Living in France

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Bonjour!

This trip to France has taught me a lot. One thing that stands out is that Americans and the French have completely different standards when it comes to service. At home customer service is a top priority, but here you are left to fend for yourself. This isn’t so hard to adjust to in a store but when eating at a restaurant and your drink has not been filled it becomes more irritating. In class this morning we discussed stereotypes and culture shock. This discussion has allowed me to look at situations in a new light. Just because things here aren’t done the way I’m used to doesn’t make it wrong or negative; just different.

I spent this past weekend in Paris. Paris is lovely! I enjoying climbing to the top of “le tour Eiffel,” the view was magnificent and what a workout! I am enjoying taking in the European architecture. I am preparing to leave France; we are visiting Amsterdam this weekend. I am curious to see how the culture of the Netherlands compares to that of France. This experience is opening my eyes to how norms between cultures can vary. I had a sandwich and a beverage in Subway and went to refill it, at the self service fountain, and was told that refills are not free. I didn’t even think about it beforehand, the self service fountain communicated to me that I could help myself, like at home. I’ve been learning a lot and am becoming more cognizant of how the world views our behavior. Perhaps I appeared to be greedy for trying to steal another drink, when in fact I thought I was behaving in line.

In the upcoming weeks I plan to visit Brussels, Italy, and Spain. I know when I leave the comfort zone of languages I speak or am at least familiar with the cultural differences may be more difficult to understand. Despite this fact I anticipate the journey. I meant to mention before, I have had technical difficulties uploading photos; I would love to share them with you!

Kanisha

Beautiful Bregenz

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One of my collegiate goals was to study abroad and do something that not many of my peers have accomplished. Through the very generous help of others this dream was able to met. For Bregenz, Austria i can honestly say its one of the most beatiful place ive ever been, between the mountaints of the Pfander and the bodensee lake it will surely not be forgotten. Me and one other student from Murray State lived with a host family for the whole month of June will we attended classes. The host family was very nice and helpful in any situation that would arise, for example the language barrier with not understanding any german got to be kind of difficult at some points.
On the weekends we were able to travel basically anywhere in Europe as long as it was covered by our eurrail pass. Our excursions covered Munich, Amsterdam, Vienna and last but not least Rome, Italy. I took alot of good pictures and made some great friends on this trip. My time here in Europe will certainly be missed but definatley not forgotten.

Sincerely,
Justin

My experiences in Nantes, France

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Bonjour tout le monde!

Hello all, I am so happy to be in France. Thank all of you that helped make this possible! My journey here has been adventuresome to say the least. I am already learning a lot about myself. On this trip I have rode a train for the first time and alone! I share my host family with another student, Ashley from Cincinnati. We get along well and are having fun already. We are planning to go to the beach for our first trip this weekend. I am proud of my sense of direction. We have been navigating the tram and bus lines already. Before you know it we’ll be pros!

The first difference I noticed between our culture and the French is that the French refrigerators have no freezer. This means there is no ice in our drinks here; this will take time to get used to. The biggest shock so far is that during the summer the sun doesn’t go down until 11 p.m. The birds don’t stop chirping throughout the night either. But don’t get me wrong, I have had no trouble sleeping. The shops all close for lunch for a few hours in the afternoon.

The first day of class a tour guide showed us the city and shared some of Nante’s rich history with us. The city is so beautiful. I have studied French for years, but am having difficulty understand the rapid speech here. Hopefully over time I will get better. Classes started today; it was difficult to get up so early and pay attention. My classes were always in the afternoon, but I’m sure it will get easier each day. We have plans to explore the city more, Au revior!

Kanisha

Life in Perú

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Life in Perú is different to say the least. But always full of eventful days and exciting people. I live in an international house provided by the university I attend here, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola. There are 5 flats in the house with a commons area on the roof, a tv room, computer room, and a nice little kitchen for us all. There are always people coming and going as the house is open to all students from every university so life in the house is never boring. At any given time, around 15-20 people live in the house. In my flat I live with a guy from Amsterdam and Puerto Rico but students from countries as China, Mexico, Germany, Colombia, Peru can be found here.

