Ma première semaine à l'étranger!

"My first week abroad!"

Wow! What a week!  I guess I should start all the way at the beginning!

Sunday, February 3rd:

We left home at around 11am to head to Montreal airport to get my plane.  The drive was easy but a little long at three and a half hours. After saying my goodbyes to Mom and Dad, I went in to check in! Pierre Elliot Trudeau Airport was the most confusing I have ever seen.  All of the kiosks show signs for check in for all of the other companies.  So as I stood trying to check in to my AirTransat plane, I was actually at an AirFrance kiosk.  This happened about four times until I found a person to help check me in.  I had to pay an extra $100 for my second bag, but I figured that it would be worth it in the long run and I would be able to bring a bit more with me.

I had purchased "Option Plus" which allowed me to pick my seat, board first, and have many extras along the way.  Just after take off, the flight attendants gave me a small bottle of champagne and a travel set with a pillow, blanket, eye mask, and other useful things.  The coolest thing though was my swanky jet.  The plane was amazing! Three rows of seats were lighted by softly, slowly changing colored lights.

Each seat had an iPad-like device on the back.  Usually international flights have small screens but these were HD quality tablets!

Monday, February 4th:

We landed a little later than expected because we had left a little late.  I got my bags and went to find the group at Terminal 2.  At CDG, to go from Terminal 3 to 2, you need to take a tram.  I was lost and couldn't find the tram for the life of me.  That was because it was a ten minute walk down passed the building, across the road, and through a train station!!  I finally got to the group and was sent to the hotel where I napped, showered, and went out to eat for our welcome dinner.  The group advisor, Anne Marie, is wonderful! She lived in NYC for a while when she was a bit younger and is pretty funny!  It was a wonderful first day.

Tuesday, February 5th:

Lots of mandatory orientation and stuff, mostly about safety and transportation.  We left for our permanent housing after orientation.  I live at the Fondation des Etats Unis in the 14th arrondissement with many other students.  When I first saw the room, I was a little sketched out.  It looks very old, needs to be painted and refurbished, and could use a carpet.  I actually have grown to like the room though! Its just enough.

Fondation des Etats Unis where I am living!

Ample closet space!

Later that night, we took a walking tour of Montmartre.  I love this section of the city! This part of the city is where all of the artists used to live and was home to many wineries!  On top of the hill of Montmartre sits a beautiful basilica known as le Sacre Coeur, or Sacred Heart.  The views of Paris are amazing.

Panoramic from the top! The Eiffel Tower is just behind the trees to the right!

Vineyard

Wednesday, February 6th:

After more orientation, we had some free time around the Notre Dame and Île de la Cité region of Paris.  We had lunch at a small Americanized cafe and headed to the Pont Neuf for a Bateau Mouche tour of the city.

Notre Dame

Thursday, February 7th:

I did my own thing. I woke up late and took the optionality of the scheduled events in my favor.  At around 2 pm, I took a walk down the boulevard to Porte d'Orléans where I found many shops, cafes, and boulangeries.  I loved it! I had lunch at McDonalds just for the experience, found some new jeans, and bought a new book to read!

Friday, February 8th:

We had some more orientation in the afternoon, but the rest of our day was free.  Hannah, Kristina, and I decided to go out later that night.  We were attempting to go out with our new neighbors from UCONN that live on our floor, but decided to leave before the group left.  We went to the bars near the Sorbonne, just behind the Pathéon.  They were wonderful! We met some French women who gave us a "to do" list for Paris! They were wonderful.

I think the most amazing part of the night was the walk back home when we were standing in front of the Panthéon and had a clear view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance.  It was magnifique!

Saturday, February 9th:

We went to the circus today! It was amazing! The acts were not the same old commercialized acts as in the states! These were classic circus acts, like knife throwing, tiger training, and even pole dancing! After, we went out for a night on the town.  We sat at a bar that accommodated our musical taste as well as our stomachs with the Beatles, Ke$ha, and some Carly Rae Jepsen.

