I had a good day at work today :-)
Since I work from 8am to 5pm in Grenoble, I have to get up pretty early to commute: a 15 minute bus ride to Chambéry, then a train from Chambéry to Grenoble (45 mins or 1hr depending on how many stops the train makes), followed by a 10 minute bus ride. Fortunately, I woke up in time to get ready! Actually, I reached Grenoble about 7:15 am... it's better to be early than late!... waited around a bit, then took the bus to the workplace.
First, I had to wait a while to receive my badge for the site. My photo was taken while I was encouraged to look at a bright yellow smiley face positionned next to a camera. Lol! The rest of the day went quite smoothly.
I worked along with friendly student who is almost finished with her internship there (my "teacher" for the next few days!), had a mid-morning break with some staff members (it was cold outside, like around 12°C. Sweaters were a must!), enjoyed a delicious lunch at the on-site restaurant which provides meals for under 3€, and learnt much more from my student coworker again this afternoon. Of course I took lots of notes, and at the end of the day felt a sense of achievement since I am able to complete some tasks! I'm actually looking forward to continuing the work tomorrow! Surely, working in an office in front of a computer is a lot different from teaching, but I've really welcomed the change!!
Now I need to get some rest, so I'll have enough energy to continue it all over again tomorrow :-)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Return to the Préfecture
My relaxing weekend in St Etienne was continued in Lyon, and then I returned to Chambéry today by bus since there weren't any Lyon-Chambéry trains when I left. Even the bus ride was relaxing lol.
Anyway, I returned to the Préfecture this afternoon, in spite of the depressing visit last time. I still don't have my university results for the second semester, so I carried my results for the first semester. This time I spoke to a different person, and the gist of the conversation was as follows:
1st worker: "Oh, you're Alicia ______, you were a lectrice d'anglais?"
Me: No, assistante d'anglais *I'm surprised that she knows who I am, since all I showed her was my official grade slip which had my name*
1st worker: "We received your file last week and haven't looked at it as yet."
Another pleasant worker passes by. I had spoken to her in the past, and she had assured me that I would get to extend my stay in France this summer.
Me: Ok, well I only have 8 days remaining [till my current récépissé expires] so je m'inquiète quoi. *together with a genuine semi-depressed facial expression caused by my frustration with the Préfecture*
2nd worker: I'll look at your file and send the récépissé to La Motte. *she then takes the copy of my 1st semester results, and heads off*
Me: *hoping for this to be true but not wanting to get excited too soon* Ok, merci. :-) Au revoir
I guess all I can do now is wait patiently!
Anyway, I returned to the Préfecture this afternoon, in spite of the depressing visit last time. I still don't have my university results for the second semester, so I carried my results for the first semester. This time I spoke to a different person, and the gist of the conversation was as follows:
1st worker: "Oh, you're Alicia ______, you were a lectrice d'anglais?"
Me: No, assistante d'anglais *I'm surprised that she knows who I am, since all I showed her was my official grade slip which had my name*
1st worker: "We received your file last week and haven't looked at it as yet."
Another pleasant worker passes by. I had spoken to her in the past, and she had assured me that I would get to extend my stay in France this summer.
Me: Ok, well I only have 8 days remaining [till my current récépissé expires] so je m'inquiète quoi. *together with a genuine semi-depressed facial expression caused by my frustration with the Préfecture*
2nd worker: I'll look at your file and send the récépissé to La Motte. *she then takes the copy of my 1st semester results, and heads off*
Me: *hoping for this to be true but not wanting to get excited too soon* Ok, merci. :-) Au revoir
I guess all I can do now is wait patiently!
Saint-Etienne
After visiting many of the main towns in the Rhône-Alpes region, I finally made it to Saint-Etienne! It's 45 minutes away from Lyon by train, and only cost a little under 10€ aller-retour Lyon Part-Dieu - St Etienne thanks to my TER Coup de Foudre reduction card for young people (aged 12-25).
Even though I didn't have much time to faire du tourisme - the weather wasn't the best either (it was windy and relatively cold) - I enjoyed my time there and liked the bit of the town I saw.
Cool train station : Gare de St-Etienne Chateaucreux
First view of Sainté from the train station
My weekend (well, actually 24 hours, Saturday-Sunday) with four Frenchies consisted of:
- TV shows online: The Simpsons - in French of course -, Southpark, The Inbetweeners, funny parody videos in French on Youtube, etc.,
- Games: billard at a pub in the town, and the Service Compris board game,
- Food: After a trip to the grocery, we spent the weekend eating pizza, homemade crêpes, snacks, etc.
Bref, I had a relaxing weekend :-)
Even though I didn't have much time to faire du tourisme - the weather wasn't the best either (it was windy and relatively cold) - I enjoyed my time there and liked the bit of the town I saw.
Cool train station : Gare de St-Etienne Chateaucreux
First view of Sainté from the train station- TV shows online: The Simpsons - in French of course -, Southpark, The Inbetweeners, funny parody videos in French on Youtube, etc.,
- Games: billard at a pub in the town, and the Service Compris board game,
- Food: After a trip to the grocery, we spent the weekend eating pizza, homemade crêpes, snacks, etc.
Bref, I had a relaxing weekend :-)
Friday, June 19, 2009
Paperwork stress
So I got a summer job in Grenoble (adminstration/accounting, June-August), and I'm supposed to start next week. However, the Préfecture... well, in a few well-chosen words...ça fait chier! My récépissé expires in less than two weeks, and today when I went to the Préfecture they told me the new récépissé hasn't been done (although I was told by one of the employees that I would have received it this week!) and that I need to include my grade slip with my application for an extension... grades aren't out as yet! First they had asked me for an acceptance letter, then a pré-inscription 2009-2010, now my grades. It's hard not to imagine that someone might be trying to make things difficult for me, an étrangère with a full time summer job during the recession. Hopefully all this crap/paperwork galore! together with the limited time wouldn't result in a last minute return flight to Trinidad.
Anyway, I'm trying to de-stress. This weekend I'm off to Lyon/Saint-Etienne, so at least I have something to look forward to :-)
Anyway, I'm trying to de-stress. This weekend I'm off to Lyon/Saint-Etienne, so at least I have something to look forward to :-)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Summer job!
June has been a lot less boring that I had imagined!
The month started off well! Last Monday (the 1st), a friend from uni emailed me an ad for a job in Grenoble :-). I spent the day researching the company online, editing my CV and writing a lettre de motivation. On Tuesday I emailed my application, and was contacted on Wednesday by the company. I had an interview on Thursday; it went well (an hour long! en français for a job that requires fluent English) and I was told that I would find out the decision in a week's time since there was still another candidate to be interviewed.
Well, after a week of waiting and hoping for the best, I finally received a phone call today... I got the job!!! Woo hoo!!! I start work on the 22nd of June. I'll be taking the train to Grenoble on a daily basis since that's cheaper than renting an apartment in Grenoble for the summer.
Other events so far have included:
- a punctured bicycle tyre ... sigh, I've no idea where that thumb tack came from! Fortunately it's a 40 minute walk (and not longer!!) from my apartment to the Vélostation where I rented the bike (located at the train station in Chambéry). I will carry the bike there soon enough. Hope they don't take out of my deposit!
- several trips to the Préfecture (I need to extend my stay. My visit to the Préfecture today was the most productive/enlightening (lol) so far, and now I only need to submit my documents to the mairie!)
- numerous trips to the university (It took a few visits there before I got an acceptance letter for the Préfecture, then being told by the Préfecture that that letter might not work and I need a pré-inscription, so I had to go back to uni today to get an attestation de pré-inscription (even though registration begins in July). Ahh, France and paperwork! Anyway, the lady at the scolarité was really helpful. I also went to the CLOUS today to get more info concerning my accommodation in a résidence universitaire from September.
- visits to the bank, lots of TV viewing :-), reading, and a weekend trip to Lyon.
Tomorrow I hope to go to the mairie and the CLOUS to submit the relevant documents. I hope I'll have another good day like I did today!
The month started off well! Last Monday (the 1st), a friend from uni emailed me an ad for a job in Grenoble :-). I spent the day researching the company online, editing my CV and writing a lettre de motivation. On Tuesday I emailed my application, and was contacted on Wednesday by the company. I had an interview on Thursday; it went well (an hour long! en français for a job that requires fluent English) and I was told that I would find out the decision in a week's time since there was still another candidate to be interviewed.
Well, after a week of waiting and hoping for the best, I finally received a phone call today... I got the job!!! Woo hoo!!! I start work on the 22nd of June. I'll be taking the train to Grenoble on a daily basis since that's cheaper than renting an apartment in Grenoble for the summer.
Other events so far have included:
- a punctured bicycle tyre ... sigh, I've no idea where that thumb tack came from! Fortunately it's a 40 minute walk (and not longer!!) from my apartment to the Vélostation where I rented the bike (located at the train station in Chambéry). I will carry the bike there soon enough. Hope they don't take out of my deposit!
- several trips to the Préfecture (I need to extend my stay. My visit to the Préfecture today was the most productive/enlightening (lol) so far, and now I only need to submit my documents to the mairie!)
- numerous trips to the university (It took a few visits there before I got an acceptance letter for the Préfecture, then being told by the Préfecture that that letter might not work and I need a pré-inscription, so I had to go back to uni today to get an attestation de pré-inscription (even though registration begins in July). Ahh, France and paperwork! Anyway, the lady at the scolarité was really helpful. I also went to the CLOUS today to get more info concerning my accommodation in a résidence universitaire from September.
- visits to the bank, lots of TV viewing :-), reading, and a weekend trip to Lyon.
