Wow, well I'm back for some more adventures. This time in Europe. Most of you will not believe this but I am currently residing in Aix en Provence, France for the next four months. I am partaking in a brand new Master's program at NC State called Masters of Global Innovation Management. Here are the details for those interesting in getting two degrees in one year, meanwhile spending a semester abroad taking Masters courses: http://www.mgt.ncsu.edu/mgim/ .
The summary of the program goes like this. I will take courses at IAE (the French University) until December. On December 21st I will return to the US and begin taking courses at NC State in January. Over the summer each student will complete an internship with a company that aligns with their undergrad background most likely, since the program is geared toward those that did not have the opportunity to build a business background during their undergraduate studies.
I arrived to the airport in Marseille on August 21st and have really been on the move since then. For the first week we were able to stay at the school (IAE) where we will be taking classes but a conflict in reservations caused us to lose our rooms and we were forced to find other housing until we could secure permanent housing. A bit strange but it is the first year of the program so things will undoubtedly not go perfectly. We were lucky to secure temporary housing with some of the french students in the program and their friends. They have been incredibly welcoming with prepared meals, places to stay, and driving us about the city.
Upon arriving our main objective was to secure permanent housing in Aix. Before arriving I had no idea actually how difficult it was going to be to find something for only 4 months. It was made apparent to us that the typical contracts are made for a year long and if you want a shorter contract you just break it with a month's notice and everything is fine. There is more that goes with this. In France, in order to rent a flat, you have to provide a "guarantee" which is usually a deposit valued at 2 months worth of rent. My situation goes as follows. James, a french student in the program, was helping Kalesia, Lindsay (my roomates) and I to find something because none of us speak enough french to talk about apartment details. We found one in the center of the city which was given to another group that was also interested. We then came across another apartment that is about a 20 minute walk to the center of the city. It has 3 bedrooms, a large kitchen, and living room. It was a gem. We initially told them we would be here for a year hoping not to scare the agent away. The following day we went into the office and made it clear that we were leaving in December with hopes that them having a good relationship with James' parents would help us to secure this place. Fortunately, things worked out as we hoped. We immediately called back across the Atlantic to transfer our money into our newly established french bank accounts. Little did we know but we wouldn't move in for another week. For some reason or another it took 6 days for all of our money to make it to France. The agency wouldn't allow us to move in until we had all of our money to pay for the entire 4 months. Much different than the US. I am told that it is near impossible to kick someone out of an apartment in France so they are very cautious before handing over the keys.
So finally the big day arrived after roughing it for 2 weeks. I wish I could accurately describe the agony that the 3 of us felt when one thing after another took forever to happen as well as the stress of dealing in an entirely foreign language. We have come to find out that EVERYTHING in France takes 10 times as long as it should. People in France are only allowed to work in some jobs for a maximum of 35 hours per week. Nothing is open on Sunday and I mean nothing. Shops close during the day for 3 hours during the week and close at 7 pm at night. Besides the exchange rate the cost of living is rather high here. For those that know me, know that I love food. It has been difficult for me to adjust to not eating as regularly as I would like. The good news is that our school has a great little cafeteria where you can get a decent meal for 3 euros (approx. $4.50). Thank the Lord for that! There are not many "all in one" stores in Aix so it makes getting items an all afternoon or a couple day long process.
I'm not sure how this first blog has come across but I am really having the time of my life here. It has just been a bit stressful trying to get things accomplished here where I really have to rely on french/english speaking people to get anything done. We had 2 weeks of french language courses which helped tremendously but we haven't been really able to focus on this because of our housing situation.
Aix is really a beautiful and quaint city. The buildings are picturesque and there are fountains in every plaza around the easily walkable city. The wine and cheese here really are incredible and a staple at every meal. I have come to really love the Bordeaux wines.
As far as soccer is concerned, Olympique de Marseille is all the rage here. Things got interesting last week when they did the groupings for the Group Stage of the Champions League and Liverpool and Marseille were placed in the same group. They will play September 16th in Marseille. I am currently trying to score some tickets to this game. It would really be the opportunity of a lifetime for me. The people I have met so far haven't really met my expectations as far as their passion for football like I expected. Many people are big fans of Rugby instead of football.
Last weekend, James took us to a beach near Aix called Cassis. Here you can see some pictures of the little fishing village: http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/bouches/cassis/cassis.htm#
It was a beautiful beach town where outdoor restaurants surround the small port. The water was a bit cold but very blue. The beach was covered in small pebbles which was a bit different but easily overlooked for the picturesqueness that the city had to offer.
I believe tomorrow we are going to Monaco and St. Tropez. Yeah rough life right...ha
Things have settled finally here I look forward to the 4 months ahead. Classes begin next week so I will surely be busy with classwork.
Much love to everyone! Ciao.
PS: I will add pictures soon!
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