Hi again!
Today I promised to tell you about the previous week and describe the people I have met. I added some photos to this update. You will have another post with the pictures of Annecy, because the internet connection isn't working that well at the moment, so I will not even try to add them now. This text will start with the events of the last week. After that I will tell you about the people I have met here. I don't know anybody that well yet, but I have encountered a lot of new faces. Thus, I will only offer for you to read the best encounters and the general way of this country.
To the East of Lyon
 | |
| Stairs, Old Lyon |
Because I arrived in Lyon a week ago, my intention was to spend the weekend exploring the city. However, things turned. I saw a poster on the university notice board about a trip to Annecy. I was not planning to participate at first, but finally on Friday I went to register for the trip.
So, on Saturday morning I sat in a crowded bus next to a Vietnamese girl on the road to the Alps. We arrived at Annecy at eleven o'clock. Our bus stopped at Lac d'Annecy, or Annecy lake. At the other side of the lake rose the snow-capped mountains, which were reflected in the clear water. Soon we continued our trip with a pleasant-voiced French woman, who was our guide of the day, or at least for the next two hours. She spoke very slowly and clearly, so it was easy to understand her.
During the tour we climbed up to the Château d'Annecy Castle, which had stunning views of the city below. We also went in to the Eglise St-Maurice-church, and visited the Palais de l'île island in the middle of the river Thiou. The building, that was located at the island, had previously served at the same time as a prison and as a court. That must have been quite convenient, since it didn't take that much time after the judgement to get the the convicted behind the bars.
After the guided tour we went to eat with a multinational group. I was with a couple of Russians and a Bulgarian, a Japanese and a German girl. We had about three hours of free time. The aim was to take a little tour around the city after lunch. Unfortunately everything didn't go as planned. We all decided to take a three course "Formula", or a menu. The restaurant, to which we went, was full of people. So it took a long time to get food, and we spent all our spare time at the restaurant. Luckily the food was good and we managed to get to know each other. But because it took so long time at the restaurant, we could only see the old town of Annecy. The journey back to Lyon went perfectly, because I spent half of the time sleeping.
During the tour we climbed up to the Château d'Annecy Castle, which had stunning views of the city below. We also went in to the Eglise St-Maurice-church, and visited the Palais de l'île island in the middle of the river Thiou. The building, that was located at the island, had previously served at the same time as a prison and as a court. That must have been quite convenient, since it didn't take that much time after the judgement to get the the convicted behind the bars.
After the guided tour we went to eat with a multinational group. I was with a couple of Russians and a Bulgarian, a Japanese and a German girl. We had about three hours of free time. The aim was to take a little tour around the city after lunch. Unfortunately everything didn't go as planned. We all decided to take a three course "Formula", or a menu. The restaurant, to which we went, was full of people. So it took a long time to get food, and we spent all our spare time at the restaurant. Luckily the food was good and we managed to get to know each other. But because it took so long time at the restaurant, we could only see the old town of Annecy. The journey back to Lyon went perfectly, because I spent half of the time sleeping.
 | |
| Place Bellecourt |
Today I woke up early in the morning so that I could arrived in time at the Lutheran mass, which was to begin at 10.30am. I arrived at the church in good time and had time to read about the local ceremony out of the booklet that was handed to me. I was at the right place at the right time, because just on this particular Sunday there was a lunch served for the parishioners after the Mass. So I got to know the rest of the people at the church, most of whom had grey hair. I spent a lovely afternoon in their company.
In a typical French style the lunch took a long time. I left from the church at 3pm. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and to visit the old town of Lyon on the same trip. This part of the city with its four-floor buildings shrouding the narrow streets, is the number one attraction of Lyon, and not without reason. The area is very attractive, although it is constantly populated by the tourist masses. I popped in the majestic Cathédrale St-Jean: the heart of the old town. The white church had risen to Lyon, already in the 1000-1200 centuries.
 |
| Cathédrale St-Jean |
At around six o'clock I went jogging when the dusk was already descending. I ran up the steep slope to the Fourvière Hill. On top of this hill you can find the crown of Lyon, the Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière. This church can be seen already from a distance, so when you are coming to Lyon it is almost impossible not to notice it. However, it took almost a week before I got anywhere near it, and I still didn't dare to go inside the basilica with my jogging clothes on, so I thought I'd save the visit for later. Next to the basilica stands the Eiffel Tower-like miniature. It is the landmark of Lyon and a symbol of secularism. Its peak is the highest point in Lyon, but, unfortunately, the tower is closed for the public.
Getting to Know the People in Lyon
Like I said, I've already met a number of new people, but I do not know anyone very well yet. Luckily I have to spend a surprisingly lot of time with the locals, even though I thought that it would be harder to get to know them than other exchange students. The French, at least here, have been very friendly and lovely. They are asking a lot of questions, and ask questions that are simple enough, so that I am able to answer. Although I have been here only for a week, I realize that my language skills (or at least my speaking skills) have evolved a lot.
At the beginning of the week, however, it was more difficult, because I did not know anyone yet. Monday's meeting with law students did not help me meet new people, because after the meeting everybody went to their own directions and we didn't exchange any contact information. I felt like I was all alone here in Lyon.
