International Students @ Concordia

Some of the stuff I wrote about while on exchange

So, I just got back from exchange about two weeks ago and I'm really happy to be back. Montreal just has such a different vibe than Paris.... personally I just dig Montreal a lot more. Although I miss all the good friends I made in Paris.

Nevertheless, back to business. I just wanted to post one of the articles I wrote in France because it might be somewhat entertaining for people. The place we went to visit with class was rather interesting.

Yours to enjoy.....

The way to get into a French kitchen

Sophia Conradie, 28, is the head of kitchen administration at the Ritz Carlton in Paris. The South African obtained a diploma in French cuisine from the internationally renowned cooking school the Cordon Bleu Paris in 2001. The school not only focuses on teaching French cuisine but also French techniques.

After finishing her degree as an interpreter Conradie decided to come to Paris to become a chef. “If you compare the Cordon Bleu to the hotel schools the French go to, in the Cordon Bleu, you cover all the basics which you would otherwise cover in three years,” Conradie said.

It takes nine months to obtain the school’s grand diploma which combines a cuisine and pastry program and costs 37,000 Euros all together.

“When I went there most students already had careers in other fields. Everybody is more serious and more motivated than someone who is fifteen and just starting out in a hotel school,” she said.

However certain barriers apply “When you come from the Cordon Bleu and you apply for a job, in the beginning people are always a little skeptical because if you didn’t go through the traditional ways, the French are often quite skeptical but then inevitably people prove that they are as good and as qualified as anyone else,” Conradie said.

Apart from Conradie, the Ritz Carlton employs two pastry chefs who attended the Cordon Bleu.

“The chefs at the Cordon Bleu, all worked in great restaurants in Paris and abroad and they all are very involved this sort of kitchen family. The restaurant culture is all a subculture in Paris and in France. Everyone knows each other. It is sort of a network and by going to the Cordon Bleu you get your foot into that, which is very good because as a foreigner it is very hard to do so, and most of the students are not from France,” she explained.

The Parisian school was founded by a French journalist in 1895. Today it accommodates students from over forty different countries and maintains outlets in thirteen different countries.

Sandra Messier, spokesperson for the Cordon Bleu said “We opened all the schools around the world which has helped us to brand the Cordon Bleu on an international level and students from the other countries also come to Paris. Sometimes students start their diploma in Canada (or other countries) and then they finish the program in Paris,” said Messier.

However, there are not a lot of French students attending the school “The educational system in France to become a chef is different. They have to choose this career at sixteen and they really have to focus into on it in order to become a chef at about 28, 30 or 35, “explained Messier.

In September of 2009 the school will be offering a new program about another essential aspect of French cuisine. “A new diploma is about wine, marketing wine and selling it. It is an 8 month program,” said Messier.

Messier also explained the school’s approach to cooking “We promote different foreign ingredients like kimchi from Korea, potatoes and quinoa from the Andes and prepare them with French techniques. It is one of our missions, to promote local products with French techniques.”

After almost 4 months in Paris

Ok, so this is another one of these entries for which I needed quite some time. However, I have a good explanation, and hope somebody buys it. I had to get accepted into the Sciences Po journalism exchange program and was a little worried they might google my name and find all the potential hating might be doing on Sciences Po in my blog. I have to admit that place still hasn’t convinced me a 100%, but it is definitely an interesting experience.

So, I’m about two thirds done with my exchange year and my study habits have definitely gotten better since I’m actually forced to sit down on my behind and work. Paris is growing on me, but I still miss Montréal a lot. I also have to say that the friends I made during my first year at Concordia, who were on exchange back then, were a great help when it comes to settling in and it is very nice to have a support system in a new city. 

One thing which surprised me at Sciences Po was that the majority of German exchange students I met, all study outside of Germany, which was somewhat reassuring to me. It seems that I’m not the only one who is just a little insane. I haven’t met anybody else from Concordia yet but I have classes with quite a few people from Vancouver.

Another thing which is rather interesting to observe at Sciences Po is “French elitism”. Well, let’s say elitism in general since it is supposed to be such a great school (I still slightly beg to differ, but that’s just me), a notion which never came into play at Concordia.

As far as the weather goes I’m kind of happy that this seems like constant fall compared to Montréal. It also seems that Christmas season has passed me by with all the work I had to do and the simple fact that there was no snow. Nevertheless it is nice because I can still go running outside whereas in Montréal I would be spending that time inside at the gym.  BUT call me weird….I miss the snow!!! A lukewarm Christmas just seems so bizarre!!!

