I don't know why I find public transportation so interesting here...maybe because it's terrible in the US so it's something novel to me. Public transportation is encouraged in France because it is better for the environment (there's a reason why France has one of the lowest carbon emission rates in the world) and thus they make it economical as well. For example, for people between the age of 20-26, a pass costs 30 euro for one month (for ALL forms). BUT, not only that, if you use public transportation to go to and from work, your job must reimburse you half. So in the end, I pay 15 euro a month for transportation. Not bad, eh? It isn't even comparable with the cost of having a vehicle for maintenance and gas. Personally, I use public transportation at least twice a day, but normally more. Here are the different kinds of public transportation:
There are 3 tram lines in Nantes. I have to take this to get to my French classes 2/week.
The Navibus: there are 2 rivers in Nantes so this is practical for those that must cross it to get to work. I took it once just for a little tour of the river :).
The Busway is similar to the tram line in that it stops at every single 'stop' and has it's own personal path, like a tram would have. I use this very often because it's right next door to Marco's (his building is the one shown on the left). This line goes to a bus depot in St. Sebastian (where I live).
This is a typical bus. The one I take is actually twice as long (kinda like the busways shown above). You must push a button for the driver to stop at certain places. I think that's how they work in Lancaster as well. I take this to and from work everyday, and also when there isn't a TER at the time I want. What's a TER you ask? Well, you're about to find out!
The TER is a regional train. It makes stops in cities that are on the outskirts of Nantes, like St. Sebastian. Quite conveniently the TER stop is literally a 3 minute walk from where I live and it only takes 5 minutes to get into the heart of the city via this kind of transportation.
Unfortunately, there are some downfalls to 'le transport public' as well:
1) Sometimes the buses they are early or late - if they are early, you might miss your bus, if they are late, good luck with getting to where you need to be on time!
2) During the day, the frequency of public transportation is pretty good, but at night, you have to plan around when your tram/busway etc. is leaving because otherwise you will be standing at the stop for a long time....
3) the TER stops at 9pm so this means, to get back to St. Seb, I must take a tram to a bus depot and then take the bus back. It takes 2 or 3 times longer.
4) It takes longer in general. For example, a car ride to where the Grove City house is would take 15 minutes. On public transportation, it takes closer to an hour. This isn't always the case, it just so happens that it's like that. At other times, it's faster to take public transportation. It all depends.
5) And lastly, and most importantly, STRIKES. French people LOOOVEEEE to strike. Well, news flash for them, I don't like it. When they are on strike, this means either there is no public transportation at all, or there is only one every few hours. Since I've been here I think there have been close to 5 strikes (with only one being major and over a few days). They are ridiculously annoying and disrupt the lives of everyone. And, let's say you have a great trip planned to Greece and you need to take the train to Paris, to fly out of Paris. Good luck during a strike. Consider that trip canceled.
So, there are obviously the pros and the cons for public transportation, but in the end, I'm a big fan. It's cheaper, more ecological, and quite practical.
But, I still miss my car.
I was hoping to figure out how to get Aerosmith's song 'Pink' to play while posting, but I don't know how. So you'll just have to open it on YouTube and listen to it at the same time. WARNING: the music video is REALLY weird and slightly inappropriate, so I suggest just using it for background noise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLRLhV9U0kQ&feature=related
So, this past Saturday, Marco and I went to his friend, Fred's house for an 'apartment warming party.' Unfortunately for Fred, the girl who was in the apartment before as given the freedom to paint it whatever color she wanted. Guess what color she picked? You got it. Pink. He calls it 'raspberry' so it seems a little more masculine.
He does have a good sense of humor though and his apt. warming party had a pink theme to go with the pink walls: pink drinks, pink plates, pink food, pink clothes etc. Unfortunately, I have NO pink so I was the only one that didn't have pink on. Marco's friends really lived it up and made their outfits as ridiculously pink as they possibly could. Enjoy the plethora of pink :).
Louis, the pink pirate.
Pauline was totally decked out in pink and was nice enough to lend me something, Jerome had awesome pink pants, Anna's hat was the hit of the night, and then of course the pirate. You can only see part of her but Celine used pink toilet paper as her jewelry.
Delphine bought those stockings just for this night and I think Benji was trying to cover his face because he was ashamed of his pink.
Another group shot where you can see the toilet paper jewelry a little better.
Showing off our goods. Marco sported his pink Ralph Lauren clothes and made pink jello to share as well. They don't have jello in France. I made rice krispie treats but obviously they aren't pink.....
P.S. Guess what color his bathroom is painted?
In this picture you can see a few things that are different than in the US, all having to do with the window. First, you can see that the window doesn't lift up like in the US, rather it opens inward with 2 doors. Second, you can see that there is no screen. In my opinion, this is SO annoying. You wouldn't believe the number of mosquito bites Marco had earlier in the school year, just because there are no screens (and he still argues that it's a good thing!). I partially lowered the 'vollets' or the shutters, for you to be able to see. When it's fully closed, the room becomes pitch black. You can raise and lower it with the bar that is on the left of the window. It is supposed to give privacy and safety. I understand safety but I still don't see how blinds are that much different! And lastly, you can see the curtains. These are typical French. They permit you to see out of your window, but it is very difficult to look into someone's home when they have this kind of curtain. You can also see the cat on the left playing with my post-it notes :).
