Some courses are with international IMMIT students, others are with (mostly French) Master 1 students and I follow Business French with other exchange students. As an exchange student I can choose any course, as long as it fits into the schedule and it’s the right level. I chose the courses (see the next paragraph), because the ECTS credits I get for these courses can be transferred to my Bachelor diploma at Tilburg University. The study advisor at my home university already approved these courses. Unfortunately, I have only 28.5 ECTS of the 30 ECTS, which are needed for this semester. Therefore, I have to compensate the difference with an extra course at my home university in the next semester.
Just a list of the courses I follow at the moment: International business law, HRM, Intercultural management and Leadership. I really like the last course, because the professor is funny and lets us do different activities: walking blindfolded in pairs in the building & drawing (!) the ‘worst manager ever’. Intercultural management is taught in French, which sometimes was difficult to follow and even harder to participate in discussions / presentations. The courses that still need to start are Brand and product management, Project management, Change management, an international seminar and (very long title, sounds impressive!) The European integration process and its influence on business.
Back to the IAE: The subjects are very interesting. The French students are eager to help me, when I don’t understand a sentence in the Intercultural management course. The professors focus on practical information. That’s why I don’t have to do much self-study (in comparison to the number of pages / chapters I have to read in Holland). Moreover, almost every course has a group assignment and we have to prepare presentations. Written exams are not common: I know that I’ll have 2 in December. I noticed that participation is more important than at Tilburg University. Each class is 3 hours in total (twice as much as in Tilburg), but that's fine.
The Master courses are easier than I expected (well, I first have to wait for the presentation grades to make sure). Still, I miss the theoretical (deeper) reading. Therefore, I often look for additional articles on the internet, such that I don’t get bored. For an exchange student, this practical focus is ideal: few classes + not much self-study = enough time for exploring France!
Every Wednesday, the BDE (student organisation of the IAE) organizes an international lunch. Everybody can come and try some food / drinks that foreign students cooked/baked/bought in the shop. I really liked tasting (rather than cooking) different meals and once brought some “Edam” cheese. At one lunch, 2 students brought their guitar and played a few songs. Maybe next time, I have the guts to play a song too…
Just a list of the courses I follow at the moment: International business law, HRM, Intercultural management and Leadership. I really like the last course, because the professor is funny and lets us do different activities: walking blindfolded in pairs in the building & drawing (!) the ‘worst manager ever’. Intercultural management is taught in French, which sometimes was difficult to follow and even harder to participate in discussions / presentations. The courses that still need to start are Brand and product management, Project management, Change management, an international seminar and (very long title, sounds impressive!) The European integration process and its influence on business.
Back to the IAE: The subjects are very interesting. The French students are eager to help me, when I don’t understand a sentence in the Intercultural management course. The professors focus on practical information. That’s why I don’t have to do much self-study (in comparison to the number of pages / chapters I have to read in Holland). Moreover, almost every course has a group assignment and we have to prepare presentations. Written exams are not common: I know that I’ll have 2 in December. I noticed that participation is more important than at Tilburg University. Each class is 3 hours in total (twice as much as in Tilburg), but that's fine.
The Master courses are easier than I expected (well, I first have to wait for the presentation grades to make sure). Still, I miss the theoretical (deeper) reading. Therefore, I often look for additional articles on the internet, such that I don’t get bored. For an exchange student, this practical focus is ideal: few classes + not much self-study = enough time for exploring France!
Every Wednesday, the BDE (student organisation of the IAE) organizes an international lunch. Everybody can come and try some food / drinks that foreign students cooked/baked/bought in the shop. I really liked tasting (rather than cooking) different meals and once brought some “Edam” cheese. At one lunch, 2 students brought their guitar and played a few songs. Maybe next time, I have the guts to play a song too…
Bus tour in Verdon
Last weekend I went quite spontaneously to 2 villages, a lake and a lavender shop in the Parc du Verdon. The bus tour (in the end for free), which was organized by the ‘faculté de droit’, started at 9 AM and we came home at about 7 PM.
Our first stop was the village Vinon-sur-Verdon, situated in the North-East of Aix. The 2 buses stopped near a small market, including cheese, meat, fruit / vegetables and other Provencal stands. We were told that this was one of the few places where we could go to the toilet. The public toilet was a typical ‘French’ toilet, which basically means that it’s a shower cabin without a shower (quite difficult for the ladies). We also walked to the river Verdon, only a few meters away from the bus. In my opinion, the river is ideal for rafting and other sports.
Then our bus went to the Ste-Croix Lake. You can’t miss it on the map, because it’s huge! The water had a beautiful color. We stayed there for 1 1/5 hour to enjoy the food / drinks we brought for our picnic. Some students swam in the water; I stayed on the pebbles beach. Before going to the next village, the bus stopped at the beginning of the Gorges du Verdon canyon. I took some pictures for the blog, but for me it wasn’t that new, but still special. I’ve been on that road last December and I have remembered that view very well!
Next stop: Moustiers-Ste-Marie: a beautiful village, created against 1 or 2 rocks. The highest point of the village is a little church / chapel, where I had a beautiful view over the village and its surroundings. At one point I could even see the blue Ste-Croix Lake. We walked around in the village and ate a crêpe / ice-cream (sunny day). We weren’t the only tourists, but certainly the youngest!
Last but not least: the lavender shop surrounded by lavender fields. The owner explained the difference between lavande (better quality) and lavendin (used for perfumes). My friend bought some typical Provencal gifts for her family. I looked at the lavender fields. They weren’t purple, because the lavender season is in the summer. A good reason to go back, I think!
Our first stop was the village Vinon-sur-Verdon, situated in the North-East of Aix. The 2 buses stopped near a small market, including cheese, meat, fruit / vegetables and other Provencal stands. We were told that this was one of the few places where we could go to the toilet. The public toilet was a typical ‘French’ toilet, which basically means that it’s a shower cabin without a shower (quite difficult for the ladies). We also walked to the river Verdon, only a few meters away from the bus. In my opinion, the river is ideal for rafting and other sports.
Then our bus went to the Ste-Croix Lake. You can’t miss it on the map, because it’s huge! The water had a beautiful color. We stayed there for 1 1/5 hour to enjoy the food / drinks we brought for our picnic. Some students swam in the water; I stayed on the pebbles beach. Before going to the next village, the bus stopped at the beginning of the Gorges du Verdon canyon. I took some pictures for the blog, but for me it wasn’t that new, but still special. I’ve been on that road last December and I have remembered that view very well!
Next stop: Moustiers-Ste-Marie: a beautiful village, created against 1 or 2 rocks. The highest point of the village is a little church / chapel, where I had a beautiful view over the village and its surroundings. At one point I could even see the blue Ste-Croix Lake. We walked around in the village and ate a crêpe / ice-cream (sunny day). We weren’t the only tourists, but certainly the youngest!
Last but not least: the lavender shop surrounded by lavender fields. The owner explained the difference between lavande (better quality) and lavendin (used for perfumes). My friend bought some typical Provencal gifts for her family. I looked at the lavender fields. They weren’t purple, because the lavender season is in the summer. A good reason to go back, I think!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)