Summer Programmes 2015 Pre-Arrival Guide 2015-2016
Are you ready?
We are delighted that you will be participating in one of our business programmes. Burgundy School of Business pays particular attention to the development of contacts with students at international universities and other higher education bodies. Enjoy the French way of life in a beautiful location. As the capital of Burgundy, Dijon has a very special cultural heritage. It is one of the best preserved historic centres in France with beautiful architecture. Moreover, it is internationally renowned for its gastronomic specialities and wines.
We look forward to seeing you in Dijon soon ..
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CONTENTS
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Life in Dijon
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French Culture Tips
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General Pre-Arrival Information
- Electrical Appliances - Banks & Currency Exchange - Cell phones - Travel - Wi-Fi Access - Souvenirs - Local Cuisine - Estimated Food & Drink prices - Sport
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French Computer Keyboard Tips
10 Helpful Phrases & Vocabulary
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Life in Dijon
Burgundy School of Business is located on a campus just a few minutes' walk from the centre of Dijon. One of the best preserved historic centres in France, Dijon artfully combines tradition and modernity, and is ranked the second most desirable town in France in terms of quality of life.
A city open to the world: Dijon, a university and business centre, is the capital of the Burgundy region. It is situated in the very heart of Europe. It's picturesque and bustling pedestrian streets, flourishing trade, beautiful parks and gardens, all contribute to the town's lively and warm atmosphere.
A historical city: Wandering through the streets of Dijon is like a stroll through centuries of history. From the 12th century to the end of the 15th century, the Dukes of Burgundy bequeathed artistic and architectural treasures to the town, treasures that bear witness to the Dukes' prestige. The centre of Dijon, France's third largest historical area of national heritage, covers an area of over 100 hectares (more than 250 acres) of churches built between medieval times and present days, stately town houses dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, and medieval half-timbered houses.
A cultural city: Between visits and breaks to savour gastronomic delights in Dijon, discover a thousand other pleasures - theatre, concerts, opera, cinema, the annual wine festival, the many summer musical and cultural events, visit Dijon's seven museums, numerous art galleries and exhibition halls. Check out the schedule of cultural events here: http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon_agenda.htm
A business city: Dijon's enviable situation in the heart of a European communications network, with a first rate air, motorway and rail transport system means that many internationally orientated companies have chosen to settle in Burgundy and have a privileged relationship with Burgundy School of Business, offering many opportunities for exchanging professional advice and work experience for our students. The wine trade, the pharmaceutical and the food-processing industry are specifically represented.
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French Culture Tips Language French is spoken with different accents depending on which region of France you are in. French people take real pride in having a command over their language but be prepared to hear many colloquial expressions – and 'franglais' (a mixture of French and English). From time to time you will find that French people can very reluctant to speak foreign languages, such as English, because they are selfconscious about making mistakes. As a general rule of thumb, French people will usually be much warmer if you try to speak to them in French first, even if you are only using basic words/expressions.
Conversation French people pride themselves on their ability to strike up a conversation and debate. In France, schoolchildren are taught from a young age to reason and analyse topics, as well as to argue their points of view. Students' conversations centre on general topics of social and cultural issues, such as politics… but rarely do they centre on topics such as the weather or money. When speaking, French people interrupt each other continually and debate fiercely even the minutest of details. Some people say that the French prefer discussion to action - you may discover this for yourself!
Food Meals are important in every region in France, and you will often find 'produits du terroir'. This means the local specialties. Smaller portion sizes mean that French restaurants are not accustomed to giving doggie bags. Some local specialties in Dijon include poached eggs in red wine sauce, ham with parsley, and snails. It is polite to wait until everyone's food has been served prior to starting your own meal. French people take lunchtime very seriously and you should not be surprised to find that life grinds to a halt for a couple of hours after midday.
Cafés The café is one of the best-known symbols of the French way of life. It is more than a place to drink; it is also a meeting place for students, friends and acquaintances. You can socialize, debate current affairs or any range of topics or simply watch the world go by.
Humour The French usually appreciate "esprit" (wit), and witty anecdotes with plays on words. French people also enjoy caricature and farce, "la BD" (Comic strips) like Tintin, Lucky Luke or Astérix as well as political satire.
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Time It's accepted behaviour to be a little bit late for appointments. You may hear the expression "Le quart d'heure Dijonnais" – which is the 15 minute delay the French allow themselves. For example, in Lyon you have "Le quart d'heure lyonnais" and in Toulouse you have "Le quart d'heure toulousain"…
Queues French queues at a bus stop or at the theatre are often disorderly affairs and the French are known to be great queue jumpers.
Shops Beware: most shops are closed between 12.00 p.m. and 2.00 p.m. – as mentioned above, lunchtime is sacred in France! Shops are also closed on Sundays. You will often find that the exception to this is supermarkets, which tend to be open on Sunday mornings. .
