And You Can Take THAT To The Bank!

When I first arrived in France, I had to open a new bank account and I was amazed at some of the differences in the banking system. Of course I had opened a bank account back in 2001 when I lived in Aix-en-Provence but I had forgotten just how different things are done here. Then, a few weeks ago, while I was visiting Drew in Limoges, I was again struck by the differences in the French banking system when Drew got a notice saying his bank card was ready to be picked up?! Okay, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. First of all, when you walk into a bank, here in France, you don't have the usual bank teller windows we are used to back at home. Instead, you have a receptionist desk where you go and state your business. Then, depending on what it is that you need to do, you either handle your business with the receptionisht or you are told to take a seat and wait for the next available banker who will come out of his/her office to help you. They'll take you to their office where they will help you with your request/problem. Alot of the regular banking needs are handled through automated tellers: deposits, withdrawals, and account balance requests. They also have machines that will print out bank statements and recent transactions. I don't know how cashing a check would work since I've never had the need but I assume one of the bankers would do that if you didn't want to deposit it through one of the automatic teller machines.
Sometimes this system seems archaic and slow. Especially when like Drew, you are forced to deal with problem after problem in order to get a simple check/ATM card. See, like me, Drew has been in France since September of last year and he JUST got his card in February. We went to the bank to pick it up and it was really weird to see the receptionist go to a big file cabinet to retreive Drew's card. I guess picking up the card at the bank in person prevents theft of said card through the mail.
Usually the banking system leaves me frustrated and impatient but yesterday I had an experience at the bank where I actually appreciated the one on one-ness of the system. I still hadn't set up my online banking due in large part to the fact that I was put off by the whole process. I had to go to the bank in person to request a code that would allow me to gain access to my bank accounts online. Finally, I had some time and I was walking by my bank branch and I thought, "Oh, I might as well." I walked in and explained to the receptionist that I had opened up my bank account five months ago but hadn't set up my online banking. She assured me it was no problem and would give me a code to do so. She went through the whole process and when I asked her how I was to proceed at home she invited me to go around the desk and she would show me how to do it right from her computer. Now, when has a bank teller ever let you do that at home? The lady walked me through the whole process and presto-chango I'm now able to see my account online. Merci, madame!  So I guess, my point is we need to see the good and bad in all of these wonderful and fascinating cultural differences.

Cultural Observations During Exam Time

It's exam time at the University of Rouen and today I'm proctoring an exam for literature. The exam is four hours long and the students have just settled in for the long arduous task of discussing Macbeth, K. Mansfield, and D. H. Lawrence's Selected Poems. As I sit here watching, I can't help but to ponder the differences in the French and American culture in the classroom.

As someone who isn't very familiar with the customs and academic rituals of the French university level, I'm amazed to see how routine-like the whole exam process is. First of all, the students all wait out in the hallway until the professor (i.e. me) arrives. They are all standing there laughing and chattering away and as soon as I walk into the classroom they follow me and instantly a line is formed with the first student holding out his student ID card, waiting for verification of identity. I barely have a chance to set my belongings down and take off my coat, scarf, and gloves. I take the card, look at the name and picture and allow him to sign next to his name on the list of students I was given before the exam. "Will you be handing out the test now or afterward?” asks the student. Ummmmmmm, afterward? Yes, go with it. "Afterward.", I say confidently. He doesn't question this and seems as if afterward is common. Phew! The next student comes up and the whole process is repeated. They all have similar signatures and I wonder if they learned how to sign their names in grade school like they do in Mexico.

Student: Bonjour (Handing me his/her card)
Me: Bonjour (Taking the card and looking at the name/picture and letting them sign)
Student: Merci
Me: Merci

Now, let's take a moment to talk about their ID card. First of all, it's made out of paper and it's huge! It's folded into four sections with a picture STAPLED to the front page. Being familiar with the French Drivers License, I wasn't all that shocked when I first saw the student ID but I still wonder at them sometimes and I'm amazed these are actually official documents.

