It's only been a few weeks since my last update, and yet the news is the same - I've been to Paris again! It was a fairly spontaneous decision, but as the blockades are still in full force here, I thought I might as well make the most of the free time and explore a bit! I stayed with Stefan, a bilingual Post Grad student from Exeter who's currently living with his Parisian father and welsh mother in the suburbs of Paris. Once again, I feel like spending time in Paris with someone else gave me yet another experience of Paris. Each day, we had no fixed plans, and just hopped onto the metro line and headed wherever took our fancy, usually with a cheeky bottle of red wine in tow! We managed to land ourselves with some free champagne, saw some amazing street performers, and while dining at a French friend of Stefan's, I learnt (and was quite good at!) the card game 'tarot.' We explored La Défense, went to a jazz exhibition, and drank wine on the hill up to the Sacré Coeur. Stefan commented that he felt there had been a marked improvement in my French since the last time he saw me in February, though whether he said it just to encourage me, I don't know - I'd like to think not!
Back in Rennes, my social life has picked up considerably. A lot of the Erasmus students who were here in the first semester have left, and as a result those who are left have reformed a smaller, closer group and we frequently spend time together, which I enjoy immensely and has improved my state of mind and attitude towards being here hugely, which I am immensely grateful for.
I did spend some time in the UK in March, while the strikes were ongoing, and popped to Exeter for the elections for the Erasmus Society committee for the next academic year. A friend and myself were running together for the joint positions of Events Organisers, and we were voted in! A fair few others had nominated themselves for the position, and competition was tough... I have to say, in the end, I think the fact that we were both present for the elections to make our speeches swung in our favour, but either way, I'm very happy that next year I have the chance to help incoming Erasmus students to Exeter to make the most of their time here, after feeling that there's been quite a lack of support for Erasmus students here in Rennes.
Last week I did spontaneously book flights to go to Pisa next week to see Nicola, as it seems very likely that the strikes will still be ongoing. Windows have been broken here at the university, and at one point the Vice President of the uni was taken hostage within one of the university buildings, so in my next journal entry I'll tell you all about it!
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