I only have class on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays so it allows for lots and lots of personal travel however my program through International Studies Abroad have taken me to places as Cusco, Machu Picchu, Huaraz, Ica, Nazca and even to the Amazon Jungle. You can find pictures of my treks at http://picasaweb.google.com/andrewwarmath.

People here are very different from in the states. Everyone is trying to survive as the average salary is 550 soles a month with is roughly around 185 U.S. dollars. Despite the poverty there is still a since of pride in all the people of their country as they claim to have the most beautiful country in the world. While all the ecosystems are present in Peru, it is hard to argue with them. Peru is filled with jungles, deserts, snow-capped mountains, even miles and miles of plains, they do have it all. On a different note, the people seem to be very friendly and it always puts a smile on their face when they see “gringos” or Americans. Whenever I need help they always dont mind stopping 5 minutes and helping me out. However, while driving in the busy streets you would think otherwise. I am living in the city of Lima that has a population of over 9 million, and that means over 9 million of angry drivers. I would not believe it if you told me there are traffic laws in Peru. People are such crazy drivers here. They do not believe in lanes or even stop signs for that matter. If your car does not have a horn you are as good as dead. Instead of ever stopping at stop signs, people just honk their horns. Every time you pass another car, you honk your horn. Every time you see a person on the street, you honk your horn. There is no rhyme or reason to it, and it is not an angry honk but rather a sense of saying hello or hey I am behind you so dont put on your break. Usually something is wrong if you hear a honk in the states but if you dont here a honk every 5 minutes in Perú is usually means something is wrong.

Classroom behavior is different as well. All the buildings are very open with no doors or walls in the hallways to outside. Classrooms are always very loud because the windows are always open because of the raging humidity and heat. A cell phone rings every 10 minutes followed by a student walking out to talk on it, and the weird thing is, the teacher ignores it. There is actually such thing as Peru time, because Peruvians are always late. Even on test days it is not strange to see half the class walk in 45 minutes late. However, same as in the states, if the teacher is 10 or 15 minutes late you can guarantee no students will wait on their professor. The grading system is also very different with everything out of 20 at my university and most universities here. 16-20 is an A, 14-15 is a B, 11-13 is a C and 10-below is failing. There are no D’s and from what I can tell, people just want to pass courses as grades are not as important. When applying for a job it is more important what university you came from rather than what you did at that university to employers.

After 3 months in Peru the thing I miss the most is the food in America. Dont get me wrong, Peruvian food is very good, however it lacks in choices. There are only a certain number of ways you can cook chicken and serve it with rice and fries. I miss the good old American restaurants, milk, steak, even junk food for that matter. Peru does have American chains such as Burger King, McDonalds, Chilis, Fridays, and Tony Romas but the quality of food is terrible. The beef here is no where near as in the states. I really miss a nice steak. I have found myself planning my first day back home with what restaurants I am going to eat at the whole day.

Thats about all for now! I hope everything is going great for you back in the states and looking forward to joining you for the fall semester. Life is great in Peru but Im sad its flashing by! Make today a great one because you’ll never get it back.

Andrew Warmath

Bordeaux’s Cultural Vibe

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(Some of us at a wine chateau in Saint-Emilion right outside of Bordeaux)

The most interesting and enjoyable thing to me about Bordeaux and this whole experience abroad has been the variety of culture  among all of the students here at BeM.  BeM has a large focus on international studies, and consequently, there is a large international student population.  There are people from literally all over the world here.  It’s interesting to take a step back and see how the rest of the world operates, in their habits, their communication, their views, their presentation in and out of the classroom, their food, their partying, and just their all-around persona.  In many ways, we’re not all so different, and in many other ways, we’re very different.  Our similarities and differences have helped us build a very unique student culture vibe.  I’ve developed some really great friends and had some really awesome experiences since I’ve been here.

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 (Hassan (left), myself (right), and our very good Basque friend, Jon (center), glowing for a show in Paris)

Since the school has such a large focus on international studies, we spend a good amount of time in our classes looking at subjects from an international perspective.  For instance, when we split into teams for case studies, it’s interesting to see how different the approaches taken are among the different teams.  Or even more so, it’s REALLY interesting to be a part of a team composed of students from three or four different countries, proposing different solutions among us, and working together to comprise a final solution for the case.  I know that this international experience is greatly preparing me for future ventures of my own that will indeed involve intercultural teamwork.

