Category: La Une in English Page 11 of 17

When I arrived in Toulouse I didn’t expect my life to be completely changed in three weeks. The way I express my self has changed through my body language, gestures, and the way I take up space in public. It’s as if I were becoming a new person. There are differences that I notice everyday, although small, between the person I am in the USA and the person I am in Toulouse. Every morning I eat breakfast, which is something I never did or had time for in the USA. This little routine has changed the way I begin my day as it forces me to wake up earlier and gives me more free time for my day. This simple autonomy shows how life as a foreign student has changed me. Interacting with my hosts, that is to say how we make dinner together and the way we speak to one another, does not resemble my reality at home. At first it was weird to eat together and discuss different topics over dinner. I used to eat alone or in my room. In France, meals are for communication and to share our thoughts. Since I’ve been in France, one generally walks in the city to find a restaurant and after looking at the menu, which is located outside of the restaurant, one decides to eat there. The act of eating is an experience that is very different from the United States. In fact, the relationship between conversation and food is truly a French cultural trait. When we eat, there is a relaxed atmosphere; we are going to relax because the time to eat is a time of leisure that is neither measured nor rushed. I had to change my American mentality and become French. Toulouse life seems quiet but at the same time everyone has things to do. For foreign students, Toulouse is not overwhelming, but alive.

-Samantha Mendoza-Ferguson

Dear Readers,

I have the pleasure of informing you that another school year has already started at the Dickinson in France study center in Toulouse, where we have received eight students, more than half of whom will stay in Toulouse for the entire year. Our students arrived on September 3rd, and after they hit the ground running the following day during Dickinson Orientation, they have begun to integrate right away into the rythm and community of the “Pink City”.  Registration and university visits, city tours on foot with the one and only Monsieur Créma… they even had their first cultural outing with Dickinson on September 8th, when we attended a concert as part of the annual Piano aux Jacobins Festival, and where the students heard several pieces of classical music from French composers from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Furthermore, on September 18th, Dickinson in France welcomed the students, their hosts, and other French university students, as well as our civic service and internship partners from Toulouse, at the Dickinson Center to celebrate the start of the new school year.  They are preparing themselves for a very busy year, no doubt! While four students have already started at their host universities, the rest of our students are still enjoying the beautiful Indian summer that we have been experiencing here in Toulouse before they begin their classes at the (university) UT2, recently renamed “Jean Jaurès”.

Check in again next week to read our students’ first impressions of their lives “à la toulousaine”!

Julia

Since coming to France over three months ago, I haven’t missed much from life back in the United States. But this week I find myself thinking often about America, and about the regular cycle of American life I’m forsaking to study here for the semester.

Today is Thanksgiving, that glory of gluttony, that triumph of the turkey. And nothing evokes community, conversation, and grace quite like that holiday we celebrate every fourth Thursday of November. How do I reconcile this landmark of my calendar living in a country, inside a culture, that doesn’t recognize this holy day of obligation?

To replace Thanksgiving this year, I’ve sought to recreate the holiday piecemeal, through a convergence of French and of American. In the English classes I give at the Mirail, I watched French students’ eyes bulge as I listed the litany of dishes we serve at the Meal; together we watched A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special. I competed in the American Embassy’s Thankgiving cook-off, teaching a Toulouse chef that yes, fresh cranberries are edible and that, yes, pumpkins can be transformed into a dessert.

But the most meaningful event this week has been the Thanksgiving Dinner I prepared for my gracious hosts. Together we gorged on turkey, caramelized sweet potatoes with marshmallows, cranberry sauce, baguette stuffing, pumpkin pie, and two bottles of French wine. In the candle light of the table we talked for hours, about American traditions and particularities across France. I learned about French dining customs as my hosts discovered a taste of American gastronomy.

These moments remind me that we can, and must, retain our identity as we breach new environments. But in affirming our own selves, we invite those around us to learn—and to learn from them. We can absorb and evolve without dropping who we have always been. And for that, I’m thankful.

There is something about the film Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain that has always captured my attention. The cinematography is beautiful, the depiction of Paris incredibly charming, and the complexity of the main character (Amélie) intriguing. Every time I watch it or listen to the soundtrack, I have feelings of nostalgia. It reminds me of all the times I watched it with my mom and my sister who are both francophiles. When we watched this movie together, we shared the same desire to visit Paris again. Fortunately, I was given the chance during my studies here in France to visit Paris for my fourth time. For the first time, I visited places in Montmartre where Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain had been filmed. Here, I was able to place myself in Amélie’s position. My friend and I hiked up some small hills to get there and when we arrived in Amélie’s neighborhood, I started to feel those same feelings of nostalgia that I felt while watching the film. I found myself eating a lovely dinner of steak frites and listening to some live music in the café where Amélie worked (Café des deux Moulins), stopping by the outside of her apartment, and visiting the market where she shopped. I even was able to find a gnome (like the one from the movie) hidden under one of the shelves of produce at the market. Everything matched what I saw in the movie. I felt like I had teleported into the movie itself. As cliché as this may sound, it all felt like such a dream.

At Dickinson we often talk about being “global citizens”, however, it was not until arriving in France that I began to actually examine and define what that term means. With the help of a day-long program called “Magis”, we explored the responsibilities and implications of being global citizens. The two instructors had us complete various activities reflecting on our time in Toulouse which showed us how we are already becoming citizens of the world. From attending local French universities to living with French hosts, we have been realizing our goals of integration and engagement in the local culture over the past months.

