This article about student residences in Paris is dedicated to those who are going to France to do their Licence or Master - first and foremost, to those who got such scholarships as bourse d'Études du Gouvernement Français (as I did) and bourse Eiffel; but also to anyone else who is thinking about renting a student room to save up some money (and just make everyday life simpler).

As mentioned previously, I was lucky enough to get a French Government scholarship. This scholarship gives plenty of different privileges, including government aid with accommodation (which came in very handy since there are already many different problems to solve when you move to another country). That means, I did not have to look fo accommodation on my own - Campus France agents on-site were the ones responsible for it. Getting a scholarship also meant I will have to pay smaller rent - and the payments will be made directly by Campus France.

Nonetheless, before my departure I had quite a bit of anxiety - there was not enough information available, only some dry brochures and several concise emails. I boarded my flight with only a one-night hostel voucher in my pocket (provided by Campus France). What would happen next... Nobody knew at the time.

YOU MUST SPOIL BEFORE YOU SPIN WELL, OR LES ESTUDINES PARIS-IVRY

The morning after I landed in Paris, I arrived for my appointment in the Campus France office in the 10th arrondissement. Turned out, there were no more rooms available in the districts I was aiming for (5th, 13th...), and the only option they could offer that was more or less close to my school and did not cost a fortune, was in the student residence located in Ivry-sur-Seine. Everything looked good on paper and I decided to accept the offer without much hesitation. Only after I signed the papers and had lunch at Le Petit Cambodge, I learned that the mysterious Ivry-sur-Seine is in fact a far-from-picturesque suburb located two steps away from périphérique, a ring road which surrounds Paris.

My residence was located on the Jean-Jacques Rousseau street, but the views were not able to spark a whole lot of philosophical thinking. From my windows, I would see factory pipes and glass office buildings; to reach the closest metro station, I had to pass by the Leroy Merlin and then right below the périphérique (where, on the luckiest occasions, I would even see rats running back and forth); the only bus I used would stop every twenty minutes, right next to where several barges were parked (who would have thought that the embankments of the Seine may actually not be photogenic).

Sounds marvellous, doesn't it?.. To say I was disappointed is an understatement. In my dreams (which, as I swiftly understood, were rather naive), I would imagine myself living in a humble student place, yes; however, I imagined it being cute and cozy, somewhere in the heart of the left bank, with a boulangerie and a flower shop around the corner. But in reality everything was quite different. Next to me, there were only two odd shopping malls. You should have seen a look on my Russian friend's face when I told her there is no 'authentic' place to buy a baguette in my neighbourhood.

I have to admit though: inside the residence, everything was quite alright (that is, as long as I pretended there was no instant noodles smell in the corridors and no freshmen who decided to throw a party in the room next to me). On the first floor, there was a laundry (with 'student' prices but with a very limited number of machines), a cafeteria (where I never set my foot though), a few vending machines with some snacks and some hygiene products. The residence manager was kind enough to allocate me (quote) 'one of the best available rooms' - with laminate flooring and fresh furniture. To be fair, it was a full-fledged apartment rather than a room: a small entrance/kitchen, a spacious bathroom, a bedroom with a convenient built-in wardrobe, and even a proper little balcony (yes, guys, I had my own balcony). Up until now, this first apartment is still the biggest one I have lived in in Paris.

The apartment came with quite a few 'utensils': some basic tableware and cutlery, a few hangers, bed linen and towels (which I was supposed to take to the first floor every two weeks according to the schedule to have them changed). However, I had to go to the closest Carrefour a few days after I moved in to get more household items like a kettle and some cleaning sponges, as well as a couple of decor elements to make my place feel a bit more like home.

The main advantages of this residence were definitely a huge supermarket down the street (better assortment than in the city, and better prices too), spacious rooms, fuss-free electricity/wi-fi services (there was no need to set them up on your own). The rent was also affordable - as a scholar, I was paying ~450 euros/month and I could also apply for CAF (fyi: for non-scholars, the rent was ~850 euros/month). The obvious disadvantages were lack of public transport and the 'industrial' character of the area, with no parks or cafés around. This lack of feeling like I actually 'live in Paris' was one of the main reasons why I started planning moving somewhere else before I even settled in.