The French students of BeM are very involved.  There are many student organizations, such as Melting Potes, the international student organization that has helped a lot in integrating us into the student life here, The Sports Association, The Art Association, and many more.  All of them are always organizing different events and trips and parties, so it’s been very easy to get to know new people, both French and international students.  This experience has been a blast so far, in meeting new people, developing good friendships, traveling, and learning in a little different style.  Anyone who is considering this abroad experience, I would highly encourage you to take it.  I myself was a little unsure when this opportunity just presented itself to me out of nowhere, thanks to Allie Goatley.  But the experience has been a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’m so glad I jumped on.

-Matt Eldridge

Sorry I am late!!

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My apologies that this post is coming so late, but better now then never!

So this is going to be essentially part one of two posts; one about life in Bordeaux and the other about my travels around Europe.

Bordeaux - Plaza de la Bourse

Life in Bordeaux:

Bordeaux is a smaller city of around 1 million inhabitants (including the suburbs around the main city), in the region of Aquitaine in the southwest of France. Technically our school is located in Talence, which also happens to be where I live, but it is a only a short 20-30 minute walk and tram ride from the main city. The center of Bordeaux is a gorgeous old European town complete with stone walkways, giant arches, a gothic cathedral, and a beautiful riverside walkway. The city is full of small cafes and restaurants, but also has a wide variety of shopping. In fact one roadway is one of the longest shopping stretches in Europe, Rue St Catherine (options vary from inexpensive to very expensive). Bordeaux is most famous for being the center of the major French wine region, and as you traverse from store to market to cafes to restaurants you will notice the incredible wine options. Some supermarkets have wine sections that rival in size to their food sections. So obviously while you are here you have to try a variety of the local flavors. Unfortunately I have only been to one vineyard (chateau) but I hope to visit a few more as the weather is warming up.

Bordeaux ecole de Management

As for school life here, it works significantly different then back home. Let me start with an introduction to BeM (pronounced as it is spelled and not by each letter individually). The Bordeaux ecole de Management is a graduate school that students enter after their first two years of university. It is a private school and at around 6000 Euros per year, it is considered on the expensive side for education. Most of the students start with some more basic undergrad business classes before they choose one of the many MBA degree paths offered. Our path as exchange students is the basic management degree but there are a variety of specialty degrees here, including a Wine MBA. Each semester is broken up into a series of three week sequences (4 in the fall and 6 in the spring). During the spring you have two separate one week breaks that occur between sequences 6 and 7 and 8 and 9. Basically you take only one class for 3 weeks, do all the projects, cases, papers, and exams and then you are finished with that class. They feel a bit like UofL’s May semester (if you have taken a course during the May Summer Semester). However you will find that during these 3 weeks your teacher may vary from day to day and your schedule can be very erratic. Some days we had the same teacher for 6 hours (four 1.5 hour periods), you may have multiple teachers in one day, and some days you might not even have class. The exam, if it exists, is almost always on the last Friday of the sequence. Also, the school has its own cafeteria, but a lot of us have found it better to walk up the street about 10 minutes to a student cafeteria called the Crous. There you get an entrée, salad, and desert for only 2.85 euro which is about as cheap as any meal will come in France. The students at BeM also are very involved and there are always school group sponsored parties and events going on throughout the week and on weekends. Overall, even if the format is significantly different, going to school at BeM feels a lot like any other college experience, which is definitely a good thing!

