Bienvenue à Cannes !

It’s time I finally introduce you all to the lovely city of Cannes! The city is made up of several ports on the coast of the Mediterranean near the Italian border. The Italian influence is very clear, in the food, the architecture, and the attitude.  For a girl who splits her time between Vermont and Ohio, I feel as though I’m living in paradise. My school is just across the road from the beach and my homestay in the heart of the city. Every morning I have a language course from 9am to noon and twice a week I have a seminar from 1:30pm to 5pm.

 

There are many distinct contrast between Cannes and Paris. Not only is Paris much more traditionally “French”, but the general population there is younger and the atmosphere is busy and not exactly friendly. The simplest analogy I can use to describe the cities and the difference between them is that if Paris is New York City, than Cannes is Florida. The people here are generally older (many come here to retire) and have a surplus of money and time to spend the day walking their small dogs or dining in cafés. For now, there are not many tourists, although at the time of the film festival the city quadruples in size!

This is the generous breakfast spread my roommate and I receive every morning at our homestay: half a baguette, jam, butter, cereal, milk, fruit, and coffee or tea

I’m still not sure how I feel about Lewis’ Culture Model or the Global Leadership and Organizational Behavioral Effectiveness (GLOBE) study and other research that tries to find universal norms for a country. Despite experiencing first hand all of these differences within France, I'm surprised to find myself believing more that such universal norms do exist. Lewis and the other cross-culture experts have found trends that are far deeper than the food or architecture, to find commonalities in the mentality, values, and attitudes of the people. I think for France, a major reason these commonalities exist is the the high degree of centralization of government, especially with regards to the education system. In my opinion, examples of a French norm would be the great value on their freedoms, such as freedom of the press/speech, and the importance of developing a strong collective rather than focusing on individual attention. If anyone has a question or would like me to explain further about these examples, the role of the school system, or anything I've mentioned, feel free to comment below!

À bientôt,

Kara

Bonjour de Cannes!

Two weeks ago, my J-term in Paris ended and I boarded a train for Cannes to start my spring semester. So far I have not experienced any serious homesicknesses and had wanted to leave France, but I will say that the day when all of my friends left to return to their families and their beds while I was to remain abroad for five more months was a very, very difficult and emotional one. The time in Paris felt like a blink. We did, saw, ate, and visited SO much in such a short amount of time (thanks in large part to the architecture class which was essentially a three hour walking tour of the historic churches, houses, and buildings of Paris).

For this post, I'll give some final thoughts on Paris and then later next week I'll introduce you to my new home on coast of the Mediterranean! After spending a month in Paris, here are some of my favorite activities  and what I would recommend to anyone visiting the city:

-Tour the Château de Versailles: This mini kingdom exudes the grandeur and excessiveness of Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette. Within minutes of walking through the chapel, ballrooms, and private bedrooms, it's easy to understand the revolutionary sentiment the boiling up among the thousands of commoners that were starving and cold. This place carries immense historical importance from the 18th century as well as more recently in the 20th century with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. I would add the recommendation of going in the spring or summer when the gardens are in their full beauty. Below is a picture of my roommate and I in the Hal of Mirrors and on the left is Marie Antoinette's bed.

-Descend into the Catacombs: Certainly not for the faint of heart, but certainly a major part of French history and a must-see. There are the bones of eleven million people all purposefully placed in a design from the 17th and 18th century. The bones came from graveyards that had reached their capacity (some literally overflowing) so the oldest bodies that had already decomposed were moved here to make room for new graves. Below, the entrance reads "Stop. It is here the empire of the dead."

-Sacré-Coeur:This is my favorite church in Paris. Not only is it beautiful on the inside, but the view from in front is breath taking. Even though it's on the outskirts of the city and sits high on top of a hill, it's certainly worth the climb. Montmartre is the neighborhood below it full of small streets without cars so it's a great place for finding food, art, and shopping without as many tourists as in the heart of the city.

-Eat the street food: Some of the best food I had in Paris was grab-and-go type food for less than 8 euro. On nearly every block there is a "patisserie" or "boulangerie" and in addition to breads and pastries, these places offer pre-made sandwiches that are very flavorful and filling. Some of these are pressed and heated and are what they call "paninis." Many small restaurants have what looks like a drive-thru window where you can grab a panini, café, and of course a crêpe! The clear favorite among my group was the classic crêpe with Nutella, but my personal preference was for the savory crêpes filled with cheese and veggies. I loved this type of food and all of these places are fast, cheap, and open very late.

-Go up the Eiffel Tower: No picture of "la Tour Eiffel" can compare to standing right under it in person. The entire structure seems to have a glow to it and its size is just massive! I would really suggest going up during the day for an amazing 360 view of Paris and also returning at night to see the entire structure sparkle every hour. This was the most beautiful five minutes in Paris.

There are many great things to do in Paris that I did not mention above, so please comment if you'd like to know more. As for some other important information to know if you are visiting the city:
-Do be on guard for pick-pocketers. They are well-trained.
-Don't smile at passing strangers. In the States it's common to smile in a friendly acknowledgment, but in France this is interpreted as too personal and may make the other person uncomfortable or may bring you unwelcome attention.
-Do greet every store owner with "Bonjour" when you enter and say "Au revoir"when you leave.
-Do try to use some French. Making a little effort to use French when meeting someone or ordering food is appreciated (though it may not seem like it at times).

There's so much more to say about Paris than I could ever write! Feel free to add any comments or questions and I'd be happy to respond.

À bientôt,
Kara