Many more pictures from the circus on my Facebook and, soon to be, on my Flickr page!
Sunday, February 10th:

For the most part, I laid low.  I took a walk down to Porte d'Orléans again in hopes of finding a pharmacy that carried my allergy medications.  I totally forgot it was Sunday and that all but a few stores were closed but was lucky enough to find a pharmacy that was open and carried a similar product.

Later that night, some of the people from API relaxed in the basement of the Fondation, watched some TV, and played pool.


Monday, February 11th:

Today, Lacey and I went on an adventure! We decided that it was time to use our free student meal cards and went to find where we could use them.  We ended up just off the RER B line at Port Royal at the CROUS restaurant there.  We were very confused on the system, so we kind of just hurried through the food line.  We had spaghetti with meat sauce, a small salad, and some yogurt.  After five minutes of finding a place to sit, we found one with two French students who seemed very nice.  The meal was not that bad, but the fact that we were the only two Americans in the building and had no clue what to do was really nerve wreaking.

After the meal, we took the metro to the Champs Élysées where we bought some macaroons at Ladurée.  Ladurée was founded in the late 19th century and makes the most famous Parisian desserts for customers all over the world.  The store was amazing! In fear of breaking a code of etiquette, I only snapped one photo of the display case of boxes.  These were by far the best desserts I have ever had!

We took our desserts on the metro and headed to the Marais district off of the metro line 1, St Paul stop.    We met our group and went on a guided tour of the district, learning about its ancient past, beautiful buildings, and its importance as the gay and Jewish area of the city.

St Paul's in the Marais

Je suis prêt ! Allons-y!

I am ready! Let's go!

With so much happening lately, I haven't been able to post! 

In my last posts, I talked about the visa process and how it wasn't officially over for me.  Well, now it is!  I went to the city a few weeks ago with my mom for the day.  We got to the consulate and separated for a bit.  While my mother was busy sipping coffee in a cafe on Park Ave, I was sitting for about thirty minutes in the office at the consulate waiting to be called.  When you go back for your second visit, all you need is your visa and the slip of paper that they give you during your first visit.  (That is, to say, unless you forgot some forms before and were told to return with them) 

The wait wasn't too bad! I think it was because of the man screaming back and forth with the worker about having the wrong passport!  Listening in was pretty great and helped to pass the time.  I thought she had called my name so as I was standing behind the man screaming, I was secretly dying and hoping that I was right and my name was called.  I did NOT want to be on her bad side!

Man: NO! This is ridiculous! I am leaving! You owe me an apology!

Worker: I do not owe you anything sir! Wait here and I will get your things!

Man (upon leaving): VIVE LA FRANCE!

Worker (with a smile to me): Hello! How can I help you?

Me: I thought you had called my name?

Worker (giggling): No, but we will momentarily! Hopefully you will be in the next group! 

After being screamed at by some random man for about ten minutes, she was chipper and delightful to me! If that isn't a broken stereotype, I am not sure what is! 

Anyways, I was out after about 20 more minutes with my visa in my passport!  This was the last big thing between me and France.

Today marks three days until I leave!  I have been having late nights, not being able to sleep.  I have a pile of all the paperwork that I am bringing and have started mentally noting what needs to be packed where.  Yesterday, I went through my drawers and took out all of jeans, pants, shirts, and coats I will be taking.  Surprisingly, they should all fit in one suitcase! 

I've put most of them in the suitcase, already.  I have about six or seven pairs of different colored pants, boxers, socks, twelve new shirts (mostly H&M), and a few pairs of shoes.  I still have to put in a couple jackets and my two suit coats, but they should fit! If they don't, I have another smaller suitcase I can pack, too.  I figure that paying the extra $40 dollars or whatever the fee is for checking a second back is not bad at all if you think about it.  I'm going to be spending five whole months abroad and having those extra shirts/jackets will be really useful in the long run.

