Category: La Une in English Page 8 of 17

When I travel to other places, I take advantage of all of the cultural opportunities they have to offer, such as expositions, plays, operas, etc. However, it is easy to forget that Toulouse also has terrific opportunities to understand the French culture. For example, two weeks ago, I attended a play at the Théâtre du Pavé called « The Bald Soprano », written by Eugène Ionesco in the 1950s. It is an absurdist play about two couples who engage in meaningless banter. The actors and actresses were almost nude and their hairstyles were very strange, messy, and colored. There were a lot of weird phrases, random noises, and strange movements and at times it was hard to follow. It was certainly not a typical play, and this play was my first experience with the absurd.

However, I found myself understanding the jokes and actually laughing aloud. Sometimes, I even forgot that they were speaking in French ! Looking back, it was a great way to experience the styles of French humor. Plus, it was a great test of language comprehension! I think that I learned some new vocabulary words simply by listening to the play and situating unknown words in context. It was fun to feel like a real French person ! Therefore, it is important to explore and seek out cultural experiences here in Toulouse. One main goal of this semester is to become fluent. In order to learn unfamiliar words and to obtain better comprehension skills, plays such as « The Bald Soprano » are invaluable resources.

In addition, there are other opportunities to learn apart from plays. Everyone has different interests and Toulouse is full of opporunities for cultural experiences. No matter what you choose, it is important to better understand the cultural roots of Toulouse and of the French language.

-Lauren Wachenfeld

After several months in France, I am more used to French culture and customs. However, the first weeks were full of misunderstandings and slightly awkward interactions. Our first weekend in France, my friend and I decided that we wanted to go into town to find a cafe, tea salon, or restaurant to eat and do a bit of work. We decided to meet at Esquirol square downtown. I waited for the bus for several minutes because they don’t arrive at the same frequency on Sunday as they do during the week, but I arrived in town around noon, ready for lunch.

My friend and I had the addresses of a few cafes near Esquirol that looked good on Yelp or were recommended by students from past semesters, so we chose one and headed over. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the cafe, it was closed. I was a bit disappointed but we had the names and addresses of a few others and instead of giving up on our dream, we persevered. We didn’t have luck at the second cafe either as it was closed until 2pm, so we went to a tea salon just around the corner instead. It was incredibly crowded, so we were happy to have found a place to eat and work that wasn’t closed!

We went in and I asked, with my beautiful American accent, “Do you still have spots available for lunch?” The host looked at me with confusion before saying, “And do you have a reservation miss?” No, I responded that we didn’t have one, but we could wait. Unfortunately the host informed us that the tea salon was fully booked for the rest of the day.

We thanked him and went back onto the quiet street, thinking that if most restaurants were closed on Sunday it made sense that the tea salons would be packed. We finally decided to work for a bit in MacDonald’s (which is much nicer than in the US) because there would undoubtedly be space there.

For me, the fact that restaurants are closed on Sunday wasn’t completely unexpected but I was still surprised to see to what degree Toulouse shuts down. It’s undoubtedly linked to France’s catholic heritage which is still relatively strong among the French despite the fact that France is a secular country. In any case, after that first weekend I am much more conscious of French hours because they are very different than those in the United States!

-Claire Gambee

Dear Readers,

The month of February has recently come to an end and the next edition of La Une is finally here! I’ll let you learn what our students have to say about this past month, which included a week (or three) of vacation.  And don’t forget to read about our trip to Paris in the ‘Excursions’ section!

Enjoy,

Julia

The Traboules in Lyon. Photo by Andrew Fuchs.

In the image above, you see a small sign in yellow and blue with an arrow pointing to the right. This small sign is found just north of the center of Lyon; however, this is not the only one of its kind. There are many of them that form a path the leads through Lyon’s secret passage system called The Traboules. The Traboules date back to the Renaissance when they were used as places of refuge. By following The Traboules, it is possible to cross the entire city without being seen; therefore they were very useful during the Second World War when people had to hide during attacks and invasions.

When I was in Lyon, I located the first sign in the north of town, however, I was unable to find the entrance to the first Traboule. Therefore, I decided to look for other clues to where they might be in the city, but after having found no entryways to The Traboules, even though there were many signs, I found myself at the top of a large hill. To the right, I noticed the final sign on the wall that read « The Traboules are closed after 17 :30 ». I checked my watch that read 6 :30 pm. Then I realized my error, I had mixed up the time 17 :30 with the time 7 :30 pm. I felt incredibly stupid, I had walked for more than an hour, but The Traboules had been closed since 5 :30 pm.

Finally, I turned around to walk back down the stairs when I saw what was awaiting me, an incredible sunset. Even though I hadn’t found what I was looking for, I have discovered something else just as magnificent. This moment reflects many others that manifest in my French life where I can’t find what I’m looking for, but instead, I find something even better. I believe that this is truly a magical aspect of France, the ability to unearth small gems of culture by chance that are not always evident, like the view from the top of the hill in Fourvière. Lastly, this anecdote reminds me that I should trust my instincts because they will always lead me towards in a spontaneous direction that is from time to time incredible.

Sunset in Lyon. Photo by Andrew Fuchs.

-Andrew Fuchs

As an American, what surprises me the most when I walk around Toulouse are the guns that the police always carry with them due to the plan Vigipirate. After spending about a month and a half in the city, I’ve noticed that guns can be seen much more often in public here than in the United States. The French police walk everywhere with their guns as they guard the neighborhood because it is their duty. However, this phenomenon continues to shock me each time I see it. It makes me very uncomfortable to see their semi-automatics and their larger guns – weapons that are surely loaded, might I add!

Soldiers with their guns as part of the plan Vigipirate. Photo by Claudia Vaughan.

In the United States, I live in the Midwest and rarely see guns. This is not to say that gun control laws are necessarily stricter than those of France. In fact, it may possibly be the other way around; recently, the Midwest had major legal problems regarding the Ferguson case in St. Louis, where I study at Washington University. A young man named Michael Brown was killed by a policeman’s gunfire, and these circumstances provoked several protests, including those of students from my university. Many people were upset by this shooting because they thought racial tensions underlined the situation (as Brown was black and the policemen white).

The Michael Brown case encouraged more discussion about police officers’ power and racial problems that continue to exist in the United States. These incidents where police officers abuse their power scare me and reinforce my idea that I do not support weapons. However, I understand that the role of police officers remains completely different in regards to the Michael Brown case compared to the attacks against the Charlie Hebdo magazine. Ferguson and Michael Brown represent conflict within a country, and this sort of issue requires a reexamination of gun control laws. Conversely, the police in France are not pitting one group within the country against another; instead, everything they do is for the security of the entire country. I think this distinction was very important for me because it was the first time I could see how the public possession of guns by the police could be something beneficial.

Overall, even though police guns are much more visible in France than in the United States, the French seem to be more comfortable with this atmosphere. At the moment, there is probably a more serious level of security than normal after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. Though the attack took place in Paris, it pained the entire country, and now it seems better to have more police officers around the larger cities of France. Upon reflection, I may be able to construct a new opinion of guns for myself: though I still consider the possession of guns to be something very dangerous and something that should be limited, if a population wants to have more armed police officers to ensure the security of their country as a whole (and not for war or any kind of guaranteed violence, of course), then that is a choice they have the right to make.

-Claudia Vaughan

Before arriving in France, I naïvely assumed that France, a relatively small country, was pretty homogenous. The United States is ten times the size of France, so I thought that the quirks between different regions in the US would be much more obvious than those in France. With a country the size of Texas, how could the northerners be that different from the southerners? Specifically, I am referring to the different accents found throughout the two countries. Obviously, Californians are going to speak very differently from those in the South because there are thousands of miles that separate them. However, I was not aware that this would be the same case for France, despite the lack of large distances between the different regions.

Even after a few weeks in Toulouse, I did not notice the Toulouse accent for a couple of reasons. The first is that I was not exactly used to hearing French, so picking out different accents was a little beyond me. The other reason is that initially I spoke French mostly with my hosts and other Dickinson students, who do not have the Toulouse accent. It was only after joining the basketball team at UT2-JJ that I had to the opportunity to experience the accent. A few of the players live in the outskirts of Toulouse and I think for that reason, they have a very, very strong accent. I really have to focus when they speak in order to understand them because it is so different from the French that I am used to. They use expressions that I have never heard before and the “ai” sound is much more nasal. For example, the word for bread, “pain”, spoken with a Toulouse accent almost sounds like the English word “pain” without the “n”. In the rest of the country “pain” rhymes with the French word “fin”. Also, I found that the Toulousains speak more melodically than other French. After having heard the accent for the first time, I now know what to look for and can pick out the differences more often.

Ever since I understood the Toulouse accent, I have wondered how such a small (relative to the US) country could have such linguistic differences. I am not really sure how accents develop, but I am sure it is related to the different languages that were spoken in the French regions in the past—Occitan and Catalan in the south, Francique-lorrain in the north, and Breton in the west. The French language is rich in history and has a plethora of historical influences; therefore it is not that surprising that French exhibits the same level of linguistic variety that is found in my side of the world.

– Laura McLaughlin

Back in America, soccer is starting to gain popularity at the professional level, but in France it is established and flourishing. France finished 8^th in the 2015 FIFA World Cup, which is much better than the United State’s 31^st place finish. I went to a match in Paris against Toulouse, and it was incredible. The energy and enthusiasm of the stadium gave me energy even though I was supporting Toulouse, and it was difficult to not join in the celebrations when Paris won. I was impressed at the turn out because the fans knew that Paris was going to win, but they were extremely excited all the same.

PSG vs TFC dans le Parc des Princes. Photo de Mira Hanfling.

Right now, Olympique Lyonnais is in first place of the French League 1, and Paris Saint-Germain moved into second place after their victory over Toulouse that I saw. Paris’ team place in the Place des Princes, and it’s fitting because the fans treat the players like princes. At the beginning of the match, the announcer said the first name of the players and the whole stadium yelled the last name in response. After Paris, the team in third place is Olympique de Marseille. The purple and white of Toulouse FC are in 17^th place of 20 teams in the league. They had a lot of issues with the team at the turn of the century when Toulouse FC lost their place in the second league in 2001 with financial troubles, but in 2008 they regained a place in the first league. It’s a pity they do so badly because the logo of the team is the Occitan cross which commemorates the fact that Toulouse was historically the capitol of the great Occitan region, but I have hope for the future.

In Toulouse, it’s rugby that everyone follows. The team is called Le Stade Toulousain and they won the European Cup (the most important rugby competition of Europe) four times in the last 20 years, which is the most of all European teams. Le Stade Toulousain was founded in 1907 and started strong with a national title in 1912. Normally, they play at the Stade Ernest-Wallon, which is also called the Sept Deniers stadium, and the colors of the team are black, red, and white. Currently, Le Stade Toulousain is in fifth place of the 14 French teams and I cannot wait to go to a match with Dickinson in April.

-Mira Hanfling

Dear Readers,

The year having already gotten off to a running start, it is in the last few days of January that Dickinson in France wishes you an excellent 2015; may the New Year bring you happiness, joy, and health!

For our Fall semester students, this month marks the culmination of the stay here in Toulouse. We wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavours and we hope you will take back some beautiful memories of the Pink City with you to the United States. It was a pleasure for all of the Dickinson in France team to accompany you throughout your experience in Toulouse.

For those who have recently arrived, we would like to welcome you to Toulouse, and we look forward to accompanying you throughout the semester in your discovery of Toulouse and France.

The month of January has been rather intense and unfortunately, marked by the tragic events in Paris. Rest assured all of our students arrived safely. In this edition of La Une you will find an article written by one of our new students, Mamadou Balde, who was one of the 120,000 people who participated in the march in support of freedom of expression that took place in Toulouse on January 10^th.

In mid-January the students discovered a reputable venue in the performing arts scene in Toulouse: la Halle aux Grains where we saw the modern ballet Entre Deux, in part choreographed by the Toulousaine Maguy Marin.

I’ll leave it to our new students now to tell you their first impressions of Toulouse and their first encounters with French culture. You can also read about our trip to the Pyrénées in the section ‘Excursions’.

Enjoy,

Julia

Toulouse, also known as “the pink city” was in mourning because of the tragic terrorist attack that took place on January 7, 2015 in Paris. Terrorists attacked the satirical weekly magazine “Charlie Hebdo” killing 11 people and seriously injuring 11 others. This tragic event was followed by a series of other terrorist attacks in the same region of France within the same week. In less than a week, 17 people were killed and many others seriously injury and left in critical condition.

It is following these awful incidents on French territory that marches in support of Charlie Hebdo and freedom of speech were organized everywhere in France and also abroad. These movements had for cause to condemn the terrorist attacks and to show sympathy for the French people. I came to France during this week and my first memories abroad were marked by those woeful events. In Toulouse, there were signs of “Je suis Charlie” posted on cars, bus and metro stations, public and private offices, and in many places. In brief, the people in Toulouse strongly mobilized to show their solidarity and express their opinions.

In Toulouse the march took place on Saturday, January 10, 2015. Thousands of people gathered at Jean Jaurès around 2:30pm. Well before the march started, all the major roads were closed to cars and a big crowd of people occupied all the streets in the area. Individuals of different ages, sex, and nationalities were present at the demonstration to show that the French people are strong and will always stay united.

From a point of view of a foreign student in Toulouse, I was very surprised to see that many people on the streets holding signs of solidarity written on banderoles, cardboards and T-shirts. The demonstration was animated with applauses and chants of “Je suis Charlie” that the crowd repeated almost every 5 minutes. During the march, the participants were very determined to show that they were really touched by this tragic attack on French soil. The full demonstration lasted approximately three hours and everyone dispersed at the Arnaud Bernard junction. Toulouse had never experienced a demonstration as large as this one.

-Mamadou Balde

I will come right out and say the obvious: I am a crazy dog lady. Nothing is better than being greeted with a great big stretch, slobbery kiss, and laps around the living room. Justin, my Yorkshire terrier, is NOT a “pet” in my eyes; he is family.

I have only been in Toulouse for about three weeks, and I can say that Justin is very much missed. It doesn’t help that the French share my love for these four-legged furbabies, though I think it is safe to say that Americans love their dogs just as much as the French do. However, these two countries do have some “doggy differences”:

1. SCOOP YOUR POOP

This is the Golden Rule for American dog owners. After all, nobody wants to step in that, and it’s just common courtesy to clean up after your dog. In France, it is somewhat the opposite. I’m sure that nobody wants to step in that here, but at the same time, it’s not frowned upon if you don’t clean up after your dog. The city does provide free bags in parks to encourage dog moms and dads to pick up their puppy’s poop, but that doesn’t mean that people will do it.

2. EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN AMERICA

Don’t get me wrong, I have seen my fair share of larger dogs in France. However, I have also noticed that the majority of dog parents tend to have smaller dogs. I think this might be because French homes are typically smaller.

3. DOGS ARE FAMILY…

…and you do not leave family locked in a crate when you have to run errands. I have seen dogs on the bus, in shops and restaurants, and even met the sweetest Yorkie on the metro! This would not go well in the States. I remember when my sisters and I took Justin to the mall in a tote bag. It was not a brilliant idea. You are not allowed to bring your dogs to those types of places in France, either, but nobody enforces that rule. I personally have no problem seeing a wagging tail in stores, but people who have allergies would probably disagree with me.

4. WILD AND FREE

I have seen so many dogs running alongside their parents on busy streets; there was no leash in sight. On one hand, it is cool that the dogs were trained that way. On the other hand, I could never personally do it. It would make me nervous; I don’t want anything to happen to Justin! There are definitely some well-trained dogs here, to say the least.

I hope you enjoyed reading about “dog culture” in France. It definitely catches my attention!

-Caitlin DeFazio