My Intro to Nice, France

Even though I've been in Nice for about a month, I just got around to making a blog. So much has happened in the past few weeks-I feel like I've been here forever! I am currently spending the semester studying abroad in Nice, France as part of the Maryland-in-Nice program. There are about 30 students in the program, and we're taking classes at the University of Nice's CUEFLE, or le Fac, which is basically the program for students who are learning French.

The first few weeks were really chill. Week 1 was the pre-stage, or the placement exam review class, which was only 3 hours of class a day. Other than the placement exams, Week 2 was basically free. I got placed in the 2nd degree (there are 3 total), I only have to take 6 credits in College Park to earn my French major. Classes didn't start until our third week, which totally spoiled me--I felt like I was on vacation, and now we spend an insane amount of time in class. Monday to Wednesday, we start early and end late (sometimes starting at 10 AM and ending at 7 PM). Thursdays and Fridays are more chill, with only 1 or 2 classes each. Lately, due to a inconsistent sleeping schedule, I've been having a hard time staying awake in class. Students come from all over the world, and most are in their early- to mid-twenties. All of our classes are in French and all of them are super-long, lasting 2-3 hours each. Some classes are more interesting, whereas others are basically college-level history lectures, which are difficult to understand. The first few weeks we were here, the French college students were on strike against the education system. Apparently, when the French don't get what they want, they go on strike, which means that they're ALWAYS on strike. As part of the greves, or strikes, the students perform music, drama, and dances, and of course, skip classes. The best thing about the Fac is that the school cafeteria, or the Resto-U (Restaurant-universitaire) serves amazing food (3-course meals) for less than 3 Euro. A Resto-U lunch break in the middle of our long classes at the fac always makes the day so much better. As does the sunny 30 minute walk to school on the Promenade, or the boardwalk.

Walking on the prom everyday makes me feel like I'm on vacation, despite the steep hill just before the Fac, and the intense amount of classes. Luckily, my homestay is fairly close to the school, so walking is not a problem. The bad part is that Vieux Nice, or downtown Nice is just as far in the opposite direction. Most of the Maryland kids live in Vieux Nice, so the nightlife, the shopping, and most of the cafes and restaurants are within short walking distance for them. Despite the distance, I'm enjoying my homestay. Erin, my roommate, and I live in a beautiful apartment with our host-mom, 3 other international students, her son (who only comes home on weekends), and Croquette (the cat). Claire, my host-mom, is an amazing cook--I always look forward to our authentic French home-cooked dinners. Breakfast, on the other hand, is not as important in France. Most people just eat baguettes (which are amazingly fresh and delicious) with nutella or jam. Another cultural difference that took some getting used to is taking super-short showers (Army-style), turning the water off between rinses. Since our showerhead hangs waist-level, I quickly, but reluctantly adjusted to the short-shower regime.

So far, studying abroad in France has been an amazing experience. I've already done a lot of day traveling to nearby port villages, including Monaco, and a weekend trip to Arles, in the region of Provence. I've been posting all of my pictures on Facebook, and I plan on updating this blog frequently. Btw, props to my friend, Rachel H., for the name "coucousalut," but it was already taken, so I had to add the "mesamis" part.