Politeness and directness The French are generally very sociable. One's "merci" is often acknowledged with "je vous en prie" or "de rien". Before eating together, people say "Bon appétit" to each other. Passing ahead of another person is excused with a "pardon".
Formality When you are speaking to older people or people you don't know you should say: "Bonjour Monsieur" or "Bonjour Madame" and please use the "vous"-form. "Au revoir Monsieur/ Madame", "Merci Monsieur/ Madame" are magic words in France. Be prepared to answer the questions: "Comment ça va?" or "Vous allez bien?"
Friendship The French make a clear distinction between friends (amis, amies) and acquaintances (connaissances). It takes a while to be accepted as a friend in France. Relationships develop into friendships after a certain time and friends expect loyalty and sincerity from each other.
Greetings and farewells The formal etiquette of shaking hands or kissing family members on both cheeks ("la bise") when meeting or saying goodbye remains a core tradition. Friends who use the informal "salut" as their greeting or farewell will shake hands or offer "la bise". It is polite to say "Bonjour" when entering a shop and "Au revoir" when exiting. If you make friends with French students, expect to kiss on both cheeks when meeting and saying goodbye. When leaving, if there is a big group of you, make sure you leave enough time to kiss everyone!
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General Pre-Arrival Information
Electrical Appliances France uses the 220 v system, so you will need an adaptor to use your appliances in France. CAUTION: Many students who brought their adapters from the US found that the prongs featured on their adapters were too short due to the recessed sockets. An extender plug was required. Adapters with surge protectors cost around € 45.
Banks & Currency Exchange Currency can be exchanged in Dijon in most banks and at the central post office. Remember that even though exchange rates are clearly displayed, agent commissions will vary. You should benefit from better exchange rates with ATM withdrawals than if you exchange cash here in France. Credit cards are widely used in France but in most shops have a minimum card spend of 7 euros. In addition, in some smaller shops you cannot pay by credit card. So, no matter what, you need cash with you! Also, check with your bank if it charges you extra for ATM withdrawals in France. Most banks in Dijon are open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday mornings.
Cell Phones Buying a cheap cell phone to use during your time in France can be a great investment, especially if you organise it as soon as you arrive - there are often some great deals available. Many phones come with some free minutes and data. If you plan on using your current phone with a French SIM card, make sure that it's unlocked. -
We advise not to use calling cards on cell phones because it will use up your minutes. It's better to get hold of call cards for fixed or public phones.
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Be advised that calling a cell phone from abroad is very expensive- do prewarn friends and family so they're not surprised by the bill!
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The pre-pay, or 'pay-and-go' phones ("téléphone avec mobicarte") are better if you're only staying one semester. The price of the phones varies between € 40 – 300+.
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Orange – 25 rue de la Liberté Bouygues Telecom – 30 Rue Liberté SFR –28-30 rue Musette
Travel Rail travel in France and across Europe can be booked with SNCF. Booking in advance can be a good idea in order to get cheap deals. Trains can booked through this site in English: http://uk.voyages-sncf.com/en/
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Wi-Fi Hotspots There are many restaurants and cafés offering free Wi-Fi access including:
ESC Dijon campus – you will be given login details upon arrival Le Chouette Café, 4 Rue de la Chouette, 21000 Dijon Caf &Co (fair-trade community café), 27 Jean Jacques Rousseau McDonalds, Rue de la Liberté Subway, opposite train station Quick, train station
Souvenir Ideas Mustard – Arguably Dijon's most famous export; the Maille brand mustard shop is at 32 rue de la Liberté Gingerbread Pain d'épices – another Dijon favourite Anis bonbons (candy made in the Flavigny Abbey) Macaroons…
Some Souvenir Shops:
Au Duché de Bourgogne, 1 place de la Libération Boutique Zoé, 6 rue de la Chouette Dijon je t'aime, 96 Rue de la Liberté
Traditional Burgundian Cuisine Burgundy is considered France's gastronomic capital. A few traditional dishes you should try are:
Jambon persillé (ham cooked in a terrine with fresh parsley and served cold) Boeuf bourguignon (beef in wine sauce) Escargots bourguignons (snails in garlic parsley butter) Coq au vin (chicken in wine sauce) Kir, a delicious mixture of white wine (aligoté) and cassis liquor, was invented by one of Dijon's former mayors, Canon Kir The site "Burgundy Today" offers a glossary of Burgundian specialties: http://www.burgundytoday.com/restaurants/glossary.htm
And finally, you musn't forget the famous wines of the Burgundy region: http://www.burgundy-wines-tourism.fr/ http://www.burgundy-wines.fr/
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Estimate Food & Drink Prices in Dijon -
Beer – 4 - 6 €
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Wine, Glass – 4 - 6+ €
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Cappuccino in a Café – 2.50 €
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Soft Drinks – 2 - 3 €
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Bottle of Water – 1.60 €
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Sandwiches (filled baguettes) – 3-4 €
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Meal in an inexpensive restaurant – 6-10 €
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Litre of Milk – 1.20 €
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Loaf of Fresh White Bread – 1.20 €
Sport There is a small gym with basic equipment at Burgundy School of Business which is available to all summer programme participants. There are also plenty of parks for jogging, gyms, racquets clubs and an Olympic size swimming pool in Dijon.