Something else I should mention is that I started volunteering. A friend of mind told me of this organization called Afev which works with schools in poor neighbours and children from poor (defavorisé) families. So, twice a week I head to the 19^th arrondissement and help out Nissan with her homework. Nissan is an 8-year-old girl, whose parents originally come from the Ivory Coast. She has 4 brothers and sisters and her mum is expecting another baby. So, she just seems to get a little lost among all of them. We to the Eiffel tower a few days ago and she thought it was completely ugly and was wondering why people come to see it. My cell phone and mp3 player turned out to be a lot more interesting to her.

I guess there are a lot of things going on in this post but I still hope it is interesting to read.

Baguette, Camemberts and Mini-Sarkos

I guess it is about time that I finally admit that I’m actually not spending this year at Concordia but abroad. I know, I’m writing this as an international student but during the last year something got me to apply for two semesters abroad. So, right now, I’m sitting in a small “chambre de bonne” in Paris. I choose to go to France in order to improve my French. Now, I know this sounds horrible coming from a Montrealer by choice but at home you can just get by too easily with only English.  

Since most students at Concordia have just recently finalized their course selection, I think the subject of this post might interest some people.

Over the last two years I have never bothered too much with the registration process at Concordia. Simply because it is quite easy, you click, you get the course you want ….maybe not at the perfect time, but oh, well though luck. You also have about three months or more (depending on when you chose them) to drop courses, which makes things really easy.

So, now, FRENCH administration on the other hand….oh, boy……they definitely didn’t invent that. I’m quite used to smooth procedures at Concordia. I’m not trying to make Concordia look super great here but for heaven’s sake…at least registration works!!! So far, I really wonder why Sciences Po (the place I signed up for) is considered such a good school because their administration is quite a mess.

So, back to registration…and this is from the exchange students perspective…there is ONE day of registration. No dropping after, no nothing, zip, finito!!!! Registration starts at 10:00 a.m., sharp, and you better have your fingers on the keyboard already because courses feel up with in five minutes. I got all the courses I wanted except for one. However, I saw people coming out of the help center almost crying because they couldn’t get any of the courses they needed. One person I talked to had to take history of fashion, instead of the businesses courses he needed because nothing else was available.

I seriously have to admit, I miss Concordia!!! If you have questions there, the standard answer is at least NOT “Oh, I don’t know. So, who would know? Oh, no idea.” Even if the person at Concordia doesn’t have the answer to your question, they will at least send you to somebody who will know.

Summertime.....

So, I guess this is what you call the middle of summer….with the jazz fest going on and grand prix long gone….The weather this year definitely doesn’t indicate it. The first session of summer school is over and I got reinstated into my political science course, although the waiting time definitely didn’t seem to fit the crime.

With most of my friends out of town and nothing to do but work I decided to join the Concordia gym. So, I got the summer pass for about $60 and I have to say dragging myself there about every second day pays off, although I still feel sort of weird running around among all those buff guys.

Summer is also the time of year when I realize that having a whole bunch of international friends was maybe not the best thing to do, since they all leave and what happens to me is that I get stuck here working because I don’t feel like spending summer in small town Germany….but I shouldn’t complain since summer is the best time in Montreal and there are tons of things to do….be it just a late night bike ride on the search for ice cream.

Summer courses....oh no, I pressed the wrong button!!!

So, I’m taking summer courses this year and I have to say they are really interesting.

However, last Friday night I was playing around on my Concordia portal and I was trying to figure out what my gpa would be if I got a certain grade in these courses (since I want to apply to law school later on). So, I decided to drop some of my courses for the fall and winter semester, so I could use the gpa calculator. I figured I would just sign up for them once I was done doing the calculation. Unfortunately and stupid as I was at 1 a.m. , I dropped one of my summer course……followed by a sheer panic attack. There was no way to reload the page or to just go back. I had dropped one of my summer courses after the deadline!!!!!

So first thing Monday morning…..I called the registration help line. Unfortunately the procedure to get back in is a little more complicated than I thought….you have to file a student request, write a letter explaining why you dropped the course and then the thing goes before a committee……all in all it should take two weeks for the request to go through.

Ciao Ciao Roomie....Next!!!!!

As the academic year comes to an end, so does our collocation (I'm boring this word from French, in order so save long explanatory words which might not grasp the sense in the end). My roommate Jennifer went back to France yesterday and the other three of us will part ways by the end of July.
I have to admit it somewhat seems like the end of an era.
Now, living with roommates can be the greatest time of your life or it can turn into a nightmare.
This is about the 4. time I'm living with roommates and I have to say that I have always been lucky and had good roommates.  I dare to claim that living with roommates is an essential part of student life.
Especially moving to Montreal from a different country, it can be very helpful to share a place with other people and I'm not just talking about money.
This year I had two French roommates, a Chilean and a short Israeli intermezzo. The good thing about this "Auberge Espagnol-thing" is that your roommates  sort of replace your family. In a way you can come home and there is always somebody you can talk to. I have to admit I knew my roommates before I moved in with them, which made it somewhat easier but I also so have to admit there were times when I wanted to kill them but let's not go into details. One important thing to remember, which I heard from a lot of people is that you best friend can be your worst roommate and I have seen it happen to another friend of mine twice. Looking back at the year, all I can say is that this was a great idea and I wouldn't want to trade it for nothing.