Fortunately there is the internet. I chatted on facebook with my friends and agreed to go to Paris for the last weekend of the month (ie, next weekend) to meet a French friend of mine. At the same time I will meet with my Finnish friend, who is now on an exchange in Paris. Through the internet I also found out that the reformed church had meetings for young adults and students on Tuesday evenings. So I decided to go there.
Before the evening I was on a lecture of the human rights course that I had chosen at the university. The twenty-member group consisted mainly of local students. If it had been a group of Finnish law, no one would probably have said anything to anyone that they didn't already know beforehand. At least not to the new girl sitting alone in the corner. Here everything is quite the opposite. All the local students know each other and come to greet the newcomer. You can ask for help from anybody and you receive an overflowingly helpful advice. For example, when I asked of a student where the hall for my next lecture was located, he didn't just advise me on how to get there, but guided me to the spot.
At the beginning of the week, however, it was more difficult, because I did not know anyone yet. Monday's meeting with law students did not help me meet new people, because after the meeting everybody went to their own directions and we didn't exchange any contact information. I felt like I was all alone here in Lyon.
Fortunately there is the internet. I chatted on facebook with my friends and agreed to go to Paris for the last weekend of the month (ie, next weekend) to meet a French friend of mine. At the same time I will meet with my Finnish friend, who is now on an exchange in Paris. Through the internet I also found out that the reformed church had meetings for young adults and students on Tuesday evenings. So I decided to go there.
Before the evening I was on a lecture of the human rights course that I had chosen at the university. The twenty-member group consisted mainly of local students. If it had been a group of Finnish law, no one would probably have said anything to anyone that they didn't already know beforehand. At least not to the new girl sitting alone in the corner. Here everything is quite the opposite. All the local students know each other and come to greet the newcomer. You can ask for help from anybody and you receive an overflowingly helpful advice. For example, when I asked of a student where the hall for my next lecture was located, he didn't just advise me on how to get there, but guided me to the spot.
 | |
| Viex Lyon, the Old Town |
Although I am Lutheran, if you plan to meet young Christians here, you must participate in other church groups' student activities, because Lutheran Church doesn't offer a lot of activities for young people here. "France is a very Catholic country, and Lyon is the cradle of Catholicism in France," as a young man put it at the reformed church's student activities. Tuesday evening went by nicely and I got to practice my French language skills by talking with the locals. First we watched a couple of videoclips and then read a rather difficult French text. After reading the text we discussed the subject. I mean the others were discussing and I was mostly just listening. To be honest I have to admit that I probably didn't understand half of the things they were saying, but it was still really nice to be involved in and listen. I was also invited to come the next time. At the end of the evening a girl took me back to the residence by her car.
On Wednesday I had the day off. I already told earlier, what I did during the day. Because I still felt myself lonely, I decided to go to the evening of another Christian student association, Agape Campus. It is an ecumenical organisation and the purpose is to help young people to grow personally in faith. At the evening there were Christians of different denominations and different nationalities, although the majority of the students were French. The topic of the evening was "What is the difference between the promise given by God and a promise given by the man?" The speaker was a middle-aged man, whose speech was very very clear. I understood the teaching almost entirely.
I also got to know other young people. In particular I talked with a medical student. She hadn't lived all her life in France, though she had lived here for quite some time. She told me that her father did't still speak French that well, but that her mother had learned the language. The girl was really nice and seemed to get along with all the people in the room.
On Thursday's lecture, I finally met another exchange student properly. This Canadian boy didn't know anybody yet that well either. Since I didn't understand his native French accent, we talked with each other in English. Because I didn't understand the lecture that well either, the Canadian promised to send me his notes, which was really nice of him. He was also my first facebook-friend in Lyon.
Later in the evening in the kitchen of our residence I exchanged a few words in French with a sweet Japanese girl. Maybe I will meet her again later and I can talk some more. In addition, I talked in English with a Korean, who studied tourism and administration. He was very pleased that someone spoke with him in English, because he didn't speak French very well, and not that many people here speak English fluently. It was nice to talk with him in English, because I was able to speak much more easily than in French.
On Saturday on the trip to Annecy I became acquainted with a Vietnamese girl on the outward journey and with a Polish girl on the way back. Because these two girls had a lot in common, although they came from so different countries and cultures, I will first tell about their similarities. Both had come to France to learn better the language and were very talkative. They had both lived in France for quite some time and in various different parts of the country. In addition, both were now living in the outskirts of Lyon. The Polish girl gave me lots of advice. She told me, for example, what kind of the oral examinations in France normally are, because we don't normally have those in Finland. The Vietnamese girl told me that she has several younger brothers, who were way longer than she was. It didn't come to me as a great surprise, because the girl herself was perhaps 145cm in hight, thus even far shorter than me!
On the trip I also got to know better a Russian girl, who lives in the same residence with me. I also met her friends, and I went to eat lunch with them. Particularly sympathetic was a German girl, who is from nearby Salzburg and enjoys hiking. She knew a lot of Finnish metal bands, including Nightwish, of course.
