Merci Chambé!

I am very heavy hearted writing this final blog entry, because it really means closing the chapter of the past 4 months. Amazing people, fascinating surroundings and simply a great time.

The last two weeks were seriously insanely busy. Besides 8 exams and a presentation in a little more than a week, we went skiing for the first time in this season under semi-awesome conditions. The snow was wonderful, about 50 cm of powder. Just my own physical condition was not that great, I kinda overdid it the night before. Our last exams was Friday morning and that was enough reason to celebrate at night. Unfortunately I did not know when to stop unlike everybody else and that is why I only had 4 hours of sleep just not in my bed...

Well well... on Sunday, our last day together we went out to a last nice dinner with Emmy's and Linda's parents and Demi's dad and boyfriend. All day and all night (... --> Demi ;)) was accompanied by fun and laughter. Saying goodbye seemed unreal and I still have not completely realized the end of my exchange.

The upshot of my exchange period can be summed up in FUN, gradual improvements concering the French language combined with the feeling of not really studying. It felt different compared to the Netherlands. I learned Dutch much quicker and never had one word of it in my previous education. Maybe the similarity to Geman might have contributed to fast progress. However, I know French is much more complicated and complex. Nevertheless I can say that was truely frustrated during the first 5 weeks, because I simply did not make progress like I wanted. With regards to the subjetcs I studied at Université de Savoie I must admit that many courses formed a reptition of NHTV courses, which was not too bad, since the language made it still difficult enough to understand. The intercultural understanding proceeded to another degree of comprehending several situations, where I would have usually backed out off. French people are more extravert and tend to exaggerate their emotions or other incidents; not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way one has to get used to.

Eventually I would like to thank a few people who made my time in Chambéry unforgettable:

Demi (for being the best friend and companion during good and bad times, thank you my little croissant), Linda (for being my nice roommate, even though it was not always easy ;)), Emmy (for always making me laugh), Blandine and Cécile&Max, Keke (for being great friends, offering a lot of help and throwing amazing parties), Jihane and Hatim (for being the best project members), M1 and L3 (for understanding that the ERASMUS are never notified by any teachers and helping us instead) and of course all other ERASMUS people who created this experience with me (Daniëlle and Lore, Simon, Kyle, Illy, Jackson, Riccardo, Matthew, Rob M. and Rob C. ;), Lina, José et Manuel, all other English, American, Spanish and Italian people I forgot). THANK YOU!!!!!

Au revoir Chambé(ry), I wil NEVER forget you

BISOUS