So, despite interning for an awesome organization in Paris, I have made some observations about working in France.
It truly is very different from working in the United States. I don't want to say that the French are inefficient...OK, maybe I do. They simply have a mentality about working that is extremely different from ours.
My day is never very stressful in terms of being overloaded with work. I come into the office around 9:30, or 9:45, make myself a cafe, read the newspaper, check my mail and wait for the rest of the office to stroll in around the same time or after 10. I get a few tasks from my maitre de stage and work on them until 1pm we all take a one hour lunch. After lunch, I will make myself another cafe or a tea and get back to work. If I finish my stuff early, there isn't normally anything else for me to do so I can leave early. Or, if there are more things for me to do, I stay until around 6pm.
One of the hardest things about interning is not the work-load itself, but the socializing aspect of it. It is very hard to keep up with the day to day conversation, like during lunch time. Everyone speaks so so so so fast! Sometimes (or more often than not) I have no idea what they are talking about. It is exhausting to sit at a table or sit in our office and either pretend to know what they are saying and laugh along, or ask questions and interrupt people every two minutes in order to get the gist of it. Its truly exhausting either way.
The most frustrating part is the fact that I am 22 years old, I am out-going, intelligent and I can articulate myself.....but it's hard to be that same person in French. It's hard to show your personality in a different language. It's hard to make jokes and laugh along with everyone when you don't know exactly what they are saying (and pretending like you understand gets old very fast). I find myself just sitting back and listening more often than I ever would, if I was in the United States.
This is something that I was not expecting to experience. I have studied French for over 9 years, and four of those years was college level French. So far, this had made me realize truly how long it takes to become fluent in a language. Of course, I am learning a lot and my French is improving, but I thought I was going to return to the States semi-fluent. Now, I'm just realizing that that takes a lot longer than three months!
Despite the difficulty, my ear is starting to get accustomed to how fast they speak and I think I am slowly finding my way. I'm starting to ask more questions, and I'm trying to teach myself how to listen. Really, listen. It sounds silly, but it takes a LOT of concentration to truly listen to what they are saying in French. I'm working on it...slowly but surely. It helps that the people at my work are extremely understanding and encouraging. Haha..even though sometimes they laugh at me...they are very very kind.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Le Travail
So, it has been a while since my last post and I lot has happened since...
I have now been working at my internship for three weeks, and have been in Paris for over a month now. It's hard to believe that the time is going by this fast....
My internship has been going really well. The name of the organization I work for is FASTI (Federation des Assocation de Solidarite avec les Travailleurs Immigres). It is a small non-profit, non-governmental organization located on the East side of Paris near Pere Lachaise cemetery. FASTI advocates for the rights of immigrants and refugees in Paris, France and throughout Europe. My "maitre de stage," or supervisor is Anna and she is wonderful. She is probably late 20s, really tall and skinny and has a hilarious personality. I love having her as my supervisor because she is young and I feel like I can really relate to her and be myself around her. She is very patient with me when I can't find the right words in French and she's interested in what I have to say. She is always asking how I am doing and checking in on me. I really appreciate that!
I have been doing a variety of tasks since I have been at FASTI. I have done french writing for their new website, translations, phone calls, research...pretty much anything they need done I can take on. A big part of the organization right now is mobilizing against a strict immigration law that is going to be read to the Assemble Nationale (like our House of Representatives) in September. This new law, although extremely complex to learn about in French, puts more restrictions for immigrants and even refugees seeking a home in France. I have been to countless meetings and conferences where FASTI alongside other organizations has collaborated on analyzing this law.
FASTI and thirteen other organizations throughout Paris published a booklet analyzing the new law which is called "loi Besson", named for the Minister of Immigration who drafted it. As a collaborative of organizations, we are trying to get the public and other orgs throughout France educated about this law. Today, it is not a law but if it is read and passed in the Assemble Nationale, it will be. The goal is to get mobilization against this law so that it doesn't get passed in September. In the past three weeks I've sat in at least five different meetings about this law and how it will affect not only immigrants but citizens of France as well. This new legislation is truly a turning point for this country. Despite it being very technical to learn about, it has been fascinating to be a part of such a project.