As I'm verifying the students' ID cards, the regular professor, Phil Romanski, comes in and we introduce ourselves since we've never met. I wasn't actually supposed to be here but was called in at the last minute due to another professor being ill and a scheduling conflict with Phil. He was double-booked and is teaching another class during the first two hours of the exam. He assures me he will be back in two hours to relieve me and I tell him that’s fine.

In France, the exams take place AFTER the semester and all of the students take the exam at the same time in different subjects. So even though the Fall semester ended on the 17th of December, the students are only now taking their final exams. I'm afraid it's all still a bit unclear for me and even though I'm getting to know the system more and more as time goes by, let me tell you, it's not just a little complicated!

Once all of the students have "checked in", Phil begins to pass out "les copies", the exam booklets, and "le brouillon", the rough draft/scratch paper. Here it's customary to provide the students with exam forms and several blank sheets of paper for notes, rough drafts, etc. The exam forms have a space at the right hand, top corner where the students put their names, student ID number, class, subject matter, and other pertinent information. Once this part is filled out, the corner is then folded down and glued by the student. Yep, the exams are anonymous so that the person correcting it has no idea who the student is. This is to avoid favoritism and or discrimination by the professors. Once all of the exam forms/scratch paper has been distributed, the professor then hands out the actual exam. Ah!! HERE are looks/reactions I'm all too familiar with. There's the "Oh, shit! I didn't study THAT!!" and the classic "Yes! I'm so happy I studied that part! Whoo hooo!!” and my personal favourite, "What the hell?! I've never even HEARD of Macbeth!!!! I'm SO dead."

Another thing I was amazed to see is the fact that every student has a pencil pouch here. At each table, the students ALL have their pencil bag out and set in front of them. Plus, they all have the fundamental/staple materials needed. Pencils, pens, white-out pens, erasers, glue stick, highlighters, and those pens that allow you to write something and erase it with the "magic" end. (Those things are super cool!) Some students even have a ruler to help them underline things and or write in a straight line.

See, there's an art to taking an exam in France. First, the student makes use of the scratch paper to write out an outline or a rough draft. This part is done in pencil with much erasing and scratching things out. This is where the student spends most of his or her exam time. It's not until they have it all figured out and written down on the rough draft paper and they've gone over it and made any necessary changes/corrections that they then transfer it onto the official exam form. This part is done with a fountain pen. Many of the students use these pens that look like calligraphy pens. This last process is very important and the students meticulously write out their exams making use of their white-out/magic erasing pens. Many of them will write out the exam questions using another colored marker and then their answers using black or blue ink. At the end, the exams are very neat and presentable.

I love watching the students during this time. As an avid people watcher, I'm able to observe everything at my leisure and marvel at the apparent habits of the students. Of course there are some things that are universal. The moments of distraction when suddenly the student realizes their fingernails need cleaning, doodling on the scratch paper, and the playing with the hair. Far off looks waiting for inspiration to strike, frequent drinks of water, noses needing to be blown, the pencils that absolutely need sharpening, the clicking/unclicking of pens, etc., etc. There are still the students who seem to know exactly what they are doing. They start writing right away and never seem to stop until they are finished. Then you have the students that seem a bit lost and take lots and lots of time to write their exams with many little breaks in between. And then the students who take a really long time to finish whether or not they know what they are doing or those that finish in record time and are the first to hand in the paper much to the surprise and awe of the rest of the students.

The one thing I've learned as both a student and a teacher is you just never know what the students will produce no matter their style, neatness/sloppiness, and time taken during the exam. As a student you might feel you've blown the exam and then end up with a good grade or vice versa. As a teacher, you'll still be disappointed with some you thought would do great and surprised by some you thought might be in trouble.

In any case, I'd still much rather be the test giver that the test taker and I'm very grateful my test taking days are currently on hold. Hallelujah, AMEN!!

