Séjour France

Good translation site for French expressions

2007-10-03T22:36:00.000+02:00

Apart from asking a French person, L'internaute Encyclopédie is the best thing I've found to learning French expressions:

linternaute.com

Nothing to

Shopping in France Part 3: L'Association des consommateurs de France or Making things right!

2007-08-18T11:39:00.000+02:00

I met Ellis on the Paris-London bus the other day. Ellis is originally from Ghana but has lived and worked in France for over a decade and so we whiled away the time discussing and comparing my fresh French experience with his seasoned one, and eventually landed on the topic of French "customer service", or the non-service. This is when he clued me in on a little glimmer of hope for millions of dejected consumers in France called: L'Association des consommateurs de France or ASCOF.

Ellis explained his theory to me: French commercial law is extremely complicated and complex (really, like any law), that many large businesses see this as an opportunity to take advantage of consumers. The average French consumer knows very little about his/her rights that s/he just accepts that the annoying, discourteous, arrogant, inhospitable business practices are just the way things are done in France. Enter ASCOF which is an organisation that exists to clarify the rights of consumers and users of public and private services in France. I guess they're like a band of superheroes who comb legislation and commercial contracts in the name of consumptive justice for all...

The Apartment Tax

2007-03-16T10:45:00.000+01:00

In French, known as "taxe d'habitation".

What?
This is a property tax to go toward services such as garbage collection, street cleaning, schools, community facilities, and the administration of these services.

Who?
Everyone living in France, resident or not, even if you are just an occupant of the living space. Students in private residences are required to pay. However, students living in a furnished room in a student residence or student housing estate (cité universitaire) managed by the CROUS, or any similar organisation that provides housing for students in similar living and financial situations, are not required to pay this tax. Actually known as "taxe d'habitation".

How much?
The amount varies from region to region and is determined by the local authorities of the region, department and commune who receive the benefits. It is usually equivalent to about one month's rent. The tax is imposed on the principal residence.

When?
Apparently, this tax is usually due January of each year, but some students in my classes have been getting letters now.

Who can be exempted?
Basically, unless you are over 60, a widow(er), earning below poverty, or benefitting from French income assistance, as a student, you can only be exempted if you live in a residence managed by the CROUS.

What if I just don't pay?
There is always the temptation to do some things you would never at home because you know that you're "leaving anyway". If the occupant does not pay, then the owner becomes liable.
Skipping out is an option but aside from being a poor reflection of your character, in the grander scheme of things, you could be partly - if not directly - responsible for any ensuing measures that your welcoming school or Lyon property-owners might take on future exchange students to ensure payment of this tax.

What if I'm only here for one semester?
For those coming only for the second semester, I was told that you can just disregard the letter and normally, you won't hear from the "Trésor Public" again. However, if you get a second letter, you can always check with the housing coordinator of your school on how to proceed.

If you want to find out more, or learn how this tax is calculated, consult the following websites:
impôts.gouv.fr - Taxe d'habitation (in French)
FrenchEntrée.com (in English)

Shopping in France Part Two: Les Soldes

2007-01-10T09:51:00.000+01:00

In French, des bonnes affaires means "some good deals". For example, you might say: j'ai trouvé beaucoup de bonnes affaires pendant les soldes d'hiver, (I found a lot of good deals during the winter sales).

I was at la Part-Dieu yesterday and noticed that it was eerily empty. If I have noticed anything about "the mall" it is the one place that has made me feel the most "at home", meaning that it is usually crowded with pushy people carrying three or four shopping bags and annoying in-the-way clusters of teenagers occasionally dekeing people out. However, after looking in the stores where numbers of employees were cordoning off racks of clothes sometimes covered in sheets of plastic, each piece of clothing tagged with a huge coloured rectangle or circle printed with -50%, I soon realised: LES SOLDES!!! were coming...

Today is the first day of les soldes (the sales), when retail merchandise is marked down even 70%. In France, the government regulates sales and forbids stores to have periodic major markdowns after each season, like we are used to in Canada throughout the year. Thus, every year, the mairies of each department get together to determine the nation-wide dates of the sales and how long each will allow the stores to hold their sales (the maximum being six weeks). And so, twice a year (in January and again in June), stores are given the chance to get rid of all of last season's stock, and shoppers go nuts.

If shopping is your thing, this is the time to do it. I've been told that it's worth the wait because something that might have been 80€ can be bought for fifteen or twenty during les soldes.

In your face 2€ coffees, I'm mindlessly blowing my money elsewhere these next few weeks!

Exams

2007-01-08T14:04:00.000+01:00

The exam period at Lyon 3 occurs between the end of classes until the beginning of the new semester. The summer exams occur from the end of classes until the end of June.

Sweaty palms, rapid drop in body temperature, dry mouth, fluttering stomach, nervous coughs in poorly-ventilated rooms, intellectual black-outs... The previous are commonly my experience during exam time and this does not bode well for my success in the French system.

Taking Your Exam as an Exchange Student
The time and place of your exam is usually posted up the day before or the morning of your exam on the corresponding boards of your faculty. Be sure to consult these lists because there is assigned seating. The exam period at Lyon 3 occurs between the end of classes until the beginning of the new semester. The summer exams occur from the end of classes until the end of June.

As an exchange student in the law faculty, if it is not already written on your exam, you will be given stickers by Annie Simon - the secretary of the law faculty - that you can stick on the front of your exam (I'm assuming that outside of law, you go see the secretariat of whichever faculty is responsible for the majority of your courses).
Even though it's readily apparent that you are an exchange student, sometimes, there are foreign students who are studying in France, not on exchange, who also have bad grammar but are marked at the same level as French students. You, however, are a foreign student on exchange and thus not marked as harshly for your grammar and spelling mistakes. It's better to get the stickers.

Equal = Anonymous
In France, there is an equality rule in place that is particularly strict when it comes to exams. You are not to write your name on any other part of the exam except in the designated space at your top right hand corner, after which you fold and glue shut. Your name is revealed only after the grades are finalised.

I'm not sure how this affects exchange students but in France, since the education system is an organ of the Republic (like the health system, like the army, like the police....), if a student is caught cheating or plagiarising, s/he is automatically barred from taking any sort of exam (this includes driving exams, entrance exams for other schools) for five years.

Le carnet de notes
You are asked to bring with you to each exam a booklet (carnet de note) for your professor or the invigilator to fill out, which you then hand in to your faculty before leaving. This is where all of your grades will be recorded and then mailed to you or your school.

On a final note, I've been told that while exams are a supremely stressful time for French students (I've been told that France has one the highest failure rates in the Union), as an exchange student, you need not be as worried because they understand that things are more difficult for you. As long as beneath the bad grammar and spelling mistakes you reveal a fundamental understanding of the course material, you should be fine.
And when that doesn't happen... It was nice living in France for a while, wasn't it?

Really Caveat, Emptor: Shopping in France

2007-01-07T18:19:00.000+01:00

I recently watched the movie A Good Year (or Une grande année) with Russell Crowe and Marion Cotillard (she will also be seen very soon, February 14 to be exact, in La môme a biopic on the life of Edith Piaf) in which Cotillard's character - the owner of a café in Provence - offered this bit of advice to Crowe: "in France, the client is always wrong". And you really can't imagine how true, and not funny, that is.

A good rule to have when shopping in France is not to buy anything you aren't 100 percent sure about (really, a good rule anywhere), because the chances are that you will have a hard time returning it if you discover that you aren't entirely satisfied. Don't pay any attention to what it says on the back of receipts because it doesn't mean anything.

I bought a cell phone a few weeks ago and upon discovering that it was entirely the opposite of what the salesperson assured, naturally, I wanted a return. Since the back of the receipt stated clearly and separately that in the case of returns for pre-paid cell phone packages, the product is accepted minus the cost of the SIM card. I was looking at receiving a fraction of what I paid but I still returned the next day intent on a refund or exchange. Unfortunately, all I got was condescension and rejection.

