Setting in

I threw a cake to a man's face - made my day

They love mustard around here

Learning to be a dijonnaise 

City of chouette

Parc Darcy (yes, and a polar bear. Do not ask.)

Beaune

Today I've been here exactly two weeks and oh how much has happened.. Last week. I don't think I have the words. First of all courses have started, so a schedule of minimum 300 pages of political and historical texts per week started. No more "nothing to do" minutes.

Last week we went to Beaune with our French class. It's a wine capital about 40kms away from Dijon that looks like a playmobile city - everything is small and cute. Our school day was about wine cellars, wine tasting, sightseeing and a nice lunch in a restaurant. Here's something from there..

Jaffelin wine cellars

Just culture education

Seule etoile and a nice love story

Medicines from the Middle Age

A Sunday trip to the lake Kir

Lac Kir and its beach

I was actually worried about one thing when I was coming to Dijon. All my life, I've lived by the sea and lakes and suddenly I'd live in the middle of a continent. Luckily, there's Lac Kir and its beautiful green parks, canal, beach, hills.. I immediately fell in love with that place. On Sunday It was so warm and we just sat under the trees with scpos eating brioche, chocolate.. 

Now I just need to buy the bicycle I had planned to.. Where could I find flea markets, recycling centers and vintage stores?

Some scpo friends

 Big news in Bien Public

Okay, I need the french bank account. Today I will force myself to go through some french bureaucracy.  And then I'll eat lunch in the park. And study french. Perfect!

Ps. Yes, all the time, there's someone on strike. A big strike wave starting tomorrow.. And apparently that means a huge festival. I'll tell more about it later..  Got to love French people <3

My nearest bookstore surprised me

McDo times

No I don't like McDo but when you haven't got an internet and McDo has - you got to be friends.

This city is full of shoes. Seriously there are shoe shops in every corner and this means trouble and a never ending temptation. I bought comfortable shoes and talked with the man who sold them to me. "Qu'est-ce que c'est cet mot pankki dans votre carte bleue?"

Yesterday we had a soirée with all ScPos. What can I say - in this city - ScPo seems to be the party. 

I'm slowly getting used to small French things like just the cheek kisses. Sounds stupid, but I'm Finnish and Finnish people don't usually even look in the eyes of the salesman on the cashier. 

Yesterday Dijon was buzzing. On Saturday so market place is at its biggest, people from outside the city come to shop and tourists come for a weekend trip.

At the moment I'm learning what kind of are the famous Sundays of Dijon.. It's apparently one of the biggest jokes around here.

There is one gorgeous, most famous, wanted and biggest coloc of Scpo. There is a magnificent feeling when most of Scpo is there in a two-storey apartment sitting on sofas and smoking, drinking, chatting, wine bottles, so many languages and nationalities around, windows open to the night and you can see over Dijon. It feels somehow very French.. and Scpo Dijon like.

Today scpo people will do a small trip to the lake. Have to enjoy the sun and warmth now! Next week it's apparently gonna be rain, coldness and lots of studying..

Just wondering, I think I haven't really found anything negative yet.

Saturday in Dijon

Beginning of university life

ScPo Dijon

First day of SciencesPo and a small aperitif in the garden

Saxophone techno

I need to come up with new methods to learn French. It is very necessary that I read magazines, newspapers, websites, we talk as much as we possibly can as soon as possible and that we won’t let a single other language to cross our minds. It’s 100% French now. This is something I’ve been wanting for a long time. I need still to be a bit forced to this though... English is way too easy!

Yesterday there was a huge outside concert (Concert de rentrée 2010) in Dijon by Oslow, Olivia Ruiz, Elektrisk Gonner and Laurent Garnier. Place de la Liberation was packed with people. Students from the campus of University of Bourgogne also dragged themselves to the centre-ville de Dijon. French people are crazy that I can say - and short! I really loved Laurent Garnier. The concert turned from Oslow's rock, and Olivia's french feminism to a huge techno party on a historic plaza. Oh yes, we danced. <3

There's so many things you're confused with in a new country and culture. Check book is one of those at the moment.. 

New home

It is now a bit cosier after I visited Ikea.. I have a carpet!

The first glance

Lovely ladies

There was magic in the air

Et finalement à Dijon..

Résidence Universitaire Maret

My room is on the first floor third window from the right