Differences with the bed: Yes, I made my bed this morning, Mom! I just pulled it back to show you that something is missing, no worries. What is missing, you ask? The sheet. There are no sheets! You have the bottom sheet to cover the mattress and your comforter and that's it. Every comforter is covered with a duvet which they change as often as we change our sheets. You will also notice that the square is pillow. I have yet to see a rectangular pillow 'a la americaine.' This doesn't have to do with the bed, but you can see that there is an oriental carpet on my floor. I have not seen carpet in anyone's house. The floor is either linoleum, wood, or tile with rugs covering different parts.
Another exciting picture :). Here you can see that the door handles are different as well as the light switches. I am not sure if it was Marco or Ronan who said this to me (I'm thinking Ronan...), but when he came to the US he was surprised to see our door handles and light switches because they are considered to be out-of-date in France. You will also notice here how white it is, which you can also see in other pictures. There's lots of white here. Lots.Also, you might have to click on the picture to see this more clearly, but if you look closely at the wall it is textured. The French cover their walls in this special kind of wallpaper and then paint the wall paper. Some of the textures are HIDEOUS and others are quite pleasant like this one. Supposedly they think it hides marks etc. I think it's just as noticeable but we'll keep that a secret between you and me.
Here you also see the whiteness but you also see the oven. It looks like an American toaster oven but it's actually a small oven. I have not yet see a 'normal' oven. They don't understand why we need a huge oven. It is only necessary to cook enough food for the family for one night, which this oven sufficiently does. Their stove tops are electric and built into their counter-tops (with 4 burners). I have eaten so much wonderful French food from this oven!
The bathroom. No, it's not the most pleasant picture ever but it's just to demonstrate the differences. So, what's missing? Good job for those of you who said sink. You are obviously the ones who wash your hands. Everyone else, never touch me please (jk! kinda...) So, the sink is in the 'salle de bain' (bath room - literally) and the toilet is in the 'toilette' room. I am not sure why they keep them separate but they do. You can't see this in the picture, but there are also two buttons on the top of the toilet. I don't think I need to explain the reasoning for that one.....
Well, there is a quick tour of some things you might see that are different in French homes, if you are ever blessed with the opportunity to come!
As Peter pointed out: We ate Raclettes at the Raclette with Raclette! (the name of the meal, the restaurant and the cheese are all the same!)
Kevin's face appropriately demonstrates our surprise at the size of the cheese!
Scraping off the first layer of melted cheese onto my plate. Yum yum!
After a few scrapes Kevin had to cut off the rind - this made it easier to get the melted cheese out.
Marco was very excited about this meal - he ate like it was Thanksgiving! A true American at heart....
On Saturday night, Marco, Peter, Kevin (the two Rhos in Nantes) and I went out to eat together. Marco has been talking about this traditional French plate for years which I had never tried. So we decided on this cold rainy night, that it was the perfect opportunity to go for raclettes. We hesitated at first because it was a bit more pricey, but we finally decided it was one of those opportunities that we couldn't pass up....of course Marco was for it the entire time :).
The restaurant is decently popular and most people make reservations, but fortunately we were able to get a table. And then the adventure began.....we each ordered our raclettes (potatoes, pickles, cheese, and you can pick your type of meat) and then the waiter came out with this metal contraption and sat it on our table. Kevin, Peter and I just looked at each other like "What in the world IS this thing!?" The waiter then proceeded to explain to Kevin how to use it since he was closest to it. One problem. Explaining how to use a machine that can burn you, in French, when you've studied French for 2 months is probably not the best idea. Fortunately the waiter knew English and was kind enough to explain it in English. Next, he brings out a HUGE block of cheese. Not something the size of a round of brie....I'm talking a small wheel. He placed the chunk of cheese on the heating machine and turned it on. We were then served the most perfectly cooked potatoes with little pickles and different types of meat. Kevin's job was to then scrape the melted cheese onto each plate....it was a time consuming job and it made it hard for him to eat! It was AMAZING. It was very heavy so unfortunately we weren't able to meet our goal of eating the entire block of cheese....I think we made it down the block about an inch :). The cherry on the top was hearing Rick Rolls serenade us while eating. Pretty much made it a magical evening!
Here is Rick Rolls...a must listen 80;s song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI&feature=fvst
More info about this traditional dish and its origins: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette
Maybe you should try it back in the US - it's worth it!
There are 3 tram lines in Nantes. I have to take this to get to my French classes 2/week.
The Navibus: there are 2 rivers in Nantes so this is practical for those that must cross it to get to work. I took it once just for a little tour of the river :).
The Busway is similar to the tram line in that it stops at every single 'stop' and has it's own personal path, like a tram would have. I use this very often because it's right next door to Marco's (his building is the one shown on the left). This line goes to a bus depot in St. Sebastian (where I live).
This is a typical bus. The one I take is actually twice as long (kinda like the busways shown above). You must push a button for the driver to stop at certain places. I think that's how they work in Lancaster as well. I take this to and from work everyday, and also when there isn't a TER at the time I want. What's a TER you ask? Well, you're about to find out!