My home in Talence

(this is not me in the picture, it is our friend Jon from the Basque Country)

Outside of school, life in France can be…interesting. From my experience, which includes traveling to multiple other European countries and living in Spain, the cost of living in France is very high; much higher than those of us who came here anticipated. If you do not live in Domofrance (which is BeM’s equivalent to a dorm) expect to pay higher rent, gas, electric, water, and internet bills. Also coming to Bordeaux in the spring makes it very difficult to find accommodation because most places only offer 1 year leases and almost all of leases are started at the end of summer or the beginning of fall. Matt and I found a place in Talence that some former students had used during the fall, but had returned home for the spring. We are located about a 30 minute walk from school in one direction and about 30 minutes from the Bordeaux city center in the other direction. Eating out is very expensive, even fast food. For example, a McDonald’s Menu (McDs is incredibly popular here) can cost between 6-7 Euros. Eating out a restaurant will cost a minimum of 15 Euros for food only (not including any beverage). Like most students during college, we learn to live a lot off pasta and sandwiches because they are cheap! Also the Boulangeries (Bakeries) have delicious baguettes that I eat almost every day. On a side note, I think I have upwards of 25+ croissants since I have been here. The best advice I can give any student coming to France, is learn to live as cheap as possible and then safe your money for traveling and weekend excursions.

I will be back with part 2 of this post that includes some of the many trips I have taken with friends during this study abroad!

Spring Bling

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Spring Bling in West Palm Beach, FL. My department did not go so I worked with a lady from our Specials department. The first assignment I had to undergo was handing out premiums to the audience which were “Spring Bling” tatoos. My next assignment for the day was assisting with the models. Yes, all the lovely young people you see on stage at Spring Bling are actually models. Once the models went on stage I was done for the day so I was thrilled to sit back, relax and enjoy the show from backstage. I met all of the artist as they came through and most of them were actually friendly. I went home exhausted and was sunburned for the first time in my life!

The next day I arrived early in the morning because I volunteered to help with the prodution of the show. Babysitting models was fun and all but I felt as if I could contribute more. The producer called my boss to see if I could work with him the entire day but she declined. Apparently, the person I had worked with the previous day specifically requested to have me back because I was a good worker. So I was honored to be remembered but also a little upset because I had to turn down a better job.

My task this day was to help set up the props for the game shows/contests that would be taking place. It was a little cloudy and there were scattered showers throughout the day but the show must go on. All in all, it was a great experience and I would volunteer to work it every year! *though I hope they remember me and will offer to pay me to come back 🙂

This trip I did not make the same mistakes as I did at Rip the Runway. I was networking and met a lot of great people. Aside from artists, I met producers, photograhers, models, dj’s ect and tried to get as much contact information as possible.

After the show BET throws a Wrap Party for its staff. Rick Ross, a rapper from Florida, came through and partied with us for a portion of the night. After that I ran into Q45, BET personality and DJ who hosted Rap City, at a restuarant and got to hang out with him and his friends. 

For now, its back to the office. We are working on one of our biggest advertising campaigns of the year, “Upfront”. Upfront is an event where we show advertisers a preview of the shows we will have coming out and try to get them to commit to buying advertising time upfront. I will keep you posted on how that goes!

The photos are from me on the set, behind the scenes and Rick Ross at the Wrap Party.

Traveling from Bordeaux

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Cardinal Pride at the Dune of Pyla!!!

We are now at the end of March, and I can’t believe half of my study abroad experience has already past. I have gone on many wonderful trips, but I am still planning more. This month, I went to Ireland and Paris for a week. I started the week in Dublin and then went to Galway, then spent a weekend in Paris. I was actually in Dublin for St. Patrick’s day, and that was a great experience. Dublin isn’t necessarily a pretty city, but the people who live they are extremely friendly! We were approached by people with smiling faces the entire trip. Galway was the exact same way, but Galway is a very beautiful city. Our bed and breakfast was overlooking a bay, and we were only two kilometers from the beach. There, we also went on a tour of the Cliffs of Mohr. These cliffs were amazing to see. I would definitely go back to the Cliffs of Mohr, in addition to Ireland. The green grass everywhere in the country side is so beautiful and peaceful.

Once again in Paris, I met up with Clementine, our friend who came to Louisville on an exchange from Bordeaux. It was great to see her one night and spend more time with her, but I also met lots of her friends who had gone on study abroad exchanges all over the world. It was amazing to me that they had all experienced different things and had ended up to work in Paris together. Needless to say, I had many great conversations with them that night and hope to see them again the next time I go to Paris.

