Bonjour á tout,
It’s into our last month now and kinda scary that the time has passed by so quickly. There is a sense about the place over reflecting on our time here. People are starting to talk about going home and that brings with it a whole range of paradoxical emotions - happy to go home, sad to leave.
It has been an amazing time here over the past few months but it hasn’t been without its problems. The most recent ones have involved our accommodation and our landlord. I won’t bore you with the problems but admit that even all the problems have been worth it. The problems that have arisen are new adventures too, sometimes not in the good sense but we can all learn from our problems and failings and that has been ever-present recently.
When planning the trip and starting to look at accommodation, my mum asked if I’d like to go over and have a look in the flesh. I laughed at the idea, in a way sort of saying, “don’t be stupid mum.” Now, I am forced to admit defeat, my mum was right.. again, but keep it quiet.
It is the first time I have ever lived away from home and that is a challenge in itself but one which I have learned enormously from. Never will I make mistakes that I have made here again. I don’t want to sound too moany, as a whole, the apartment is grand, but it is not without it’s little kinks that had I been a bit more prepared could have been dealt with early.
So, for anyone thinking of going on Erasmus, make sure you talk to a number of people about how they found the experience. I was given this opportunity but didn’t take it. Had I heard advice from the mouth of a fellow-student as opposed to my mum, I may have listened a bit more.
Erasmus is a challenge, there are many little problems along the way but each of them brings with it its own unique opportunity to learn from your mistakes and experiences and provide the life-learning we hear so much about. I have learned so much over here that is un-examinable in academic terms.
As I’m sure you’re all well aware, it’s not all about exams!
Talk soon
Eoghan
April 8th, 2009
The Grand Slam and Paddy’s day all in the one week. Rennes must have been worried. I don’t think there is anything like experiencing our native holiday in another country. All the attention is on you! All the smiles and the drinks are heading your way and you have to live up to the call. And so we did. Party all day (And I mean All Day) in our apartment with plenty of alcohol of all sorts drunk.
We did take some time out of our apartment to wander through the streets of Rennes all decked out in Irish jerseys and various things green. All our friends were Irish for the day and glad of it. We had to stop off in O’Connells, one of the many Irish pubs in Rennes. They are all over the place but so far this is the only one that we have found that actually has Irish people behind the bar and showed all our Rugby triumphs.
The Atmosphere was always friendly and the staff glad to have us. We were there for the France England, with our friends from across the water as they say, supporting England for the day (Don’t judge me!) After the match ended we decided to have the “one more pint” that ended up lasting for a few more hours and a few more drinks. We also got pizza delivered to the pub where we were more than welcome to sit inside eating and just hanging out. This was a strange experience as never before have I been to a pub that would happily let you sit with food from another establishment. They treated us so well we had to go back for Paddy’s day where they spoiled us further with various green hats, glasses and sponge guinness- like a stress ball.
Unfortunately I wasn’t there for the Grand Slam triumph, visiting family over in England. Of course I caught the match and was made aware of the celebrations taking place in Rennes with a few more drinks had that night.
The time is flying by, I have booked my flights home, unfortunately the cheapest flights mean I have to fly into the people’s republic of Cork but we all have to make sacrifices from time to time : ) I’m looking forward to coming home and catch up with all the gang in UCD and at home but not looking forward to leaving Rennes and all Erasmus friends so soon. It will be a busy month with a few exams, goodbye’s and the usual parties.
As the time draws towards a close I have started to think about the whole experience. If given the opportunity to go on Erasmus it really is one you have to grab and I would reccommend it to everyone. There is many great times and also plenty of life-learning experiences. An opportunity definitely not to be missed.
Talk Soon
Eoghan
March 27th, 2009
Returning from the relaxation of Paris, we were rudely awakened by the disrupting reality of what was awaiting us back in Dublin: St. Patrick’s Day Madness!!! Don’t get us wrong, we were STOKED to spend such an historical day in the country of its origin, however our house was transformed into a youth hostel—nothing like the one we’d just stayed in. These guests were nothing like the 12 and under we were exposed to before but rather 20 college kids in one house eager to explore the Irish culture and its nightlife!
It’s all basically a haze, especially since Emma’s family was visiting at the same time AND our roommate welcomed the celebration of his 21st birthday the night before St. Patty’s but Dublin doesn’t fool around with tradition! The streets were a sea of green and it was basically impossible not to bump in to some stumbling pedestrian who’d been drinking the good stuff since the early am. Temple Bar. Insane. Lots of People. Lots of green. Lots of Guinness. The pubs were overflowing with animated leprechaun lovers excited to perpetually celebrate the holiday Irish-style! Almost better than the parade itself was the carnival festivities located in Merrion Square—mere blocks away from our comfy abode (nobody stalk us, please). It was catered towards a more familial, younger crowd, but even so we enjoyed a nice dollop of ice cream and a lovely stroll in the brilliant weather!!! Dublin sure delivered on the weather and it was a delight to show our guests how accommodating the weather is to visiting foreigners. Springtime in Dublin is a beaut!
