Greetings from Paris!
I’m Yvena Lesperance,
a second year studying at ESSEC Business School. I'm currently in
Vienna with classmate Ipsita (on exchange at IE) and headed to Munich in a few
hours!
This is week five of
our exchange program and I can't believe that we're halfway through. I
have classes twice a week in Cergy, France - which is about a 40 minute train
ride from central Paris. The commute has given me plenty of time to catch up
on my reading – one of my resolutions for 2016!
Currently in rotation
is a beauty I picked up from Shakespeare & Company, "The Black
Count". This book is about the life of Thomas-Alexandre Dumas; father of
the author of the "Three Musketeers" and "The Count of Monte Cristo".
Dumas, born in present day Haiti, had the unique perspective of being part
of both the highest and lowest echelons of society. He later served as a General in Napoleon’s army and
was described as one of the best soldiers in the world. Highly recommend the
book, especially for my history buffs out there!
Besides commuting to
Cergy, I've taken full advantage of being on this side of the world. Some of my
favorite memories since have been traveling to Lagos, Toledo and New Delhi
with our Kellogg crew in tow.
Though being abroad
can be tiring and expensive, I think it is absolutely worth it. I’ve become
more culturally savvy, finally decoding international mysteries such as the infamous Indian headshake,
ha-ha!
I’ve also enjoyed this
quiet space (sorta) outside the b-school bubble to slow down, reflect and find
joy in everyday moments. Roaming among
natives, tasting the local fare, stumbling onto quirky streets and corners – those
have been my best experiences. No agenda, just patience and an open mind.
To follow Montoya’s
lead from the previous blog post, I’ll end with some random observations about
living in France:
1. The French are very
proud of their language - as it was the universal business language until WWI.
If you visit, at a minimum learn the basics. It will go a long way with how
helpful you perceive french people to be J
2. France (well Europe in
general) is very green. Most people take the metro, dry their clothes on a rack
and have motion-sensor lighting in their home and office buildings.
3. Paradoxically, smoking is very socially accepted. It's easy to see how most people get addicted. I'm usually the non-smoker within a group of Parisians.
4. The major music
channel is very international. Adele, Drake, David Guetta and Mr. Fetty Wap are
regulars on the screen. Though, per government policy, 40% of the music played must feature French artists. I've particularly enjoyed tunes from Kery James and Lefa!
5. Bread, coffee and red wine are staples in the
French diet. I seriously have all these things multiple times a day. Thank
goodness for our six floor walk-up apartment!
That’s all for today
folks! Keep up with me on my blog, I’ll be writing more about my #KelloggAbroad16 adventures!
New Delhi, India
Toledo, Spain
Paris, France
Lagos, Nigeria
*This blog post was written for daybreaK, a student-run newsletter at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
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