This past weekend, I went on a trip with three of my roommates to the Great Dune of Pyla which is the highest dune in Europe. It was actually only an hour away from our house, so it was our Sunday afternoon activity. It took me awhile to get to the top of the dune (and it was a work out!) but once we got to the top, it was beautiful! We spent some time walking around on the sand, and then went to the beach below at Arcachon to eat some crepes. One of the things I have found I love about France and most of Europe is that you can get anywhere pretty quickly. From Bordeaux, it takes us three hours to get to the mountains to ski, and it only takes us one hour to get to a beach! That is very different than the thirteen hours it takes us to get to Florida’s beaches from Louisville!

I have included a picture of the Dune of Pyla in this post. We went on the day of a UofL basketball game, so I wrote “Cards” out on the sand to root for UofL! GO CARDS!

Network!

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After this internship is completed I will have only one semester left at UofL. It’s hard to believe that I will finally be graduating. It seems like just yesterday I was moving into Kurz Hall my freshman year. Graduating is such an honor and landmark event in my life because I will be the first in my family to graduate from college. Coming into the University of Louisville I never imagined that I would be interning at BET by my senior year. Life is all about what you make of it. Neither of my parents graduated from high school but it was important to me to have a bigger vision for myself. BET did not come to UofL and to recruit students. I found BET and sent in my application. UofL gives you the opportunity to complete an internship for college credit and it is up to you to take advantage of that opportunity.

I was up until all hours of the morning last night stressed because the realization finally sunk in that I only have one semester left and then it’s off into the real world of work or possibly grad school. What do I want to do? A recurring theme in all my thoughts was fashion. Do I want to attend a design school? Work for a fashion magazine? Retail? Open a boutique? Become a celebrity stylist? I don’t know but I don’t have all the time in the world to figure it out. While here at BET I had the opportunity to attend an excluisve BET afterparty after Rip the Runway. At the after party I met Korto Momolu, runner up fashion designer on the show Project Runway. She has since been featured at NY Fashion Week and Rip the Runway of course. Korto would have been a great contact to have in the future but did I think to give her a business card? NO! Please, please, pleaseeee- I can’t stress this enough. Take advantage of the resources on campus, especially the Ulmer Career Center. Eileen Davis is a great person to know and the staff there has workshops on networking, building your resume, mock interviews ect. 

So at this little exclusive party I was sitting right next to the cast of Harlem Heights, a new reality show on BET. All the while I’m thinking, “They just give anybody a show now.” After watching the first show I find out that one of the girls in the cast is a designer for Victoria’s Secret Pink. Another great contact that I lost along the way. But! I’m learning from my mistakes which is the important part and at Spring Bling, which I will be attending March 28&29, I will not make these same mistakes. So hopefully I will come home with a plethora of new contacts and have many great job opportunites open up for me! God willing.

Our BEM Exchange Experience

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It was really half a year ago that I began my relationship with Bordeaux and its inhabitants.  I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to meet Clementine and Gaelle last semester. They were exchange students from Bordeaux Ecole de Management in Bordeaux, France. During their time at the University of Louisville, I did my best to share my hometown with them and its culture. I also learned a lot about their country and lifestyle. It was such a rewarding experience because building relationships with people from different cultures was the main reason I got involved in studying abroad. At the time, I did not realize how greatly meeting our Bordeaux guests would impact me.

Now that I am the exchange student in Bordeaux, I really appreciate the guidance that Clementine and Gaelle give me. Every time I have a question, I can call Clementine and ask her for advice. As an international student here, it’s so comforting to know I have someone who understands the local manners and can answer my questions.

This spring Clementine and Gaelle are both interning in Paris. Aurelia and I went to visit last week and had a wonderful time. Clementine was a great host and so nice to show us all around Paris. We were only there for a short time but we saw so many things. My favorite thing to do in Paris is to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at night. It may sound cliché but Paris is a gorgeous city and the view is breathtaking. Before leaving, Aurelia and I were able to have dinner with Clementine and Gaelle. It was an excellent Bordeaux-Louisville reunion and I felt so blessed to be able to maintain international friendships. I have so far found my exchange experience greatly rewarding- it’s more than I could ever ask for!