Apparently, contrary to what it states on the receipt, it is "impossible" for them to accept returns for pre-paid cell phone packages because the SIM card is attached to the phone. Totally bogus answer because everyone knows that the SIM card can be removed and put into any phone. However, the girl behind the counter sensed that I was not satisfied, but seemed to have felt that her answer was enough, and left me to attend to another customer.

On a homesick note, my French roommate told me about how surprised she was by the ease of returns of purchases in Canada. She had bought a tent at Canadian Tire and upon discovering that it was of terrible quality and not warm at all, she returned to the store completely prepared to be forced to justify her case. Needless to say she was more than pleasantly surprised (and totally shocked) by the fact that the cashier took the tent upon presentation of the receipt and asked no questions This does not happen in France was her conclusion on this cross-cultural consumer difference.

Medical Visit with "Dr. de Lyon"

2006-12-13T19:22:00.000+01:00

You can avoid the medical visit by going for a checkup with one of the doctors approved by the consulate in your own country before your arrival.

Today, I went for my scheduled medical checkup at the A.N.A.E.M (Agence Nationale de l'Accueil des Etrangers et des Migrations). The prefecture made the appointment for me and I received a letter in the mail with all the particulars.

The ANAEM is located at 2, rue quivogne in the 2e arrondissement. I got off at Perrache station and walked south, past the Prison. This medical checkup is mandatory for any foreigner legally staying in France for more than three months.

I learned:
-Bring it, if you have an updated booklet of your vaccinations.
-If you wear glasses, make sure you bring with you either an extra pair of glasses or your prescription. There is a three month waiting list to see an ophthalmalogue.
-There are also waiting lists for dentists. The doctor suggested that for non-serious matter, such as check-ups or cleanings, to see the dental students located near the Institut d'Etudes Politiques on ave Berthelot.
-AIDS tests are free and confidential for everyone.
-There is a vaccination centre on Rue de Marseille in the 7e.

Click on the link to create a search in greater Lyon for medical treatments by theme (site in French).

One Semester-Travelling in the Schengen

2006-11-30T12:26:00.000+01:00

If you are staying for less than a full year, you might have gotten the message dispense de carte séjour this just means that you are ineligible for the residence permit.

I want to travel a bit after my semester, can I?

I have a Canadian friend who is living in Belgium for three months after which she is legally required to leave the Schengen zone for at least three months before she can return.

Schengen ≠ EU

While there are political, social and economic reasons for this treaty, the important thing for the traveller to know is that it essentially means free travel between all fifteen countries (with new countries joining) without worrying about border checks and special visa applications, you just need one "Schengen visa." That being said, sometimes they do check for ID. Canada is among the countries that do not require a special Schengen Visa in order to enjoy free travel throughout the zone but...

Here are the few restrictions for Canadians that do exist:

With your passport, you are permitted 90 days travel per every 3 months and 180 days per 12 months. What this means is that you can stay in any one country or travel between all fifteen countries continuously up to 90 days, after which you must leave the region for at least another 90 days (note, the UK and Ireland are not Schengen countries) before you can return. However, from what I've read, the most important portion of the time restriction is the 90 days, and not necessarily the per 180 days. I think this stuff is meant to confuse people.

For example, you arrive in Germany and stay for 10 days and then move on to Belgium for 5 days and then move on to France for another 15 days, thus, 10+5+15 = 30 days total in the Schengen zone. You decide that rather than go to Switzerland as planned, you choose Scotland for a month and a half - not Schengen. When you leave France, you get your passport stamped showing that you've left. After a week, you realise that it's wet and boring and decide to make your way back across the channel to walk your troubles away along the canals of Amsterdam. Enter Schengen again, stamp on your passport and the countdown re-starts.

What happens if I travel throughout Schengen if it's past 3 months?

I'm not sure what exactly happens to you. The official penalty is that you get deported, and barred from coming back for a certain amount of time, but I'm not sure how strictly that's enforced.

In conclusion...

The reps from the consulates and embassies of the countries you want to visit can not be relied upon to give you correct information. They are usually specialists in affairs affecting their own citizens, and not necessarily of foreigners in their countries. From my friend's experience, everyone is a bit wishy washy, and honestly, it's much easier to rely on the advice of friends and the good ol' internet.

Toilets - Not for the squeamish

2006-11-17T11:09:00.000+01:00

One day, Marcelle let me know that a common bug that makes its rounds in the winter months in France, is some sort of gastro thing that you can be sure to catch if you make frequent use of public toilets.

Toilets are never free in train stations and airports and cost about 0,50€, which you pay to an attendant.

In Lyon, most of the street toilets are free. Some of them have specific times when they are free and at other times, they may cost you anywhere from 0,15-0,50€. And, honestly, it's hardly ever worth it. Some of these toilets were downright nightmarish and makes me question my euro-centric education even more, chiefly the idea of Europe being the "centre of civilization" or whatever.

(Source: stylebytes.net)

The regular occurence of co-ed toilets in this country reminds me habitually of my prudishness. A few of the toilets at the Lyon 3 campus are co-ed. I must admit that even after three months, I still have trouble killing the instinct to turn around and find the "right" ones when I walk into the toilets each morning and find four male behinds lined up against a wall.

The toilets in Lyon are also frequently found without toilet seats and I'm not mixing toilets up with urinals. I suppose it's fine when you only need to squat, but there are certain times when squatting can't comfortably take the place of a paper toilet seat cover, if you know what I mean.

Proceed with caution.

Beaujolais Nouveau

2006-11-16T12:01:00.000+01:00

The French expression for partying is faire la fête (direct translation: to make party).

By French law, the new crop of Beaujolais nouveau cannot be released earlier than the third Thursday of November of each year. However, due to the wild popularity of the wine with the Japanese market (and the yen that can be made by this special exception), technically, it is released eight hours ahead of French time in Japan.
As the date approaches, you will see posters and flyers in the windows of bars and cafés signalling the approach of the date and planned on-site tastings.

Beaujolais: The region
The Beaujolais region is located north of Lyon and is widely known as a wine producing region. Every year, the International Relations department at Lyon 3 organises a Beaujolais nouveau-tasting trip out to the region for exchange students.

(Source: www.exquisine.de)

Beaujolais Nouveau: The wine
I know little about wine and my palette is not the most refined but I have learned a few things in passing about this wine. Beaujolais nouveau is one wine produced in the Beaujolais region and one of its most popular. The most occasional wine enthusiast will tell you that Beaujolais nouveau is not the best wine, being more "commercial" and cheaper. Unlike many other red wines that taste better as it ages, Beaujolais nouveau is meant to be drank quickly (i.e. it does not keep well and not that it needs to be chugged).

The Library

2006-11-06T12:54:00.000+01:00

The understatement of the century would be for me to say that the one library at the Lyon 3 - Manufacture de tabacs campus pales in comparison to UBC's library resources. Can you also believe that there's, like, no elevator in this library? I have now experienced going back in time.

One of the bigger libraries in Lyon is le Part-Dieu but it is also by no means something to write a postcard home about. I got a library card on Saturday: borrowing books is not free.
Paper alert: To get a library card, you need to bring: a piece of ID, a justificatif de domicile, your student card (to take advantage of better rates) and money.

I remember a French professor telling us once how spoiled university students were in Canada, and made a reference to our library privileges and access to resources. Granted, the average UBC student pays about two-hundred times what the average French student pays for tuition. Nevertheless, sucks sucks. Although, our higher tuition price doesn't explain why we get to borrow almost any book we want from the public library and bring them home to read while on the toilet, all for free!

Sunday

2006-10-29T10:34:00.000+01:00

Faire la grasse matinée is the French expression for "sleeping in". See linternaute.com for an explanation of this expression and its origins.

Even though the fight for Sunday shopping in Canada happened in my lifetime, I can't remember life before Sunday was just the day before Monday (except, I think, in Newfoundland). Since my second French Sunday, I have grown fond of this day of forced relaxation and mini break from excessive consumerism.

