Wednesday, September 9, 2009

"Only the course is in English, the life is in French"

So it has been six days since I reached France.

I am here to do a two years English language masters course in Computer Science. I do not have a scholarship or assistance-ship yet, and I look forward to getting one in the coming days. Till then life is scary :-)

Except for a case of delayed baggage (my 65kg baggage was delayed by two days), and a 20 minute dash over Brussels airport (and immigration) to catch our connecting flight, everything has been nice and easy till now. Thanks to Anil, Celest & the people - who were more than willing to help. Anil is joining the masters course in its second year along with an assitance-ship in INRIA, and he came with me. Celest is helping me to get around and get things done - she is volunteering for an organization called InteGRE.

Some notes about life in Grenoble

* The place is surrounded with mountains. It looks like within walkable distance. One day I started walking out of the city just like that, and reached outside it in 15 minutes! Its very nice! Hope to do some hiking soon.

* The tram-bus network. Absolutely awesome. I have my annual pass made, so I am just hopping around trams and buses to pass time, sometimes! It is very easy to reach anywhere in Grenoble. There are maps all over; you can take home any number of them free, clear maps are there in all bus/tram stops, and trams and buses are rarely crowded. I have never felt so easy to travel around, and that too in such an unknown city! Not in Bangalore, not in Thrissur, or Eranakulam, or Kolkata, or Delhi, or Mumbai, or any other place!

* I find a myth-buster in the Grenoble tram stops - that women cant read maps! The sexiest blonde and the 80 year olds get down from a tram, look at the map, and get into the next one, so easily!

* The sheer number of old men and more than that, the number of old women, and the number of handicapped people (on wheelchair etc), in public spaces. We rarely see old women or handicapped persons traveling by public transport in India (especially by themselves). It will be very tough for them to travel. But in Grenoble, they are everywhere, many people have got automated wheelchairs too. It is so nice.

* The way vehicles patiently stop for you to cross the zebra crossings! You feel so high about yourself! And its so different from India!

* The food - well I am obviously not a fan of French or any western style food, and it costs a heaven to eat at Indian restros, so now need to fasten my seat belts and start cooking (things other than bread and instant noodles)! I dont take to French "pain" or "fromage" very well, though the wine is very nice :D

* I am still not very used to say Bonjour/Bon soir smilingly at everyone you give your eye to (especially in the hostel), so may be I am coming across as a cold, rude guy :D

* The girls in France (most beautiful in the world). The dressings. The mixed hostels, the shared kitchen, shared toilets. Obviously its very different from India, and still I got so easily got used to it very quickly! We used to walk around Thrissur, Calicut or the Malls in Bangalore to get the sight of a single beautiful girl, and now every single girl you see is a Greek goddess :D

* Its tough to get drinking water outside. I am quite amazed by this, that in a country like France with so much government involvement in everything, drinking water is available only in bottles (outside your home that is. at home can drink from the warm water tap), and most people buy Beer or a Coke instead? Also I am yet to find a public toilet.


Well guess thats it for now, more to come later...

No comments:

Post a Comment