One of the toughest parts of becoming a global citizen for me has been the capability to remain flexible. Many of the students arriving in the French university system were stressed out by the seemingly nonsensical way of registering for classes. However we had to adapt to the situation, which is only one of many examples of changing our habits to fit in with our host culture. Magis helped us to realize that we had already come very far in our journey towards becoming global citizens, and that as long as we keep on going we can move closer and closer to this goal.

-Emily

In the United States, everyone is constantly talking about what TV shows they’re watching, which movies they want to go see, and what their favorite celebrities are up to that week. Upon arriving in France, I discovered that it was exactly the same type of pop culture here, except it wasn’t with French shows or films like I expected, but with American ones! I’ve always known that entertainment is the number one export of the United States but I never truly realized that until I came to Toulouse. My hosts love to talk about their favorite shows and movies at the dinner table. The Mentalist, Revenge, Game of Thrones, NCIS, Scandal, Mamma Mia, Pretty Woman, and Harry Potter are just a few of the subjects that we’ve talked about while eating dinner. They also love all things Disney, and grew up with it just like we did in the states. But it’s not just my hosts. I’ve been to a couple of American movies here in Toulouse and the audience is always mostly French. I’ve even gone to a special advanced-screening of the new movie Gravity that was hosted here in Toulouse by CNES, the French equivalent of NASA. As a huge movie and TV buff myself, it’s so interesting to see American entertainment being enjoyed in other parts of the world.

Advanced screening of the movie “Gravity”

Kimmy Drexler

It’s very interesting to live in an old city with so much history. It’s almost like stepping back in time. My first impression of the city was that it was very big. But after living here for about two months, the city is actually really small! I will run into people I see or may recognize. I love walking around Toulouse, but I especially love my walk to the IEP because I walk right by Place du Capitole.

Place du Capitole

My classes at the IEP are very different from my classes at Dickinson. There are lots of people and it takes place in these grand lecture halls. My courses at Dickinson have about 15-20 students. However, I like the big lecture halls here at the IEP because I am able to just sit and listen and absorb everything the professor says. Something that is interesting in my classes is that the professor will talk about the United States and reference American writers. It’s nice to have that familiarity.

Alex Seavey. 

I’ve now been in classes at the Catholic Institute of Toulouse for 5 weeks, and it’s honestly not that difficult. The classes last between one and half hours and three hours, which is tough, but not unbearable. The teachers speak very quickly and obviously in French, but that’s the most difficult part. The content is relatively the same as any intellectual class in the states. I like the teachers and they know a lot about their subjects, they talk without a break for many hours at a time. I’ve tried to make friends in classes, but it’s a little hard. While the people are perfectly nice, they’re not overly willing to allow a foreigner into their circles. However, I’ve asked people for their notes in classes and I’m friends with the other Erasmus students. I’ll keep trying after the Toussaint holiday next week!

Caroline Leffert.

After several hours on the bus (and a lively game of twenty questions), traversing hills and valleys coated in a thick fog, we finally arrived at Chateau Lastours.  On one side of the bus, a massive expanse of grapevines, and on the other side, a centuries old house with a thousand stories to tell.  After a brief explanation of the construction and history of the house, our guide, the owner of the vineyard, took as out back to see the pigeon coup, a relic from an era when pigeon feces was used as manure to fertilize the soil.

Next we saw the private gardens, where our guide explained that the hedges (which were 200 years old) were planted in the shape of the two prestigious military awards that his ancestor received: the Fleur-de-lis and the Croix St. Louis.  He also shared an amusing anecdote from the garden’s past.  The vineyard once hosted a Russian delegation for a wine tasting class, which included none other than Vladimir Putin.  When our guide’s father told the delegation a joke, all the Russians laughed heartily, with the notable exception of Mr. Putin.

Soon, we were touring the underground facilities where they turn grapes into wine.  While it was difficult for me to understand a lot of the technical processes that were described to us, I was struck by how much was done right there at the Vineyard. Having spent a summer or two working in a styrofoam factory back home, I was surprised to see that the wine was made, bottled, and sold in the same location that the grapes were grown.  It struck me as very different from the American business model.

Finally, we got to eat a delicious French meal, and taste some wines.  We each sampled a red, a pink, and a white, and afterwards we got a free bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate Sam’s birthday.  Overall, it was a very interesting and enjoyable day.

Jeremy Lupowitz

Photo credit: Kimmy Drexler

Walking around Toulouse at 7 am is nothing like taking a stroll in the mid afternoon.  It’s dark, the air is calm, and there is no one around; well, except for the 20 twenty-somethings waiting for the bus at the end of Rue du Japon.  The three-hour voyage highlighted the contrast between the bustling urban life of Toulouse and the quaint rolling hills of the countryside.  Upon arrival, our group was met with the sight of a quaint medieval village sprawled out before us.  We waited no time; our guide for the afternoon, Monsieur Créma explained all about the church’s architecture and history while it towered over us.  Soon after, we set out on a hike through the hills of Conques.  We trekked though trees, over streams and scaled steep slopes.  Out of breath, we came to a peak that offered us a picturesque view of Conques surrounded by vineyards and green hills.   Picnicking at the top of the hills soon followed, all while joking and sharing a few laughs amongst new found friends.  Later that afternoon, we finished our hike and returned to the center of the village with the guidance of M. Créma.  Left to our own devices, we were able to do our own exploration of the village finding that Conques has much more to offer than meets the eye.

Kat Swantak