It's time to sum up everything I have learnt from my Erasmus experience.
I miss Paris.
My biggest worries were:
1. crime
2. accommodation
3. language
Well, all of these concerns actually came true. I was a victim of a crime, a few times. Fortunately, there was a happy ending in each case. Once, I was in a supermarket when one man inconspicuously robbed a riched-looking woman. I have seen it and I was not alone, thanks God. So the man who saw it as well told it to the security and when the robber went out from the store, they caught him. Second time was slightly worse. In the evening, I went home from the lecture and there was a street fight in front of the metro. Two drunk men were fighting pretty badly and I had to go to the metro in order to get home as a lot of people around me. Suddenly, one of them punch the other man and he fell to the escalator and as he was falling down, he took the people on the moving stairs with him! The offender ran away and I was standing in front of the escalator and watched the terrifying scenery. Someone pushed the stop button on the stairs and all people ran down and helped the injured ones. Nobody died..but well...I was there trying to help until the ambulance arrived.
Me and my accommodation was also a horror story, I'd say. I mentioned my experience in the previous blog posts but just to make it clear - it's never easy to look for the place to live in a totally different country. My first ambition was not to live with the other students, but somewhere in the city between French people in order to see how they lives look like. Yeah, I was lucky, it happened. Firstly, I have lived in an industrial North area of Paris - very unclean, people from lower to middle class. It was such experience! I mean, I got what I wanted. The problems with my flat forced me to move and within one day I have found (I guess I was lucky) a flat which I shared with two great girls and we lived in La Defense which is pretty much very expensive and very business area of Paris. It was a turnover. Now, rich high class society of people, safe place to live, minimum of crime and lovely new house residence. Sometimes, it's good to try everything.
As for the language, I though I can speak French but after I arrived to Paris, I have realized it was just a feeling. I was lucky I understood something but you know, Frenchs connect words and speak quickly with no care about your level of French. It was a good practice, definitely. They really lack one quality: thoughtfulness.
What did I gain from my Parisian experience?
1. New friends
2. Gastronomic experience
3. New inspiration
The richest thing you can get are the connections from all over the world. Now I'm pretty positive I will visit my friend in Serbia, Russia, Japan and I have to confess that the people I have met made the whole experience incredible and unforgettable. Sounds like cliche but it's like that. I will probably never forget the moments together, dinners, parties, lectures, breaks, picnics...well, cheers guys!
Food is one big story. I'm not a food person but my view has changed in Paris. I like cooking and gastronomy that's true but Paris taught me to try what I have not eaten before and I liked it. Also their wine culture is amazing and I'm wine person. So one semester of living in a food heaven had a great impact on me. I eat better, I drink better and I feel better!
Isn't it about the inspiration? Every country you visit, it stays with you forever. You will remember that time...it kind of makes you wiser and richer....
With hindsight, I returned into the times I have started to write this blog. I said to you - BE RICHER IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, NOT IN YOUR POCKETS. That is the happiness of traveling - you will spend all your money but you will get something more precious - hundreds of memories, new friendships, maybe love. The money is only a mean.
So yeah, thank you for your solidarity when reading my blog and living the experience with me.
See you later, alligator.
Klara
I miss Paris.
My biggest worries were:
1. crime
2. accommodation
3. language
Well, all of these concerns actually came true. I was a victim of a crime, a few times. Fortunately, there was a happy ending in each case. Once, I was in a supermarket when one man inconspicuously robbed a riched-looking woman. I have seen it and I was not alone, thanks God. So the man who saw it as well told it to the security and when the robber went out from the store, they caught him. Second time was slightly worse. In the evening, I went home from the lecture and there was a street fight in front of the metro. Two drunk men were fighting pretty badly and I had to go to the metro in order to get home as a lot of people around me. Suddenly, one of them punch the other man and he fell to the escalator and as he was falling down, he took the people on the moving stairs with him! The offender ran away and I was standing in front of the escalator and watched the terrifying scenery. Someone pushed the stop button on the stairs and all people ran down and helped the injured ones. Nobody died..but well...I was there trying to help until the ambulance arrived.
Me and my accommodation was also a horror story, I'd say. I mentioned my experience in the previous blog posts but just to make it clear - it's never easy to look for the place to live in a totally different country. My first ambition was not to live with the other students, but somewhere in the city between French people in order to see how they lives look like. Yeah, I was lucky, it happened. Firstly, I have lived in an industrial North area of Paris - very unclean, people from lower to middle class. It was such experience! I mean, I got what I wanted. The problems with my flat forced me to move and within one day I have found (I guess I was lucky) a flat which I shared with two great girls and we lived in La Defense which is pretty much very expensive and very business area of Paris. It was a turnover. Now, rich high class society of people, safe place to live, minimum of crime and lovely new house residence. Sometimes, it's good to try everything.
As for the language, I though I can speak French but after I arrived to Paris, I have realized it was just a feeling. I was lucky I understood something but you know, Frenchs connect words and speak quickly with no care about your level of French. It was a good practice, definitely. They really lack one quality: thoughtfulness.
What did I gain from my Parisian experience?
1. New friends
2. Gastronomic experience
3. New inspiration
The richest thing you can get are the connections from all over the world. Now I'm pretty positive I will visit my friend in Serbia, Russia, Japan and I have to confess that the people I have met made the whole experience incredible and unforgettable. Sounds like cliche but it's like that. I will probably never forget the moments together, dinners, parties, lectures, breaks, picnics...well, cheers guys!
Food is one big story. I'm not a food person but my view has changed in Paris. I like cooking and gastronomy that's true but Paris taught me to try what I have not eaten before and I liked it. Also their wine culture is amazing and I'm wine person. So one semester of living in a food heaven had a great impact on me. I eat better, I drink better and I feel better!
Isn't it about the inspiration? Every country you visit, it stays with you forever. You will remember that time...it kind of makes you wiser and richer....
With hindsight, I returned into the times I have started to write this blog. I said to you - BE RICHER IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, NOT IN YOUR POCKETS. That is the happiness of traveling - you will spend all your money but you will get something more precious - hundreds of memories, new friendships, maybe love. The money is only a mean.
So yeah, thank you for your solidarity when reading my blog and living the experience with me.
See you later, alligator.
Klara