It's for real! It's happening! The grand opening! The Big Day for INSEAD 15Js

26^th of August 2014. One of those days that we’ll never forget. Exactly a year back, my husband and I had watched the official opening ceremony of INSEAD batch of 2008 (I think), and we were blown away! The event we were going to attend in minutes was the very event that sparked the INSEAD fire in my husband!

Hand in hand, with our faces beaming with smiles that probably lasted well after the event, we enter THE AMPHI. We wanted to pinch ourselves to see if it was real. The excitement in the room was palpable. What energy. And then it starts… silence… and then we hear… “we welcome you, INSEAD Class of 15J”! Applause. Cheering. Smiles. What a moment!

It was a simple opening ceremony yet so grand - for each one that had worked so hard to make it this far. The dean’s speech was amazing and the guest speaker was good too!

However I couldn’t stay for the whole event because 40 minutes into the event, my phone rings…. 

It’s from the family room!

Two days before the event, my husband and I were talking about how we wish we could be together for the opening ceremony as it meant so much to us (because children weren’t allowed). The very same day I see a post on FB.

“14D (previous batch) partners offer to babysit for those who want to attend any events during the orientation week.” 

I was thrilled but wasn’t quite sure how I’d handle leaving my little sonny boy with people I hardly knew. So I decided to meet them a day before the event. 

Such nice people, I must say. One of them even told me that she had never left her son just like I never had till the same event of their batch. Her reassurance and encouragement made me take a leap of faith and leave my son with them. The consolation that he was just a call away and in a room just 2-3 mins away made easier.

I am so grateful to those three wonderful women who offered to help us that day. If not for them, I couldn’t not have been a part of one of the greatest moments in my husband’s life.. one of the greatest moments of both our lives!

Selflessness is an amazing thing! I will surely pay it forward by offering the same support to the next batch.  Thank you Tatiana, Lena and Olga for inspiring me!

"Je ne comprends pas français"

Its day three and I decide to walk down to Monoprix, a big supermarket in the town centre. I had to pick up some essentials while I waited for Carrefour’s delivery the next day.

It’s the M&S equivalent for this town-which means you can’t really do your regular groceries here - not when you are living on a tight student budget. Sorry, I digress.

Before leaving, I anticipate most things that could go wrong (like losing my way, unable to unlock the door..) and phrases I may have to use therein. I jot them down along with the pronunciation. The one I wrote I bold and practised several times before I left was “Je ne comprends pas français ” – “I don’t understand French”! With that off I go, feeling pretty good and confident J

The walk was shorter than I thought it would be. It was beautiful. Lovely old houses with pretty flowers in pots hung outside on the window sill. People wishing and smiling as they walk past by. I loved Rue les Sablons – cobbled street lined with cute boutiques and cafés – fits perfectly my imagination of a small French town J

Trip to the supermarket went pretty smoothly. Got all that I needed.

And at checkout, completely foreign sounding words came right at me!! Which only meant one thing....It was time!! Time to use my very first French phrase!

I say – “Je ne comprends pas français ”!

Felt such a sense of accomplishment, especially when she responded in English – “Bag?” – which meant she actually understood my French :D

Felt upbeat as I walked back… more motivated than ever to learn this beautiful language.

Our first 48 hours, My first impressions

After a 15 hour long journey from Bangalore via Doha, we landed in CDG on a bright and crisp Friday afternoon on the 15^th of August 2014. Though we were completely exhausted from the journey the excitement of what lay ahead kept us going… well more than just going. After all, our new home was waiting for us!

The immigration at the airport was super smooth and so was the baggage claim. As we came out, we saw our taxi driver with an INSEAD board. How can one miss that beautiful green and white logo.. and yes, we did have a moment then (‘This is for real… it’s happening) :)

The taxi driver couldn’t speak a word of English but I am lucky to be married to someone who speaks amazing French, so all I did was listen to the conversation between my husband and the taxi driver with wonder, trying to guess and make sense. It was also really simple for us to get a SIM card at the airport. We bought LEBARA SIMs – cost us €10 for the SIM alone and a few more euros for top-up. This SIM needs to be activated by either calling the helpline or online. We did the latter – as soon as we got home.

It took about an hour to get to Fonty from CDG. Needless to say, like everyone else, we couldn’t stop smiling from the moment we saw the signboard with “Fontainbleau”. Soon, the taxi driver was on Rue Guerin – our neighbourhood for the next 10 months.

First impressions – I loved it. The apartment block was very secure. We met the landlady who walked us to our apartment. It was just like in the photos we'd seen. We were more than happy – well, actually delighted!

The reason – not so much the apartment, which was by the way was perfect for the three of us, but more so by the warmth and hospitality of the landlady.

What an amazing woman! About 78 years old but looked no more than 60. Had the energy of a 40 year old – so inspiring, to say the least. She had taken the effort to buy bread, butter and water for us. Seeing that we had a small baby, she rang her sister and arranged for a baby cot with all the bedding within an hour! Also, realizing that the baby may feel cold as the building’s central heating was scheduled to operate only from October, she arranged a heater for the night and drove next morning to a near by town to buy a radiator.

If you thought that was amazing, what would you say when I tell you that the next day she drove us around town, gave us a tour, dropped us off and picked us up from the supermarket when we couldn’t find taxis. Just one phone call and she was there in less than 5 minutes!!!

The word “nice” does no justice… I am so touched by everything she did – she didn’t have to go that extra mile – but she chose to. I wanted to tell her how grateful I am but she doesn’t understand English. At least to tell her how I feel, I want to learn French!

So my first impressions – well, bowled over by such kindness!

What a positive start to our stay here J Feeling very hopeful about starting a brand new chapter of our lives!