Luckily, I got an opportunity to move just four months later.

STUDENT DREAMS DO COME TRUE, OR CITÉ INTERNATIONALE UNIVERSITAIRE DE PARIS

In the end of December, I decided to email Campus France to ask them if they may have any rooms available in other residences. To my surprise, they replied straight away saying that there are in fact some rooms at Cité Universitaire (CIUP) - the famous 'student city' of Paris which is basically an enormous park with 38 residences: from maisons that remind you of Hogwarts with their gilded coats of arms to colourful futuristic buildings.

Thousands of lucky students from around the world live here - I say lucky, because it really is difficult to get admitted: for example, when I was trying to prolong my stay after my scholarship period was finished, I was not able to succeed despite having a great application. Living here is truly a great experience. In the Cité Universitaire park, you can find rare species of plants and insects, the quality of air here is good, and there are plenty of opportunities to train outside. In the main building, there are Service d'Accueil des Étudiants Étrangers, a student cafeteria with very affordable prices, a gym with a swimming pool, and a library - moreover, Angèle's music video for her popular song 'Balance ton quoi' was also filmed nearby.

Anyway, I suppose you won't be surprised to learn that the next day I was in the Campus France office. I was offered a room (own bathroom + common kitchen) at Maison des Provinces de France which was built in 1933. The place was smaller and more expansive than my previous one; but the history of CIUP, its location (only one minute to the tram station and the Montsouris park, just seven minutes to metro line 4), plenty of different supermarkets and shops - all these were the reasons why I was still happy to move (although the moving day itself makes me cringe to this day).

Here are some of the other obvious advantages of living at Cité Universitaire (notably at Maison des Provinces de France): lots of wood in the rooms, big beautiful windows and elegant staircases, weekly room cleaning, regular bed linen changes, cheap and well-equipped laundry at rez-de-chaussée, common study rooms, on-campus safety. When it comes to disadvantages, I would point out the following: elevators (constantly out of service), common kitchen (overpowering smells, blocked sinks, and disgustingly dirty stoves), weak wi-fi (a router or a cable is a must), single beds, barely-there heating during the winter, and am-I-in-the-sauna heat during the canicule period (when the temperatures started hitting +42-43 marks last summer, even the clothes that were inside my wardrobe on the opposite side of the window were getting warm).

If you will be lucky enough to get a room at CIUP, do keep in mind that there is literally nothing in the rooms except for furniture - no cooking utensils, no toilet paper, no hangers; you will have to purchase absolutely everything. However, since people are constantly moving in and out, there are often 'sales' of items that departing students do not need anymore - sometimes they even give things away for free. When it comes to the rent, it differs significantly from maison to maison. Mine was ~550 euros/month; without the scholarship you would have to pay ~750 euros.

I lived at Cité Universitaire for seven months, from January to August 2019. I was longing to experience living at a student residence like this for quite a while (blame the countless American movies I watched growing up) - in a historical building, with forged staircases, and a library with high ceilings and cozy yellow light coming from reading lamps. On top of that, renting a room at a student residence allows one to avoid a lot of organisational issues that anyone would encounter should they decide to look for and rent a studio on their own. This is why if you do have an opportunity to live at a student residence, I would highly recommend using it.

I sincerely hope that you found this article helpful. I decided to share my experience because I remember how before moving to France I was also looking for photos of residences and for reviews - but to no avail. If you have any questions (for example, about deposits, meals at the student canteens, etc.), I will be happy to reply to them in the comments section down below!

Also, please let me know if you would like to read about my experience of looking for and renting an apartment in Paris - or maybe the information you can already find online is, in fact, enough?..

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Эта статья о парижских общежитиях посвящена тем, кто летит в столицу Франции учиться по стипендиям вроде bourse d'Études du Gouvernement Français (как это было в моём случае) и bourse Eiffel - или же просто рассматривает вариант со студенческой резиденцией, чтобы сэкономить деньги (и облегчить свой быт в учебные годы).