In Lyon, virtually everything is closed Sundays. Sunday is a day when people relax and enjoy leisure activities, along with taking a stroll in the park, seeing friends, or going to the cinema, another favourite Sunday activity is going to the market for fresh, local produce. There is at least one market in every arrondissements.

I came across this helpful little list of all the Sunday markets in this Saturday's Le progrès and felt it useful enough to post:

(Le progrès, samedi le 28 octobre 2006, p 11)
Bon dimanche à tous!

Wifi in Lyon

2006-10-25T18:25:00.000+02:00

The French pronunciation of Wifi sounds like 'weefee'. Hifi, however, is still pronounced like 'highfye'.

The particular thing about Lyon and perhaps France in general is that while Internet is widely used, carrying around your laptop and opening it in a café, or restaurant, or wherever it may be, is not as prevalent as it is in, say, Vancouver.
But sometimes, if you are lucky, you might be able to find an open connection.

I am happy to report that the Lyon 3 (and probably the other campuses) campus is Wifi enabled! But, you need a student number and password to access it.

I located a few sites that listed paying and non-paying wireless hotspots before I came but a few of the non-paying ones were gone or closed down. Bar none, for the technologically mobile (and not totally savvy), the best place for Wifi is almost any McDonald’s. You have unlimited access as long as you buy something. A cheeseburger is 0,95€.

Here are some things that I just found that I haven't read through yet but look interesting:
Windows users you can check the site wireless-lyon to connect to a proxy site. I have a Mac so I didn't bother reading through it.
Also, looks like this organisation Wifi-Lyon has something interesting going on. Worth looking into if just so that you don't leave after an internet session smelling like fry-oil.

On an un-Lyon related note, the restaurant on the ground level at Gare de Lyon in Paris provides free wireless for half an hour. Just sit on one of the benches near it.
In 2006, the mairie of Paris embarked on an ambitious project to make Paris wifi-enabled, including cutting taxes for companies that install fibre-optic cables, and allowing internet service providers to install antennae on strategic public locales. Currently, all public spaces in Paris are said to be Wifi enabled, i.e. parks, museums. To find open connection sources by arrondissements (district), check this link: Localisation des bornes Wi-Fi from the Mairie de Paris' website.

While I'm at it, here's a link to Londonist's map of Wi-fi hotspots in the eponymous city.

Le Petit Paumé

2006-10-15T14:39:00.000+02:00

Hi hi! When you are in Lyon, don't forget to get your copy of Le petit paumé. An impressive little student guide to gastronomy and fun, and also includes essentials such as "Ouvert les dimanches" and "Pain-Vin-Fromage".

This guide has been available every October for, apparently, the last 38 years, and is made possible through the volunteer efforts of 23 students from l'École de Management de Lyon and ad funding.

This year's petit paumé is 432 colour pages (500 g) of conversational-style advice on cheap eats, good eats, clubs, bars, banking, health, internet cafes, printing shops... Basically all things that are indispensable to a student's life.

Mussels/Moules/Musselens in Brussels/Bruxelles

2006-10-14T10:28:00.000+02:00

Christine tells me that they say à tantôt! in Belgium for "see you soon!"

Taking a break in Brussels right now for a weekend visit to one of my favourite persons in the whole world, Christine.
Brussels is approximately 3.5 hours away from Lyon by direct train, and approximately 6 hours if you take the TGV into Paris and then catch a Thalys train into Brussels (the lengthier trip is slightly cheaper).

I've been told that travelling around Belgium is quite cheap and definitely more so than around France. I have little experience with this, but a trip from Brussels to Antwerp (a 1.5 hour journey) was about 6€ - return, and I do know that travelling from one cool city to another cool city in France is at least four times that.
From what I've noticed, Brussels also seems to be a centrepoint for travel and connected to many destinations by land and air.

Things that you must try in Belgium that are not overrated:
The fries, with one of those mayo dips. There's something about the mayonnaise dip that's not gross but a bit sweet and damned delicious!

Waffles. Crispy, fluffy, and warm sweetness... Waffles with nutella... Waffles with strawberries and cream... Waffles with ice cream... My sliced banana/chocolate waffle was so good, I could have made out with the guy that sold it to me.

Moules-frites. We ate a bucket of mussels, cooked in white wine, with a side of fries and mayo dip. However, if you hate mussels, this won't be any good at all.

Beer. Christine brought me to a bar in Brussels called Delirium that had over a thousand variety of beers. I don't really condone stereotyping based on gender but occasionally, coincidences happen. Christine and I happen to be female and we both happen to like flavoured beer. She had coconut flavoured beer that was extremely enjoyable. I had a banana-flavoured beer that was actually good, so not as disgusting as it might seem.

The chocolate. Even the chocolate that you buy at crappy grocery stores in the train station are melty delicious.

Things I learned:
A weekend is way too short a time to spend in Belgium... Everybody will tell you to go to Brugges, sometimes also referred to as "the northern Venice"... Belgium is an officially bilingual country, the two languages being Flemish and French. I've been told that most Flemish speak French and not so much the other way around... I've also been told that people in the Flemish parts don't really appreciate it when you speak French to them... Bruxelles (the French name for Brussels) is pronounced like brue-sell and not bruek-sell... The official type of government is a federal parliamentary representative democracy with a monarchy. But because of the historical problems between the Flemish and the French-speaking communities, along with its membership in the EU, Belgium has a very complex (some say convoluted) number of political institutions with multiple responsiblities... Brussels' red light district is right outside of Brussels Nord train station. Lingerie clad ladies hang out in the storefronts and make sexy faces and gestures so that men will come in... There are three train stations in Brussels - South/Midi/Zuid, Central/Centrale/Centraal, and North/Nord/Noord... I really liked seeing everything in two languages which reminded me of home, except Dutch is way cuter looking than English...

Class Notes

2006-10-11T14:38:00.000+02:00

A VERY SHORT LESSON IN FRENCH STUDENT SHORTHAND:

càd = c'est-à-dire
cô = comme
d/s = dans
e/t = entre
ê = être
qd = quand
Org°, C° = organisation, Constitution (a ° will designate most words ending in "ion". Additionally, sometimes a superscript t will be used to designate most words ending in "ent", and a capital T will designate that the word ends in "té" or something with a similar sound).
tt, ts = tout, tous

Do or die
The system in France is quite different than the Canadian in the fact that 100% for a lot of your courses will be dependent on the exam. There is also rarely ever assigned reading and instead, professors will either pass out bibliographies with dozens (sometimes hundreds) of books none being more recommended than the other. Others will tell you that they built the entire course based on their accumulated knowledge and therefore there is no material available that is particularly related to the class. So try not to take crappy notes. This is why you will soon notice that there is a French style of taking notes, which is furious, complete, and initially incredibly illegible.

Le système D
However, in France, it is very common for French students to share notes. For the most part, a French student will have no qualms to give them to you to photocopy when you ask. French students are also super cool in bringing you up-to-date with what you've missed if you're ever late for class.
Also, I'm not sure if this is the same for all subjects, but the course content for the majority of poli sci courses has been the same for the last three years. A friend of mine was able to forward to me copies of three entire courses at the beginning of the second semester.

Tape Recording
Also for the most part professors are sympathetic to the plight of foreign students and will let you tape record their lectures.

La bise

2006-10-10T11:46:00.000+02:00

I am still not accustomed to the French greeting of kissing on both cheeks, aka la bise. As a Canadian, I greet with a nice arm’s length (some might say, sanitary) hand gesture that resembles waving, or with some sort of verbal greeting, and perhaps, the most intimate greeting for strangers: the handshake. For the most part (yes, I understand there are always exceptions), hugs and kisses are reserved for family, close friends, and lovers.

Before I came to France, I always thought that la bise was something that you did with many people but that there still required some sort of intimacy or familiarity. However, la bise is a neutral greeting and perhaps the French equivalent of “hey, what’s up” or hand-waving and as Leonore and Melanie both pointed out to me, is really no indication of intimacy or even interest for both parties. Leonore made a joke about how you might give somebody la bise one night and you could very well end up in a situation where if you saw them on the street a few weeks later, you would pretend not to see them and deliberately avoid them. Sometimes you will see guys doing it to guys (I don’t know if there is as much rampant homophobia in French society), and if you find yourself at a party, you are expected to do la bise with each person at the party and who comes to the party.

