Alsace

French bureaucracy is calling you…

Deserts deserts deserts… They’re everywhere around and they’re gorgeous. They actually look so good that you can’t even choose! That is exactly the reason why I haven’t tried anything yet. :’D

So you wanna do sports.
You have to get a student ID first. For that you need a proof that you’re a student for sure. You can get it from the international office which is at the main building – so called PEGE. Then you have to head to another building and get your ID done. Then you need to get back to the international office to pay. 25 €. That’s not too much for a year. Anyways.

It’s already next day. So you’ve paid. Now you need to get back to the previous building where you got your student ID card and get a stamp, allowing you to access the sports facilities. Okay. Cool. Can I go wall climbing now? Not so fast, honey.

I am really looking forward to better weather… Strasbourg is supposed to be amazing when the trees are green. At least this lovely cafe had some greens around.

You need a medical proof, ensuring that you’re not gonna die from heart attack while you’re climbing to the top of your imaginary Everest. So you call the university hospital. BUT. They don’t speak English. You go there. It’s the third day you’re trying to get it done… And finally… you make an appointment. For next Wednesday (it’s Tuesday now). Okay cool. So you wait. In the meanwhile, you register yourself online to the aspired sports facilities, be it, dancing, horse riding, fencing, fitness, skiing or in my case – climbing & dancing I guess?

In a week you get a paper telling that you’re healthy enough to “shake it off”. Salut! You’re officially allowed to go wall climbing now! Of course, if everything goes smoothly from now on…

And that’s only for sports. There’s also a culture card for discounts, mobile phone operator, French bank, student meal card, university housing, registration to courses, bus/tram pass, insurance (nobody’s sure if it’s obligatory or not…) and some weird stuff, you don’t exactly know what’s that for…

And everywhere there are appointments!
And nobody speaks English!

So you just complain A LOT and slowly try get your stuff done. Whatever. At least the city is gorgeous. At least the weather is terrible… So you don’t loose anything what you could do instead of taking care of your paperwork.

France is a true marvel for those who love bread, pastries, pasta and everything else made out of flour. Haha. It’s me! Om nom nom

BUT. Don’t worry and don’t hurry. That’s exactly what French do! Take your time. There’s a line of 10 people at your crepes kiosk? Don’t hurry. Take your time. You’re the seller here! Clients are not that important to ruin your idyll. There’s a bunch of stressed students outside your office? Don’t worry. Take a smoke break. They can surely wait for a bit longer. Students are still going crazy because they cannot get their ID cards done? It’s gonna be alright. But not now. Because you have a lunch break for two hours. And that is totally fine. I mean, isn’t it?

Mixed feelings so far. Do you sense it? I do. It’s a bit controversial. And the language so unfamiliar… I don’t even understand if I adore it that much or I simply hate it. I guess I still have like 3 more months to choose. AND to learn. Because right now…

Excuse moi. Je ne parle pas Français. Parlez vous Anglais?

…is my favorite sentence.

Well. I was astonished. That doesn’t happen so often anymore… Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg. It hides beneath the walls of romantic buildings and then suddenly overwhelms you with it’s majestic posture. It actually took my breath away. I actually promise you that there is going to be one post dedicated only for this cathedral. Yep, there sure will!

I guess, I’ll see you soon. As there’s gonna be lots of stuff going on. I’m right next to Germany and Swiss. The spring is coming and I’m trying to solve the puzzle of my mind. What’s there exactly for me? Is there a right path? Or all of them are just equally good? You know… Cat once asked Alice…

“Cat: Where are you going?
Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Merci pour votre temps! Je vous aime tous. Au Revoir!

As for now, Strasbourg is a little miserable… As the bigger part of Europe I guess – dark, grey and cold. Really hope it is going to change soon. !!!