Итак, приехав в Париж в статусе стипендиата Французского Правительства, я была избавлена от необходимости самостоятельно искать жильё - что, конечно, существенно сократило круг проблем, которые необходимо было решить #здесьисразу. Дело в том, что государственные стипендии позволяют получить поддержку в плане поиска жилья - распределением комнат занимаются на месте агенты Campus France. Да и с оплатой в этом случае всё гораздо приятнее: стоимость аренды для стипендиатов значительно снижена, а списывается она каждый месяц автоматически.

Хотя, разумеется, перед отъездом у меня присутствовала определённая тревога - ведь информации особо не было, лишь сухие брошюры и немногословные ответы. Я летела во Францию, имея на руках только ваучер на одну ночь в хостеле неподалёку от парижского офиса Campus France. А что будет дальше... Этого на тот момент наверняка никто не знал.

ПЕРВЫЙ БЛИН КОМОМ, ИЛИ LES ESTUDINES PARIS-IVRY

На следующий день после моего приезда я пришла в назначенное время в отделение Campus France в 10-м округе Парижа. Выяснилось, что комнат в желаемых мной районах (5-й, 13-й...) уже нет, и всё, что мне могли предложить поблизости от моей школы и за приемлемые деньги - это студенческая резиденция в Ivry-sur-Seine. На бумаге всё звучало вполне хорошо и я, не подумав и пяти минут, согласилась на этот вариант. Уже подписав все бумаги и отобедав в Le Petit Cambodge, я узнала, что загадочный Ivry-sur-Seine - это не слишком живописный пригород Парижа, находящийся в двух шагах от периферик, кольцевой автомобильной трассы, опоясывающей город.

Из моей резиденции, расположившейся на названной именем Жан-Жака Руссо улице, открывался вид на трубы заводов и стеклянные офисные здания; по дороге к ближайшей станции метро нужно было пройти мимо строительного гипермаркета Леруа Мерлен и прямо под загруженным машинами периферик (в особо удачные дни мне на глаза попадались снующие туда и обратно упитанные крысы); единственный удобный мне автобус отходил раз в двадцать минут с забитой баржами набережной Сены (кто бы мог подумать, что набережные Сены - это не всегда фотогенично).

Звучит просто потрясающе, не правда ли?.. Сказать, что я была разочарована своим новым местом обитания - ничего не сказать. В своих оптимистичных (и, как я быстро поняла, наивных) мечтах я представляла себя живущей в скромном студенческом жилье, да; но с уютной обстановкой и непременно в сердце Левого берега, с буланжери за углом и цветочной лавкой в двух шагах. Но на деле всё оказалось несколько иначе. Рядом были только два торговых центра сомнительного содержания - видели бы вы удивление на лице приехавшей погостить подруги, когда я сказала ей, что купить багет поблизости просто негде.

Внутри резиденции, впрочем, всё было вполне прилично (если закрыть глаза на запах растворимой лапши на этаже и первокурсников, однажды решивших устроить вечеринку до утра по соседству со мной). На первом этаже - маленькая прачечная (со "студенческими" ценами, но очень ограниченным количеством машин), кафетерий (в котором я ни разу так и не была), несколько автоматов со снэками и средствами гигиены. Весьма приветливый администратор заселил меня в, по его словам, лучшую из свободных комнат - с полом из ламината и вполне свежей мебелью. В общем-то, это была полноценная квартира: небольшая прихожая-кухня, просторная ванная, комната со встроенным шкафом и письменным столом, а также (внимание!) свой собственный маленький балкон. По сей день эта первая квартира остаётся самой большой, в которой я жила в Париже.

Что касается имевшейся утвари, то в этой резиденции был весь необходимый минимум: базовый набор посуды и приспособлений для готовки, несколько вешалок, постельное бельё и полотенца (которые необходимо было приносить поменять по вывешенному графику, каждые две недели). Хотя, конечно, в первые же дни пришлось совершить поход в ближайший Carrefour ("по-пригородному" большой и с ценами чуть ниже обычного) за бытовыми мелочами типа чайника и губок, а также за предметами декора, которые сделали интерьер чуть более уютным.

Из плюсов этой резиденции - большой супермаркет в пяти минутах ходьбы, размер комнат, удобства вроде налаженных электричества и интернета, а также организованной смены постельного белья (что значительно облегчает жизнь при наполненном до краёв учебном графике). Хорошей была и цена - будучи стипендиатом, я платила в районе 450 евро в месяц, при этом можно было также подать заявку на CAF (на заметку: стоимость месячной аренды без льгот составляет примерно 850 евро). Из минусов - отсутствие удобного общественного транспорта и "индустриальность" района, без каких-либо намёков на парки и кафе. Именно это отсутствие ощущения "жизни в Париже" было причиной того, почему я стала строить планы по переезду, не успев ещё окончательно разместиться.

К моему счастью, возможность сменить жильё появилась уже через четыре месяца.

СТУДЕНЧЕСКИЕ МЕЧТЫ СБЫВАЮТСЯ, ИЛИ CITÉ INTERNATIONALE UNIVERSITAIRE DE PARIS

В конце декабря я, не особо рассчитывая на удачу, написала в Campus France и спросила, не освободились ли случайно места в других студенческих резиденциях. В тот же день мне сообщили, что свободные комнаты есть в Cité Universitaire (он же CIUP) - прославленном университетском городке Парижа, в котором на территории парка расположилось 38 общежитий самой различной архитектуры: от напоминающих Хогвартс зданий с золочёными гербами до разноцветных футуристичных резиденций.

Здесь живут студенты со всего мира, которым посчастливилось получить положительный ответ от руководства CIUP - попасть сюда очень сложно, и, когда я, к примеру, пыталась продлить свою аренду после окончания стипендии, сделать мне это не удалось несмотря на хорошее досье. В парке Cité Universitaire можно найти редкие виды растений и насекомых, здесь хороший воздух и отличные условия для занятия спортом под открытым небом. В главном корпусе расположились студенческая префектура, бюджетное кафе, спортзал с бассейном и библиотека - а ещё около него снимали тот самый клип Angèle на песню Balance ton quoi.

В общем, вас врядли удивит тот факт, что уже на следующий день я вновь была в офисе Campus France. Мне предложили комнату с собственной ванной комнатой и общей кухней в Maison des Provinces de France, построенном в 1933-м году. Она была меньше и дороже моей предыдущей - но история самого городка, его расположение в черте Париже, в одной минуте от трамвайной остановки и от парка Монсури, в семи минутах от 4-й ветки метро и в окружении самых разнообразных супермаркетов и лавок были, безусловно, теми причинами, благодаря которым я была безумно рада переехать (хотя сам переезд до сих пор вспоминаю с ужасом).

Другие огромные плюсы проживания в Cité Universitaire (а именно в Maison des Provinces de France) - это большое количества дерева в комнатах, красивые окна и лестницы, еженедельная уборка комнат, регулярная замена постельного белья, дешёвая и хорошо оборудованная прачечная на нулевом этаже, общие комнаты для занятий, хорошо охраняемая территория. Среди минусов - регулярно ломающиеся лифты, общая кухня (а значит, запахи острых блюд, забитые раковины и грязные плиты), слабый интернет (который требует либо модема, либо подключения компьютера к сети проводом), односпальные кровати, недостаточно сильное общее отопление зимой и ощущение нахождения в сауне в период canicule (когда прошлым летом температуры подскакивали до 43, у меня нагревалась даже одежда в шкафу, стоящем в противоположном от окна углу).

Если вам посчастливится получить комнату в CIUP, также имейте в виду, что в комнатах нет ничего кроме мебели - ни приспособлений для готовки, ни туалетной бумаги, ни вешалок; абсолютно всё придётся покупать самим. Впрочем, из-за регулярной смены жильцов в Cité Universitaire часто проводятся распродажи или же "раздачи" вещей, которые больше не нужны уезжающим студентам. Что касается стоимости аренды, она может быть разной; моя составляла примерно 550 евро в месяц с учётом скидки стипендиата - без неё оплата была бы в районе 750 евро.