I am bringing my laptop, iPhone with two rented SIM cards from PicCell.com, my DSLR, a smaller digital camera, and maybe my iPad.  From my visits before, I have two travel adapters to convert my plugs to the European plug, but bought another to be safe. I am also going to bring a planner, journal, USB drive, some folders, and other stationaries as I hear that folders are ridiculously expensive abroad and take up minimal suitcase space.

It may sound strange, but I am most nervous about finding my way from the terminal that I will land in at Paris to the group meeting spot at another terminal.  Also, I am really hoping that they send us to the hotels in a few different groups.  I get there at 7 AM but there will be people waiting until noon for other students to arrive.  Not to sound like a DK (drama king) but if I have to wait five hours at the airport, I may just go crazy.

Anyways! I am going to try to sleep! As of right this minute, my "European Adventure" begins in:

2 days 17 hours and 36 minutes!

Woot!!! Woot!!!

Ma nouvelle résidence

Yesterday, I got my final orientation packet from API and now officially know where I will be living!!!

Although I didn't get my first choice at a studette, I am pretty happy to be living in the dorms at Fondation des Etats-Unis.  Click here for a direct link to the dorm.  The Fondation des Etats-Unis is part of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris in the 14th arrondissement.  Here, there are many international dorms for students studying all over the city.  

Image from Google Maps

I will have a single dorm with a sink in the room and a shared bathroom.  At first, I was a bit disappointed to not have my own apartment but when I thought about it, living with other people who are taking the same classes as me will be awesome!  My friend Sarah who attended the same program during the Fall 2012 semester said that those kids that lived in the dorms were very close and seemed to have a lot of fun there! 

In any event, I can't wait to live in Paris even if it meant living in a cardboard box on the hills of Montmartre.

Le voyage est seulement la moitié de la bataille

The journey is only half of the battle.

The visa process was a long and tedious ordeal.  Bank statements, letters of acceptance from both the foreign school and current school, and proof of lodging and insurance are just a few of the many things that the consulates require to obtain a student visa.  Being from New York, I was to report to the Consulat général de France à New York in New York City.  From my own experience, here is the step by steps of how to get your visa.

Visa Process- Step 1:  Campus France 

The first step in the process to get your visa after being accepted into a program is to complete a series of forms on a site called Campus France.  The site asks questions that pertain to your studies, your language level, and your intent on going abroad.  The site is pretty easy to manage but the process is not.  Parts of the site, for me at least, did not work properly and I had to contact the helpline for assistance.  Also, at this point, there is a fee to complete the preregistration.  I believe it was $70, but regardless that is a lot of money to send in just to be considered for a visa.  After the office receives the payment, they send out forms to your Campus France email account which you need to print out. ONe form is a receipt of payment while the other is just a confirmation email from Campus France.  Both are required at the time of your visa appointment.  This whole process took about 3 weeks.  Tip: Print two copies of each so that you will not have to come back to the website at a later date.

Step 2:  Make the appointment

Making the appointment is done through the consulate's website.  As soon as you get your confirmation letters from Campus France, you should book your visa appointment.  The study abroad office at my college told me that it is possible to book your appointment without completing Campus France, but in my opinion, that is too risky.  If you do not have your confirmation papers before your appointment because of an unexpected delay from Campus France, you will be screwed!  Don't mess around.  Get Campus France done immediately and then book your appointment.  Remember! You are on the French government's time, not your own.  If they feel like making your application process long and dragged out, they can.  Be on top of your game and do things early!  Also, note that December is a busy month for the consulates so an appointment time may not be available the closer you get to that date.