Apparently, depending on where you find yourself, la bise differs from country to country and region to region. I’ve been told that in Belgium, you kiss most people once on the cheek and three times for your friends. And in some places in Switzerland, three kisses are customary.

My German friend, Ricky, has been able to relate to my problems with la bise and has said that in Germany, greetings are done in pretty much the same way as in Canada. Our shared conundrum was whether or not there was a methodical approach to la bise i.e. with which cheek do you start? We likened it to shaking hands always with the right. This was last Saturday so we still need to figure this one out, maybe by observing French people or asking a French person.

In any case, the two levels of greeting that exist here, i.e. la bise and the option of a verbal greeting, has created a degree of uncertainty for me so that I’m not sure whether or not to take it as a sign if somebody doesn’t do la bise with me when I leave. Also, would they take it as an insult if I don't perform this ritual without offering a cultural justification?

Student Life: A Relative View

2006-10-10T11:04:00.000+02:00

This is my third week of school and today is the second student protest march that I have seen. I live on a pretty busy street and the last time the students stopped and sat in the street for about five minutes, while the cars waited at the green light. The protests have always been accompanied by police cars and police officers on motorbikes.

Student Life in France

Tuition
Coming from Canada, life for students in France is quite nice. The average annual tuition for a French citizen attending a public university is about 200€. I've been told that a lot of people will choose school because it's so cheap and then drop out after deciding it's not for them, without the feeling that they've just blown a whole wad of cash on nothing.

Eating
French university campuses don't have fast-food mini-malls, but most have a university restaurant (or Resto U). For 2,75€ you can get a "three-course" meal: appetizer or salad, main dish and a dessert. The food isn't the greatest but it's about the same as the average price of a ham and butter baguettewich.

Other Perks
Aside from the government rent subsidy, many people are aware that travelling in Europe is especially great for those under twenty-five years old (or over 60) qualifying for many discounts like half-priced train and bus tickets. However, there are many other things available. For example, banks usually have student promotions such as no-fee bank accounts, there is always a student price for movies, and hairdressers also offer 20% discounts on haircuts.

This past summer, while I was preparing for my trip, I met a young Lyonnaise who warned that I will be shocked when I arrive because French universities are nothing like in North America (facility-wise), because school is free for them so they have very bad facilities. Now that I'm here I have noticed that, yes, the campus is probably the size of a large high school and professors do not have office hours - having no office on campus. The facilities are about one fifth (a random pointless fraction) of what they are at UBC yet...

Many French students are supported by their parents while they are studying (others find work that fits into their schedules), yet I don't think the purchasing power of your average French student is any more limited than that of your average Canadian student who didn't "plan ahead", or without parents who can afford to pay for everything. In the end, I envy the French student who won't wake up some nights, covered in sweat, realising that she will still be indebted for thousands years after graduation.

Seeking Furniture and Furnishings

2006-10-04T15:26:00.000+02:00

à l'occasion or d'occasion is how you say 'used' or 'second-hand'. For example, a used car = une voiture d'occasion and used books = livres d'occasions.

Old things:
Troc de l'île is like a European Value Village but I think they only sell furniture and knick knacks.
Dépôt-vente is pretty much like Troc de l'île.

New things:
Ikea (French pronunciation: ee-kay-ah) is located in Lyon's business park area. Take the Tramway T1 direction Saint-Priest/Bel Air and get off at Parc Technologique. Walk back in the opposite direction of the tram you were taking. Ikea will be to your right, you can't miss it.

Carrefour is one of the largest French multinationals. I've heard that there are Carrefours in China. I've been to the location at the Part-Dieu mall and in Vénissieux. You can usually find things like shower curtains and towels quite decently priced. You can also buy groceries, books, electronics, movies... Think of it as French Wal-Mart.

Tati is located near metro stop Cordeliers and where you can find cheap things. However, the price of the things at Tati are reflected in the quality. Bad lighting, bad colours, bad selection. But if cheap is your only thing, Tati's your place. Apparently, you used to be able to buy wedding dresses here. I shudder to think. Kind of like French K-Mart.

BHV is like Home Hardware. Personally, I found things here to be a bit more expensive.

Hooking up the Internet

2006-10-01T22:22:00.000+02:00

The first thing you need to do before getting internet is to get a landline with national former monopoly France telecom*. In France, a landline can be distinguished from a fixed-line (or téléphone fixe) in that the former is very expensive to make calls while the latter can be free. For fixed-lines, most go with either free or tele2, who offer more attractive rates. Keep in mind that even though fixed-lines offer free calling to several countries, calls to mobiles are almost always not free, even if they're French mobiles.
If you have chosen to go with a company other than France telecom's internet service provider, Wanadoo, simply decline any offers because salespeople in France can be especially pushy and France telecom does not offer very good rates to individuals.

Here's a list of broadband providers in France courtesy of Birds-Eye.Net.

*You might need to contact your landlord to get the previous phone number that was attached to the line.

UPDATE: Most Internet services in France are pretty hit-and-miss. It is rare that you will ever get a unanimous recommendation. Recently, some friends have had big-time problems with Free, including my roommate who has just switched to Club Internet.

Volunteering

2006-10-01T00:02:00.000+02:00

L'Abbé Pierre was a Catholic priest, figure of the French resistance, politician, founder of the Emmaüs (see also Emmaus International) and a folk hero in France who died in January 2007. The genesis of the Emmaüs movement is very interesting as is l'Abbé Pierre, so click on any of the links above or visit your local bibliothèque. Briefly: Emmaus is a solidarity movement to fight poverty and homelessness in France and internationally, by creating awareness, providing shelter, and raising funds.

Coluche is a French comedian from the 1970s and 1980s whose main shtick was playing the ignorant racist. While Coluche found fame and riches later in life, he grew up in poverty, and is also known as a great humanitarian in France. Coluche is one of the founders of Les Restos du Coeur and les Enfoirées. Les Restos du Coeur are more than just restaurants, and equally offers a support network for those in need: they provide emergency shelter; back-to-work programs, a movement (see also ccording to their website, les Restos du Coeur have hundreds of gardens all over France, from 50 square metres to 18 hectares that yield enough to feed hundreds of people for 90-100 days at their restaurants; and centres to assist new and expecting moms and their young ones, providing food, diapers, clothing, pediatric consultations, games... to list some of the things they do.

If you have a good command of French - but I'm not sure if this is that important since some organisations look for people able to teach English skills - and are interested in volunteering during your time in Lyon, you might want to get in touch with either of the organisations above. However, if you're looking for something different, click here: Carrefour du bénévolat - Grand Lyon they try to match you up with volunteer positions based on your experience, skills, and interests.

The Police

2006-09-30T23:01:00.000+02:00

A big topic in French politics is the large number of illegal immigrants, or les sans papiers. This issue was being hotly debated the first few weeks after my arrival. Firstly, because a lot of children were not being let back into school if they didn't have papers. And also because the French government, in September, was instructing all of the sans papiers to pay a visit to their local prefecture to try and apply for papers. Some got them, others didn't.

Keep your passport
In France, you can be stopped at any time by a police officer and asked for identity papers. French citizens have cards that they carry with them. By law you should have an official piece of identity with you at all times. So until you get your carte de séjour, try to always have your passport on you.

What happens if you don't have it?
If you are unable to provide the police with ID, you can face immediate arrest and detention until you are able to either provide your papers or have somebody come and vouch for you. I don't think it needs specifying which people and from which ethnic group are said to be asked the most often for their papers, and if you don't fit visually, it is unlikely that anything will happen to you. I just felt it worth mentioning that the police do have such a right.

Signing up For Classes

2006-09-20T11:39:00.000+02:00

la fac (for la faculté) is how university is referred to here. French students will ask you questions such as: il fait combien de temps que tu es à la fac? (How long have you been at university?) Qu'est-ce que tu étudie à la fac? (What are you studying at university?)