I shouldn't be doing this.....

So, since I started at Concordia, I have usually been one of these lucky people who don't have finals or who maybe have one.
I have also never had to spent countless hours at the library. Honestly, I never understood the thrill of camping there over night. Especially, studying at the big tables seems highly inefficient to me since the noise of everybody whispering can be highly distracting...at least, that's how I feel about it.  Somebody proof me wrong if you feel like it.
However, back to the point. I have one final this semester, in my French Linguistics class. The nice thing about my other  journalism classes is that you barely have a final in any of them and if you are lucky, you are done with school a month before everybody else.
So, actually, I shouldn't be blogging right now, neither should I be checking my facebook every 5 min......hurray for procrastination!!!!! I should be studying for my final exam but it is really hard to get myself to do so.... but I have to because I need to make sure I don't have to retake the class in the summer if my grade is too low....so see you later and pleeeaasseee...somebody explain me those library marathons!!!

  this was taken by a friend of mine

this one won a photo competition...just thought I should share....

Spring = Work

Ok, after the panda action...some serious business people.....
It was around this time last year, when I finally received my off-campus work permit. So, now it has been almost a year that I have been working at the same place. A restaurant close to Concordia. I even had a second job for a while and I was literally working my @@@#@# off this summer.
However, I managed to pay my own tuition fees this year and I have become almost completely independent off of my parents money (except for plane tickets maybe).....but hey...you can't have everything.  So, my point was... off-campus work permits are great and they are not hard to get. Working off campus also allows you to meet a whole bunch of new people and I dare to claim that it gives you a better understanding of Canadian society because you will meet people who have nothing to do with university and it'll broaden your horizon.

this is the weather we are hoping for right now.....

Panda at Kanda's

Loyola, Concordia University --

It's 5: 30ish P.M and Panda is hungry. Class just ended.
It was a tough end... Poor Panda couldn't concentrate anymore...

Panda  runs to catch the bus... Panda can see it from the distance...

"Oh no!"

"Don't leave without me!" Panda shouts.

Panda starts running... slips over the sidewalk and almost falls;
skips a person going in the opposite direction without saying sorry...

Rush, rush, rush!
Panda's heart starts pounding m o r e M o r e M O R E

Panda sweats. But Panda made it!

Panda is happy; puts a hand over the grumpy stomach and smiles at everyone around.

"Wow... It's a long way downtown eh?" Panda tries to tell the neighbor.

But Panda doesn't realize those earphones are keeping the neighbor unable to listen to what was just said.

Great.

It's starting to get darker. It's a gloomy, grumpy, foggy-gray normal winter day.

"C'mon RESIST" Panda says to the tummy. "We'll be at Kanda's so SOON!"

The bus stops. People start to rise. Yawn, put their backpacks on, walk slowly towards the doors.

Panda can't take it anymore!!! "Go, go, gogogogogo..."

As Panda gets the first glance of fresh air to the nose, the feet just automatically want to make Panda run.

Then, at the front door, a moment of praise...

"Sushi! Sushi! At last!" Panda says kneeling down.

Panda goes in. People wave and say hi. They all know Panda.

"Would you care for some green tea?"

"Yes, thank you! but can I have the menu please?"

Yummy, yummy, yummy. With bamboo sticks, Panda picks up one sushi at a time.

Panda is satisfied. Panda smiles.

But Panda admits that food at Concordia doesn't make the tummy so happy...

Want to find out what Panda said to us after eating at Kanda's?

Take a look at the video!

Winter Blues

Oh winter time....
This is about the time of the year when you come back from spring break and you ask yourself why did I choose to study in Canada?
The snow doesn't seem to stop falling and the last four months of winter just seem to long. So frustration is predetermine. Monica and I just came back from Mexico a few days ago and getting back into the groove was really hard. 
However, the answer to why, I  at least, choose Montreal is quite simple. The city is great, vibrant and has so much to offer. It is not just the fact that all mt friend are from different countries but also that you can find any kind of food you wish for in this city.  The long winter might be annoying but even the highest mountain of snow can be climbed over somehow. There is no bad weather only bad clothing.
My suggestion against a snow-depression is to together in your friend's apartment (or yours) and just to have a good time. If the weather isn't warm enough, just start making your own warm thoughts.
If this doesn't work for you, you can always go skiing, snowboarding, ice fishing or to the carnaval in Quebec City.....let me see if I can come up with more ideas....