On Thursday I helped out at a very long panel discussion where FASTI and the other organizations presented the booklet to the public. It was quite the event and we had over 200 people show up to learn more about it. On Saturday we hosted another education session within our network of organizations. FASTI is the federation of all other ASTIs (Association de Solidarite avec les Travailleurs Immigrees) throughout France. There is an ASTI in every province of France and we held a forum for all of the ASTIs. It was really neat to meet people
from all over France!
Throughout the few weeks at my internship, I have also been able to witness many manifestations throughout Paris. The French are famous for their manifestations, which can mean strike, march, or rally. It is a huge part of French culture which is linked back to their mobilization and rising up as a people during the French Revolution. I was able to take part in La Marche Mondiale des Femmes (World March for Women) which was June 12th. It was so amazing to be part of something so big!! (Even though my colleagues told me that it was a rather small manifestation...I couldn't really believe that!) It is basically like a big parade through the streets of Paris to advocate for something, in this case women. There are people, banners, singing and chanting! We chanted "So! So! So! Solidarte! Avec des femmes du monde entier!" which means "so! so! so! solidarity! with women of the entire world!" Of course it sounds better in French because it rhymes! It was very moving to be a part of this. I have never seen anything quite like this in the United States.
I really enjoy the people that I work with. I work with all women in my office, although there are a few men that come in and out of the office for regional work. Everyone at FASTI is so kind, dynamic and passionate about what they do. It is pretty awesome to be around such intelligent people! It is interesting first working in the U.S. and now working in France. In Lansing, I worked at a small organization which advocated for children's health issues and even though the theme is different, it is very much the same environment--being surrounded by people who are very dedicated to what they do, passionate and driven. It is actually hilarious because there are people in the United States that remind me so much of people in France. Sometimes I feel like I'm in bizzaro world or something because I feel like I'm talking to their French twin!
So now that I've told you about all of the cool stuff about working in France, I'll tell you about some of the interesting/aggravating things about working in France.....
I have now been working at my internship for three weeks, and have been in Paris for over a month now. It's hard to believe that the time is going by this fast....
My internship has been going really well. The name of the organization I work for is FASTI (Federation des Assocation de Solidarite avec les Travailleurs Immigres). It is a small non-profit, non-governmental organization located on the East side of Paris near Pere Lachaise cemetery. FASTI advocates for the rights of immigrants and refugees in Paris, France and throughout Europe. My "maitre de stage," or supervisor is Anna and she is wonderful. She is probably late 20s, really tall and skinny and has a hilarious personality. I love having her as my supervisor because she is young and I feel like I can really relate to her and be myself around her. She is very patient with me when I can't find the right words in French and she's interested in what I have to say. She is always asking how I am doing and checking in on me. I really appreciate that!
I have been doing a variety of tasks since I have been at FASTI. I have done french writing for their new website, translations, phone calls, research...pretty much anything they need done I can take on. A big part of the organization right now is mobilizing against a strict immigration law that is going to be read to the Assemble Nationale (like our House of Representatives) in September. This new law, although extremely complex to learn about in French, puts more restrictions for immigrants and even refugees seeking a home in France. I have been to countless meetings and conferences where FASTI alongside other organizations has collaborated on analyzing this law.
FASTI and thirteen other organizations throughout Paris published a booklet analyzing the new law which is called "loi Besson", named for the Minister of Immigration who drafted it. As a collaborative of organizations, we are trying to get the public and other orgs throughout France educated about this law. Today, it is not a law but if it is read and passed in the Assemble Nationale, it will be. The goal is to get mobilization against this law so that it doesn't get passed in September. In the past three weeks I've sat in at least five different meetings about this law and how it will affect not only immigrants but citizens of France as well. This new legislation is truly a turning point for this country. Despite it being very technical to learn about, it has been fascinating to be a part of such a project.