The poli sci stream at Lyon 3 is in international relations, with a strong focus on war studies. The university curriculum for French poli sci students at Lyon 3 is relatively rigid,the course selection for majors is planned out for each year, and their only option is in choosing a minor - which also has a planned out curriculum and is closely related in subject matter.

As an exchange student (in Europe, exchange students are called ERASMUS students) you can pick and choose your courses however you want from various departments. You can choose courses from different years and from different faculties - note: for students on a full year exchange, you can take any number of courses so long as they meet the minimum credit and language requirements to qualify for the DEUF.

Courses
Poli sci courses are separated into lectures (cours magistraux or CMs) and tutorials (travaux dirigés or TDs). You can take CMs without taking the TD but you can't take a TD without taking the CM. You are required to take at least one TD per semester for the DEUF. You will be given a little booklet of all the courses that you are allowed to take.

Exams
Exams in the polic sci department usually take place in January and June. I was told in the orientation session that most of the time exchange students are given oral exams however, for TDs, you are required to take the written exam with French students. Your final grade is split between your TD and CM grades. The exam schedule is usually posted in December and you can expect to receive your grades around March or April.

There are various types of exams. Sometimes you will have a three-hour written exam, other times it can be 1,5 hours for short answers, and sometimes it is a 1-hour QCM(questions à choix multiples) which is a multiple choice exam. Oral exams take place with the professor and usually last about 10-20 minutes. You are given a topic or question and about 10 minutes to prepare (make notes on a sheet of paper to help guide you) and you will either be expected to talk or be interrogated by the professor.

Tutorials
At Lyon 3, political science is part of the law faculty and all exchange students in law have an optional tutorial session* once a week for the first few weeks. Your tutor is there to answer all of your questions and to help you with your choice of courses. You have until about mid-October to finalise your course choices. Much like everything else here, signing up for courses is also archaic: you fill out a piece of paper by hand and then somebody in the administration manually enters the information into a system (a computer, I think).

*Lyon 3 students also have optional tutorial sessions which you can also attend. The times, dates and locations are usually posted on the boards for the corresponding years, located in the pasage area right outside of the administrative building for the Law faculty.

Getting your Carte de séjour

2006-09-16T10:10:00.000+02:00

The official population of France is estimated at 60 million. Can you imagine 60 million people in a country smaller than Québec? I couldn't either.

Note: If you have the time, get your medical check-up done with one of the doctor's approved by the French consulate in your city before leaving for France. In which case, you may not need to pay the 55 euros for the A.N.A.E.M stamp and the whole application process may be sped up.

Who needs a carte de séjour?

1) Any individual from a non-EU or European Economic Zone member country staying in France for more than three months.
2) All students (non-EU, non-EEZ) who plan to seek the CAF housing allowance.
3) All non-EU/non-EEZ students who are staying for one semester need confirmation from the French embassy/consulate in their country that they will be getting the carte de séjour in
order to be eligible for the housing allowance. If you see the comment: dispense de carte de
séjour on your temporary visa, this means that you are not eligible.

What is the carte de séjour?

It is a residence permit legally required by any non-EU, non-EEZ citizen staying in France for more than 3 months. With a carte de séjour you are permitted to work 20 hours/wk (Note: I think that this is different from country to country, so make sure to inquire with the prefecture before you go job hunting).

What do I do first?

You need to make an appointment to see somebody at the préfecture. Somebody at Lyon 3 can do this for you. You can go on your own, without an appointment, to the prefecture to apply for your carte de séjour, but it's better to have one if you're the kind that hates waiting.

What do I bring with me?

- Passport + a photocopy of the main page with your picture, your personal info, and expiration date + a photocopy of the page with the visa.
- Birth Certificate (original and a photocopy) IMPORTANT: make sure it is the long one with your parents' names on it. You don't need to have it translated unless it is in a language that is completely unrecognisable to a French person, like Chinese or Japanese.
- Justificatif de domicile (originals and photocopies): A lease agreement, or an attestation
d'hébergement along with a copy of either an EDF (Électricité de France) bill, a rent receipt
(this is usually mailed directly to the tenant each month), or a phone bill for a landline. Note:
Whatever bill/receipt you bring cannot be more than three months old.
- Proof of sufficient funds (original and photocopy): whatever you presented at the French
consulate before you came should be fine.
- A.N.A.E.M (formerly O.M.I) stamp: Costs 55 euros and can be bought at any tabac. This is for the mandatory medical checkup for foreigners. You are probably exempt if you had your checkup in Canada.
- Student card (original and photocopy)
- 3 ID photographs

Directions to the Prefecture

To get to the general area of the prefecture and its surrounding administrative buildings:
- Take the Tram T2 from the métro station Guillotière (the blue line) in the direction of
IUT-Feyssine;
- get off at the stop Liberté;
- start walking in the same direction of the tram.
- Despite what the papers from school and the website said, the location of the prefecture's
office where I applied for my carte de séjour was on rue Molière.

When do you receive your actual carte de séjour?

I've been told that the whole process takes about 2-3 months from the date of your official rendez-vous, so book an appointment ASAP.

The process:
- The agent at the prefecture takes your documents and gives you a Récipissé de demande (a
receipt that the application has been filed) for your card, and will tell you to wait until you
receive an appointment date for your medical checkup in the mail (provided that you didn't
do this prior to arrival).
- After your checkup, you go back to the prefecture and drop off the sheet the doctor gives you.
- Wait a few weeks and then go back to the prefecture, and go directly into the room for
"étudiant étranger sans rendez-vous".
- Take a number from the ticket dispensary and, if all goes well, they should have your card for
you.

UPDATE: What can happen if you travel outside of France without your carte?
[see also: Schengen zone].
Sometimes you get asked for your card when you cross "borders" and sometimes you don't. I've heard of people being waved through when they say their application is processing. However, the other day I overheard an American telling someone about how her friend and his four travelling companions were put in a German holding cell because they didn't have their cards. Eventually they were released after they were able to contact their respective embassies, and not deported.

I don't think it's worth mentioning which citizens from which country get waived through, and which receive stricter treatment. In any case, the issue of undeclared migrants makes the platform of political parties, and is reported in the news in almost every Western and Central European country, so if you think that there is a chance that you might be targeted, it's less of a hassle to just wait until you have your card before you do any travelling.

Opening a Bank Account

2006-09-13T22:38:00.000+02:00

You can open a bank account as soon as you have the necessary documents. You don't need your carte de séjour.

DOCUMENT CHECKLIST FOR A BANK ACCOUNT

Passport

Lease agreement with your name or attestation d'hébergement. If you choose the latter, you should include a copy of your roomate's ID just to be safe and include one: EDF bill or phone bill for a landline or rent receipt (not more than three months old)

Note: not all banks accept the rent receipt so it is probably better if you can get one of the other pieces of accepted documentation.

if you have an EDF bill or a bill for a landline with your name on it.

Student card

(Bank statement showing activity for three months in Canadian bank account.

I don't think that all banks require this one).

Le justificatif de domicile or Proving you live somewhere

2006-09-12T09:51:00.000+02:00

The French expression for homeless is the acronym SDF which stands for sans domicile fixe (trans. "of no fixed address"). You can use it like an adjective i.e. "je suis SDF.

In order to get most things of an official nature done i.e. opening a bank account, applying for your carte de séjour (a residence permit required of any foreigner staying in France for more than 163 days), getting a public library card (which, by the way, is not free) you need to prove that you live somewhere, or have what is referred to as: un justificatif de domicile. This is relatively easy if you are living in student residence or with a family and have a copy of a lease with your name written on it.

If you are subletting, this requires different paperwork. The trick of mailing a blank piece of paper to yourself or bringing any mail that has your address and name on it does not work in France.