Step 3:  Get your paperwork in order

For the most part, I followed the list of requirements on the consulates web page.  Click here for a direct link to the requirements for the New York consulate.  Note! Not all consulates have the same requirements so make sure you are using the correct website and consulate in regards to your area.  When getting these things in order, I found it the easiest to use a folder and paperclips to organize.  Make a few copies of each form and paperwork that you have, that way if for some reason they ask for a copy, you will have one as well as a backup.  In addition to this list, I also typed up a letter of intent and a letter declaring my refusal to accept a job while abroad, both addressed to the Consulat général de France à New York.  I did this because at some point I had stumbled upon an outside website listing the requirements and this was on it.  Not wanting to be turned down, I decided that I would write them.  Getting your papers together can take a while.  If you are being financially supported by a family member, you need to have a certified copy of their bank statements as well as a notarized form filled out stating your family member's intent on supporting you.  If you are supporting yourself, you need a certified copy of your bank account with sufficient funds.  This can take a few days.  In both cases, sufficient funds are considered between $600-820 per month that you will be abroad.  The consulate's website claims the $600 but, again from the outside website, $820 is advised.  A lot of these papers were provided by the schools in both France and in the United States.  Just be aware of what you need to get and any time constraints on the process.

Step 4:  The appointment

Getting to the appointment on time is key.  Don't get there late, but don't get there too early either!  My appointment was at 10:30.  I saw the line outside at 10 and after waiting in it, was told I was to come back at 10:30 on the dot.  The consulate only allows people in during certain time periods.  Make sure you are waiting outside near the door so that the guard can see you!  When you enter the waiting room, it may be some time before they call your number.  For me, I waited about 45 minutes.  The first man will ask for some papers and for your payment.  Unless you have exact change, you must have a credit card.  Also! Be careful as to how much your visa fee is! Online it said that it would be much more than it actually was.  This being said, just use your credit card.  It was really easy to swipe and makes their job easier.  Now, you may have heard horror stories about the people that work here.  I did and was petrified to enter, but for me, these were not true.  I had two of the nicest people waiting on my during the first and second times at the counter.  The first man was very patient for me to find the exact paperwork while the second man seemed very interested in my program.  He even gave me a tip as to when to come back to retrieve the visa.  (Seeing as I went on December 21 and I am not departing until February, he told me to come back in mid January when the wait would be shorter)  Some tips I may give would be to not be too bubbly and chipper with them, seeing as the French in general do not smile to strangers as much as we Americans.  This may make them less likely to call you out on a minute flaw in your paperwork.  Also, when they call your number, hustle up there.  Don't keep them waiting! Lastly, be organized!  Know where every original form and where a copy of each is in your folder.  They could ask you for any/all of the papers and you need to be able to give them on cue.

Step 5:  Go back and get your visa

I was told that I could return after about a week to actually receive my visa and have it placed in my passport.  This is the standard amount of time in between your appointment and when they handover  the visa.  To come back, you only need to come with your passport and the slip that they give you during your appointment.  I have yet to go back, seeing as I still have about a month until my program starts, but do not expect any issues or have any stress about it.

All in all, this process is hell.  Hopefully, this gives you some tips on what to expect during the visa process and motivates you to start early!  I started and completed steps 1 and 2 in September, had my appointment in December, and will complete the process in the next week or so.  This is a long, strenuous, and stressful endeavor, but remember that this is the only thing holding you back from France!

Bon chance, tout le monde!

Vive la France!

Well! With the start of the new year and my upcoming adventures in Europe, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to start a blog to keep family updated, vent, and maybe even help some people out who are trying to study abroad.

My name is Nik Boivin.  I am a junior at Siena College in Loudonville, NY studying business.  I will be graduating in 2014 with a BS in Actuarial Sciences, a minor in French, and certificate in Risk Management.  Covering each of the School of Business, Science, and Liberal Arts, I guess you could call me a "Renaissance Man" or perhaps "Jack of All Trades," but my true love is French.  (That sounds so cocky and I am totally kidding.  A more fitting name would be "Busy-Bee.")

Everything about France has been interesting to me over the years, ever since I found out that I am part French!  Just after this fabulous news, I learned that my grandfather and his family were from Canada and spoke French in their household.  This was when I became intrigued.  What made the language and culture so alluring to me, I will never know, but since then I have come to accept that fate has intertwined myself and France. If you think that is an exaggerated claim, think again:

Favorite Food: French Fries. Preferred Salad Dressing: French.  Pancakes or French Toast: French Toast.  I prefer wine to almost any other alcoholic beverage.  My favorite books are The Little Price and Notre-Dame de Paris both written by famous French authors.  In school, given the choice of Spanish or French, I chose French.  My favorite new movie is "Les Misérables" while my old is "Amélie."  Escargots and cordon bleu are two of my favorite dishes and Belle was my favorite Disney Princess.  