Christmas in Rouen

    So this year I had decided I would stay in France during the holidays. I figured it would be more practical to save money on the plane ticket and a year away from home in the grand scheme of things isn't all that bad. Don't get me wrong, I've really missed my friends and family and thinking of everyone at home being together during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's is hard at times. The upside is that I know I'm really loved and missed and that makes it a bit easier.  Plus, having Internet, phone, and texting abilities helps to stay connected with everyone.  A lot of my friends and co-workers here DID go home for the holidays and I found myself semi-alone in Rouen.  A friend of mine generously invited me to spend the holiday in Paris and I accepted. I had planned on taking the train to Paris on Christmas Eve and had everything pretty much packed and ready to go. Only thing is, I thought of a woman named, Marie-Therese, who I recently became friends with and the fact that she would be all alone in Rouen on Christmas Eve. I met Marie-Therese in the yarn store she owns here in Rouen a few months ago and have become friends with her. She's a lovely lady who is a very skilled knitter and who's taught me a few new knitting patterns. She's never been married and doesn't have any kids. She's estranged from her only brother and is very much alone. When I thought of someone being even more alone than me during the holidays, I made up my mind to stay in Rouen and to invite Marie-Therese to dinner. We found a restaurant that had a special Christmas Eve Dinner menu and got all dressed up to go.  The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time. I was very glad to have decided to stay, especially when on our way home we stumbled onto midnight mass at the Rouen Cathedral. I told Marie-Therese it would be interesting to go and we walked in just in time for the service which was really beautiful and serene. The cathedral is massive and it was filled to the brim with people. As I sat there, I wondered how many people had done the same thing in the past and how they must have froze! It was really cold and even though they had heaters no one took off their coats, scarfs, and gloves. The service lasted for about an hour and it was very beautiful. There was a choir and trumpeters that accompanied the organ player. I especially like the part where everyone shakes hands with everyone around them. As I sat there and listened, I felt my grandmother's presence so strongly within me and I was moved to tears. I really miss her and it was wonderful to feel her so close to me at that precious moment.

Here are some pictures of me, Marie-Therese, and our Christmas dinner!

 The menu included hors d'oeuvres, an apple sorbet to cleanse the palate in between courses, and coffee/tea with cookies. It was really delicious and I quite enjoyed it, although, I was REALLY full afterward! 

Foie Gras with caramelized onions and pears. Really delicious!

Duck stuffed with chestnuts, mushrooms, and little potato cakes. Another hit.

Cheese and salad plate. Cheeses: Goat cheese, Camembert, and Pont l'Eveque.

Dessert was a Christmas Log which is a traditional French Christmas dessert. This one was a house-made chocolate one with raspberry mousse filling and a custard sauce.

This is a really bad picture but I felt really disrespectful taking a picture in the house of God! This was the best I could do with no flash. Of course, it doesn't do it justice but it gives you an idea.

And there you have it, a quiet yet pleasant Christmas Eve in the company of a lovely lady, and the citizens of Rouen. I came home and spoke to some of you on the phone and on Skype. For those of you I didn't get a chance to talk to, I missed you and thought of you. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas wherever you may have been and that you were surrounded by your loved ones as well as the spirit of our Lord baby Jesus!! Villalobos, out!!

The Local Market

One of my favorite things to do these days is to go to the market on the weekend.  I call Sunday, Chicken Sunday, since I love to buy a roasted chicken and some vegetables to make a salad for lunch.  The market is only two small blocks away and even though they have it on other days of the week, it's best to go on the weekend since ALL of the vendors show up.  Typically on a Sunday morning, I'll get up, get ready, grab my market bag, and head out the door. They close the street that leads up to the plaza where the market is set up and you can walk down the middle which somehow still feels a bit strange.  All of the shops, cafes, bakeries, and restaurants are open during the morning on Sundays which isn't typical but they get a lot of business since there are tons of people that come to the market.

I have a routine that I've adopted when going to the market. I start out at the farthest section which is the flea market where you can find antiques, old postcards, and used books.  I then move through the swap meet part of it that has newer items and clothing stands.  I end up in the food section where I'll buy some vegetables, bread, cheese, a roasted chicken, or some Moroccan style couscous or Spanish paella. Lastly, I'll buy a bouquet of flowers for my apartment that will usually last till the following Sunday.

