Tuesday, December 27, 2011

choses que je vais faire à paris

In English, Things I want to do in Paris. This is my to do list, my wish list, my bucket list, so to speak. This list is anything but all-inclusive, and I have fully accepted that I will probably not do every thing on this list in my four months abroad. I do, however, see this as a guide to to my trip, so that I make the most of my time. If ever I feel I am at a lack of something to do or see, I can simply come back to this list. So here it is, my Paris bucket list.

  1. See the typical tourist attractions of Paris: le Tour Eiffel, le Champs-Élysées, le Louvre, etc.
  2. Go to Versailles, at least once & see all the history of Marie Antoinette
  3. Visit Amsterdam
  4. Visit Katie in Milan (see her blog here!)
  5. Get at least a bag from Chanel, Dior or Yves Saint Laurent (a shopping bag, not a handbag, just to clarify)
  6. Go to Ladurée and Pierre Hermé for macarons
  7. Take photos of everything
  8. Improve my French language skills to a comfortable level
  9. Make at least one really good friend among my classmates
  10. Make at least one Parisian friend
  11. Drink espresso at least once (for a non-coffee drinker, this may be hard)
  12. Attend a fashion show (unlikely, but why not?) well, sort of--I stood outside during PFW!
  13. Learn to like red wine
  14. Go to the Shakespeare & Co. bookstore
  15. Visit the Paris mosque
  16. Go to one Catholique church service
  17. Visit the Cemetery of Père Lachaise (the burial grounds of famous names such as Jim Morrison, Gertrude Stein & Oscar Wilde)
  18. Find and eat döner kebabs
  19. Visit Strasbourg or Freiburg
  20. Have afternoon tea in a tea room
  21. See l'Hôtel de Ville (the Paris city administration building)
  22. Find and visit any WWII museums and/or memorials
  23. Spend time in le Quartier Latin (the Latin Quarter)
  24. Visit la Sorbonne Reading Room (and the rest of the Sorbonne campus)

I may add to or edit this list at some point, but this is what I have for now and I think that it is more than enough to keep me busy for four months.

Friday, October 21, 2011

the journey begins...


I have officially been accepted! The program I chose is through CEA. It is an International Business program through the CEA Global Campus in Paris, France. The CEA set up this campus in 2005 and is strictly for study abroad students. Ideally, I'd prefer to study in a local, French institution, however my French is not nearly st
rong enough to succeed in classes that are taught in French. The CEA campus will allow me to take classes in English while still being in the middle of Paris (the 3rd Arrondissement, just a few blocks from the La Seine, Ile de La Cite, and Ile Saint-Louis).


My school in Paris.

While I have not signed up for classes yet, as they haven't been released, I have chosen my potential & likely courses. For my major I will be taking Cross-Cultural Management. The program abroad requires that I choose 2 from 4 business electives, so my other business course will be Oenology: History, Culture & Business of Wine. This class will be a purely elective course. For my minor (French Language & Area Studies) I have chosen Intermediate French Language, 20th Century Art, and History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective. I am so excited to have a semester that is not so business-heavy and be able to focus on things like art & history which I have a great passion for, and otherwise don't have the opportunity to study as much at home.

Housing options are still up in the air. Within the next month or two we will choose preferences (among student-shared apartments, residence halls or homestays) and be assigned a temporary housing placement. Then, about 10 days before departure we will receive a permanent assignment.

There is still so much more to figure out, but I am so excited! A lot of it is stressful especially visa and financial situations, but it will all be worth it. My next blog post will be my list of things I want to do & see while I am abroad. And remember you guys are always welcome to comment here, I will read them and especially while I am abroad will really appreciate hearing from you guys :)