Today I went to the Lutheran mass. The most of the people there were more than middle-aged, but they all were really wonderful. At least three people came to me before the mass to explain to me how the things progress during the mass, even though I tried to assure them, that it was almost identical to what I was accustomed to in Finland.After the mass I stayed for a lunch with the rest of the people. We ate a delicious three-course lunch, and I talked briefly with a couple of young persons of almost my own age. At the table, however, I sat next to a couple of the older men. Another one of them spoke very clearly. I talked quite a lot with him. Among other things I told him, that Finland wasn't a neutral area during the Second World War, but that we fought with the Germans against the Russians.The man also told me about his own colorful background. His father was from Senegal, and his mother was a talented concert pianist. This old lady was also at the lunch. I could still have very well imagined her playing in front of a great audience in a concert hall with her plain, slender figure, long black and grey dress and stylishly gray-hair, which was combed elegantly in a bun.
In the same table with me there was also a lawyer, who was probably retired or at least retiring soon, with whom I discussed a bit about the differences between the law education in Finland and France. In addition to me there were also other foreign people in the room, including a Japanese woman with a cute 3-year-old daughter and a Spanish woman, who also was the church treasurer. Moreover, the priest of the church had a German background. He said that he knew one Finnish priest, who is visiting in Lyon from time to time. He took up my e-mail address in order to give it to a Finnish priest.
I also got to know other young people. In particular I talked with a medical student. She hadn't lived all her life in France, though she had lived here for quite some time. She told me that her father did't still speak French that well, but that her mother had learned the language. The girl was really nice and seemed to get along with all the people in the room.
On Thursday's lecture, I finally met another exchange student properly. This Canadian boy didn't know anybody yet that well either. Since I didn't understand his native French accent, we talked with each other in English. Because I didn't understand the lecture that well either, the Canadian promised to send me his notes, which was really nice of him. He was also my first facebook-friend in Lyon.
Later in the evening in the kitchen of our residence I exchanged a few words in French with a sweet Japanese girl. Maybe I will meet her again later and I can talk some more. In addition, I talked in English with a Korean, who studied tourism and administration. He was very pleased that someone spoke with him in English, because he didn't speak French very well, and not that many people here speak English fluently. It was nice to talk with him in English, because I was able to speak much more easily than in French.
On Saturday on the trip to Annecy I became acquainted with a Vietnamese girl on the outward journey and with a Polish girl on the way back. Because these two girls had a lot in common, although they came from so different countries and cultures, I will first tell about their similarities. Both had come to France to learn better the language and were very talkative. They had both lived in France for quite some time and in various different parts of the country. In addition, both were now living in the outskirts of Lyon. The Polish girl gave me lots of advice. She told me, for example, what kind of the oral examinations in France normally are, because we don't normally have those in Finland. The Vietnamese girl told me that she has several younger brothers, who were way longer than she was. It didn't come to me as a great surprise, because the girl herself was perhaps 145cm in hight, thus even far shorter than me!
On the trip I also got to know better a Russian girl, who lives in the same residence with me. I also met her friends, and I went to eat lunch with them. Particularly sympathetic was a German girl, who is from nearby Salzburg and enjoys hiking. She knew a lot of Finnish metal bands, including Nightwish, of course.
Today I went to the Lutheran mass. The most of the people there were more than middle-aged, but they all were really wonderful. At least three people came to me before the mass to explain to me how the things progress during the mass, even though I tried to assure them, that it was almost identical to what I was accustomed to in Finland.After the mass I stayed for a lunch with the rest of the people. We ate a delicious three-course lunch, and I talked briefly with a couple of young persons of almost my own age. At the table, however, I sat next to a couple of the older men. Another one of them spoke very clearly. I talked quite a lot with him. Among other things I told him, that Finland wasn't a neutral area during the Second World War, but that we fought with the Germans against the Russians.The man also told me about his own colorful background. His father was from Senegal, and his mother was a talented concert pianist. This old lady was also at the lunch. I could still have very well imagined her playing in front of a great audience in a concert hall with her plain, slender figure, long black and grey dress and stylishly gray-hair, which was combed elegantly in a bun.
In the same table with me there was also a lawyer, who was probably retired or at least retiring soon, with whom I discussed a bit about the differences between the law education in Finland and France. In addition to me there were also other foreign people in the room, including a Japanese woman with a cute 3-year-old daughter and a Spanish woman, who also was the church treasurer. Moreover, the priest of the church had a German background. He said that he knew one Finnish priest, who is visiting in Lyon from time to time. He took up my e-mail address in order to give it to a Finnish priest.
 | |
| Old Lyon as seen from the other side of the river |
Summa summarum
Oops, I wrote a lot of text! I thank you for your company, if you managed to read the text through. If you didn't and are just reading this summary, I understand very well. Please, feel free to comment or ask about the things I wrote or about something completely different. I also hope that you will tell me, if you have any wishes of what you liked me to tell or to which thing you would like me to focus on my blog. At least one blog post I am going to dedicate to food, I can already promise that to you, but please, feel free to suggest something else as well!
No comments:
Post a Comment