Winter is here!

Hey everyone!

Wow, it has indeed been a while, hasn't it?  Apologies for that, things have taken up so much time that you occasionally forget.

So what's going on in my life at the moment?

• Well Christmas is very much approaching and the Grenoble Christmas Market is in full swing at Place Victor Hugo near Grenette.  I recommend it highly.  Whilst it is not very big, there is plenty for people to enjoy (including some fantastic beer, mulled wine and hot chocolate laced with Chartreuse) and some outstanding food.  There is a great stand there that does Tartiflette and I must say it is an utter delight, even if a bit dear (EUR7 for a portion!)
  Yesterday I went to pick up my girlfriend's present there and also got myself a bottle of 'Brasserie du Mont Blanc - La Rousse' from the stand.  A lovely amber beer (it was voted the best of its kind in the world back in 2011) I have to say it was one of the finer beers I've ever had in my life.  Well worth a try.  I'm sure me and some of the lads will have to buy some for an evening of fine alpine beer tasting!
  
• American Football is going well, especially on the refereeing front.  Last week's match against the Diables Bleus was postponed thanks to the weather so I went to Thonon near Switzerland to officiate a junior tournament.
  One thing I can take from it is that I am firm in my belief that every UK team in the BAFANL should have a youth set-up of some description.  My experiences as an official have shown me that the future of the sport in Europe rests on these guys being developed.
  Tomorrow should be a match at home against Les Avalanches.  Hopefully it will go ahead, though last night it...
  
• SNOW!  Finally, a proper taste of alpine weather.  This morning the snow came and nicely blanketed the city.  It's bitingly cold but for me it's lovely.  At least the town is prepared and the whole country hasn't come to a standstill over it (I'm looking at you, England...)
  
• Recently I have started part-time work as an English teacher in the IUT2 college. I have six groups of people who visit me once a week to have conversations about different topics and improve their grammar.  They are a great group of people who are enthusiastic about the language.
  In some ways it's a bit depressing - we struggle to get kids into mandatory lessons in foreign languages in England, let alone them do that and see an optional language assistant to help.  No wonder some people here think there are sections of British society who are out of touch with the European community.
  
• Not long now until I head off back to England - really excited to be spending a couple of weeks back home to see my family and friends and girlfriend! 

Anyhow, I think I will head out into the market again I think, the prospect of a fine beer or mulled wine would be a good way to spend an afternoon!

See you all soon!

Best wishes to you all!

Mike :)

End of October holidays!

Hello everyone!

Well, the end of October is here. And no, I take no interest in your Halloween costumes! 

The end of October can only mean a nice week-long holiday and break from the stresses of college life.

Life in IUT2 is good, really getting into lessons now and understanding the content better. My group work for economics got handed in too, which is all sorted. 

Small word of caution for you out there: the CROUS restaurants appear to be closed this week - definitely caught me by surprise. Suddenly having to make alternative plans was certainly not on the cards!

Most of my classmates and friends appear to have gone to all four corners of the continent this week, making me startlingly alone in this big old city. Got a couple of friends dotted about though.

The Centaurs sit 1-1 after a tough loss the other week to the Falcons. Hopefully this weekend will bring about a victory!

There is also a chance to get some refereeing done this weekend with some of the junior matches in the area. Should be great fun!

I must keep remembering to post these. If you see me in town, prod me to write another one!

Ill let you all know how I'm doing soon!

Best wishes

Mike :)

Getting into the swing of things now

Bonjour everyone!

Sorry it's been a little while, lots to get on with.  

It's been quite an adventure so far, especially since my last post...

• Managed to get into the swing of things in terms of my course. For those of you who haven't heard, it is the DUT qualification in Techniques de Commercialisation.  My modules currently include International Commerce, Economics, French (to start today), Marketing, IT and Sales Negotiation.  Early starts throughout for me, including a punishing 8am start on a Tuesday the morning after American Football training!  So far I can say I've done OK, just adjusting to the language barrier and the speed of lectures (not to mention getting out of bed at a funny hour of the morning unknown to British students...)
  
