The Left Bank IV

The 13th arrondissement is primarily a business and residential district. It is also home to Paris' China Town. If you want to eat or stock up on Asian goods, this is the place to come! There are pastry shops and antique sellers up and down the street near the new Olympiades métro stop.

Frères Tang- The main supermarket found on avenue de Choisy. Access: M14- Olympiades. 
They also have a fast food style restaurant near the Place d'Italie. Access: M5, M6, M7- Place d'Italie.

The Left Bank III

The sights in the 7th arrondissment:

The 7th arrondissment's most famous attration has to be the Eiffel Tower. Built in 1889 by Gustave Eiffel for the Paris World's Fair, it was the largest stucture at the time. While its construction was originally criticized, it has since come to symbolize Paris, and it's hard to imagine the city without it! There are two restaurants in the tower and both are rather pricey! They also have a couple places where you can buy sandwiches and the like, but it will be more expensive than going elsewhere. Access: RER C- Champs de Mars Tour Eiffel, Pont de l'Alma, M6-  Passy, Trocadéro, M9- Trocadéro, Iéna. http://www.tour-eiffel.com/
http://www.restaurants-toureiffel.com/index.html

• Also located in the 7th is the Musée de l'Armée, Hôtel des Invalides. This is interesting for both those interested in military history and Napoleon. In the Grand Coupola you will find the Tomb of Napoleon. In 1840, almost 20 years after the death of Napoleon in Saint Helena, King Louis-Phillipe began his efforts to have Napoleon's body transferred to the Invalides. In 1861, Napoleon was finally laid to rest in his tomb at les Invalides. If you are interested in Louis XIV les Invalides will also be of interest to you. He originally had the Invalides built as a hopital to house wounded soldiers, hence the name. The tomb of Vauban, his chief military engineer best known for his fortifications, is found here. The tomb of Turenne is also found here.

         The Musée de l'Armée displays a wide variety of military equipment from cannons and armor to enigma machines. Access: RER C- Invalides, M8- Invalides, La Tour Maubourg, Ecole Militaire, M13-Varenne. http://www.invalides.org/pages/anglais/menu_ang.html

• The Musée d'Orsay is also located in the 7th. This museum seems to be the most loved by tourists. Many say the it is less daunting and more approchable than the Louvre, so many come here instead of visiting the Louvre. Originally built as a train station, it began its conversion into a museum in 1977 and was inaugurated in 1986. This museum houses art and sculpture dating from the 1840's to the 1910's. Here you can see famous works such as; Moet's Rouen Cathedral, Renoir's Bal du moulin de la galette, Whistler's Whistler's Mother, and works by Toulouse Lautrec. Access: RER C- Musée d'Orsay, M12- Rue de Bac, Solférino, Assemblée Nationale. http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html

Study Abroad II

So, now for the interesting part: what it's like to be an international student (in France at least).

Normally a few days after you arrive, and start to get settled in, the university will hold an orientation for the international students. This is supposed to help you get acquainted with the other foreign students, and to teach you a little on how the school works, and any activities that are available for you to participate in. I attended a private university, so my experience might be a little different from what most will experience, but it should be similar enough.

The next thing you will do will be to tackle one of Hercules' unwritten tests: registering for classes! They will shove a binder at you that has a schedule of all of the classes available in that faculté for the semester. You will try to make sense of this binger, and quickly realize that every class you wanted to take starts at the same time.... Ok, back to the drawing board! You will also realize that some classes have already started, and some that have been going on for several weeks, but this doesn't seem to bother anyone.

Once you sort out your schedule (and try to figure out how your going to get from you one class that ends at 15h and the next that starts at 15h) you start classes. In France most of the profs don't use textbooks, they just lecture and maybe give out handouts. For the few that do use texts, they will tell you what you need to get. In France they also allow you to take French language classes if your French isn't quite up to par. So, if your in a country where they don't speak your language, it will be a good idea to introduce yourself to the prof so that he knows about the difficulty you might face.

Now you're in class and the fun really begins! In my school the classrooms weren't always set, so they just moved from room to room and sometimes ended up being assigned a room. The notify you of any classroom changes, cancellations, or reschedulings/make-up on bulletin boards for each academic level. The one thing that most international students don't realize is that students with the same major take the same classes together until they graduate. This is why you have some classes that end the same time the others start: those profs know where their students are coming from so they know to wait for them. It is very frustrating, however, until you figure all of this out.

Tests:
In France major exams, such as mid-terms and finals, are not given in the same room they are taught in. They are usually given in larger ampitheaters, and grouped by specialty. This is so they can monitor the tests easier. No one is allowed to enter once the exam has started, and no one can leave during the first hour (though some do allow students to leave early). Be sure not to forget you student ID as they check this to make sure they give you the right test!

