Welcome to blog post number two!
I’ve now been in Bordeaux for just over two weeks and am proud to say that the croissant/pain au chocolat tally that I promised my sister can officially commence. N.B. CROISSANTS: 0, CHOCOLATINES: 1 (ask for a pain au chocolat and find yourself presented with just that… bread studded with pieces of chocolate). Apparently this isn’t a very meaningul achievment, however, as when I phoned my sister to tell her that I’d had stopped for my first pain au chocolat on the way into work she informed me she’d already eaten three that day. So… what actually has been achieved 16 days into the first term of my Year Abroad? It’s hard to say. First, I think anyone should feel justified in congratulating themselves for making it through a fortnight (or a quinzaine as the French call it) doing a job in a new country and a new language and just about managing to perform their tasks to general satisfaction (so well done to everyone doing the same all over the world at the moment). Second, special kudos to anyone in a French office who has managed to get through said quinzaine without yelling at said office about its casual disregard for general clear communication and basic administrative efficiency. That said, however, somehow things get done.
I have to say I’m lucky. Everyone I work with has been welcoming and kind. Everyone insists I use the informal tu when I address them and they always insist on snatching the bill when we go out for lunch. Furthermore I’ve even had dinner at my boss’s house (‘You will come to dinner at mine on Thursday’ – it’s not presented as a question) and been taking out for the evening by her son and his girlfriend. As generous as everybody will surely be wherever you go in France, remember that the custom is that if you say no, you may not get asked again.
My advice is to say yes to whetever you’re offered. The evening at home watching TV that you were planning can be rescheduled – the chance to make friends and go to the places that they know can’t necessarily. A couple of weeks in and I’ve learnt that although the initial drive to discover the city and make an effort to be curious starts to slip away, you shouldn’t let it. Keep wandering down new streets to see where they lead, keep checking Facebook groups for interesting events and actually go to them and most importantly, keep an open-mind as that holiday feeling wears off and you realise that you’re here for a considerable period of time. As I said in my first post, being judgemental about anything different is your enemy when trying to settle in somewhere new. I’ve now learnt that feeling like a tourist can be too. My advice? Get a map (a proper one) and just walk around. Get on and off the tram or the tube or whatever it is that your city has until you know a few places and routes that make you feel less lost. In Bordeaux getting La carte TBC (which you can buy from a TBM office such as the one in Quinconces) lets you use the tram, the bus and even a boat route as much as you want. Another tip for Bordeaux – and I imagine plenty of other cities - is to look up walking tours. I found one on Facebook which was completely free and helped me meet a number of other people who were also completely new to the city. A lot of these things are run by volunteers and my guide explained that he was a student doing it in his free time so if you’re really bored, sign up to be a guide with a group like ‘Free Walking Tours Bordeaux’. If you find yourself in Bordeaux, there are Saturday tours leaving from Pey Berland and Sunday tours from Quinconces both at 5.30). As I said in my post about settling in, bordom is one of homesickness’s greatest allies. So... keep busy, keep positive and keep eating croissants, chocolatines or whatever local delicacy applies to you.
I’ve now been in Bordeaux for just over two weeks and am proud to say that the croissant/pain au chocolat tally that I promised my sister can officially commence. N.B. CROISSANTS: 0, CHOCOLATINES: 1 (ask for a pain au chocolat and find yourself presented with just that… bread studded with pieces of chocolate). Apparently this isn’t a very meaningul achievment, however, as when I phoned my sister to tell her that I’d had stopped for my first pain au chocolat on the way into work she informed me she’d already eaten three that day. So… what actually has been achieved 16 days into the first term of my Year Abroad? It’s hard to say. First, I think anyone should feel justified in congratulating themselves for making it through a fortnight (or a quinzaine as the French call it) doing a job in a new country and a new language and just about managing to perform their tasks to general satisfaction (so well done to everyone doing the same all over the world at the moment). Second, special kudos to anyone in a French office who has managed to get through said quinzaine without yelling at said office about its casual disregard for general clear communication and basic administrative efficiency. That said, however, somehow things get done.
I have to say I’m lucky. Everyone I work with has been welcoming and kind. Everyone insists I use the informal tu when I address them and they always insist on snatching the bill when we go out for lunch. Furthermore I’ve even had dinner at my boss’s house (‘You will come to dinner at mine on Thursday’ – it’s not presented as a question) and been taking out for the evening by her son and his girlfriend. As generous as everybody will surely be wherever you go in France, remember that the custom is that if you say no, you may not get asked again.
My advice is to say yes to whetever you’re offered. The evening at home watching TV that you were planning can be rescheduled – the chance to make friends and go to the places that they know can’t necessarily. A couple of weeks in and I’ve learnt that although the initial drive to discover the city and make an effort to be curious starts to slip away, you shouldn’t let it. Keep wandering down new streets to see where they lead, keep checking Facebook groups for interesting events and actually go to them and most importantly, keep an open-mind as that holiday feeling wears off and you realise that you’re here for a considerable period of time. As I said in my first post, being judgemental about anything different is your enemy when trying to settle in somewhere new. I’ve now learnt that feeling like a tourist can be too. My advice? Get a map (a proper one) and just walk around. Get on and off the tram or the tube or whatever it is that your city has until you know a few places and routes that make you feel less lost. In Bordeaux getting La carte TBC (which you can buy from a TBM office such as the one in Quinconces) lets you use the tram, the bus and even a boat route as much as you want. Another tip for Bordeaux – and I imagine plenty of other cities - is to look up walking tours. I found one on Facebook which was completely free and helped me meet a number of other people who were also completely new to the city. A lot of these things are run by volunteers and my guide explained that he was a student doing it in his free time so if you’re really bored, sign up to be a guide with a group like ‘Free Walking Tours Bordeaux’. If you find yourself in Bordeaux, there are Saturday tours leaving from Pey Berland and Sunday tours from Quinconces both at 5.30). As I said in my post about settling in, bordom is one of homesickness’s greatest allies. So... keep busy, keep positive and keep eating croissants, chocolatines or whatever local delicacy applies to you.
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