So here we are. The end of the first semester. Half time.
But the weird thing is, while for me it's not the end, there was an undeniable air of finality enshrouding my last week in Rennes before Christmas. Why? Because so many people are not coming back after Christmas, and it marks the end of what has been a wonderful semester with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.
It will be extremely strange being in Rennes without them next semester, but with a new bunch of Erasmus students. While I am naturally sceptical about the new students - they won't be able to replace the students who have just left - I know we students still at Rennes next semester need to keep an open mind, accept them into our community and teach them the ways of the Rennes (Hey, I'm Ollie. Here is la Rue de la Soif. You're good to go!)
But this blog post is not about the future. Today I want to just simply say thank you to the people who have made this past semester the life-changing experience it has been - and yes, it has been life-changing! How? I'll save that for another post. This is not about me either. All I'm gonna say for now is that I'm sure I've returned to Wales a different man from the one who left three months ago.How is it that these people have had such an impact on me? I guess it's because there's a certain state of mind here with exchange students. We are all here for an experience that is different from the norm. We are all 'yes' people. We dedicate our time not to study or bettering ourselves (that can wait for final year), but to hedonistic pursuits and to meeting people from all kinds of backgrounds. To seizing the day and looking forward to what the next one will bring. I hadn't been excited for anything for the past few years - so to regress to a childlike optimism and naiveté has, for me, been wonderful, and I couldn't have done it alone. Every day is now exciting - and I fucking love it!
Arsene, the legend who looks like Bilbo Baggins and teaches us French Culture, takes his favourite quote from 'The French' by Theodore Zeldin (1983) - "A shared experience is more than a bond. It is a joint discovery of unexpected possibilities". Notice the key word here - joint. No, I'm not talking about Amsterdam, I'm talking about the fact that this discovery of unexpected possibilities that I have definitely undergone would not have been possible alone. It has been shared with some phenomenal dudes, and I want to thank them all here, especially a few certain people. It's probably going to sound like an Oscar acceptance speech, but here goes:
Firstly, the Finnish: what a race! Raised in winter with a great taste in music (HEAVY!!!), speaking the weirdest and most awesome language that has no etymological relevance to anything, and they're just so damn cool! Really nice guys and girls, some of whom also have a bit of a 'fuck you' attitude. So thank you especially to Jaakko, Jenni, Besi, Antti and Iina! I'll be seeing most of you next semester (good luck Iina!).
But special thanks go to Jaana and Satu - our residential Fins, who have been a mahoosive part of my semester. They are both such one-of-a-kind people (contradicting myself there - they're each one-of-a-kind in their own right!) and I was blessed to be in such great company for three months. I can't wait to see them in Helsinki in January and from then on we'll see what the future brings, but I'll miss you guys so much. Rennes won't be the same without you! Satu, keep pulling those hilarious faces! Jaana, keep up the sarcasm! All the best back home!
Next it's the Belgians. These guys are CRAZY! They are proud of their beer and drink so much of it, and it's a lot stronger than the stuff we Brits are used to! Most of these guys are unfortunately not coming back, which will leave the nights out a lot quieter. I'll especially miss the Belgian tornado (Celine, Sarina and Catherine) who always make me laugh, my French partner Silke, and the ringleaders that are Thibault and Max. Check out Thibault's blog by the way. He's such a positive dude and there's some inspirational stuff on there! http://thibaultintheworld.blogspot.com Also massive thanks to Annelien and Mathias, who fortunately will be returning next semester.
This semester has been the first time I've met proper Irish people (Eire now, not British Ireland), and they're such a laugh! Katie, Caroline, Stella and Michelle - we've had the craic! Luckily, you guys aren't abandoning me so there'll be more to come next semester I'm sure! I also want you to know that I have just started drinking Guinness, and it won't be long before I book a Ryan Air flight to Dublin! (Yep, I'm totally sucking up aren't I!)
From the Irish girls to the Dutch girls - some of the first people I met at Rennes, and some of the kindest and most welcoming. Anouck, Carolijn, Marouschka and Tjitske - all the best back in your beautiful country, and yes - I shall return to Amsterdam soon for the native's perspective rather than the tourist's! You guys will be missed, and Cecile - you already were! (She left Rennes early, or as Cam and I call it - 'did a Chris').
Of course, I cannot forget the latinos! The Mexicans are just - wow. Such drinkers! You make Matt and I look like teetotallers! Thank you for pouring the tequilla down my throat and for your singing and constant fiestas! "Arriba, abajo, al centro y pa' dentro"! Laura and Jessica, the Ecuadorian girls, you're so sweet it's hilarious! And of course, Simon and Itzel - I love you guys! Thanks for everything this semester and we have another to look forward to once we've conquered Europe together! Simon keep being even weirder than I am. Itzel, I miss your voice and accent already!
