A Stereotypical Post

My impressions of various nationalities that I've encountered while studying abroad here in Toulouse. AKA my most offensive post yet.

The 3 most represented nationalities:

Chinese

There are a surprising number of Chinese students studying here in Toulouse, though it's hard for me to make too many generalizations since they're always together, speaking Chinese (hey, there's 1 down!). To sum up the general impression given off, I'll give you an illustration of the difference between the Chinese and the European (/occidental) students:
All of the "Erasmus" (blanket name for int'l) students have one lecture class together each semester. For the first...few months... of the lecture, you would walk in to the course and see the first 3 rows or so of the Chinese students, all with their electronic translators at hand, and then a few rows back the European students started, all trying to be as far back in the room as possible. If you walked in to said course while it was in progress, you would see the Chinese students silently taking notes, and the Europeans talking amongst themselves, checking out facebook, drinking coffee, and so on.

Italians
My French class here is half Italian, actually, which is pretty fantastic since they all have wonderful, Italian-sounding names (Alessandro, Lorenzo, Roberta, Davide, Giorgia...). The general stereotype for the Italians, which has held true way too often, is that they will be late. To everything. The trend lately has been to give a time half an hour earlier to the Italians so they will be less late (though we've found that 1 hour to 2 hours is a reasonable estimation of when they will arrive, depending on the person and the event).
They also really like their coffee. And think the pizza here is disgusting (though I'll have to agree with them on that one).

Germans
Stuck together like the Italians at the beginning, though most dispersed eventually. They've got a reputation for drinking - which they have done, and quite often with beer, yes - but I was surprised to find them out-drunken (not a word, but I'm too lazy to figure out a more appropriate one) by quite a few other nationalities who were much less represented, yet still made amazing showings in the drinking department.
Such nationalities include the Czechs (seriously, it was like their mothers' milk), and the Polish (who had an affinity for vodka, big surprise there), and even the few Colombians represented. Still, it was when I was with the Germans that it was decided to sit around drinking on the steps of a church in Montpellier, so it's not like they've lost the game here.


Any nationalities you'd like addressed? Do the Spanish really like their siestas? Do the French drink to get drunk? Swedes - blonde? The answer to these questions is yes, actually (though you could have put an effort into making the last one a complete sentence - I mean, come on), but if you have any others, feel free to leave a comment, and I'd be quite happy to respond.

Rome: Pros and Cons

(Written on the last day of my first trip to Rome, August 21st, 2008)

Con: In mid-August, it is ridiculously hot - sultry even - with little opportunity for shade.
Pro: Water is really accessible, with fountains everywhere, and it's cool and tasty at that.

Con: I felt dirty, pretty much the whole time I was there.
Pro: The dust was mostly from all the really cool old crap.

Con: Speaking of old crap, you could trip over all the ruins all over the place.
Pro: Well, you could trip over the ruins, there are so many, all over the place.

Con: Cobblestone roads. They seem quaint and cool when you first see them, but they can do hell on your feet and luggage, especially when they're sloppy, like in Rome. And car rides are not comfortable.
Pro: The cobblestone fits with the old buildings, fountains, and statues everywhere that really create this antique atmosphere.

Con: Caesar salad. I had some in a restaurant, and it was positively yucky. The dressing was this thick crap, all cheesy or something...yuck.
Pro: Gelatto. Oh-my-God delicious. And I had the best strawberry (fragola) gelatto on the Spanish Steps.

Con: Eating alone: I couldn't share any huge portions.
Pro: Pizza margherita. Mwah! (Said kissing my fingers, Mamma-Mia-Italian-cliche style)

Con: The limited metro and confusing buses.
Pro: The bus I was on was super nice, with a TV and everything. Plus, you can watch Rome fly by.

Con: Not knowing Italian.
Pro: Most people spoke English, and pretty well.

Con: The Vatican Museum is just too much. And you have to walk through the entire thing to get to the Sistine Chapel.
Pro: A combo this time: seeing nuns in all types of nun-garb all over the place....and spiffy Swiss guards!

Con: My feet are killing me.
Pro: The Fanta here is more like Orangina than orange soda.

Con: Seriously, I think my feet are permanently swollen, with blisters in weird places.
Pro: That's not totally Rome's fault, my feet took a beating in France, too.

Con: I've been cut off from news; even when I see it, I don't really understand it.
Pro: I find it funny that the Herald is the international English paper. Like, okay then.

Con: In a weird turn, my shins even feel weak.
Pro: Again Sam, not all Rome's fault, mostly just yours.

Con: Italian waiters are not very attentive.
Pro: They deliver to your table delicious pasta.

Con: The Italian/European keyboard - nothing is where it's supposed to be, and it took me forever to figure out how to get an @ sign.
Pro: I haven't had to use an internet cafe yet.

Con: My feet...
Pro: Oh, shut up about your feet already.


Word of the day:
Uscita
It's on all the exit signs in Rome, but also the term for the boarding gates at the airport.

Ciao Roma!