Morning Commute in Paris

Not necessarily the most fabulous nor glorious thing about living in the largest French metropolitan city, but something that- nonetheless- is inevitable. There's something oddly satisfying in the daily commute, either the bobbing mountains of heads, the endless relay of métro to bus to métro... the overwhelming whifts of human body odor, perfumes of every scent.

Mine is never dull, although most who come from large cities would disagree- I'm just not yet used to the hundreds of people trickling in and out of the public transportation; a sort of light hum and shuffle of the feet.  My morning commute starts with the 2 minute walk to my bus stop.

Some people aren't so lucky.. but I take a few steps from my small Parisien studio and start off on bus 39 direction Gare de Paris. Everyone stands idly about waiting for the bus, either it's a rainy morning and we are all huddling uncomfortably under the small glass cover, or it's a sunny day and those who smoke are flicking ashes and butts into the street.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle. Beep.


On the bus.  If I'm lucky I get a seat next to the window, if I'm sort of lucky I get to lean against the glass window and if I'm unlucky then I simply get a pole to grip on as the bus comes to startling halts and gos.

Step off at Duroc, head to the Métro.  From this point we are all somewhat awake, but still heading towards the metro as if we are on autodrive- you know- those times that you are in your car and you are suddenly home with no recollection of how you got there?

In the metro, usually some odd smell and body heat... they are not air-conditioned in France so normally we are all pressed against the doors, hoping for the fresh air to pass through the high windows.  The worst are the rush hours, people stuff into the cars impossibly fitting in until there is barely enough room to grip a bar or move.

Shuffle shuffle shuffle.


Leaving the metro with another group of individuals, mixed smells of shampoos, colognes, perfumes... we are all walking in sync heading down Boulevards, Rues..

I guess the morning commute is not Parisien, nor Lyonnais... nor New Yorkan or Portland(ish).  It's simply the fact of living in another large metropolitan city.

Life as a Stagiaire in Paris

So since I've finished the first part of my Master's degree (all the courses part) it has now begun the official "stage" part, or internship for Anglophones.

Being a Stagiaire in France is much like being an intern in America- long hours, low pay, brain and back breaking work... except I have been lucky enough to be accepted for an Intern at the AmCham.  Even though the pay is still the minimum required by France (436,05€ a month), I have the possibility to meet and network for my job hunt coming up in October of this year.

So what's it like?  Well I'm sure every internship is different, according to the sector, mine is a development and membership focused internship.  Basically I have to meet important people, do some member retention, fundraising challenges.. every day is a little different but always interested and down my path.

Of course, being a Stagiaire I am on the "stagiaire diet", meaning because I can pretty much only afford my rent and groceries, eating out is not an option nor a luxury.. so I end up eating:

My poor intern lunch, 1,50€

Which is all right, I normally am so busy leaving for an hour to eat at a fancy place wouldn't be really possible.

Stage Culture
Because Universités in France are so intense, most students don't end up working during school sessions.  In the States I pulled a full-time job in order to pay for rent and food, but in France it's impossible.  Believe me, I tried, last year when I started the program I was working 20 hours a week, it was impossible.  School is about studying, intensive and repetitive classes, unclear professors... because the culture is not one that provides "books", the information is pulled from going to the classes themselves.

Thus, students tend to pick up summer jobs to get some pocket money- and then in their 4th and 5th year rely on internships to get professional experience.  That is a big problem as well, since most jobs after University have a paradox (you need experience to work, but you need to work for experience), so many French graduates work a few years in terrible positions in order to build the experience.

"Ouais, je n'y resterai pas, j'y quitterai dans quelques années après je ramasse suffisamment d'éxperience..."

Now for those of you who aren't from the expensive schools that will hold your hand and find you an internship, here are some sources of internships, I'm not sure how it works overseas, but through a French université it is required to be paid if it's more than 3 months.  Also, internship cannot be a direct copy of a salaried position (meaning interns can't be receptionists).

Here are some sources:
http://www.directetudiant.com/theme/stage - Stage source, in French
http://www.stage.fr/page/accueil.aspx - Stage offers, in French
http://www.frenchamericancenter.com/english/internship.asp - American Internship resource, in English

One Last Thing...
Even though I hear about a lot of Americans hopping planes and installing themselves in Paris because they believe that it's so "international" French isn't obligatory.. it is.  Every position you will be in will expect a level of French.  I've seen many American wives (usually the ones that end up dragged over) stuck because they can't find work.  Some of them don't need work, their husbands tend to make enough, but they feel useless.  (Like Julia Child says, "All these wives, they do NOTHING here, it's terrible") So if you find yourself in this position, enroll IMMEDIATELY in French classes.  Learn the language or else your career won't advance.

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