All in all, it's a leisurely Sunday stroll where I can take in all of the sights and enjoy the hustle and bustle of the market. I've bought a few books, some vases, old postcards, and even a cute pair of earrings in the past couple of months, not to mention the yummy roasted chicken. Hurray for Chicken Sunday!!

Say What?!

So, I'm walking down the hall at the University of Rouen when this poster for the Student Union catches my eye.

 

Basically, it says: President Sarkozy, it's 15 billion to the richest, and for students?

Wish we could make one of these with Arnold Schwarzenegger on it!

Take it to the Streets!

So,Wednesday evening I had dinner plans with a bunch of girlfriends and had planned to meet them at a Crêperie at 9pm.  As I was getting ready, I heard the sounds of horns honking on the street which isn't always very unusual given that my two windows face onto a main street.  Only thing is, the honking continued and I thought it was a bit excessive but promptly forgot about it and continued to get dressed.  Once I left my apartment though, it quickly became clear that there were some rowdy people drving around honking their horns.  I briefly wondered what was going on but again, I didn't think much about it. I walked down to the metro and waited a surprising amount of time for the next metro bus. That's when I began to wonder in earnest about what in the world was going on.  When I got on the bus, I put on my headphones, as I usually do, to deter any unwanted conversations. As we rolled down the street I began to hear a noise that I knew wasn't coming from my headphones. "What is that?", I wondered. I took out my headphones and was instantly assaulted with the deafening noise of honking horns and shouting voices. Uh oh. What's going on?! I had a moment of panic and looked out the window since the bus was now at a complete standstill at the intersection of a busy street. I saw a two lines of cars going in both directions and they were all stopped. People were hanging out of their car windows and more people were dancing and cheering on the street.  Many of them were waving flags in the air as well as chanting and singing. I recognized the flag as the Algerian flag. Okay. Really. What the HELL is going on? I was reassured by the fact that no one on the bus seemed to be in the least bit worried. Some people were actually looking out of the window and smiling. Once my bus reached my stop, I got off and walked down the main street in the center of town. Same thing here: cars were slowly cruising down the street with people hanging out of the windows, cheering, and waving the Algerian flag in the air. Hmmmm. Soccer. It HAS to be about soccer. At this point I'm no longer worried. As a matter of fact, I'm thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. I even have goose bumps as I take in the joy and excitement of the crowds. The police officers were calmly directly traffic and telling the people hanging out of their car windows to get back inside.  I thought it was interesting that they weren't doing anything to stop the celebration. They were just ensuring no one got hurt in the process. All in all, a very interesting experience and a nice lesson in cultural habits. Oh and by the way, I later learned Algeria had qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 23 years. Damn good reason for a celebration!!

PS. Dinner was amazing! There were seven of us and it was nice to indulge in a bit of "girl talk". Plus, the crêpes were REALLY delicious.

Mosaic Art Class

One of my goals during my year abroad was to do more creative/personal enrichment activities. I wanted to take a cooking class and a mosaic art class, for example. Well, a few weeks ago I finally got around to looking for a mosaic art class here in Rouen and I came across a very talented local artist on the internet, Onurb Ohn. I called Onurb and got a really good vibe from him and decided to take his class.  Plus, I talked my friend, Ray, into taking them with me. We have class every Friday for two hours and I've really enjoyed working on my first project. Since I'm a perfectionist, this class has helped me let go of the need to have things be perfect.  As my mosaic art teacher says, "Imperfection equals perfection!".  This is sort of the motto of the class and I keep repeating it over and over.  Believe me, it helps, especially when you feel like your project looks like what a fifth grader would do in art class!!

Here are some pictures of my project.  I'm working on this for my sister, by the way. Hope you like it, Aracelly!

Week One was an introduction to the course and the preparing of the base with cement and tulle. 

Week Two:

Week Three:

Week Four: