Marine at EM Strasbourg, France

Pre-Departure:

Preparing for a month abroad is stressful, so I revert to lists to keep me sane. Below is a prime example, circa May 2016.

25 Thoughts I had before leaving for Summer School:

  1. The application needs to be submitted when? I should have started this way earlier. Like, more than two days in advance would have been an improvement.
  2. The orientation session starts at what time? This early-morning session is going to severely cut short my seniors’ dance recovery time.
  3. Wow, that was actually really helpful. Not only did they tell me what to do and when to do it with regards to preparations, I also got to meet some other Maties going to my summer school.
  4. I wonder if everyone else’s French is better than mine?
  5. The PGIO apparently has a rather large budget for snacks… Oh look, there’s a brownie left!
  6. My Pre-Departure Preparations List is longer than my life plan.
  7. So much admin to do, so little airtime to call mum for advice.
  8. I wonder if these people are getting tired of me running into the PGIO offices for help. Nah, they’re cool.
  9. “Have to wait in line to get a visa allowing me to visit members of my own species across artificially conceived borders.” I feel you, Neil deGrasse Tyson.
  10. Luckily there’s a consulate in Cape Town.
  11. I’m so glad I booked my ticket early. They’re getting expensive.
  12. Which is why I’m so happy for this Stellenbosch travel bursary.
  13. I wonder if there will be money left over for souvenirs?
  14. On that note, what is the Euro to Rand value at the moment?
  15. Oh damn. Mr Gordhan, you have exactly 2 months to sort this out.
  16. ♫You’re gonna miss me when I’m gone♫
  17. Wait, Stellies is actually pretty cool. What if something great happens while I’m gone? What if I get homesick? What if I get real sick?
  18. Nope, it’s getting cold now. Never mind. Stellenbosch, you can keep your Southern Hemisphere winter, I’m heading off to summer!
  19. I should probably look up some emergency numbers, just in case.
  20. And make copies of my important documents.
  21. I should definitely let my bank know that I’ll be abroad for a while.
  22. This is going to be so good for my Instagram.
  23. Wait, will CellC even work in France? No, it won’t… I’ll probably just use the university WiFi then.
  24. How many more times is my mum going to insist I pack more clothes to “stay warm”?
  25. Can these exams just finish now? Europe is waiting!

My Experience at the Host University:

Despite the slightly chaotic state of mind I was in before departure, everything seems to be on track for my actual journey to Strasbourg – until it suddenly isn’t. One flight is delayed, and on arrival in Paris, I find out that I’ve been moved onto a much later train to Strasbourg due to strikes (the French seem to love these about as much as we do.)

When I finally arrived in Strasbourg I was tired, late and felt pretty lost. We received instructions on how to get to our dormitory from the train station, but had to take a further tram ride (which I accidentally took illegally, not realising that I should’ve bought a billet beforehand), some very frantic map-reading, a stroke of sheer luck and help from some Columbian exchange students before I finally ended up on the steps of the Residence La Marne. That’s where the adventure truly begins.

I met the other students at a lavish welcoming dinner in the city centre. Later, I meet my room mate for the month, an absolutely adorable Spanish girl called Ana. We clicked immediately, and become basically inseparable. With very little English spoken there, be aware that you will get to know your fellow summer school students well. Ana and I spent every waking moment – and quite a few when we should have been sleeping –  in each other’s company.

That being said, I can’t imagine myself ever growing bored with such a diverse group of people. Over the course of only a month, I got to try a home-cooked Spanish tortilla de patatas, watched a France v Ireland Eurocup match in an Irish pub in France, learnt what not to say in Mexico, ever, had someone attempt to explain the relevance of Bill Nye, the Science Guy, and was taught how many bodyguards you should have to look important in Pakistan.

As all of us were pretty unfamiliar with Strasbourg on arrival, we spent a lot of our free time exploring it. The city has a fairly extensive tram system, and EM Strasbourg is located only 400m away from the nearest station, so we all bought month-long passes – definitely worth it.

The main shopping streets house Prada, Louis Vuitton and Printemps stores, but we ended up doing more exploring in the gorgeous Petit France area and little hidden squares around the Cathédrale de Notre Dame, the oldest parts of the city. On the first Sunday of every month, all museums in the city are free, and we took the opportunity to visit the stunning Strasbourg MOMA and climb the (probably) 2000 steps to the viewing platform of the cathedral.

Class also took up a lot of our time, often only ending at five. The classes at EM Strasbourg are very different from my experience at Stellenbosch. We are only 25 students or less in every class, and classes are much more interactive than the larger classes at SU allow. You are expected to have done your readings, and to have an opinion on the subject being discussed.

Of course, the international nature of the class makes for interesting conversations on business culture and conduct in each student’s home country. As someone who has never taken a business class, I find the subjects to be an easy tie-in between my International Relations course at home and many of the other students’ work for their MBA.

Apart from, you know, class, EM Strasbourg also provides opportunities for students to visit a nearby Medieval castle, a local winery (Alsace is famous for its Riesling and Gewürztraminer varietals) and other places of interest. Furthermore, we also visited businesses and assembly plants as part of our course, which prove to be very interesting.

We spent most of the month trying to become as local as possible. We shopped at the farmers market on Saturday mornings, attended the yearly music festival (a must!), took weekend trips to Germany or the Netherlands, discovered underground cocktail bars and picniced next to centuries-old canals with most of Strasbourg, before joining them to party the night away on the riverboat dance clubs on those same canals.

On my last night, we stay up until four in the morning (knowing full well that I have to get up at five), not wanting to leave a place where we’ve been so happy.

Returning to Stellenbosch:

Coming back feels almost surreal. It’s always strange to come back to a familiar place when you’ve seen and lived so much, and changed even more. I went from seeing Ana 24 hours a day to Skypeing her once a week. I miss the German beer that we all had way too much of. I struggle to adjust to the sun setting at six instead of half past 10.

I miss the croissants and the Nutella pastries and the fresh raspberries and the Eisbein – the food, to be honest. I miss the US v Mexico arm wrestling and the lessons on Indian etiquette. I miss the warmth and wit of my international friends in the stone streets of late-night Strasbourg.

I miss the unknown, but I also have a new appreciation for South-Africa and its people – their friendliness and their talent for languages, especially. Our summers are vastly superior to anything in Europe; our beaches are a step above; and our campus here at Stellenbosch remains the prettiest one I’ve seen. Maybe we’ll have the reunion here in a year or two.