Vacation:
Europe tend to be pretty generous in the vacation department, so you should be able to get some travelling in! In France they have a discount card available to people under 25, called la Carte 12-25. This entitles you to a discount of up to 50% on you train tickets, so it's worth looking into. http://www.12-25-sncf.com/accueil/ (French only) Airfare is also pretty inexpensive with access to airlines like; Ryan air, easyJet, and Iceland Express. London is only about 2hrs from Paris, and Brussels only 1hr30. Europe's rail system is highly developed, so that make it relatively easy to travel between countries.

So there you have it! That's study abroad in a nutshell! :)

Study Abroad

I know I haven't posted for a very long time, but life has been keeping me rather busy (and, unfortunately, not travelwise).



In my second post I mentioned that I studied abroad in 2004 in Lille, France. This post will be entirely devoted to study abroad. All the information I will give pertains to studying in France, as that is the experience that I have. If you have questions on the process for any other county, feel free to ask, and I can find out for you!



When I was in high school I decided that as soon as I could, I would study abroad in college. Well, I started my sophomore year in college and decided that I was ready to take the plunge! Thatkfully my school has a sister school in France, so that made the process a whole lot easier! I highly recommend checking with your school's study abroad department to see if they have a list of sister schools, and then check those schools out online before deciding which one to go to (if they have more than one per country, of course).



Once you've decided where you want to go the hard part begins. If your university doesn't have a sister school you will have to contact the foreign university yourself, and then present your proposal to your university. If your university has a sister school program they will normally already have the paperwork you need to fill out to attend the foreign university, or they will easily obtain it for you.



Now that you've filled out all of this paperwork, if you don't already have one you will need to apply for a passport. This needs to be done at least 6 weeks in advance, and can be longer depending on when you apply. You can find the average wait times on the travel.state.gov website, as well as pricing info, forms, and rush order information.

In order to receive your student visa you will need to have an acceptance letter from the university you will be studying at. If you are going to a sister school, they will send this to your advisor, who will then give you the letter. You will then take this and all of the necessary paperwork to your local consulate. (More information on what is needed for the paperwork can be found here: http://www.consulfrance-atlanta.org/spip.php?article605#2-Temporary-long-stay-visa-3-to-6)

Now the wait begins! When I got my visa in 2003 it was issued the same day. Now they make you wait 2 weeks to a couple months before they issue it. Normally, if all of your paperwork is in order, you shouldn't have any worries.

As for housing, this is always taken care of before you leave. You have the option to either stay in student housing, or with a host family. I highly recommend saying in student housing. Don't worry about not being involved in the local culture, because you will be! This way you don't have to worry about clashing with the host family, and you can enjoy your time more.

Once you have your visa in hand, you're ready to go! The university will have an orientation for all the new international students, usually followed by a dinner or an event of somekind. Then the next day or so you will complete your registration for classes.

In my next post I'll tell how it is to be an international student, and the student culture in France.

Happy travels!

I promise that this blog will resume again shortly. Upcoming entries will be:

1. Finishing up the entries on Paris and including hotel, appartment and restaurant information.
2. Iceland
3. The West by state (California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, to name a few).
4. England

This might not be the order that it will be presented in, it all depends on what I get finished with first. Paris entries will be finished first!

Sorry for the delay!

The Left Bank II

The sights in the 6th arrondissement:

• Place Saint-Michel: The centerpiece of this square is the Saint Michael fountain, built by Gabriel Davioud in the 1850's. Due to its location in the Latin Quater the area surrounding the square is filled with bookstores, notably Gibert Jeune. Access: M4- St Michele, RER B- Saint Michel-Notre Dame.



• Saint Germain des Prés- A nice Midieval church (6th century). At the time of its construction it was located outside of Paris. The tomb of René Descartes is located in the church as well. The area around Saint Germain was also home to the existentialist movement and was frequented by Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Hemingway and Godard among others. This is also the location of several famous cafés: Les Deux Magots and Café de Flore which were frequented by the aforementioned notables. Access: M4: St-Germain des Prés, M10- Mabillon. http://www.lesdeuxmagots.fr/index.php, http://www.cafe-de-flore.com/



• Saint Sulpice- For those that have read, or seen, the Da Vinci code you will probably recognize this church. Originally built in the 13th century, the stucture that you can visit today dates from the mid-18th century. The church houses an impressive organ with over 100 stops and has a long history of ogran music. In 1727 a gnomon was constructed and placed in the church so that the time of the equinoxes could be predicted and then the date of Easter determined. This is the brass line that runs along the floor of the church to an obelisk. Access: M4- Saint Sulpice.



• Luxembourg Palace and Gardens- Bought by Marie de Medici in 1612, the Palace today houses the French Senat and has a rather nice museum. The palace originally housed the cycle of 24 paintings by Peter Paul Rubens on the life of Marie de Medici, these can now be seen in the Louvre. The gardens are done in the French style and has statues representing greek myth and famous individuals as well as the Medici fountain. Access: RER B- Luxembourg. http://www.museeduluxembourg.fr/, http://senat.fr/visite/jardin/index.html (French only).

Paris, Part II- The Left Bank (I)

The Left Bank (Rive Gauche in French) is full of universities and teaching hospitals. It's home to the Latin Quarter as well as the Senate and has more of a residential feel than the Right Bank.

Sights By Arrondissement

5th arr:

Museum of Natural History: M7- Jussieu, M10- Jussieu
1. Jardin des Plantes- A major botanical garden with 4500 different plants all arranged by family. The gardens are part of the larger Museum of Natural History. Both the Mexican Green house and the Winter Garden are closed for renovation until sometime later this year. http://www.mnhn.fr/museum/foffice/transverse/transverse/accueil.xsp?cl=en
2. La Grande Galerie de l'Evolution- Built in 1889 this part of the museum focuses more on the evolution of species and the diversity of living species. The Museum covers 6000m² and has four different levels beginning with the diversity of living species and ending with the evolution of species.
3. Menagerie- A small zoo within the Jardin des Plantes that has a nice array of specimens. http://www.mnhn.fr/museum/foffice/tous/tous/GuideDecouverte/lieuxVisiter/LieuxAVisiter/FLieuAVisiter.xsp?i=1&nav=liste&INFO_ID=22&SITE_ID=10&AE_ID=204&LIEU_ID=210&idx=2&MAN_ID=260
4. La Galerie de Minérologie et de Géologie- The mineral collection that this part of the museum houses is rather interesting. From giant crystals to jewelery, they have quite an extensive collection. The gallery has just reopened after a recent renovation. http://www.mnhn.fr/museum/foffice/tous/tous/GuideDecouverte/lieuxVisiter/LieuxAVisiter/FLieuAVisiter.xsp?i=1&nav=liste&INFO_ID=154&SITE_ID=10&AE_ID=197&LIEU_ID=170&idx=0&MAN_ID=256

• Arènes de Lutèce- A Gallo-Roman arena near the Museum of Natural History. Built in the 1st century AD, it could at one time seat 15 000 people and was used to host gladiatorial combats. The name of the arena comes from the name that the Romans gave to Paris: Lutetia. The arena is open every day from 8:30- 5pm, 9:30pm in the summer. Access: M7- Jussieu, Place Monge; M10- Cardinal Lemoine, Jussieu.
• Saint-Etienne-du-Mont- Church near the Panthéon. This church houses the shrine of Sainte Geneviève, the patron saint of Paris. It also houses the tombs of Blaise Pascal, Jean Racine. The grave of Revolutionist, Jean-Paul Marat can be found in the church's cemetery. Access: M10- Jussieu, Cardinal Lemoine, M7- Jussieu, Place Monge.
• Panthéon- Construction of the Panthéon was begun in 1758 during the reign of Louis XV, it was initially meant to honor the patron saint Geneviève. Construction did not end until the start of the Revolution in 1789, upon which it was converted from a church to a mausoleum honoring great French intellectuals. Since the Revolution it was twice converted back into a church, only to be changed back into a temple to Great Minds. Some of the people buried within the necropolis are: Voltaire, Hugo, Dumas, Emile Zola, Rousseau and Louis Braille. Under the dome of the Panthéon is the Foucault pendulum. Designed by French physicist Léon Foucault in 1851 to demonstrate the Earth's rotation. The pendulum moves in a clockwise motion at 11° an hour making a full circle rotation in just under 33 hours. http://pantheon.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/?fl_r=4 Access: M10- Cluny-La Sorbonne, RER B- Luxembourg.
• Musée de Cluny- Also known as the National Museum of the Middle Ages it was originally constructed in 1334. This is where you can see the tapestry The Lady and the Unicorn a six part tapestry telling the story of the Lady and the Unicorn. The museum also houses sculptures, illuminated manuscripts and furniture all from the Middle Ages. Also on the ground of the museum are the remains of a Gallo-Roman bath. You can visit the remains of both the frigidarium and the calderium. http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/ang/index.html Access: M10- Cluny-La Sorbonne, Maubert Mutualité.

Next: The Left Bank Part II. I find it easier to break everything down by what's to see by arrondissement due to the volume of things to see.