He highlights that in the English capital you can meet many people from all parts of the world . This 23 year old Frenchman is carrying out his studies away from Paris in the English capital. It isn’t his first time as an immigrant.
Javier Duque
Rene Cars* arrived in London from Paris last November to continue his studies – although now long-distance – in Computer Art and Graphic Design. He is enrolled at the famous university of the Sorbonne, to which he must return in the coming days to take his exams. Referring to the university he assures us that it has the same problems as all the others: “The only difference is that it has a famous name”, he asserts.
He decided to come to London because he gained a scholarship to continue his studies outside of France and chose London so he could improve his English.
His father also helped him financially and he has until now performed various particular “jobs”: he has collaborated with a stylist friend, has taught a little “PhotoShop” and he has also advised on the design of a restaurant that a friend of his plans to open.
But for Cars this is not the first time that he has left France for a set amount of time. He has spent timein Belgium, 2 years ago, where he recalls he had problems communicating as he was in the Flemish part, where (other Flemish dialects are spoken here too) Dutch or English is spoken (but english isn’t an official recognised language). His English at the time, he recalls, was “non existent”.
What led him to choose London, apart from improving his English, was that the city is very famous in France. He believes it to be a very addictive city and that “everything is much easier if you compare it to Paris. In Paris the people are very snobbish”.
Furthermore, this young Frenchman has found that administration in the city is better than in Paris: “Less paperwork is needed for everything: for a property rental contract, to open a bank account…”
He also highlights that in the English capital you can meet many people from all parts of the world and although he lives with two other French people and an Italian, he assures us that they speak English in the house so that everything can be understood by all.
In regard to it being an expensive city, taking into account that Paris is after London one of the most expensive cities in Europe, Rene believes that the expenses are smaller living in the English capital. “Here the underground is expensive, drinks, tobacco…. but food is cheaper. In Paris the underground only costs €1.70 but you can only find small supermarkets and food costs more”.
Talking about the English, this Frenchman has no complaints. However he believes that they go a “bit crazy” with alcohol and that “when you go out to parties you see many drunk girls.”
The future
Once he has taken his exams in Paris necessary to complete the course, Rene would like to return to London to work in a communications agency or in a restaurant so he can practice his English. He will do this around September, when the academic year begins.
This is due to the fact that he still has another year of his university studies to complete and Cars likes to finish things in the same place that he starts them.
As soon as he has definitively completed his studies next year, Rene wants to try to do a Master’s in “Cooker designer”(? What is this?), which is a mix between creation and communication.
Meanwhile, Rene will continue practicing the language to gain a complete command over it and achieve an extra for his CV because, as he explains, in France it is not easy to find someone who speaks fluent English.
(Translated by Tim Huntington) – Photos: Pixabay
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