I could go on and on about the many examples of the omnipresent French in my life, but the most powerful would have to be the meaning of my last name.  The name "Boivin" is a combination of two French words.  "Boi" is from the word "boire," meaning "to drink," and "vin," the word for "wine."  What does that mean? I was born a wine-drinking Frenchman.  Pretty badass, if you ask me!

Coming into college, I thought that my obsession with France would need to be suppressed.  There isn't much that you can do with a degree in a language anymore while also living comfortably.  Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are many people out there doing very well off degrees like this, but I wanted the possibility to go really far in my career.  I decided that I would become a doctor! I could use my science skills in a productive way and help people! What could be better than that?  Nothing!

Well...you have to pass basic biology classes to become a doctor, something that my first year at Siena proved would be impossible.  I can't tell if it was the teacher, the overly broad material, or just the fact that I didn't enjoy the class, but nonetheless I could not pass my second General Biology class.

I can remember the night that I decided to change majors! I mustered up the courage, emailed my advisor and teacher, and dropped the course online.  I followed this by putting a bottle of Moscato to my face in true French celebratory manner!

I switched my major to mathematics hoping that I could use it to get a job somewhere important, like the CIA or NASA.  What I found out there is that math majors have to take classes that have almost nothing to do with applying math and more about the ideas behind it.

Exhibit A: Foundations of Math.
Exhibit B: Number Theory.

This stuff wasn't for me.  I wanted to use my math skills in everyday life and see how my actions changed things.  I wanted to apply my math to things where I could measure how much change could happen.  I wanted to deal in money.  By now, mid October of my Sophomore year, I had decided to switch to my third major, Actuarial Sciences.

Actuarial Science is a pretty specific field of work with a great job outlook and many perks.  Actuaries deal with the risk that is involved with certain actions, people, and deals.  Actuaries, for the most part, work in insurance measuring how much risk is involved with different classes of people, doing things like seeing how to lower premium costs, targeting bad drivers away from safe drivers, and estimating how much money the companies should keep in reserve to cover future debts of all of their insured customers over any given time.  This may sound like a very intimidating career choice, but for the last 10 years or so,  being an actuary has been considered one of the top three least stressful jobs and one of the top jobs in terms of career outlook.

Being in the business world would mean having to talk with clients from around the world.  Maybe this could even mean traveling abroad or finding a position in an international corporation! I could use my skills in French from my last five years of taking the language to my benefit! This made me so excited and encouraged me to pick up my minor.

I chose to study a semester in Paris through a "third party"-like company called API after talking with my French Professor at Siena.  What I mean is that Siena recommended that I apply to API to get accepted into a French school...and I did!  During the upcoming semester, I will be studying at L'institut catholique de Paris on the left bank of the city!  I will be taking a full 15 credit hours and will be studying the language!  All of my classes will be in French with others who are learning the language.

In terms of housing, I will have my own studette in the city! API has given me a list of possible housing situations for the time being and will give me my exact location later on in the process.  While not the most classy of housing, my studette will have a small kitchen, a bed, and desk.  (Think of a mix between a studio apartment and a dorm room)  I will be responsible for my own food, laundry, and everything else you can think of, though API does provide some money for food and a monthly metro pass!  I will finally get my independence that I have been reaching for since high school!! From my two journeys to Paris in the past, I know roughly where each of the places are in the city and what is located near each.  They all sound really amazing and each seem to have their own...style, if you will.  One is near many famous monuments, one near Notre Dame, one very close to the high fashion and shopping districts, etc.

I am so excited to go and ready for the opportunity to prove and discover myself that the days have become longer and longer.  With only 31 days left until my departure on February 3rd, I have had/do have a lot to do before I can go and start the adventure that I have always longed for.