Subletting - L'attestation d'hébergement

One way to legalise an out-of-the-ordinary living situation is by having your roommate (or the official tenant) fill out an “Attestation d’hébergement” - a declaration that s/he is indeed housing you during your stay - which you will need for your application for the carte de séjour. A blank form can be picked up from the reception at the prefecture’s information centre located a few blocks away from the actual prefecture at: 14 bis Quai Général Sarrail.

Directions to the Prefecture centre d'information:

Take the Tram T2 from the metro station Guillotière (the blue line) in the direction of IUT-Feyssine,
get off at the stop Liberté,
start walking in the same direction as the tram,
at rue Vauban, turn left (toward the Quai)
turn right onto the Quai Général Sarrail.

Emergency Contact Numbers

2006-09-11T22:47:00.000+02:00

I promise, I'll stop writing about making phone calls in/from France after this one. It's just been the bane of my financial existence since I stepped foot in this country, so I think I'm exorcising a bit.

The following are some contact numbers that I thought might be handy, centralised:

NATIONAL EMERGENCY NUMBERS IN FRANCE
Ambulance - dial 15
Police - dial 17
Fire - dial 18
Calling from a mobile for all emergencies - dial 112
Taken from Expatica click on the link for other tips and useful phrases to use in cases of emergency.

Here is a link to some other useful numbers local in Lyon: in French and in English (there's even a Cannabis helpline!)

CANADIAN CONSULATE IN LYON
21, rue Bourgelat
69002 Lyon
Tel.: 04.72.77.64.07
Fax: 04.72.77.65.09
Monday to Friday: 9:30-12:30
E-mail: consulatcanadalyon@wanadoo.fr
Link to Canadian embassy in France
Map with directions

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS - financial
Before you leave, ask your bank if they have an international toll-free number (these numbers have one extra digit to the traditional). All the banks usually tell you to call one of their locals collect, but collect calling in France (faire un appel en PCV) is convoluted (surprise) and dialing 'zero' does not get you the operator*.

In case you lose your credit card or have a credit emergency while abroad, click on the following links to look up the toll free number in, what appears to be, any country in the world:
Mastercard
Visa
What's the sense in paying for long distance calls that have to be made?
Note: The operators for Mastercard and Visa internationals can transfer your call to your main issuer in Canada**.

* In any case, this is, apparently, how you make a collect call in France:
dial 0800 99 00 + the code of the country you are trying to reach. (I haven't tried making a collect call yet).

**As an aside, maybe you'd like to try and see how many times your call can be transferred to save you an extra call to your bank. Some agents at the call centres will tell you that they're "not equipped" to transfer calls. Acknowledging that all banks may differ in their operations, when I worked at a credit card call centre, the only thing that the phones weren't equipped with was a will.

Long Distance Calling

2006-09-11T10:07:00.000+02:00

Making calls in France is expensive and long distance calls are no exception. And the rates for landlines and mobiles vary drastically. FYI: If you buy a card for local calling, DO NOT let anyone sell you the France telecom télécarte, 7,50€ for 50 minutes, total garbage.

Anyhow, if you don't have semi regular access to a computer (thus being able to sign up for Skype or whatever internet provider is offering the best rates), the cheapest way to make long distance phone calls is by using the "Callback" feature of a long distance phone card at a phone booth. Dial the toll-free "callback" number from any phone booth. Hang up when you hear a busy tone and wait for the screen to flash and say "DECROCHEZ", then follow the prompts.
Note: sometimes you might need to enter 00, which is the international dialling code in France to numbers outside.

Most phone cards are about 7,50€ and the amount of calling time can vary quite drastically. So far, the best one I found is: Call Box - Europe/USA - 7,50€ for "150 unités" which I bought from a store right across from the Casino outside the metro Guillotière. Each time I've hung up and made a new call, it tells me that I have 200 something minutes for the call.

Alternatively, in the 7e arrondissements, you will notice that there are many dodgy-looking shops that offer phone services. What these are are little in-store phone booths where you can make calls at, I'm told, even better rates. My friend swears by them, plus you get some privacy, a relatively quiet atmosphere and a little stool to sit on.

If somebody wants to call you from Canada:
This website timeanddate.com can convert a local number into the digits somebody would dial from wherever they find themselves in the world.
For example, according to timeanddate.com, if the President of Afghanistan wanted to take advantage of the good rates offered by the Centre International de Séjour de Paris (tel: 01 44 75 60 06), he would dial: 00 (international dialing code for numbers outside of Kabul) 33 (France's country code) 1 (omit the zero on the area code) 44 75 60 06 (actual phone number).

As the French say: c'est pratique!

Getting a Cell Phone

2006-09-10T16:15:00.000+02:00

I swear, the first text message that I got from a French friend looked like a garbled mess, but I suppose it's as hooked-on-phonics as our "shorthand".

Some French text messaging shorthand:
Slt! = Salut
G = j'ai
V = vais
J V = j'y vais
2manD = demander(é)
2m1 = demain
ke = que (some of them are pretty obvious)

Expensive calling
Making calls in France was probably the thing I least expected to be the hardest and most expensive. The payphones don't take anything but cards, and landlines (or téléphones fixes) are expensive because you pay per call and you can't take them with you. An internet phone is probably way better in terms of rates (free internet offers a bundle package for about 30€/month that includes high-speed internet, inrternet cable TV, and a phone with free calling to landlines in several countries - Canada (mobiles also!) is on the list - but you also can't take that with you.

What you will notice soon enough is that all your new friends will ask for your cell number, and if you can't provide them with anything, you probably won't ever hear from them again. It will seem like everyone in France has a cell phone and even though it's not true, sometimes it really feels like it. That being said, while receiving calls on cell phones is free, making calls is still expensive and that is why the French prefer text messaging (or envoyer les textos/les SMS) or bipper where someone will call and hang up, either to let you know they've arrived or more annoyingly to say "hi" without actually saying it.

The most popular cell phone providers in France:

SFR, Orange and Bouygues Telecom. Virgin is also a provider and offers similar rates.
The easiest to get are the no contract, pay-as-you-go plans (sans abonnement, avec carte). You just need to show your passport, give them your address and leave right away with a phone. You buy credits at any tabac shop, bank machine or recharge with a carte bleue by phone.
(I've been told that Bouygues offers the best rates for pay-as-you-go. I have Orange and it's not bad, but I've never been a cell phone person).

Switching to a monthly plan
Even if you start out signing up for a no-contract phone, you always have the option to switch to a plan (un forfait), you just need a French bank card (carte bleue.) As for the contract, I was told by a salesperson that as long as you can provide proof that you are leaving the country and do not plan to return (i.e. a one-way plane ticket home), you can break your contract at any time, without a penalty fee.

FYI: According to French legislation, after six months, your service provider is required to provide you with the code to unlock the SIM card upon your request, free of charge. Before six months, the fee is usually about 50€. However, there are many stores in the Guillotière area offering services of déblocages for the average price of 15€.

*See the next blog for "Long Distance Calling"

Government Housing Assistance - la CAF

2006-09-02T09:58:00.000+02:00

The CAF (caisse d'allocation familiale) is France's social assistence scheme for low-income individuals and includes the housing assistance program otherwise known as l'APL (aide personalisée au logement). L'APL is something to which all students (and low-income individuals) living in France, local or foreign have a right. There are a few restrictions on this government subsidy i.e. the size of the place, your financial situation, the spousal situation etc. but if you are living in a student residence, foyer, or renting an apartment and fit the criteria, it is more than likely that you will qualify.

Click on the link above for the application form. You might have to wait a while for the first deposit but it is retroactive.

Consult this French website for additional information: Les aides au logement

Student residences, apartments, and sharing

2006-09-01T14:21:00.000+02:00

Student residences or French families

Living in a student residence or with a French family are far and away the easier options because the school usually arranges everything for you. You can practice your French and see "typical French lifestyle". In most student residences, you usually can't share living spaces with a French student, but you can live in residences that are mixed with foreign and French students.

There are student residences all over Lyon. Some privately managed residences resemble apartments where you have your own kitchen (usually more expensive, but more centrally located), and others managed by the CROUS (a government organisation for student services. Their main location is on rue de Madeleine, near Jean Macé station, they have free internet) that resembles student housing as we understand it in Canada. Check this site: ADELE, for a list of student residences in Lyon and their addresses.