• American Football is going well too - first game is on Sunday for the Centaurs B team against the Blue Devils; the Grenoble Derby!  Really looking forward to it.
  I have also qualified as a referee here in France, so I can do my bit for the team in refereeing junior games etc, that should be great fun.
  Personally, I have been amazed at the standard these guys play at.  I think they are fantastic players and I've already learned a lot from them.
  
• I've met some great people so far in so many different places.  My coursemates are great and very accommodating, especially when it comes to English language and French.  All the way across the city I've met students from all over the world, it's been awesome.

 Meanwhile, on the more humorous side...

1. It is impossible to go shopping on a Sunday.  MacDonalds quickly becomes your new best friend when you're as unprepared as I am.
   
2. The French idea of a coffee (un cafe) is an espresso.  Cafe au lait appears to be coffee with an insane amount of cream in it.  All of the above come with sugar, whether you like it or not.
   
3. Beer here is expensive, nearly £5 for a pint and sometimes more... You learn that house parties are actually the cheapest way of having a night with your mates.  Nightclubs can be as much as EUR10 to enter, though they give you a drinks token too usually.  Interestingly, the only reason they ever refuse entry is when you're in large single-sex groups.  A lad out with the lads, it seems, is off the cards.
   
4. If there is a strike in Grenoble (or France in general, for that matter) don't act surprised or question why.  The most I ever get is a shrug and a 'oh well' kind of answer.
   
5. It appears that proper toilet seats are either non-existent or all stolen in France.  I have yet to come across a toilet here that has a fully-functioning loo seat.
   
6. The French law that bans smoking in public places clearly doesn't work.  Everyone stands two inches from the door instead.  And everyone smokes a cigarette here.  You stand to smoke about four just trying to get into college every morning.
   
7. The English accent is cute, apparently.
   
8. The words 'je m'excuse, je comprends pas' have become my more useful phrase here.
   
9. Facial hair of some description is automatically cool.
   
10. The English comedy novel A Year in the Merde is really unpopular here.

As you can see, I've had quite the adventure so far.  I shall update you soon with more musings!

Best wishes to you all!

Mike :)
 

The first few days...

Hello everyone!

Well I've had a cracking few days in the home of the Alps and now it's nearly time to get down to business....

Last night I got the chance to meet some Erasmus students - went to a local bar for a beer and a chat about everything.  They are really nice people, look forward to seeing them again.
Today I have the odd thing to sort out and get on with and then of course tonight is my first session with the Grenoble Centaurs - that should be a fantastic experience.

I hopefully will get to run a mailbag or something over the next few days.  In the mean time, I shall keep busy and on the lookout for anything useful!

Best wishes to you all,


Mike :)

Les Centaures de Grenoble - Football Américain

While I'm away as an Erasmus student, I'm sure I'll get many life-changing opportunities. One of the great things about being a student is that you can many great different things before you get into the grind of a job.

One thing I've been doing at university in England is playing American Football, the greatest team sport of them all.

The drama, the tactics, the sheer levels of toughness and fitness needed to play such an aggressive game has always been a major attraction for me since I watched my first game back in 2007, that legendary Fiesta Bowl between Boise State University and University of Oklahoma. 

The hits are ferocious, hitting four times harder than rugby. The speed is intense - half a step too early or too late and you don't quite make it, in the words of Al Pacino. It also allows me to use my head to win - 5ft10 and 12st is about as small as we come, so thinking and reacting forms my game.

At the time I was playing rugby - the contact/collision aspect translates pretty well. Being perhaps un-resourceful I didn't spot the opportunity until I got to university and I took up the sport for the University of Lincoln Colonials. In my second year I would become the team's president (and if our two qualified coaches hadn't walked out in December, I'm sure we would have finished the season too.)

Going away has meant taking a step away from the team, though it doesn't mean I can't play... A transfer form and a €100 fee can send me anywhere in Europe (the advantages of keeping it amateur or semi-pro at worst.)

