An American Intern in Paris

[Ensign Steve]

It's pretty much officially confirmed that this trip is going to happen, so here is my thread in which I plan, fantasize, plotz, and panic for the next four or so months.

Here are the deets as I understand them so far:

I will be in France for three months from mid-May to mid-August. I will be working on a 3D computer animation project that is a collaboration between the university Telecom SudParis and a Parisian cinema company.

The cinema company has an extremely sexy address way up in the middle of the city, as cinema companies are wont to do. The university is located in Evry, which is about 40 km south, on the green line, for whatever that's worth. They're setting me up in student housing to start, but they will give me the boot about halfway through when the students come back, so I will have to find something else by then. I'm not planning to have a car, but they tell me both locations are doable by train. It's France, so I believe them.

The pay will not be enough to live on (net 1000 euro/month), but I'm really not in this for the money. I am looking into options for grants and other aid. I thought I could qualify for the Fulbright scholarship, but unfortunately it requires a 6-month minimum stay. But! Thanks to this blog, I am discovering things that France offers, like rent subsidies for students. Fucking socialism is awesome!

They say that we will use English at work, but obviously I'm still going to study the hell out of the language so that I can get the most out of my visit outside of work. By amazing coincidence, my mom is usually in Paris on my birthday, so we are very excited about arranging something. Possibly Eurodisney.

[LadyShea]

Jealous. Very excited and happy for you but yeah jealous. You are going to have so much fun and hopefully learn very cool 3D things!

Will you have time to tutor or something to make a bit of extra cash?

[Qingdai]

I haven't been to Paris since 1990, but I'd say that much of Paris closes down in August for the hot weather vacations. I'd just check about things you want to do then that may be closed, or plan to get the bulk of your work done then, also travel may be a problem.
Again 30+ year old advice. Also I'm jealous, everything was so delicious there.

[Ensign Steve]

Oh, also, I need you guys to adjust your mental picture of me so that it looks like this at all times:



Just like that, frozen in mid-stride, not actually getting anywhere, looking slightly giddy at my inability to figure out where the hell I need to be despite having immediate access to not one but two maps.

This is the music that should be playing in the background:

George Gershwin: An American in Paris (1) -...

[livius drusus]

Oh man, this beats the Googlez with a gigantic stick. Project idea: take pictures of yourself in front of every Art Nouveau structure in the city flipping lisarea the bird. You can start at the Metro station where the nice Dior New Look lady is frozen in time.

[LadyShea]

I am having a hard time imagining you outfitted in vintage Dior. You need to proactively go couture scrounging and get a fabulous Paris worthy wardrobe ready for photographing.

[livius drusus]

I could not agree more. Don't neglect the gloves and hats either. We want to go for the whole Sabrina experience.

[LadyShea]

OMG now we all have to watch Sabrina again JUST to properly plan your trip!

[livius drusus]

Original and remake!

[Ensign Steve]

I AM NOT CUTTING MY HAIR!

[livius drusus]

CALM DOWN. There's no reason to panic. Unless you don't have a classic trench coat with big lapels and a nice thick belt.

[Anastasia Beaverhausen]

Awesome, Steve! That sounds completely sweet, and a cool kickstart to your career!

I have a friend who grew up there and one who's there now (doing her Masters). Do you have any specific questions you'd like passed on? They're both pretty active on Facebook; if they give the okay, I'd be happy to give you their pages.

[ChuckF]

That is awesome news! Congrats!

I am fairly full of practical advice! I would not plan on getting any APL subsidies from le CAF simply because you probably won't be there long enough for everything to go through. You probably won't even have everything you need to apply until at least a month or so in.

Once you get your official letter, you will know whether you need a visa. I think probably you will not, so long as you are characterized as stagiaire (intern). This will save you from having to get a carte de séjour, a document issued by your prefecture. That's a hassle to get, and you probably won't get one. I recommend taking a short trip to the UK about half way through your stay. You'll get a fresh passport stamp on re-entry and reset the 90-day clock for visa-less stay.

Since you'll be in Évry, housing might not be as bad as you think. Évry is one of the villes nouvelles, the planned suburban developments around Paris build in the 1960s. You can probably find a studio in the 400-500 range. You could look inside Paris, but that will be very tough unless you find an expat willing to sublet to you. French landlords will typically require a domestic guarantor.

