For those of you who have at least a GCSE in French, you will know that this title does not refer to the weather. On the other hand, il fait froid aussi. This week, my Monday morning was enhanced by the "snow shuffle" walk to work without slipping over, whilst unsuccessfully wrestling with my tiny umbrella. On the bright side, at least it means I can wear my recently purchased black duvet coat that all European women are seen to sport in the winter months. Hopefully these exotic temperatures won't last long.
The froid of this post's title is the other type of cold. Although I am still enjoying my Year Abroad itself, over 2 months into this placement I am still finding the cultural differences here a lot harder than I did in Spain, and I am still looking back on my time in Salamanca with fondness, realising just how lucky I was.
The first major difference is my accommodation. The school where I work suggested I live in a student residence, and facilitated all the paperwork, making my move relatively painless. I knew beforehand that it wouldn't exactly be the same experience of arriving in a Durham college, but I had hopes to meet some people nonetheless. However, this has not been the case. All the rooms are self contained, with their own kitchen and bathroom, and the lack of common areas in the building mean that socialising is impossible. For the first week, I adamantly left my door open, calling out a cheerful 'Bonjour' to any potential friend, but all I did was startle the occasional mature student and I got a cold room.
Secondly, I have noticed the huge lack of clubs and associations. Amiens is a student city, home to a large university and several higher education establishments, but its student lifestyle leaves a lot to be desired. From midnight on weekdays, the quaint quartier of St. Leu is buzzing, and the popular bars are overflowing - but working full time 9 - 5 means this isn't a regular option for me, so I have been forced to find other alternatives. After enquiring into various sports at my school, and discovering a significant lack of interest, I was invited by one of the students to a association called Hosmose. This is a society set up and run by students of the school to go into a local children's hospital every week and bring some joy into the lives of some very ill, but very charming and lovely children. When I went along in January, we celebrated Epiphany, I had my first taste of galette des rois, and we made some very fetching, glittery crowns. On this particular day, there were less children than usual (so I was told) and, surrounded by some boisterous children in wheelchairs I felt pretty much in the way, and I struggled to understand what was going on most of the time. It was a lovely experience, and also a good way to get to know some of the students from the school, but unfortunately due to my weekly French class being at the same time, I have been unable to go back. Still determined, I kept looking, and found the website for the university choir. It isn't quite at the same level as choirs I have been a part of in the past, but I really enjoy going every week and I have made some lovely friends. I would like to get to know them better but it seems that the majority of students in Amiens spend the week actually studying, something which brings me to my next obstacle.
The students stay in their rooms and study so they can free up their weekends to go home to their families. A pattern that is almost unheard of in the UK, the university students here (if they do not already live at home with their parents) head to the train station religiously every week, trailing their weekend bags full of laundry, and make their way home for a couple of days of 'doing nothing,' leaving Amiens almost like a ghost town. This has been incredibly disappointing, and I wish I had known this little, yet important fact before coming here. However, all is not lost - I live very close to Paris, and thanks to the generosity of some beautiful friends, I am lucky enough to spend weekends there when I want.
I realise this has seemed like a pretty negative blog, but just to reassure any of you who may be worried about me (Hi, Nanna!), I am still enjoying myself! I am gaining some very valuable experience in many ways, and although it is hard, I am making the effort and everyday I meet people and learn something new. And even if I don't, I know there is a bed, British TV, chocolate and wine and my best friend waiting for me in the outskirts of Paris - every cloud!