Я прожила в Cité Universitaire семь месяцев, с января по август 2019-го года. Пожить в подобной студенческой резиденции - в историческом здании, с лестницами с витыми перилами, с библиотекой с высокими потолками и уютным жёлтым светом настольных ламп - давно было одним из моих желаний, навеянных бесчисленными американскими фильмами. Кроме того, аренда комнаты в студенческой резиденции позволяет избежать многих организационных моментов, с которыми неминуемо столкнётся любой человек, принявший решение искать и снимать студию самостоятельно. Поэтому, если у вас есть возможность пожить в студенческой резиденции, я бы рекомендовала вам воспользоваться ей.

Надеюсь, что информация о моём опыте была для вас полезной. Помню, как перед отъездом во Францию сама безуспешно искала фотографии резиденций и отзывы жильцов, чтобы быть морально готовой к тому, что меня ждёт. Если у вас есть какие-то вопросы (к примеру, насчёт депозитов, обедов в студенческих кафе и т.д.), я буду рада ответить на них в комментариях к этому посту!

Также дайте знать, хотелось бы вам почитать о моём опыте поиска и съёма квартиры в Париже - или же имеющейся онлайн информации более чем достаточно?..

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"Fashion Forward" at Les Arts Décoratifs. Held back in 2016, this exhibition became the first one I have ever visited at Les Arts Décoratifs. Encompassing over three centuries of exquisite clothing and accessories, it presented a striking visual evolution of fashion - the field I both study and work in. In this article I shared my impressions of the exhibition, as well as photos of some of the most stunning pieces.

A series of blog posts aboout Marseille. I travelled to the capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region to attend the semi-final game between the football teams of France and Germany, but I managed to squeeze in quite a bit of sightseeing too. This series is one of those I am proud of the most, as I really like how vivid the photos turned out (merci beaucoup to the wonderful climate of the region). You can find the first part of my photo diary here, and the second is right here. I have also published an article containing 5 reasons to book a ticket to Marseille and a list of 4 things you should buy when you get there.

Travelling by bus. As a student living on a rather tight budget, I am always looking for tips and tricks to save up a little bit of cash while travelling. A few years ago I discovered that buses are, in fact, a great option to move around Europe - if you do not mind some minor discomfort, of course. After a 12-hour trip from Paris to Marseille I shared a few tips on what to wear, what to pack and how to prepare for a night on the bus to ensure that you have a pleasant time on-board. So, if you are planning to travel with MegaBus, FlixBus or Lux Express this summer, I suggest clicking here to read more.

Travelling with anxiety. Another topic that always hits close to home when it comes to travelling, is how to deal with anxiety (unfortunately, some of us have a really weird nervous system - the one that does not really give a damn whether we are running from a lion or sipping rosé outside). In the article entitled "How to Travel When You Suffer with Anxiety" I talk about the stigma that surrounds it and also share some of the tricks I try to use to minimize the risk of having a panic attack when all I want to do is enjoy an enchanting new place.

Couchsurfing. Even if you yourself have never had enough courage to ask to stay in a stranger's flat, you've probably heard of other people doing just that. Since I registered on Couchsurfing, I had both amazing and awful experiences, and in this entry right here I am discussing the pros, the cons and the little things that will increase your chances of having a safe and fun trip.

Mid-century style in "Breathless". A short but sweet blog post that my readers seem to like is dedicated to the outfits of the character that Jean Seberg depicted in the nouvelle vague film "À Bout de Souffle". Even if fashion is not something you care about, I would still recommend checking this brilliant movie that was shot in black and white!

"Parlez-vous Français?" series. When I founded Appelez-moi Ana, my intention was to have a creative outlet (I had a pretty stressful office job at the time), but also something that would motivate me to keep moving toward my goal (which was, in a nutshell, moving to France). In the "PVF" series I talked about the ups and downs along my thorny path of studying French - from switching schools after realizing I was wasting my money on lessons with a teacher who really does not know how to teach to some little things that helped me go from zero to hero (yes, level A2+ does make me feel like a hero).

Now that I have shared the most interesting, beautiful and useful articles from the archives of this blog, it is time for you to share your thoughts in the comments section down below! I do not have the ambition to grow Appelez-moi Ana into something that will bring income, invitations to red carpet events and parcels of luxury goods piling behind my front door, but it would be nice to know that there are people out there who appreciate my effort of delivering high-quality content and look forward to the new posts - as much as I look forward to putting them together.

What would you like to read about on Appelez-moi Ana? Maybe you want me to talk about my studies and things like TOEFL? Maybe you want me to stop blabbering on and on and share more photos from my trips? Or maybe you really do not see a point in my reviews on fashion exhibitions? What about the design and the layout - is the website user-friendly or not? You can be as general or specific as you want - any feedback will be appreciated as I am trying to figure out the new direction for this online space. Thank you!

Tonight is one of those nights when you suddenly have this burning desire to update your blog and finally break the (7-month long) silence...but you quickly realize you have no idea what you should talk about. It does not feel quite right to share my intimate thoughts and feelings with hundreds of potential onlookers - private things belong to a private journal. Lists of places, movies and exhibitions do not quite appeal to me either these days - it seems like every other blog has transformed into a glossy calendar of social events, doesn't it? Same thing with tips: the internet is overflowing with advice on this and that, and I doubt I have anything valuable to add.

During the last 18 months I have been working really hard to get to a place where I would not scroll through the photos on Instagram and wish I was somewhere else living someone else's life. I had to overcome many obstacles; I had to train myself to ignore that subtle yet intrusive voice in my head that made me feel hesitant and afraid; I had to force myself to get up and keep going - even when I was so exhausted I wanted to give up. The period from September to the beginning of April truly felt like a whirlwind of work, endless trips to the university and my French language school, exams and assignments, growing piles of documents and notarized copies, questions, emails, deadlines, lists. But I managed to prove to myself that nothing is impossible - that is, if you choose not to resort to excuses and stop justifying your own lack of action with miserable conversations about not being fortunate enough or not having enough resources. As they say, seek and you shall find - so it is probably wiser to seek solutions rather than problems.

This transitional, weird, vague period is coming to an end - and I am slowly starting to write the new chapter of my life. This jump into the complete unknown that I am preparing for scares the hell out of me; but it feels incredible to take control over my own life and start making my dreams a reality.

At the moment, I do not really know what this new chapter is going to bring and how exactly it is going to transform me (and this blog). But I am thrilled to find out.

As I've already mentioned on my blog, this semester I decided to switch French schools: back in April our classes at Excuse My French were put on pause, and in August I signed up for classes at Institut Français - the official international language center of the French Republic which made its first appearance on Russian soil back in 1992.

Just to make things clear: I really like the concept of Excuse My French, I think it's a great school and I will definitely keep recommending it to people around me. However, when choosing a language school, remember that the most crucial thing is that your teacher is a high-level professional who has the required qualifications and experiences. Because in the end, it's your teacher who will decide what are you going to study and how much time you will spend practicing certain grammatical constructions, what are you going to do at home and how the exercises you will do will contribute to mastering the language and «digesting» what you've been working on at class.

Unfortunately, my teacher at Excuse My French didn't live up to my expectations. Upon arriving at Institut Français, I quickly realized that I don't know many of the grammatical constructions and rules that my classmates studied at level 1. It turned out that I didn't know a lot of the essential verbs and nouns - what I knew instead were some ludicrous words that are not on the frequency lists and that an A2 student really doesn't need to know. Moreover, I found out that some of the phrases I was taught pretty much do not exist - French people simply don't understand them. Looking back, I realize that for the better part of the 3-hour classes with my previous group we would just chat, drink tea, eat sweets and watch videos (when you don't understand a single word the people in those videos are saying, it's quite frustrating, 'cause it doesn't contribute to neither your knowledge, nor your self-esteem). Like-minded people gathering together to have a good time, you know. Not quite what I needed.

Luckily, I didn't waste too much time: the amount of time I studied at EMF pretty much equals the amount of time I needed to reach my current level at Institut Français. It's just that my actual current «level» differs quite a lot from my classmates'. I don't remember how to form Futur Simple, I don't know anything about Conditionnel or Subjonctif Présent (we sort of studied them with my previous group, but, honestly, I pay more attention to the amount of milk in my morning flakes than we paid to these two very important topics). Finally, I have no idea whatsoever how to use «y» and «en». Thereby, I have to catch up on all of this myself - which is quite tricky considering how busy this pre-graduation semester is and how much homework we are being given.

Anyway, enough about the sad things! I really like it at Institut Français. Our teacher, Alexey Igorevich Tarasov (with years and years and years of corresponding work experience), ensures we are constantly being challenged and doesn't let us use simple grammatical constructions. Things we study give us an opportunity to learn a bunch of useful words and phrases - the ones that we use in our native language all the time: «crème fouettée», «retraité», «employé municipal», «bricoler», «en cachette», «les voisins du dessous», «connaître de vue», etc. And we also speak lots! After hearing quite a few ex-students complaining about not having enough opportunities to practice speaking French at class, I was a bit concerned, but in reality our teacher is giving enough time to every one out of 10 students to make sure everyone gets to talk.

We haven't studied any major grammar topics so far, but during the last 1.5 months we learned about such things as gérondif, ne ... que, omission de l'article après la préposition «de», different ways to express negation and reason/cause. I like that we use «Le Nouveau Taxi» textbook a lot and that we check homework in class - it should be mentioned that Alexey Igorevich makes sure every single student understands the rule and can repeat it out loud on their own. What's more important, thanks to the type of homework we are being given and the way the programme is built I noticed that I really use actively the new constructions and phrases.

There's finally some sort of structure to my French, and I couldn't be happier. Learning it doesn't give me any negative emotions, I don't see it as my worst enemy anymore - it seems unbelievable, but I feel like we may even become friends soon! I promise to keep you posted on how our relationship evolves from here.

I've been writing and rewriting and rewriting again what could've been the introduction to this entry for the past 15 minutes. Turns out it's not that simple to compose a love letter - even if that letter is devoted to football, a game that, oddly, became an essential part of who I am during the past 10 years.

I genuinely don't know what to begin with. I suppose it would make sense to start off by telling you about the very first time I went to a football stadium in the late 1990's - although back then I was much more interested in the concert of the Swedish pop band Vacuum (whose single "I Breathe" I was obsessed with at the time) than in the club legends fixture. Or should I recount that Sunday morning in November when I was watching the derby between CSKA Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg together with a handsome dark-haired young man that the 15-year-old me was in love with? Needless to say, I was cheering for the "militarians" just to tease the aforementioned guy. But maybe I should've started this entry by describing how I listened to the live match commentary on the newly founded Radio Zenit - instead of listening to what my preparatory classes professor at St. Petersburg State University was saying?..

Then there was the game against Bayer Leverkusen - my first ever game at the stadium which I attended together with my school friend - and the epochal two-legged tie between my hometown club Zenit and FC Bayern Munich in May 2008. I remember how I was walking home and how I passed by a few supporters in our blue-white-sky blue scarves; deep down, I really did not believe that we could win against the team that had the great Oliver Kahn to defend their goal. But that night St. Petersburg couldn't sleep: we won 4-0 and a couple of weeks later our players put on the golden jerseys and brought home the UEFA Cup. In June of that same year Andrey Arshavin made the ball go right between Edwin van der Sar's legs - and straight into the net, earning the Russian National Team the bronze medals of the UEFA Euro 2008. Despite my family's explicit protests, I rewatched that game on New Year's Eve.

Four years later, I traveled to Ukraine to take part in UEFA Euro 2012 as a volunteer. There I met Keisha who became one of my closest friends - we rented an apartment next to the National Opera of Ukraine (cockroaches and all), worked as part of the Hospitality team for a month and spent our evenings watching the games at the Khreshchatyk fan zone. In the end of the month we visited Donetsk to attend the semifinal match between our beloved Spaniards and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal - and during the final we were there, on the front rows of the Spanish fan sector, waving flags and making up chants about Sergio Ramos, who we met a few days before that. It's funny, but 5 years later I'm still passing the exams I had to miss because of that trip - but I've never regretted going to Kyiv, to this day I still consider it the time of my life.