As much as we enjoyed the holiday it was a relief to have the calm return after the storm. We prefer the city sans-tourists and delight in having oxygen once more after the six dwellers that occupied our floor vacated.
Honestly, it was quite difficult to return today back to collegiate lifestyle. Darn you, responsibility! Even so, we both have grown quite fond of the campus, our radio show (odd we never mentioned this before, but we have a radio show on Belfield FM titled Queens of the Airwaves –aka… US! Do tune in every Tuesday 6-7 pm. We are now officially on the FM frequency. Thanks for the plug, UCD Bloggers!), and the bi-weekly meetings provided by the study abroad Quinn school (free info and free FOOD and COFFEE!).
Slan!
Tune in next time for more lasting impressions of our impressions of Dublin!
E and C
March 24th, 2009
Paris, we “louvre” you! At the onset of our well-deserved two-week break from UCD we jetted off to the lovely City of Lights: Gay Pari!!! Every cliché stereotype was completely dead-on in that magical city. We stayed in a charming hostel in the Latin Quarter (Le Fourcy for any of you who plan on taking a trip). This hostel was unlike any other hostel. “Youth Hostel” was a bit of an understatement as the joint was crawling with , little ones (not the leprechauns you find here) but rather 12 and under kiddos. We were unaffected, however, as the two of us shared our very own boudoir complete with its very own shower…and breakfast (two very uncommon amenities in hostel-living).
Paris
We explored the city and rendezvoused with Kari, who visited Dub town only a week prior. She showed us the same hospitality we showed her and took us to all the non-tourist neighbourhoods where we enjoyed many a crepe and a true ‘taste’ of Parisian lifestyles! Later, after reveling in the majesty of the Eiffel Tower the two of us headed down to the River Seine to enjoy the setting sun, gelato, and the far off melodies of a saxophone. Too bad we were the only non-couple sitting there. That’s the only thing Paris didn’t deliver on—romance. Regardless, we were still very taken by the city. Favorite places, you ask? Hahaha. Well, Montmartre for starters was absolutely adorable complete with bustling cafes and the Sacre Coeur. Drawback? We were badgered by conniving tourist trappers who many a poor soul fell victim to. Watch out for the guys who attempt to tie a string on your finger. It’s not free, in spite of what they say!
Paris
Down the river from the Latin Quarter, in a darling neighbourhood we enjoyed a delectable artichoke tart while sitting elbow-to-elbow amongst friendly French locals!!! The cuisine was divine and so was the experience of eating in a typical French restaurant!
For those on a budget, we recommend the free four-hour walking tour that meets near the fountain near St. Michel. The tour guides are very animated and full of information. Wear comfy shoes! Three days was no where near enough time to spend in one of the most iconic cities in the world. We left already wanting to return and wishing we spoke more French. There’s so much to see and do!
Slan!
Tune in next time for more lasting impressions of our impressions of Dublin!
E and C
March 24th, 2009
Hey all,
I said I’d write a blog about my excursions abroad in France as part of my Erasmus. I’ve been here for two months and am passed the half way mark so there is lots to tell. I’ll try to recount some tales and be brief about it.
I’ll always remember flying into Paris (Charles De Gaulles) and looking out the window seeing snow. It was the first of many unexpected sights to see. With the weather being a bit chaotic for the past two months it was mad for us to be landing in snow in Paris. I generally thought of France as being somewhere you go for a sun holiday but that’s not really been the case.
Streets of Rennes
We got up to Rennes and were met at the airport by the Welcome Team. This is a group of students who are in charge of making sure the international students enjoy themselves and answer any questions we have. ESC Rennes is a truly international school. It’s only a business school so the size of the school enables it to do some things that would be impossible in UCD.
Every student studying here full time has to join a society, Erasmus students don’t. This seems to give a real sense of spirit about the school, they are tighter then UCD as a whole would be. Also because of the size of the school they are able to have the Foyer. It’s a room just to hang out with pool, fuzball, Wii, PS3 with Pro Evo on it, as well as countless comfy couches to lounge about on. It’s impossible to do any work here as you’ll end up talking to someone, playing pool or just being lazy for hours on end. It brings a nice relaxing vibe which Rennes as a whole seems to have.
On Sunday’s everything is closed, supermarkets included, they only open till 12. The only places that are open are the Boulangeries so you can get your Croissant and Pain au Chocolate. The streets are generally wide and there is plenty of squares and open places that you can walk around and just relax. At night it is the same. A good feeling for being on Erasmus, wouldn’t want to be stressing would you.
But the one thing they don’t have is late night Fast Food. It’s one of the things you miss, burger king on O’Connell street after a night out 
So far it’s been an amazing experience, there is loads more to tell and I’ll get back and to that some time soon.
Bonjournai
Eoghan
March 13th, 2009
Subscribe to our feed