It's good that you're on the RER D. That expands your housing options a little. Juvisy isn't far away. That will put you in central Paris in under an hour via RER.

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

I am having a hard time imagining you outfitted in vintage Dior. You need to proactively go couture scrounging and get a fabulous Paris worthy wardrobe ready for photographing.

I actually amassed a decent wardrobe of nice, structured things during that one year I worked in Hollywood between the Air Force and college. Like, name stuff. Unfortunately, it was all sizes 14-16-ish, so I purged my closet of it sometime last year. I tell you, I literally cried. I took a picture of it all laid out on the bed, for posterity, and then donated the lot to battered women. Growing up when mom was teaching me the life skills of decluttering and keeping it simple, she helped me understand that the women and girls who get this stuff can really use it as well (for example, to wear to a job) and aren't any less deserving of expensive stuff and it's just going to waste, blah blah blah.

Still, I don't see buying new clothes before going to Paris. I mean, don't they have way better stuff there?

Originally Posted by ChuckF

I am fairly full of practical advice!

Hooray! I hoped you would come through! Your advice does seem very practical, thank you.

[Janet]

Do not, under any circumstances get a car. There are not enough trillions of dollars in the world to get me to drive in Paris again. Just remembering makes me

[Ensign Steve]

Damnit, I got a really good offer in the US and now I am undecided again. This is why I don't talk about things until they are certain.

SAY LA VEE, amirite?!

[BrotherMan]

¿Que Sarah?

[LadyShea]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

Damnit, I got a really good offer in the US and now I am undecided again. This is why I don't talk about things until they are certain.

SAY LA VEE, amirite?!

Spill the beans. Talking about your fabulous life is fun even if you change your mind. We don't need things set in stone to discuss them, dorkhead.

BY the way Best Friend in Paris: Custom, Personalized Tours of Paris

[Ensign Steve]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

Spill the beans. Talking about your fabulous life is fun even if you change your mind. We don't need things set in stone to discuss them, dorkhead.

I do, though. It's not fun for me to talk about or even think about uncertain stuff. Double Dorkhead on you!!

BY the way Best Friend in Paris: Custom, Personalized Tours of Paris

Neat! Looks cool.

[LadyShea]

Dupe

[LadyShea]

People choose between things without a full discussion and detailed imaginings of all scenarios? How does that work?

I have a portfolio of vacation plans to choose from, even.

[Ensign Steve]

I think that's another introvert/extrovert thing. I was exaggerating a bit when I said I don't like to think about it (although the logistical stuff stresses me out, I do enjoy the fantasizing). But all that business of working things out out loud is not my style. I can do my pros and cons lists in private and come to my own conclusions without the interference of outside opinions. Other people's motivations are not my own, and I don't expect others to know what mine are.

Here's another nightmare conversation for me:
I want to do X.
Then do X.
But I can't do X because of Y.
Then don't do X.
Well maybe I can do X and Y if I give up Z.
Then do that.
But I really like Z.
For the love of god, figure out what the fuck you want and then get back to me. I don't have patience for your circular bullshit!!!

Also I really don't need people to want things for me or be disappointed on my behalf when I don't get them, because I do enough of that on my own and it's way too far inside my personal bubble. But I can't keep people from doing that, which is why I don't talk about stuff until I'm pretty damn sure on my own first.

Sorry if I sound curt, I'm typing on the iPhone so my sentences are way clipped and to the point.

[viscousmemories]

Originally Posted by LadyShea

Dupe

Ouch, now that's just crossing the line.

[BrotherMan]

Originally Posted by Ensign Steve

Here's another nightmare conversation for me:
I want to do X.
Then do X.
But I can't do X because of Y.
Then don't do X.
Well maybe I can do X and Y if I give up Z.
Then do that.
But I really like Z.
For the love of god, figure out what the fuck you want and then get back to me. I don't have patience for your circular bullshit!!!

Also I really don't need people to want things for me or be disappointed on my behalf when I don't get them, because I do enough of that on my own and it's way too far inside my personal bubble. But I can't keep people from doing that, which is why I don't talk about stuff until I'm pretty damn sure on my own first.

That's kinda what happens in my head too.

[lisarea]

I empathize completely with that. Like it's distracting having to narrate things in addition to doing them, and then everyone wants to give their input and stuff.

But I don't care about your feelings because I want to play the Ensign Steve RPG and pretend I get to do all the cool stuff.

So I am going to hack your email or something now.

BRB.