Shortly after, I heard the news about Total Football (the only magazine I read from cover to cover in 2008-2010) being shuttered, and my full schedule was not allowing me anymore to watch the games regularly or follow all the latest news about Zenit and Real Madrid.

But once you let football into your life, don't expect it to ever leave you. And it doesn't even matter how often you tune in to see the game, whether or not you know the names of all the benchwarmers and how long it's been since the last time your team lost. It only takes 90 minutes - 90 minutes at the stadium, where the atmosphere is charged with electricity, at the stadium that sings as one and where people truly feel united by the love for this beautiful game. You will want to come back, you will want to jump out of your seat again, you will want to support your team until you lose your voice. Because football truly makes us experience the most pure and unfiltered emotions.

Dear football, thank you for all those unforgettable memories I got to make thanks to you. I'm looking forward to many more adventures together.

"Firebird Descent" installation by Poetic Kinetics at New Holland

It feels like I haven't had a spare minute ever since this photo was taken on the first Sunday of September - which has been exactly a month ago.

Over the course of these 30 days I've managed to pass 7 exams, translate 3200 descriptions from English to Russian, go to Helsinki for a one-day trip to pick up a perfect camel coat for chilly autumn days to come, attend 6 French classes (more on that soon!) and a football match between Zenit St. Petersburg and Real Sociedad, watch a couple of TV shows and movies (including the absolutely charming Un Profil Pour Deux), catch up with a few friends - and, somewhere in between all of this, browse through approximately a myriad of photos from Spring/Summer 2018 collections.

As you can see, it has been a truly intense September - and it has also been a very vivid preview of what the next 9 months have in store for me. The key to surviving the schedule that's overflowing with errands, meetings and obligations? Set weekly goals, don't stress out over things you're not working on at the moment, be realistic and don't be afraid to say 'no' to things that are not your top priority - and, pleeease, stock up on some good vitamins.

I think that's gonna be it for today's update! Keep an eye on this space though: over the next few weeks I plan to (finally!) publish my photo diary from the French Riviera, a mini guide to Helsinki, my thoughts on the incredible "Christian Dior: Couturier du Rêve" exhibition and a bunch of summery photos from Paris.

As a final year Theory & History of Arts student who's been working in fashion since 18, I've profoundly enjoyed reading Amanda Brooks' "Always Pack a Party Dress".

If you are aspiring to build a career in fashion, I would highly recommend reading this book - it is very honest, very well-written, very funny. I am sure that those who already have some experience in this field will definitely relate to the love/hate relationship the author has with the industry - as much as it is inspiring and exciting, it is also quite exhausting and at times it can also appear shallow and superficial, making you want to either switch to something 'more serious' - or just move to England to make jam, as Amanda Brooks has done.

There's something alluring about those last days of August - when the colour of your sunburned-turned-light-golden skin still reminds you of afternoons well spent gazing at the planes on the beach and the city is pleasantly quiet, allowing you to focus on those ambitious new plans, goals and tasks that you can't wait to start bringing to life come September. I always come back home from abroad immensely inspired - and with the new season upon us, I felt like it's time for a change.

After returning from Paris last week, I realized that I really want to change my French school. As much as I loved the school where I've been studying for the past 1.5 years, I had to admit that I haven't been making any progress whatsoever since last September - moreover, somewhere along the way I managed to even lose motivation. It pains me to say that, but last year was a waste of both time and money in terms of French... That's why this autumn I'll be starting my Mondays and Thursdays at 10:15AM at Institut Français - and I can't express just how excited I am! Let's hope that my "Parlez-vous Français?" series will be back soon - and this blog will be updated more frequently in general.

However, I'm not gonna promise anything - this semester is going to be intense: in the next seven months I will have to pass 24 exams in total, then take my finals and then present my graduation project in the end of March. Things I will be picturing when it gets especially tough and Ancient Egyptian ornaments start looking the same to me? How I'm gonna start the next academic year in Paris. As they say, don't give up a lifetime of happiness for a few moments of pleasure.