Going to Grenoble has given me a rare opportunity to play with a fantastic team, Les Centaures de Grenoble.

I've been in contact with several members of the management and coaching staff to facilitate my move and they appear very welcoming. I've been given my defensive playbook to get me started - it's a beast of a thing that sits 120 pages long and all in French.

I've always had a dream, since I started playing. That was one day I could represent my country in the game. I think Grenoble will give me a big boost in getting there.

I cannot wait to get onto the field.

Mike

Over the airwaves and over the field...

When do you really define 'the beginning'?

Is it when you get in the car that morning, is it when you see Grenoble for the first time, nestled in the mountains? 

For me, there's a clear argument that it started the day I got my letter of acceptance. Maybe my Level 2 results.

I'm fairly certain though that yesterday was a big step. 

To start off with, I plugged my SIM card into my phone and got my phone number. It's an old iPhone that I'm being loaned, so plugging into iTunes and making it like home was nice too.

Obviously keeping the data roaming off, I would rather avoid any nasty surprises! 

Next thing that I managed to do was to pay for my American Football transfer - I sent money off to the European Federation of American Football's office in Germany.

I'm now patiently awaiting that wonderful email welcoming me to the French league... The Centaurs will be a great experience I'm sure and I'm looking forward to playing my third year in the sport under some great coaches.

Considering life in Arsonval will be different to Junxion, Lincoln, I decided to cut down on a lot of stuff I won't be needing. In Lincoln there is definitely a more 'self-catered' approach than Grenoble, where the student cafés will give you a 3-course meal for €3,50 or less. Whilst in Lincoln I had my own kitchen (within the flat) in Arsonval it's a big kitchen/catering kitchen between about 50 of you. Perhaps this will work to my advantage and stop my usual rampant overspending!

I also considered what sort of clothing I would need. Firstly, I'll push aside the irony that Grenoble today is expecting to see temperatures of 30 degrees and mention that it will be pretty cold in the winter. I'm assuming snow is a certainty!

Managed to dig out my thick winter coat and everything I only wear in Lincoln in extreme weather (as we call it in the UK, the prepared Europe calls it 'winter')

Travel plans are set in place now: we'll travel by Eurotunnel and stay overnight near Riems before making the trip down to an Alpine chalet near Grenoble.

We'll travel on a Friday, get into Grenoble on the Saturday afternoon.

Less than three weeks remain... I want to go, but a bit of me wants to stay. Nerves I'll put that down to.

I'll run another Mailbag at some point and write something American Football related during the week.

The countdown runs down.

Mike.

So I've got somewhere to live...

Good morning everyone!

And so the end of the working week has arrived. All over the UK offices are filled with relieved workers all waiting for 5pm to come.

More interestingly for me, I get some time to file through some of things that have arrived for me over the week.

Things have been quite quiet on the Erasmus pages, so here's some of the bits and pieces to sort out for me:

Firstly, I can plug that SIM card in for the first time and get my phone number (one does not simply have it written down...)

I can also get that little green slip sent off which says I've actually used the SIM.

There are a few emails to send off with regards to my Erasmus grant - just confirming what else I need to do to make sure it gets paid on time. I've been in close contact with my home university to check the details of my placement, I would always encourage people to do the same.

Home insurance - for those of you who don't know, students in France need household insurance in order to move in. I'll probably do a blog post on that at the weekend; it's quite a broad topic!

And then of course, there's the small matter of American Football. While I'm away, I'll be playing for the Grenoble Centaurs - very exciting stuff!

Naturally, there's paperwork to fill out for it and a payment to send to the board that represents teams and committees in Europe. A move has been in the pipeline for several months now, time to make the move official!

Think it's beginning to dawn on me now, as I stare out of the bus window as I type. It's three weeks now. Everything's coming together and I'm getting organised (no small hand to my parents there) but I think nothing is going to prepare me for coming off the Eurotunnel into France.

Exciting, yes. Slightly terrifying, absolutely.