*In France, it is also common for students and young workers to live in foyers for extended periods of time. These places are comparable to a student residence. For foyers in Lyon check this site: L'hébergement temporaire (from Lyon Campus), for a list of youth foyers in Lyon.

I found a housing website (in French) for Les services du PUL (Pôle universitaire de Lyon) that you might want to consult. This site lists a variety of housing services and types, including addresses, common for students.

Living on Your Very Own:

Finding an apartment of your own in France is virtually impossible if you are not a French citizen, are related to a French citizen, or know any French citizens. Most landlords (propriétaires) are quite cautious and quite possibly the biggest problem confronting foreigners is finding an acceptable guarantor. A lease (le bail) is usually for one year and as for the deposit, it is commonly two months of rent. The process of renting an apartment in France is also not spared from document checks.

Apartments

In France, the apartments are listed according to the number of rooms rather than bedrooms. By number of rooms, that usually means bedroom(s) plus common area.

F1/T1: is a studio, although the setup may vary. Usually a studio means that you sleep, cook, eat and watch TV in the same space.
F2/T2: Means a one-bedroom with a bedroom door that closes.
F3/T3: Means a two-bedroom.
I think they only go up to F5/T5 because after that you're probably in mansion territory and will likely have somebody who can think for you, but you get the picture.

*You can also consult this helpful website from Queen's University or this article from Expatica.com, both have explanations of the abbreviations and offer helpful descriptions of the apartment-hunting experience.

Sharing an Apartment

Sharing an apartment or doing un collocation is also common in France. Subletting is not technically legal (but it isn't either in Canada) unless you have the property owner's permission, but it is done often and unless you run into a serious case of bad luck, you won't get into trouble. There are usually ads posted up all over schools from people looking for roommates. You can also check a few websites such as appartager.com (*see my blog "Finding a Roommate in France" from July); the bulletion boards at schoo, and free papers such as ParuVendu.

The minuses of finding your own way:

1) Unless your name is on the lease or the landlord is willing to formally acknowledge that you live there, you do not have right to the CAF (Caisse d’Allocation Familiale) – which is a subsidy from the French government available to all students (and low income families and individuals). Living in student residence, you always get the CAF.
*My friend was able to access the subsidy even though her name wasn't on the lease by having the propriétaire fill out a supplementary form available online.
2) Rent is not that cheap in Lyon and I’ve been told that 300€ per month is really, really good.
3) The school, aside from being there to listen and maybe make some suggestions, cannot help you at all if you run into any problems.

Getting Around Lyon

2006-09-01T11:40:00.000+02:00

(Image source: APA-2006)

The TCL (Transports Commun Lyon) is very convenient and has four metro lines, two tram lines, and buses. The student price (upon presentation of student card) is about 30€/month.
Where to get a Metro card (Carte técély)?
Vieux Lyon station is where I am positive you can get a metro card, and also where you can recharge it by paying with bills. An ISIC card and maybe even your home university's student card will work.

The regular fares for tickets:
1,50€ - Ticket à l'unité - travel in one direction
2,10€ - Ticket liberté 2 heures - 2 hours free travel in any direction
4,30€ - Ticket liberté 1 jour - a day ticket
10,50€ - Will get you a booklet of 10 student tickets
and after 7pm, 2,10€ will get you a soirée ticket that is good for free travel until the end of service.

A few things to know about the TCL:
-Bus drivers make change for you.
-You can recharge your metro pass at the machines in the stations but they don't take bills, nor always cash for that matter, and only the carte bleue (French ATM card).
-You can also buy tickets from certain points de service which are usually tabac shops where you can purchase a ticket or booklets of tickets.
-The funiculaires are little trams that go uphill into Vieux Lyon.
-Works on an honour system but there are periodic ticket checks. The fine is about 35€ (if you pay on the spot which they usually force you to do) - 70€ (I've been told that this is the price if you don't pay right away).
-Will warn riders at least a few days in advance of a strike that may result in perturbations de services (trans. service disruptions). File these words away in your memory because you will probably see them often.

The Vélo'V is a communal bicycle system with stations situated all over Lyon. An annual membership costs about 5 € and allows you access to bicycles where the first hour and a half are 0,50€ and then 1€/additional hour*. A weekly membership is about 3€. You can also sign up if you have a metro card get even better discounts.
The one drawback of the Vélo'v system is that it is really only for locals (to France) because they do not accept any means of payment other than the carte bleue.

Walking everywhere is quite feasible in Lyon if you have the time or plan ahead enough. I walked from Croix-Rousse which is in the 4e arrondissements to my apartment which is in the 3e in about 90 minutes one night.

Travelling by car is usually considered the fastest way of getting around in Canada but, in my opinion, it's not worth it to have a car in Europe unless you plan to leave town a lot, or stay for a long time.
In addition to gas being insanely expensive, French driving is an art form in itself. The streets are narrow and not always well-paved. Driving in France also requires you to get used to crazy moto riders zipping all over the place. The conventions around parking are also quite different to Canada. French cars are typically half the size of American cars, and French drivers are quite adept at making their little cars fit into little spaces. My friend remarked one day that many drivers don't seem to bother with the parking brake, perhaps to lessen the impact on the bumper when the car either in front or behind is trying to get out.

Pithy

2006-08-31T17:57:00.000+02:00

I am in France. I have eaten 3 croque monsieurs in 2 days.

Pre-departure recap: Document Checklist

2006-08-20T18:04:00.000+02:00

List of documents:

Birth certificate, the long one*, NOT the card (original + some photocopies).
Passport (original)

+ photocopies of the page with your photo, particulars and expiration date
+photocopies of the page with your visa

All the documents that you presented at the consulate
A stack of ID photos (at least 12)

*My mother told me that she never received this long birth certificate (the only information found on it that the French government considers pertinent are the names of your parents). My mom said that after I was born, my dad filled out some information on a form and a few weeks later my little laminated card (I'm old) and a paper copy arrived in the mail.
Last week, my mom ordered this for me online [just google: birth certificate+(your birth province)]. It cost $35 and while she was told that it would arrive in 15 days (or your money-back!), it came in 2.

A Day at the Consulate

2006-08-19T08:38:00.000+02:00

The French Consulate in Vancouver is located at 1100-1130 West Pender St. and is where Vancouver mainland residents must make their visa applications (only those who live far have the option to apply by mail. Residents of other parts of Canada should check with their consulate because the instructions might be different).

Very important...
1) The visa application for Canadian citizens holding a valid Canadian passport is the one under the Canada-France Youth Exchange Agreement. This visa is valid for 90 days only and for only one visit to another Schengen country and includes any stop in transit to France. This also means that you should apply for your Carte de Sejour as soon as possible after you arrive, because it is the Carte de Sejour that actually permits your residency in France.

2) The consulate is open to the public from only 9:30AM to noon (and by appointment afterward). And stops accepting visa applications at 11:45AM, or earlier if it is busy.

3) Go over the checklist of requirements for the visa application very carefully. The tolerance for missing documents and sloppy applications is, understatedly, unwelcome. Make sure the pictures conform to the specifications - a ruler was pulled out.

4) There was no processing fee for this application.

Applying for a visa with a student loan.
One of the requirements of the visa is to be able to demonstrate that the applicant will have the equivalent of 600 euro (or something like that) for each month that they are staying in the country. Normally, only three options are offered by the consulate, a problem for students planning to apply for loans is that choosing any of them may cause eventual headaches if s/he ends up being audited - Linda Hallam at the student loan office pointed this out to me. If you are a seat-edge living type, this may not be a concern but I'm quite a stickler when it comes to banking and following regulations on financial matters like loans and taxes.

While I am not the first, nor will I be the last, student loan jockey applying for a French study visa, George - the representative at the consulate - had apparently never seen a Notice of Assessment before and rejected it right away. Enter my pleading and begging. George softened and consulted with a Madame, made a phone call, called me over and stated plainly that he would accept the document.