French Computer Keyboard Tips
BSB logins are Caps Sensitive Use the 10-key number pad for numbers when logging in! Démarrer = Start menu Fermer la session = log out Arrêter le système = turn the computer off
How to navigate the number keys at the top and other general symbols: Key only = the symbol in the lower left hand corner Alt Gr + Key = the symbol in the lower right hand corner Shift (
) + Key = The top symbol (numbers)
Caps (
) = all caps letters, all top symbols like numbers
In order to get a "period", press Shift and "semi-colon" key In order to get a question mark, press Shift and "comma" key "@" sign = Alt Gr + 0 key
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Verr Num = Number Lock Suppr = Delete Fin = End
Shortcut keys in Word: Ctrl C (copy), Ctrl V (paste), Ctrl I (italics), Ctrl U (underline) are all the same Ctrl G is Bold Alt + Tab switches between windows: Tab
Helpful French Phrases and Vocabulary Here are some useful phrases and vocabulary that you will need in France: Hello
Bonjour (bawnjhoor)
Good-bye
Au revoir (oa revwahr)
Please
S'il vous plait (seal voo play)
Thank you, very much
Merci, beaucoup (mehrsee, bow coo)
You're welcome
Je vous en prie/ de rien (zhe vooz on pree/ duh ree-n)
Where is the restroom?
Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît? (oo sahn lay twalett, seal voo play)
Excuse me/Pardon me
Excusez-moi/ Pardon (exkewzay mwah/ pahrduhn)
Do you speak English?
Parlez-vous anglais? (parlay voo onglay)
I don't speak French
Je ne parle pas français (jer neh pahrl pa frahn say)
Can you help me, please?
Pouvez-vous m'aider, s'il vous plait? (poo vay voo mayday…)
Help!
Au Secours! (oh! Se coor)
How many/How much?
Combien? (comb bee anne)
My name is…
Je m'appelle… (zhe ma pell)
How are you?
Comment ça va? (kommahn saw vaw)
I am fine
Ca va bien (saw vaw bee n)
I am lost
Je suis perdue (zhe swee pear dew)
I don't understand
Je ne comprends pas (zhe neh kam prawn pa)
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Numbers: 1: un / auhn 2: deux / duh 3: trois / trwah 4: quatre / kahtr 5: cinq/ sank 6: six/seess 7: sept/ seht 8: huit/ wheat 9: neuf/ nehf 10: dix/ deess Days: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Lundi Mardi Mercredi Jeudi Vendredi Samedi Dimanche
lunhdee mahrdee mehrkrehdee zhuhdee vehndredee sahmdee deemahn
Months: January February March April May June July August September October November December
Janvier Février Mars Avril Mai Juin Juillet Août Septembre Octobre Novembre Décembre
zhahn vee yay fay vhree yay mahrs ahvreel may zhew nh zhu ee yay oot septehmbre octoabre novehmbre dayssehmbre
Post Office Counter/window Airmail Envelope Stamp Book of stamps Letter Post card Package Weight Size Receipt Recorded delivery Return receipt
Guichet Par avion Enveloppe Timbre Carnet de timbres Lettre Carte-postale Colis Le poids Dimension Ticket Recommandé Avis de réception
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Bus One ticket, please Bus stop
Un ticket, s'il vous plaît Arrêt
Train station Ticket Single ticket Return ticket Platform Carriage
Billet Billet aller Billet aller-retour Voie Wagon
Restaurant/Café The bill The menu Set price menu Jug of tap water (usually free) Starters Main course Dessert Expresso Latté Cappuccino Beer Pint White wine Red wine Bottle (of)
L'addition La carte Le menu Une carafe d'eau Entrée Plat principal Dessert Un expresso Café au lait Cappuccino Bière Une bière Vin blanc Vin rouge Une bouteille (de)
Toiletries Toothpaste Shampoo Conditioner Tampon/sanitary towel Deodorant
Dentifrice Shampooing Après-shampooing Tampon/serviette hygiéniqe Déodorant
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Contacts: Nathalie Cureau Short-term Programmes Manager Tél. +33 (0) 380 725 979 nathalie.cureau@escdijon.eu
Groupe ESC Dijon-Bourgogne 29 Rue Sambin BP 50608 21006 Dijon Cedex Tél: +33 (0) 380 725 900 Fax: +33 (0) 380 725 999 escdijon@escdijon.eu
Dylan Sanders International Relations Intern Tél: +33(0)380 725 979 programmes.courts@escdijon.eu
International Relations Office 14