I need to thank all the Appart'City dudes. Rob, the big badass baby balls Robert, the Cypriot giant! Thanks for always being such a laugh with your terrible 'dumb kid' jokes and for just being a crazy fool, and for God's sake tidy your room! I'm looking forward to another semester of your inhuman-sized dinners and strange handshakes! The Russian girls, Arina and Elina, thanks for both being so strange and so funny! Long may I continue to confuse your names! Lena, the first person I talked to in Rennes (on Facebook) thanks for being so kind and friendly! Your English is far better than you think it is by the way! Jessie, we survived French Language woohoo! See you next semester!
Neither can I forget my awesome classmates - you made the classes bearable, sometimes even mildly enjoyable! Thanks to my group mates for working so hard and so well. Sarah, Miri, Annelien, Jaakko, François, Seung Taek, Ly, Laura, Jessica, Barbara, Melissa, Antti, Aurel. Wow, I worked with such diverse groups! Well done to you all. I actually enjoyed our group meetings! And I look forward to working with more people next semester. To the French guys who left, bon courage pour vos voyages! Profitez-vous! Vous me manquez!
Finally, I need to thank the 'English'. Sheffield guys Fiona, Elissa and Musa you're really cool for a bunch of mathematicians! Matt, you're a fucking legend and I love our banter! Thanks for the great recommendations in music and comedy (I'm listening to Demians as I write this!), being the source of Britishness that may sometimes save me from insanity, and for the hangover KFC sessions! But please keep your trousers up next semester!
I put inverted commas around the word English because as part of my segmentation (marketing nerds be proud!), I'm putting my fellow Warwickers in this category, even though only one of them is actually English! Chris, those couple of weeks you were here were very enjoyable and it was a shame you had to 'do a Chris', but as long as you're (for some crazy reason) happier at Warwick than you are in France, that's all that matters!
But it turns out the other two have done a half-Chris, by chickening out of ESC Rennes to pursue work experience for a consulting firm in Paris, because apparently that's more useful than learning stuff they already know in French whilst being ostracised from a native French-speaking group. Tut tut..... But seriously guys congratulations on getting the internships! Life in Paris will be amazing, and you'll definitely get more use out of next semester than I will (but I will have a LOT more fun despite being poor mwahahaha!)
Frieddie, it was an absolute pleasure getting to know you this semester, and I can't wait to hang out with you more back in Warwick. We should get some of those sweets you love and throw them at the pretentious Swedes who suit up for every lecture, although I'm sure you will have thought of something much more evil! Thanks for everything!
Cam, I'm gonna embarrass the shit out of you right now! This guy has been my best friend throughout uni, being with me through the good times and the bad, and I'd like to think I did the same for him.(No? Awkward turtle....) We had some great times in Rennes, especially those quiet drinks in town where we'd discuss our plans for world domination etc. Dude, next semester will be my first at uni without you, and it will be weird. You're the Laurel to my Hardy. The Ant to my Dec. The random high-profile popstar to my David Guetta. The moves to my Jagger. The cigarettes to my Frenchman. You catch my drift.... Anyway dude, best of luck in Paris, and thanks for the free accommodation there. (By the way, I'm visiting!) We have plenty more antics ahead in Paris, Warwick, HK (Hong Kong), KL (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), NY (New York), NK (North Korea)....but you'll be missed in Rennes!
Okay! That's all the soppiness out of my system, but these guys needed a little thank you, because they have all contributed to making my time at Rennes so enjoyable. If I forgot anyone I apologise, but all the Rennes people I met should know they've been great! In fact, maybe you have someone you'd like to thank for making a positive impact on your life? Tell them! It's always nice to know you're appreciated. And is that not what the true spirit of Christmas is all about?
Okay maybe that was a little TOO cheesy, like a High School Musical raclette. My bad.
BRING ON SEMESTER II!!!
Rant/histrionic gratefulness over
Ollie
Firstly, the Finnish: what a race! Raised in winter with a great taste in music (HEAVY!!!), speaking the weirdest and most awesome language that has no etymological relevance to anything, and they're just so damn cool! Really nice guys and girls, some of whom also have a bit of a 'fuck you' attitude. So thank you especially to Jaakko, Jenni, Besi, Antti and Iina! I'll be seeing most of you next semester (good luck Iina!).
But special thanks go to Jaana and Satu - our residential Fins, who have been a mahoosive part of my semester. They are both such one-of-a-kind people (contradicting myself there - they're each one-of-a-kind in their own right!) and I was blessed to be in such great company for three months. I can't wait to see them in Helsinki in January and from then on we'll see what the future brings, but I'll miss you guys so much. Rennes won't be the same without you! Satu, keep pulling those hilarious faces! Jaana, keep up the sarcasm! All the best back home!