On Thursday I helped out at a very long panel discussion where FASTI and the other organizations presented the booklet to the public. It was quite the event and we had over 200 people show up to learn more about it. On Saturday we hosted another education session within our network of organizations. FASTI is the federation of all other ASTIs (Association de Solidarite avec les Travailleurs Immigrees) throughout France. There is an ASTI in every province of France and we held a forum for all of the ASTIs. It was really neat to meet people
from all over France!Throughout the few weeks at my internship, I have also been able to witness many manifestations throughout Paris. The French are famous for their manifestations, which can mean strike, march, or rally. It is a huge part of French culture which is linked back to their mobilization and rising up as a people during the French Revolution. I was able to take part in La Marche Mondiale des Femmes (World March for Women) which was June 12th. It was so amazing to be part of something so big!! (Even though my colleagues told me that it was a rather small manifestation...I couldn't really believe that!) It is basically like a big parade through the streets of Paris to advocate for something, in this case women. There are people, banners, singing and chanting! We chanted "So! So! So! Solidarte! Avec des femmes du monde entier!" which means "so! so! so! solidarity! with women of the entire world!" Of course it sounds better in French because it rhymes! It was very moving to be a part of this. I have never seen anything quite like this in the United States.
I really enjoy the people that I work with. I work with all women in my office, although there are a few men that come in and out of the office for regional work. Everyone at FASTI is so kind, dynamic and passionate about what they do. It is pretty awesome to be around such intelligent people! It is interesting first working in the U.S. and now working in France. In Lansing, I worked at a small organization which advocated for children's health issues and even though the theme is different, it is very much the same environment--being surrounded by people who are very dedicated to what they do, passionate and driven. It is actually hilarious because there are people in the United States that remind me so much of people in France. Sometimes I feel like I'm in bizzaro world or something because I feel like I'm talking to their French twin!
So now that I've told you about all of the cool stuff about working in France, I'll tell you about some of the interesting/aggravating things about working in France.....
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Un Super Week-end
This weekend was amazing! Katie and I decided to take a trip to the French countryside. I think we were both itching to get out of the city. We got up really early and went to the town, Auvers-sur-Oise, famous for its history of impressionists. This town is exactly what I expected it to be, and more. A beautiful, charming, quaint French town outside of the big city of Paris. The houses were CHARMING, with their colored shutters, flowers, vines, and cute wooden doors. For some reason, I kept thinking about the Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast. Katie and I kept talking about that and so we had to stop and listen to the song, "Belle" on her iPod..haha! "There goes the baker with his tray like always..."
This town is most famous because it was where Van Gogh took recluse when he fell sick. He moved to Auver-sur-Oise and fell in love with its tranquility and its beauty. Sadly, this is also the town where he committed suicide and where he and his brother, Theo were
buried. Katie and I saw the cemetery where he and his brother are buried side by side. We also saw the room he lived in, very small and simple. We then went inside the Chateau (castle) in the city which is now a museum. It was a very interesting, interactive museum and we learned a lot about the impressionist movement and its history. Some bits of the history that I found most interesting..........The impressionist movement started in the city of Paris in the late 1800s. This new kind of art was not appreciated by anyone in society. Impressionists were mocked because of their new technique. Many people didn't even consider it art! Most referred to it as sloppy art. If only those critics knew that these beautiful works are worth millions today. In the museum they described
the art technique of impressionist as a snapshot, or a glimpse of real life. If you look at something quickly once, you see light, colors, and shapes. This is exactly what impressionists painted and this is what makes it so amazing.All around town there are the reprints of the paintings of a lot of the greats--Van Gogh, Degas, Renoir, Monet--right next to the actual scene they painted. It was amazing!! Almost a little eery to think that the scene you are looking at in real life was what inspired so many of the most famous impressionist painters. It was very moving to put yourself in their shoes to see what they saw. So cool!!
On Sunday, Katie and I went to the French Open, or as it is known in Paris, Rolland Garros. The stadium is a fifteen minute walk from where I
live, so it was super convenient! We got tickets for 20 euros, which gave us access to all the outside courts, but none of the bigger stadiums sadly. We were able to see lots of matches on the outside courts though, and the players were all amazing! There were quite a few juniors matches going on as well, so we saw some younger guys and girls from all over the world playing. Very cool to see young kids from the U.S. playing at the French Open--I can't even imagine! It definitely made me want to play tennis though. I'll have to get my racket out once I'm back in the states. :)I was supposed to start my internship this Monday, but I was still waiting to receive a confirmation that I was accepted at the organization I interviewed with. I found out on Tuesday that I was accepted to work for FASTI (Federation des Associations de Solidarite des Travailleurs des Immigres)! I am very happy to be working for this non-governmental, non-profit organization which advocates for immigrant and refugee rights. I will be looking closely at French immigration policies and laws. I hope I learn a lot and I am sure it will be relevant to the immigration politics happening in the U.S. and all over the world. I'm pretty anxious for my first day of work tomorrow...
