FOLLOWING A whirlwind December with Ferris wheels, festive markets, spicy mulled
wine and general high-spirits in Lille, I knew 2008 would begin with a bang.
However, I was welcomed back by relaxed and stress-free students, who had finished the majority of their exams in December! This semester, I’ve returned to Lille with a clear mind and a fresh determination to really work on my language skills. What’s more, I decided it was time to really throw myself into the French way of life.
Naturally, my first port of call had to be the student residency offices - I had to hire a
bike. With more than a few poor French pedestrians having to leap out of the way,
I had a great time! In fact, I headed straight to the supermarket to grab some fresh food to put in the basket on the front as I was riding along.
Since then, I’ve been on Sunday bike rides and have been whizzing to lectures
in the morning. But the initial excitement has definitely worn off, as most of
the time I can be found fighting with a padlock and a bike wheel these days.
My newfound enthusiasm was also crushed when asked to take a job teaching
English, an hour outside of Lille by car. Judging by my cycling skills and the
amount of near-misses that I’ve had with French drivers, I thought I’d leave that one to somebody who’d dare to brave the roads. Last week I headed to Angers, situated in the west of France in the Loire valley, to visit a friend from Manchester. It was great to visit another French town and I’ve since realised that each Erasmus experience is very different but equally fun - and the students are just as crazy!
Comment
Have your say, tell us what you think...