Tomorrow I hope to go to the mairie and the CLOUS to submit the relevant documents. I hope I'll have another good day like I did today!
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Last week at uni
Final exams, dinner with the M1 MI, visit to Lac du Bourget, and acceptance to the university residence ... these events sum of the final week of uni.
On Monday I bought a fan! A much needed investment since any temperature over 30°C is too hot!
On Tuesday, I had two final exams: Spanish and Accounting (in English). They were fine overall. Compared to my exam experience last semester, there was less "culture shock", since this time we had to put our bags in front of the room. This makes a lot of sense for the obvious reasons, but strangely enough this procedure only took place for the Accounting exam.
Wednesday was a bit boring. No Internet for most of the day *gasp*. I spent the free time doing some cleaning/sleeping/watching TV/ and I made a quick visit to the uni to check my email (lol, I can't help it!).
On Thursday, the majority of my classmates had the soutenance for their thesis. I didn't do a thesis this year, so my vacation/boredom (lol) really started on Tuesday after my exams. Anyway, there was a last get-together with all the International Management students at Le Savoyard restaurant in Chambéry. The dinner was nice and of course it was great being with the students who were present. It's hard to believe that some of us may never see each other again... Hopefully we'll stay in touch!!!
Friday was a day of exercise (2 hours of cycling)! I cycled to Lac du Bourget from Chambéry with one of my classmates and then at the lake we met up with another classmate. It was prety windy at the lake, so we only spent an hour there (not bathing), before returning to Chambéry.
Today I received an acceptance letter from the CROUS, stating that I can stay in a university residence next year, provided that I hand in some documents in the next three weeks. After that, I went to Lyon (ma ville préférée?!)! I really enjoy exploring the city, and it's usually a lot more fun on foot! I walked from Gare Part-Dieu, to Bellecour, to La Croix-Rousse, and back!
I'm still anxious/frustrated over finding a job, so I think I'll be putting up flyers for English lessons! Hopefully this will prove to be a successful endeavour :-)
On Monday I bought a fan! A much needed investment since any temperature over 30°C is too hot!
On Tuesday, I had two final exams: Spanish and Accounting (in English). They were fine overall. Compared to my exam experience last semester, there was less "culture shock", since this time we had to put our bags in front of the room. This makes a lot of sense for the obvious reasons, but strangely enough this procedure only took place for the Accounting exam.
Wednesday was a bit boring. No Internet for most of the day *gasp*. I spent the free time doing some cleaning/sleeping/watching TV/ and I made a quick visit to the uni to check my email (lol, I can't help it!).
On Thursday, the majority of my classmates had the soutenance for their thesis. I didn't do a thesis this year, so my vacation/boredom (lol) really started on Tuesday after my exams. Anyway, there was a last get-together with all the International Management students at Le Savoyard restaurant in Chambéry. The dinner was nice and of course it was great being with the students who were present. It's hard to believe that some of us may never see each other again... Hopefully we'll stay in touch!!!
Friday was a day of exercise (2 hours of cycling)! I cycled to Lac du Bourget from Chambéry with one of my classmates and then at the lake we met up with another classmate. It was prety windy at the lake, so we only spent an hour there (not bathing), before returning to Chambéry.
Today I received an acceptance letter from the CROUS, stating that I can stay in a university residence next year, provided that I hand in some documents in the next three weeks. After that, I went to Lyon (ma ville préférée?!)! I really enjoy exploring the city, and it's usually a lot more fun on foot! I walked from Gare Part-Dieu, to Bellecour, to La Croix-Rousse, and back!
I'm still anxious/frustrated over finding a job, so I think I'll be putting up flyers for English lessons! Hopefully this will prove to be a successful endeavour :-)
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Parc de la tête d'or
Last Wednesday I visited the Parc de la tête d'or in Lyon!
The day's highlights included:
And to end, here's a video of an elephant (same one from the pic above) playing with sand:
The day's highlights included:
- There were a lot of primary school children. I guess they were on a school outing, and as can be expected, there were children who were not behaving as the teachers would have liked. I heard the following several times: "Alicia, tu te calmes maintenant!" Lol, no no, that was not directed to me, but rather to a little girl.
- I walked for hours, and still didn't see all of the park.
- It's absolutely gorgeous there!
- It was a hot day, about 31°C! A bit like being at the beach too, since some women clad in bikinis took advantage of the sun to tan.
- I spent some time studying for a Spanish exam while I was in the park. A guy decided to bypass an empty bench to come and sit on my bench. He then ate his sandwich, proceeded to talk while I tried to study, and then when he realised that I'm from the Caribbean, started talking about Martinique and Guadeloupe. I said, yes, the Caribbean. He then proceeded to tell me, yes, he has been to La Réunion, and then he said something about Tahiti. Lol, I didn't bother to correct his geography. (Sigh, not all islands are situated in the Caribbean!)
And to end, here's a video of an elephant (same one from the pic above) playing with sand:
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