Yesterday and today I wandered around the city. On Monday I went for a run to the Eiffel Tower. I wasn't able to run the whole way though, I think I was tired out from the weekend (AND I might be eating too many baguettes). I then wen
t to the Marais--an area in Paris that has a large Jewish population and it is also a growing lesbian and gay community. I took the walking tour from the book Stef got me for graduation (THANK YOU) and it was a very cool part of the city! My book suggested a falafel sandwich place, but I had already ate lunch. The line for this place was out the door! I will HAVE to take Stef to this place so we both can try it! Haha..we both have an unhealthy obsession with falafel! The Marais is also great for shopping and not too expensive either! When I walked by the Bastille--a monument to mark where the Bastille once stood--there was a market going on and I had to look. I found the leather purse of my dreams and had to buy it for my birthday present. Thanks Mom and Dad!! :) I even talked to merchant down from 55 euro to 40 euro! wooo hooo! Thanks to Dad for those bargaining skills.Today was another wandering day. I saw les Invalides--the place where Napoleon held injured soldiers and I also saw the Sorbonne--Paris' most famous university. I'm going to spend the rest of the evening preparing for my first day of work--looking at FASTI's website, and researching some of the organizations they are associated with. I'm looking forward for my first day of work despite my nerves. I am ready to have a regular schedule in my day and to start feeling like a true Parisian. I have liked wandering around the city the last few weeks, but I am ready to start working. I think it will be nice to stay busy during the day. Wandering throughout the city is nice, but I can only stand it for so long...and I can only stand it alone for so long. I think (I hope) once I start working it will feel as if I am a part of French society and culture. Wish me luck for my first day of work tomorrow or as we say in french, MERDE!
22 ans a Paris
Well, a lot has happened since my last post...
Today marks my third week in Paris. I think I am starting to get out of the "honey moon" stage as they call it and starting to feel less and less like a tourist--which is a good thing! We finished up our last week of class at France Langue and I was sad to say good-bye to our wonderful professor. On the last day of class I did a presentation about my life and about Michigan. I put together some pictures of my home, family and friends and showed them to my class. My professor thought it was absolutely HILARIOUS that Michiganeans can show others where they live by pointing to their hand. Haha! I think I'm really going to miss having class and having Michelle as our professor. Even though classes lasted four hours, they were always entertaining and I learned a lot!
On Tuesday it was my birthday!!! 22 in Paris was pretty amazing! I ate the BEST birthday macaron EVER!!!! (Please see picture)
After class, we did a tour of the St. Germain area, which is historically a literary and artistic part of the city. We learned a lot about Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. It also took us to one of the cafes where the leaders of the French Revolution met--really neat! That night, we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant--my choice :) and it was delicious! We also had to split some pitchers of margaritas, of course! Later, we went to our favorite gellato place for dessert. Katie and I had to split the Grandissimo size again. (This size is almost the size of a pint, but it is SO worth it because you can get as many flavors as you want
AAND it's cheaper to split than to get our own)!! By the way Mom, Dad and Stef, YES we are going there when you are here. Then, we went to Rue Princesse which is a very fun place to go out in Paris and we went to the Little Temple Bar, quickly becoming one of our favorites. All around, it was an amazing birthday and still can't believe I'm 22...feels like I'm getting older by the second.
When I got home from my night out, there was a gift on my bed. It was a long necklace with a goldish heart pendant from my host mother. It was a very special surprise!
The day after my birthday I was sitting in my room after class and just checking my email. In walks Charlotte, Philippine, Antoine and Maxime with a tarte aux pommes (apple tart pie) filled with candles and singing happy birthday. It. was. so. touching. We all sat down in the kitchen and ate the whole pie :) We sat and talked for a while and it was just a very nice thing for my host brothers and sisters to do. So sweet!
