To achieve my second year at ESDES, I have to do an internship or a work experience. I choose to work for my semester because I don't have a lot of lessons.

It is a assault course to find a job in Ireland. I want to work only few hours a week in a charity shop because charity shops belong to Irish culture and I think it is a good point in my CV.

So, I go to St Vincent's, Oxfam, and other charities shops but all of them don't want that I beging right now. I have to fill in lots of papers and send it to the Garda. Then, the Garda will verify that I haven't got a criminal record and I can work with children. The problem is that this process is long (between 4 and 7 months) so I have to find another solution.

I go to the head of the department of Humanities at school to find someone who can help me. I meet Angela and she gives me the name of Sian, a woman who works for Walk with me. I send her my CV and a letter of application. Few days after, Sian wants to meet me for an interview. The feeling is good and I can work for this association which helps mental disability persons.

The office

So, I go to the office every Monday to have an exchange with Irish teenagers: Joe, Sam and Alan. I speak with them and give them French lessons.  At the begining I was sceptic about this work because it is hard to work with people who are so different. I have to be patient. But finally I love it and I am glad to help them! Alan, Joe and Sam give me a lot in return. I think the best part of this experience is for the last lesson, when Sian (my tutor) and Alan give me a letter to say thank you. So cute! And Joe tells me very beautiful things like "I won't forget both of you. Merci beaucoup!"

 

This is my free article. I am going to try to discover how French people are seen by other nationalities. What are the best adjectives to describe them and their culture?

To realise a good job with real opinions, I decided to ask some questions to people that I met at the college, in the streets, at the airport wherever I went (you can see all the comments all over the article and a video to resume everything on the bottom of the article). I aslo found some videos on youtube to have more details.

Thanks to this article, I could speak with so many people. I learnt more about French and France but also about the vision and culture of foreign persons. It's true because I realized that all the old people are the same answer, all the rich people have another one.

 

♣  If I say "an adjective to describe French", what do you tell me?

Romantic
Nice
Rich
Suitor
Sexy with their French accent
Patriotic
Sofisticated

Individualist
Bad faith
Complainer
Lazy
Frozen
Critical

 

I did a video about French seen by others:

In this video, you can discover the main stereotypes of French people:

♣  If I say "France", what do you tell me?

 

According to the group of people in the pictures, France is synonym with:

Eiffel Tower, Paris, Louvre, Montmartre, luxe, perfect, beautiful, elegance, bread, French fries, coffee, croissant, café, ratatouille, crêpe, François Hollande, DSK, Nicolas Sarkozy, French language and 'je suis Charlie', smoke cigarets a lot, topless on the beach, good food.

I was so suprised because everyone says the same words and adjectives. So to live in France, you have to be at Paris in a café and wear luxury things.

 

In this video, you can realize that French people have a lot of tics when they speak:

 

 

 

♣  If I say "French author", what do you tell me?

" I studied l'Etranger written by Albert Camus at school"

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - Le Petit Prince

Tatiana de Rosnay - Elle s'appelait Sarah

Muriel Barbery - L'élégance du hérisson

"I know Patrick Modiano thanks to his Nobel Price in 2015 and Le Clézio in 2008 "

Andreï Makine - Le testament français

Molière - l'Avare

Sartre - l'Être et le Néant

"I think my favourite book is La fille de papier (Guillaume Musso).
I remember I read that book on the beach last summer."

 

♣  If I say "French cooking", what do you tell me?

"French food is the best food that I have ever eaten!"

Ratatouille, Quiche, Cassoulet, Tartiflette, Crème brulée

 

Crêpe, Ham called "bonne maman", Fondue, Wine, Escargot, Saint Jacques

 

 

 

 

Bread, Croissant, Cheese like Camembert

 

 ♣  If I say "French famous singer", what do you tell me?

 

   "I love Edith Piaf and her charism"
said Elizabeth.

 "For me, Aznavour! When I was young, my Nana always listened to his songs. Good memories", said John.

 "I don't know a lot of French singers, but I know Carla Bruni thanks to Nicolas Sarkozy", said Owen.

 

 

 

 

1. Walk in Dublin

During one day, you can walk in the city center to discover some places like:

• Saint Stephen green park and shopping center
• Some famous streets and bridges
• Trinity collegeand its library (one of the oldest and most prestigious university)
• Dublin Castle
• Christ Church Cathedral
• The Parliement
• Temple Bar (stop you to drink a beer or a coffee)
• The Spire (stop you to Penneys, a very famous cheap clothes' shop)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Phoenix park

Phoenix park and its 707 hectares, is one of the largest enclosed recreational spaces within any European capital city. It's larger than all of London's city parks pu together and more than twince the area of New York's Central Park. It has been managed as a National Historic Park since 1986. Its names comes from 'Fionn Uisce' in Gaelic, which means 'clear water'.

Phoenix Park is covered by trees, which are mainly broadleaf parkland species such as oak, ash, lime, beech, sycamore and horsechestnut. The Phoenix Park is a sanctuary for many mammals and birds and a wide range of wildlife habitats are to be found in the park.  One such  area is the Furry Glen, which is managed as a conservation area. 

• Aras an Uachtarain which is the residence of the President of Ireland from 1750.
• The United States Ambassador's residence built in 1774.
• Welligton Testimonial which is an obelisk which mesure about 60 meters tall. It was built in the nineteenth century to celebrate Arthur Wellesky's victories.
  
• The Papal Cross which was erected in 1979 for papal visit of Pope John Paul II.  
• The Phoenix Monument
• Dublin zoo
• The Victorian people's flower gardens provide an opportunity to display Victorian horticulture at its best. 

 

3. Kilmainham goal

Kilmainham Gaol is one of the largest unoccupied gaols in Europe, covering some of the most heroic and tragic events in Ireland's emergence as a modern nation from 1780s to the 1920s. Dublin's Kilmainham Gaol held some of the most famous political and military leaders in Irish history such as Robert Emmet, Charles Stewart Parnell, the 1916 Rising leaders and Eamon de V.

Attractions include a major exhibition detailing the political and penal history of the prison and its restoration. There is also a museum.

 

4. Wiclow moutains

 You should go to Glendalough. It's the 10th century monastic and there is also a cemetary. Spend several hours at this area of overwhelming beauty. Relax you and take a lesirurely walk up to the waterfull, the upper and lower lakes. And then finish the day at Avoca mill which which is the oldest wool's manufactures in Ireland. 

Make sure you have your camera ready!   

5. Dun Laoghaire Harbour

Dun Laoghaire is a harbour and a suburban seaside town on the Dublin coast. It is very nice. If you can there, you will discover boats and a good way for a walking. Stay there for the sunset, it is wonderful!

 

6. Dublin coast: Dalkey to Greystones

Probably the best place that I've seen in Dublin. Take the DART to Killiney where you arrive on the beach. Walk on the beach and go to the left when you look the sea. And walk in Killiney town where you will discover so many big and wonderful houses with big gardens, view on the bay, fountains, swimming pools, volleyball fields, expensive cars... And then, you will arrive to Dalkey, its hill and its harbour. Take some pictures and then go to train station. Take the train to Bray. You could walk on the beach again. And follow the way to the cross and then to Greystones where you will walk around cliffs. Very nice! I liked it very much. Finally, you will arrive to Greystones, its harbours and sheeps.

Take care to have good shoes because you will walk a lot (about 6hours)