The first week in Château de Pourtalès

After two weeks of travelling, exciting journey, tiring days, sleepless nights, hectic schedules, new experiences and opportunities to learn more of French culture in depth, we finally reached the long awaited 200 years old castle “Château de Pourtalès”. After we were assigned to our rooms and our roommates, we had a lavish dinner in the nearby restaurant. Every day in Château has been like a challenge for me as I have been experiencing new things. The classes we have been assigned has been completely different from what I had expected earlier and it has been a challenge for me to build up my intellectual capacity. I have always been a compatible person and thus I have been able to handle the pressure of taking classes that are not a part of my interests.
I have never taken any philosophy classes during my high school and it is quite difficult for me to understand the key element in knowing the exact definition of philosophy. This is one of the classes which I found really interesting even though I lacked a lot of knowledge about it. I noticed that philosophy helps us to broaden our thinking capacity, perspective and our perception towards what we see. The next class we have is quite interesting as it is concerned with the European integration where you have a lot of issues to deal with. I was awestruck to see the number of questions we had when we dealt with some of the topics on the economy, warfare, trade and the integration among the European nations. Learning about different cultures has always fascinated me and so the other class we have deals pretty much about the civilization and the origin of the countries and their contribution towards the people all around the world. Each and every day I have been experiencing a lot of different things and have made my intellectual capacity growth higher. During my time here in France I want to make the most of it and take every day as a new challenge. I want to take as many memories and knowledge with me when I return to Colby- Sawyer and cherish the moments I have with me for a lifetime.

Something to know about the French Culture

One of the simplest ways to understand the French culture is that you have to go back to the history where it started. It’s a great way to get a different perspective on something with which you are already familiar. I have had some knowledge about the French culture as I had taken history classes during my school days. I had mostly learned about the French revolution that took place in the past and what was the impact in the lives of the French people. But it’s always interesting to gain more knowledge from where you had once stopped and so Global beginnings has provided me an opportunity to learn more about the French culture.
From the first day in Paris, I have noticed a couple of things about the French culture. France has played an important role in offering high culture and decorative arts among the people. French people are more familiar with the modern art, cinema, fashion and cuisine. These are the specialty of France which had made this country one of the most stylized countries in the world. Even if you’re walking down the street, you can see a lot of people dressed up in the most fashionable clothes that one can ever see in other places. France has its trademark in the world of fashion. It has conquered greater heights than any other country in the world of fashion. History always offers the common identity among the people where they belong and so do French people show a keen interest in their rich culture. More than the foreigners walking down the street to visit the museums and the local places, the French people are seen talking pictures and asking a lot of questions.
One thing about the French culture that fascinates me the most is the interest of the French people in having a lavish lifestyle which includes good food, best quality drinks, well furnished apartments, fashionable clothes and above all maintaining their common identity. With this kind of feeling every French people has been able to accomplish what they are today. I personally feel that French people do know how to live their lives to the fullest and so French culture offers more than what we really know.

The memory still remains...

One of the very few things that have surprised me on global beginnings is the amount energy we are requiring to visit places each and every day. From the day we arrived we didn’t even had time for rest after a full seven hours journey in the flight. Yes, it’s always nice to learn different things and gain new experiences but as days are passing by there is so much to learn and so little to grasp in out head. I never thought it would turn out to be this way. I have always admired the beauty, culture and the lifestyles of different countries. France and especially Paris has always been one of my dream spot and it’s a pleasure that it came alive just in time. The days I have spent till now have been one of the most incredible moments in my life. Watching the Eifel tower is one of the most incredible things I have ever encountered in my life. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever come across.
There are several other places which I found really fascinating. Most of the places we visited were mostly museums but each of them had so many things to offer to us. One thing I personally noticed is that France is really rich in architecture and the lifestyle the French people live is simply amazing. I will definitely cherish each and every moment that I have spent here and these moments will always be stored in my book of memories.