Next it's the Belgians. These guys are CRAZY! They are proud of their beer and drink so much of it, and it's a lot stronger than the stuff we Brits are used to! Most of these guys are unfortunately not coming back, which will leave the nights out a lot quieter. I'll especially miss the Belgian tornado (Celine, Sarina and Catherine) who always make me laugh, my French partner Silke, and the ringleaders that are Thibault and Max. Check out Thibault's blog by the way. He's such a positive dude and there's some inspirational stuff on there! http://thibaultintheworld.blogspot.com Also massive thanks to Annelien and Mathias, who fortunately will be returning next semester.
From the Irish girls to the Dutch girls - some of the first people I met at Rennes, and some of the kindest and most welcoming. Anouck, Carolijn, Marouschka and Tjitske - all the best back in your beautiful country, and yes - I shall return to Amsterdam soon for the native's perspective rather than the tourist's! You guys will be missed, and Cecile - you already were! (She left Rennes early, or as Cam and I call it - 'did a Chris').
I need to thank all the Appart'City dudes. Rob, the big badass baby balls Robert, the Cypriot giant! Thanks for always being such a laugh with your terrible 'dumb kid' jokes and for just being a crazy fool, and for God's sake tidy your room! I'm looking forward to another semester of your inhuman-sized dinners and strange handshakes! The Russian girls, Arina and Elina, thanks for both being so strange and so funny! Long may I continue to confuse your names! Lena, the first person I talked to in Rennes (on Facebook) thanks for being so kind and friendly! Your English is far better than you think it is by the way! Jessie, we survived French Language woohoo! See you next semester!
Neither can I forget my awesome classmates - you made the classes bearable, sometimes even mildly enjoyable! Thanks to my group mates for working so hard and so well. Sarah, Miri, Annelien, Jaakko, François, Seung Taek, Ly, Laura, Jessica, Barbara, Melissa, Antti, Aurel. Wow, I worked with such diverse groups! Well done to you all. I actually enjoyed our group meetings! And I look forward to working with more people next semester. To the French guys who left, bon courage pour vos voyages! Profitez-vous! Vous me manquez!
I put inverted commas around the word English because as part of my segmentation (marketing nerds be proud!), I'm putting my fellow Warwickers in this category, even though only one of them is actually English! Chris, those couple of weeks you were here were very enjoyable and it was a shame you had to 'do a Chris', but as long as you're (for some crazy reason) happier at Warwick than you are in France, that's all that matters!
But it turns out the other two have done a half-Chris, by chickening out of ESC Rennes to pursue work experience for a consulting firm in Paris, because apparently that's more useful than learning stuff they already know in French whilst being ostracised from a native French-speaking group. Tut tut..... But seriously guys congratulations on getting the internships! Life in Paris will be amazing, and you'll definitely get more use out of next semester than I will (but I will have a LOT more fun despite being poor mwahahaha!)
Frieddie, it was an absolute pleasure getting to know you this semester, and I can't wait to hang out with you more back in Warwick. We should get some of those sweets you love and throw them at the pretentious Swedes who suit up for every lecture, although I'm sure you will have thought of something much more evil! Thanks for everything! Cam, I'm gonna embarrass the shit out of you right now! This guy has been my best friend throughout uni, being with me through the good times and the bad, and I'd like to think I did the same for him.(No? Awkward turtle....) We had some great times in Rennes, especially those quiet drinks in town where we'd discuss our plans for world domination etc. Dude, next semester will be my first at uni without you, and it will be weird. You're the Laurel to my Hardy. The Ant to my Dec. The random high-profile popstar to my David Guetta. The moves to my Jagger. The cigarettes to my Frenchman. You catch my drift.... Anyway dude, best of luck in Paris, and thanks for the free accommodation there. (By the way, I'm visiting!) We have plenty more antics ahead in Paris, Warwick, HK (Hong Kong), KL (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), NY (New York), NK (North Korea)....but you'll be missed in Rennes!
Okay! That's all the soppiness out of my system, but these guys needed a little thank you, because they have all contributed to making my time at Rennes so enjoyable. If I forgot anyone I apologise, but all the Rennes people I met should know they've been great! In fact, maybe you have someone you'd like to thank for making a positive impact on your life? Tell them! It's always nice to know you're appreciated. And is that not what the true spirit of Christmas is all about?
Okay maybe that was a little TOO cheesy, like a High School Musical raclette. My bad.
BRING ON SEMESTER II!!!
Rant/histrionic gratefulness over
Ollie
very interesting to read your view on the past semester dude, I enjoy reading that we agree on a lot of things as well! thanks for the mentioning, that's sound, as would the Irish bitches say.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait on reading your blog on the travelling and reading your conclusion after the next semester, making the compairison between the fall and spring semesters!