We did a lot of sight-seeing the last week of classes too and got to see some of the parts of Paris we have been neglecting--the Luxembourg Gardens, St. Germain, and the list goes on. One of my favorite moments was sitting in Park Monceau for about five hours last Monday. It was a holiday, so everyone was out enjoying the sunshine! Michael, Katie, Dani and I laid out in the sun all day loooong! I even got sunburnt! Can you even believe it?? This was an amazing day because we had a pic-nic, which is basically my favorite way to eat in Paris because it's cheap and more fun. I loved this day because the park was FILLED with people and families. There were kids playing soccer, tag, make-believe... It was charming to listen to the little kids speak French, yelling, screaming and crying.
I couldn't help but think about these kids growing up in Paris. What a life. What an amazing, different life. It's hard for me to imagine such a life. Growing up on the lake is something that I definitely took for granted. Watching all these kids reminded me of when Stef and I would run around the lake playing outside with all the cousins until the sun went down. For these Parisian kids, Park Monceau is their Hasler Lake. :) Maybe the two places aren't so different after all?...We stayed in the park until about 6pm and then headed home. I'm really missing that hot weather right about now!! Over this past weekend, and into this week it has been so chilly and raining on and off. Yuck!
One of my favorite nights out so far has not been in a bar, surprisingly but on the banks of the Seine. On the weekends, groups of people of all ages will sit along the banks of the Seine and on the bridges over the Seine as the sun goes down. Some people bring their dinner, others just cheese, but one thing that everyone brings with them is WINE. It is such an amazing atmosphere to be in! Groups of French young people discussing politics, others listening to their friend play guitar, laughter, noise and happiness. We took our wine down by the river to sit and be like the locals. We listened to a musical performer sing mostly American classic rock and it was extremely entertaining. Great night!
Another really neat experience we've had over the last week took place on the Champs-Elysee. An agriculture organization shut down the Champs-Elysee, which is one of the busiest streets in Paris, to advocate for farming. It was so incredibly awesome! The Champs-Elysee was basically turned into a jungle with trees, bushes, plants, flowers, with all the explanations as to what this agriculture did for society. The exhibit was amazing and it also cost around 7 million euro--I guess that's the price for shutting down Paris' busiest streets for two days. They are planning on doing the same exhibit next year in New York City. But I saw it first in the city of lights ;)
One of the things I liked most about going to classes for two weeks was obviously everything I've said before, but I also LOVED the morning commute in Paris. There is so much energy, and movement. I love seeing kids of every age either walking, scootering, or taking the metro to school. Scooters are HUGE here in Paris for kids. The kids will scooter to school and the parents will take them back to the apartment. It's hilarious to see the men dressed in their suit and tie ready for work, walking his daughter's pink scooter back to the apartment. Love it! It again just amazed me to think about life in a big city like Paris. Walking outside of your apartment and walking a few blocks to school in the city is almost funny to me. I had to walk that far just to get to the bus stop! And then the bus ride to school was double that--in high school the bus ride would take almost an hour!
Haha...such differences from life in Lapeer, East Lansing and now in Paris. I never thought I would truly enjoy life in a big city. I think I am starting to feel more and more at home...
Today marks my third week in Paris. I think I am starting to get out of the "honey moon" stage as they call it and starting to feel less and less like a tourist--which is a good thing! We finished up our last week of class at France Langue and I was sad to say good-bye to our wonderful professor. On the last day of class I did a presentation about my life and about Michigan. I put together some pictures of my home, family and friends and showed them to my class. My professor thought it was absolutely HILARIOUS that Michiganeans can show others where they live by pointing to their hand. Haha! I think I'm really going to miss having class and having Michelle as our professor. Even though classes lasted four hours, they were always entertaining and I learned a lot!
