Week 2: Buongiorno

When you think about your semester abroad you think about traveling on the weekends, hanging out with new friends, trying new and amazing food....and then there is the whole reason you are there: study and go to classes. This was my first week at the Université Grenoble Alpes.

I am studying in a french language and cultures program. I have my language class in the mornings and then in the afternoon are my electives which are taught in French. I am taking three electives: French Politics, Civilization and Mythology, and French Culture and Society. I have these classes once a week for two hours. (Fun fact I learned in my mythology class: the French days of the week were created based upon the planets:. Lundi= Lune (moon), Mardi=Mars, Mercrudi= Mercury etc. ) Then I have my language classes in the morning, 10 hours spread throughout the week. Monday and Thursdays are long days: I have 6 hours of classes in a row (with an hour break for lunch) all of which are in French. However it is worth it to not have class on Fridays.

I think there is a perception that classes abroad will be easy, however this is not always the case. Classes can be long and exhausting especially if they are taught in another language. If you are tired or not prepared for class it can be very difficult to get through 4 hours of class. However it is a great opportunity to learn more and get into a topic. And of course practice your language skills. I am in the international part of the campus and in my classes there are students from Iraq, China, Sudan, Bangladesh, Poland, and more. It has been really cool to meet people from other cultures however it can be difficult to communicate since the only language we have in common is French.

Interesting fact about Grenoble: there are four different stores completely dedicated to just Harry Potter. I went to one on Tuesday with a friend and they had almost anything you could want related to Harry Potter. There were wands, robes for each of the houses, cloths, and so much more. Can't say this was something I expected, but I was impressed.

Weekend Trip: Turino, Italy

On Friday morning at 7:45, three friends and I got on a bus and rode through the Alps for 3 hours until we arrived in Turino, Italy. This was my first time in Italy and I would have to say it lived up to expectations. The food was amazing, the architecture was impressive, and the Italian language was beautiful. Some of the weekend activities included:

->Going up to the top of the Mole at night and seeing the city lit up

-> Eating Pizza

-> Going to Europe's largest farmer's market

-> Mountain Museum

-> Eating Pasta

-> Royal Palace of Turin

-> Walking the streets

-> Eating Gelato

Going into this trip I was kind of expecting it to still feel like I was in France since the distance was so small. But the Italian culture was definitely present and different from France. One difference that I really enjoyed was seeing the plazas. They were huge and often times there were musicians or other street performers as you walked by. This was an amazing first trip and there are many more to come!

....sauri has taken to spending a lot of time on my bed :)