Paris (picture: Sacre Coeur)

My first ten days in Paris. It doesn’t quite feel like I am living here yet… it is all a bit surreal. In some ways it is exactly like I imagined, but I had no actual idea of what Paris would be like. It’s hard to get an objective picture from what you see on travel shows and in ‘Amelie’!
The major sights (Eiffel Tower etc) have been more or less exactly like what you see on postcards. The Eiffel is quite amazing, we had a picnic on the Champs-des-Mars (lawns in front of Eiffel Tower) on Monday evening as part of the orientation program, which was lovely. The walk through the Jardins des Tuileries to the Louvre is also beautiful. What you don’t see in the postcards are the hordes of tourists (not as bad as Rome though), and the numerous shady people trying to part you with your money in many different ways. If you are ever approached by a young girl who asks if you speak English… just say ‘Non’! Particularly if she’s not wearing shoes! I learnt very quickly that these girls are from Eastern Europe and there is always some elaborate story about being a refugee etc etc. At first I felt sympathy for them, but after the fourth one I started to get a bit annoyed.
In what ways is Paris different to what I imagined? Firstly, not everyone is super-chic and stylish. Perhaps because I have been spending most of my time in the areas where lots of students live, where people dress more casually. I haven’t visited Rue du Faubourg St-Honoré yet, which is famous for all the big fashion houses! Secondly, there are a lot of homeless people. And odd people in general. Every day I see someone sleeping on a park bench/at the station, I have seen several people drunk on the streets at 10am. There are a lot of beggars particularly around the metro stations. The metro stations are a whole other story: the metro system in Paris is very efficient (trains every 3 minutes) and very comprehensive. You are never more than 5 minutes walk from a metro station. However, the stations can be a bit dodgy at night. Peak hour is terrible, because there are heaps of people and no proper ventilation.
Finally, what has surprised me is the diversity of the population. France has a history of immigration from its colonies, particularly in northern and western Africa. This is reflected in the demography of the population. There are now second and third generations of immigrants who seem to have integrated quite well. However this is in Paris, not in the suburbs, where there are less opportunities are more dissatisfaction and tension in the immigrant communities. There are multiple debates raging around the issues of immigration and integration and it’s hard to talk about it without making bug generalisations, so I won’t go into it all now, but it is really different to Australia.
Anyway, moving on… My orientation at Sciences Po (Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris; Institute of Political Studies Paris) began on Monday. The first three days were filled with different activities, and next week French classes begin. The French classes run for about 4 weeks, right up to when normal classes start on the 9th of October. The French classes are about the history and civilisation of France as well as the language. I am managing quite well in French, I find that I understand almost everything when people are speaking to me. However it is difficult to respond! I find it quite frustrating to be listening to a conversation on an interesting topic, and wanting to give my opinion, but by the time I have formed the sentences in my head it is too late! I’m sure this will change with more time. I have really enjoyed my extended holiday, so I don’t want to go back to class! There will be 18 hours of class per week (14 hours of French and 4 hours of ‘methodology’, eg. how to structure essays), which is more than I ever had at Melbourne Uni!!!
There are about 400 international students taking part in the orientation program, of which about 100 are American. The European countries are well represented too. There is one other girl (Mel) here from Melbourne Uni, I assume there are at least a few other Australians but I haven’t met them yet. I have met a nice group of Italians who I have spent most of my time with. We have had some introductory talks on Sciences Po and the way everything works – choosing subjects etc.
I am still looking for an apartment. It seems like Mathilde (the French girl I am living with at the moment) has found a great place in the 15th arrondissement, about 15min from uni by metro, with 3 bedrooms. I really hope it works out! Fingers crossed! We will share with another friend of hers. It would be fantastic for my French!!