On Tuesday it was my birthday!!! 22 in Paris was pretty amazing! I ate the BEST birthday macaron EVER!!!! (Please see picture)
After class, we did a tour of the St. Germain area, which is historically a literary and artistic part of the city. We learned a lot about Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. It also took us to one of the cafes where the leaders of the French Revolution met--really neat! That night, we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant--my choice :) and it was delicious! We also had to split some pitchers of margaritas, of course! Later, we went to our favorite gellato place for dessert. Katie and I had to split the Grandissimo size again. (This size is almost the size of a pint, but it is SO worth it because you can get as many flavors as you want
AAND it's cheaper to split than to get our own)!! By the way Mom, Dad and Stef, YES we are going there when you are here. Then, we went to Rue Princesse which is a very fun place to go out in Paris and we went to the Little Temple Bar, quickly becoming one of our favorites. All around, it was an amazing birthday and still can't believe I'm 22...feels like I'm getting older by the second.When I got home from my night out, there was a gift on my bed. It was a long necklace with a goldish heart pendant from my host mother. It was a very special surprise!
The day after my birthday I was sitting in my room after class and just checking my email. In walks Charlotte, Philippine, Antoine and Maxime with a tarte aux pommes (apple tart pie) filled with candles and singing happy birthday. It. was. so. touching. We all sat down in the kitchen and ate the whole pie :) We sat and talked for a while and it was just a very nice thing for my host brothers and sisters to do. So sweet!
We did a lot of sight-seeing the last week of classes too and got to see some of the parts of Paris we have been neglecting--the Luxembourg Gardens, St. Germain, and the list goes on. One of my favorite moments was sitting in Park Monceau for about five hours last Monday. It was a holiday, so everyone was out enjoying the sunshine! Michael, Katie, Dani and I laid out in the sun all day loooong! I even got sunburnt! Can you even believe it?? This was an amazing day because we had a pic-nic, which is basically my favorite way to eat in Paris because it's cheap and more fun. I loved this day because the park was FILLED with people and families. There were kids playing soccer, tag, make-believe... It was charming to listen to the little kids speak French, yelling, screaming and crying.
I couldn't help but think about these kids growing up in Paris. What a life. What an amazing, different life. It's hard for me to imagine such a life. Growing up on the lake is something that I definitely took for granted. Watching all these kids reminded me of when Stef and I would run around the lake playing outside with all the cousins until the sun went down. For these Parisian kids, Park Monceau is their Hasler Lake. :) Maybe the two places aren't so different after all?...We stayed in the park until about 6pm and then headed home. I'm really missing that hot weather right about now!! Over this past weekend, and into this week it has been so chilly and raining on and off. Yuck!
One of my favorite nights out so far has not been in a bar, surprisingly but on the banks of the Seine. On the weekends, groups of people of all ages will sit along the banks of the Seine and on the bridges over the Seine as the sun goes down. Some people bring their dinner, others just cheese, but one thing that everyone brings with them is WINE. It is such an amazing atmosphere to be in! Groups of French young people discussing politics, others listening to their friend play guitar, laughter, noise and happiness. We took our wine down by the river to sit and be like the locals. We listened to a musical performer sing mostly American classic rock and it was extremely entertaining. Great night!
Another really neat experience we've had over the last week took place on the Champs-Elysee. An agriculture organization shut down the Champs-Elysee, which is one of the busiest streets in Paris, to advocate for farming. It was so incredibly awesome! The Champs-Elysee was basically turned into a jungle with trees, bushes, plants, flowers, with all the explanations as to what this agriculture did for society. The exhibit was amazing and it also cost around 7 million euro--I guess that's the price for shutting down Paris' busiest streets for two days. They are planning on doing the same exhibit next year in New York City. But I saw it first in the city of lights ;)
One of the things I liked most about going to classes for two weeks was obviously everything I've said before, but I also LOVED the morning commute in Paris. There is so much energy, and movement. I love seeing kids of every age either walking, scootering, or taking the metro to school. Scooters are HUGE here in Paris for kids. The kids will scooter to school and the parents will take them back to the apartment. It's hilarious to see the men dressed in their suit and tie ready for work, walking his daughter's pink scooter back to the apartment. Love it! It again just amazed me to think about life in a big city like Paris. Walking outside of your apartment and walking a few blocks to school in the city is almost funny to me. I had to walk that far just to get to the bus stop! And then the bus ride to school was double that--in high school the bus ride would take almost an hour!
Haha...such differences from life in Lapeer, East Lansing and now in Paris. I never thought I would truly enjoy life in a big city. I think I am starting to feel more and more at home...
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