Final thoughts
All in all, making photocopies and organising the documents were annoying but the visa application was not that hard. I was glad that I remembered to keep in mind an observation that has been imparted to me on several occasions: the French are well-known for having a developed bureaucratic system of documents that they take very seriously, and since the Consulate is like a little piece of France in your own backyard, it is no different. The advice that I've been given on how to manoeuvre through this system is: be persistent but extremely polite and you can usually expect favourable outcomes. I came to enjoy the thud of George's stamp - which seemed to have been accompanied by some mysterious echo - as he brought it down on each individual sheet on his desk.

The French Paper Parade and ID Photos

2006-08-18T11:31:00.000+02:00

This country is obsessed with papers and documents and ID photos. You will most definitely need to bring a stack of ID photos conforming to the size outlined by the French consulate (see below).
If you don't end up getting enough pictures (just make sure there's enough for your visa and carte de séjour applications, about 6) there're plenty of machines and dodgy multi-service shops where where you can take official ID photos.

There is probably cheaper but approximately $25 CAD will get you twelve ID photos at London Drugs. Have them all stamped and dated and ready to be passed out like club flyers.

The "recommendations" according to the French Consulate in Toronto:

FORMAT:

-Photos must be 3.5cm X 4.5cm in colour (1.4" X 1.9")
-The portrait must show the top of the shoulders (or base of the neck).
-The size of the face must be between 32mm and 36mm or take up 70 to 80% of the frame.
-The face must be correctly centered on the photo.
-The photo must have been taken less than six months and perfectly resemble the applicant at the day of application and the day of pick up of the passport.
-Please do not cut the photos.

(Photo source: www.consulfrance-toronto.org)

Civil Responsibility and More Insurance

2006-07-31T09:57:00.000+02:00

I'm not sure if the French expression connerie(s) has an accurate English translation without venturing into swear word territory. Anyway, the closest thing would be 'stupidities' but I don't think that's really a word. This word can be used like a noun. For example, "fais attention à ces gars-là , ils font souvent des conneries".

Another French expression is the extremely versatile bétise(s) which is easily translated into mistake, or what results when you do or say something wrong, accidental, unacceptable etc.
For example, I once asked a woman for directions who, at first, tried to recall by memory but then politely said "s'il vous plaît donnez-moi votre carte. Il faut que je la regarde pour que je ne vous raconte pas de bétises". Alternatively, somebody might spill something on the floor and tell you: "faites attention, j'ai fait une bétise".

The thing about insurance is that although the French consulate in Canada requires that you provide proof of medical coverage from your province along with an extended plan, exchange students from non-EU member countries are required to join the French Social Security (fee is approximately 189€) with no option to opt-out.

At Lyon 3, you pay this fee (in the form of a money order that you can get from La Poste made out to the the "Agence Comptable Université Lyon 3") when you submit the documents for your student card (which, by the way, are: 3 passport photos {with your full name written on the back}; and 1 photocopy of your birth certificate)

Another insurance that is mandatory for foreign students is a particularly French thing called l'assurance de responsabilité civile (trans. civil liability insurance)*. This insurance is mandatory for foreign students in France. The most concrete example that I was given as to why you need it is, for example, you are playing a sport and accidentally elbow another person in the eye. S/he ends up needing medical treatment, enter this insurance that will cover their medical costs or whatever rather than you having to pay out of your own pocket.

I'm not sure if you can buy this insurance in Canada - maybe in Québec because I noticed that the French insurance company, SMERRA, operates in Québec - so I just filled out the supplementary "Attéstation sur l'honneur"(available from the Consulate's website) that I would purchase this as soon as I got to France. However, I did visit an insurance agent in Chinatown who suggested that if I was under twenty-five and a student, to see if I might be covered for something similar under my parent's home insurance. In France, this insurance can usually be purchased along with your other mandatory health and/or housing insurances.

The best places for students to buy insurance is through SMERRA or LMDE. Sometimes, banks will also have insurance deals for students. This year for example, Le Crédit Lyonnais (LCL) had a deal that offered annual insurance for 1 euro to any student (under 25) that opened an account with them.

* I say it is a particularly French thing only because the Canadian insurance agents I inquired through had no idea really what it was. Also, I had a hell of a time looking up in google.ca if it could be purchased in Canada. In contrast, my first attempt to look for "L'assurance de responsabilité civile" on google.fr was a super hit.

Getting Insured

2006-07-18T23:36:00.000+02:00

This was probably covered during the Go Global pre-departure orientation session but I have a stupid habit of not taking very good notes at, or a pen to, these things. It may also be in the Go Global handbook but I'm starting to believe that I suffer from severe, untreated, ADD. Anyway... I literally can't leave home without this since both the Go Global office and the French consulate need proof of coverage from me.

I contacted Chantille from the Go Global office who helpfully advised me that when she went on exchange, she had a combination of the AMS/GSS plan and BCAA's "dollar a day" coverage (I haven't looked into that). She added that Go Global deal with a private company called David Cummings - for incoming foreign exchange students - but that I could also check with Travel Cuts etc.

What they told me at Travel Cuts
I was presented with a few options (basic and premium) which were between approximately $345-546 for 11 months. Seemed around what I was expecting for being away for so long. I held off in order to shop around.

I went with the AMS/GSS plan
Located next door to Travel Cuts, the girl behind the counter was friendly and helpful and knew exactly what I needed after I told her that I was going on exchange. The AMS/GSS plan - which is usually paid for with your tuition and fees, unless you specifically defer, in which case you must already be covered through another plan - covers all of your out-of-country medical expenses during your stay and up to $1,000,000 of emergency travel health coverage 60 days before and after the duration of your studies abroad.

One exception
The AMS/GSS plan offers no Trip Cancellation coverage, lost luggage etc. It is difficult to find separate coverage for incidentals like these but, it is not impossible. I have a Bank of Montreal Mosaik Mastercard which offers the aforementioned coverage for $60/year. For each trip that I book on my card, the insurance covers $250 for each item lost and up to $750. Most credit cards offer this as a separate insurance.
Note: If you are borrowing one of your parents' cards or anyone else's, check beforehand to see if your belongings could be covered, it's unlikely but worth a call.

Even though Travel Cuts is located right next door to the AMS/GSS office, they may not know that you have out-of-country coverage through the school plan and even if they did know, why should they tell you? You might choose to go with another plan simply because you want that trip cancellation/lost baggage etc. coverage included (I was tempted because I've been told that there are many luggage-thieving imps lurking around Paris), in that case, don't forget to go to the AMS/GSS with your proof of coverage from another plan and request to defer. Since the AMS/GSS plan is deducted automatically from your tuition fees you wouldn't want to end up paying an additional $330 for something you already have.

Finding a Roommate in Lyon

2006-07-04T08:56:00.000+02:00

I located a website: www.appartager.com for finding roommates in Lyon and, apparently, anywhere else in the world.

How it works:
You create a profile which includes, obviously, your criteria and preferences. Then you write a little blurb about yourself and submit it to be scanned by appartager.com members also looking for roommates.

After joining the service, you can either 1) search through the postings to find profiles that fit your criteria or 2) wait for periodic e-mails by the site's administrators of new postings that fit your criteria.
This service is quite good except membership is divided into "premium" (requires payment) and "basic" (free).

The site's administrators advise that communication between two basic members can get right annoying because you can only send each other "flash messages" which are template messages such as: "I am intrigued by your ad" and "Are you still looking for a roommate?" with only yes or no options. The administrators add that, for fairness and general credibility, they do monitor and will delete any blurbs that include any contact info or pervy comments.
Premium membership displays your e-mail - so interested parties can contact you - and also gives you access to the contact info of others.
(I was lucky enough that my new potential roommate used her friend's premium membership to get my contact info).

Tip: I think that I had generated some interest in my profile because I had blurbed that I was an anglophone Canadian who could help my potential roommate improve their English. I think it's useful to let them know that you're useful.