u/mehmehwoofwoof

Bonjour everybody tout le monde,

Je vais bientôt déménager à Grenoble avec mon mari. Moi, je commencerai mes études en soins infirmiers à la rentrée.

On est tous les deux très sportifs, et je voulais savoir si vous aviez des conseils pour les clubs de course à pied, les itinéraires classiques, ou toute autre recommandation.

On cherche un appartement vers Saint-Martin-d'Hères, car j'ai l'impression que c'est à la fois proche de l'université et des sentiers pour s'échapper un peu de la ville. J'ai beaucoup d'espoir pour la vie à Grenoble, par contre j'avoue que je ne suis pas très ville.

D'ailleurs, je serais contente d'avoir vos avis sur Grenoble, surtout en tant qu'étrangère. Je ne suis pas très bar non plus, donc j'aimerais rencontrer des gens qui aiment courir, faire du vélo, de la randonnée, boire du cafe etc et éventuellement le bouldering, si les salles ne sont pas trop bondées. Je parle anglais et français.

Does anyone experience this?

I have a larger labia minora, and have a medical condition called angioedema, which often causes swelling after mechanical pressure to parts of my body. Not after every ride, but my labia can swell up to 3-4x the size. It's very uncomfortable. Otherwise, there's a general fit issue- when I ride, I feel like I am constantly squashing my labia. I'm constantly trying to push it out of the way or tuck it in, I even tried riding in tights so I could sit directly over the cutout since bibs seem aggravate sitting on my bits by flattening everything.

I am currently using the Specialized Power Comp, which I bought because of the cutout. I was fitted for my seatbones.

I am looking at the Mimic (no cutout - not sure) and the Selle Italia SLR Lady Superflow.

Please let me know if you have any advice, cycling has been a major bummer lately. For context, I do 3-4hr rides but would love to go longer, and especially want to do bikepacking trips. Am on a road bike.

EDIT to add: I've had multiple bikes and saddles over the years, with different bike fits... Always this issue. Was wondering if anyone struggled with this problem very generally. Also, yes, I'm "sitting on my seat bones" (What my single-parent dad said to me when I complained of horrible pain as a teenager)

I'm a tad introverted but can be very sociable in the right setting

Over time I've learned that I have to be mindful of my social/overall energy to be my best self for others. Finding it hard to set boundaries for myself when they're totally opposite to normal here.

Unfortunately I'm a morning person, so that's at odds with the late culture. I prefer to go to bed at 10.30/11, otherwise I'm not in great shape. I get a bit resentful after late family dinners - 4 hours of sitting at the table until way late. After a weekend of socializing, meals, and bars my back is genuinely sore!

In general it feels antisocial here to leave events after 2 hours. So I feel constantly over my limits and I'm just sort of hanging on by a thread, haven't made any deep social connections. I think I'm better in small doses vs long sprawling hangouts

I also unfortunately don't drink alcohol due to a health condition... feel a bit disheartened that my entire nature is completely opposite the norm here. I'm doing my best to adapt but constantly draining myself which isn't a good long term solution.

Developing a bit of a negative feedback loop that I need to get out of. Would love to hear from your experiences adapting to different socializing norms

Hello, I will share a bit about my experience taking (and succeeding!) the DALF C1 recently. I will explain my background, my preparation, and how the exam went, including how I wished I'd prepared differently.

About me: My french learning isn't linear- I spent 8 months prior to the exam living in France. I've never taken a French exam before the DALF, and the last formal classes I took were in high school. After high school I had a few months of immersion in France, followed by an 8 year hiatus of the language before moving here with my French partner. I only decided to take the test and began studying about 3 months before the exam date.

So, my French felt functional, but I had large gaps in elementary grammar and my writing skills were crap. I probably functioned at a low B2 prior to signing up for the C1.

I really doubted that I would pass the C1, and even after taking the exam I was sure I'd failed... The whole thing felt impossible and overwhelming at first. The key is breaking it down.

My preparation: Once I decided to take the test, I began seeing a French tutor once a week for 2 hours.

It's important to understand that passing an exam is exactly that- passing a very specific exam with specific criteria. I recommend looking early on at each part of the C1 so you are very familiar with the expectations. I watched many Youtube videos, read websites and blogs about the exam, and utilized DALF C1 100% Reussite.

For listening comprehension, I basically spoke only French and would hang out at a group hangout once a week or so. My partner and I watched some tv together, almost always with French subtitles (Lupin, Dix Pour Cent). I also watched YouTube documentaries (ARTE, Urgences, Brut, HugoDécrypte, franceinfo). I listened to podcasts every other day or so while out walking (InnerFrench at first, then l'Heure du Monde, FranceInter Le Debat, 8h Journal, Transfert (only discovered this at the end, very enjoyable). I have the tendency to mentally drift off even while listening to English podcasts so I was unmotivated to listen to French podcasts and news, instead prioritizing videos - a mistake!

For reading comprehension I clearly did not read as much of some of you on here. I struggled a bit to get through classics like L'Etranger, and instead read mainly journalistic articles such as Slate FR and other journals. I think journalistic stuff is ultimately more relevant to the exam, so the bulk of your reading should be this. But I also read a lot of French reddit which helped quite a bit, including commenting on posts.

For writing, I had a lot of work to do. I followed the DALF C1 book as well as some of a B2 grammar book, and would routinely target specific grammer or structural concepts I wanted to fully understand. AI is useful for providing example sentences to help you understand. I took many practice exams, at first with open notes and then later simulating the exam environment. My tutor helped me become very familiar with the exact expectations of the synthèse and the essai - the word counts aren't very long so you want to know exactly how to use each sentence and paragraph, and be conscious of your word count. Specifically practicing synthèse structure will prove extremely beneficial, as it sets you up to write a great essai and has a lot of crossover with how you will structure the production orale.

For speaking, again I mostly only spoke in French, however this is limited as everyday speaking is not relavent to the tone you will need for the DALF. To diversify my vocabulary for both writing and speaking, I tried Anki decks but found it too messy. Instead I wrote out study pages for myself with lists of synonyms for logical connectors and useful verbs- things like describing trends, comparisons, explaining author's points of views, effects of phénomènes, favorable or unfavorable conditions, and so on. I would then run through regularly, using the words in sentences. In addition to practice exams, I practiced making formal arguments about really stupid stuff (why dogs are better than cats, why my dog is the best dog in the world, etc) to increase my fluidity in arguments and identify aspects of arguing I didn't know how to word.

Similar to the writing section, you can plan a pretty specific framework for your speech, but I recommend having a huge arsenal of synonyms so you won't get stuck during the exam. AI was pretty helpful for generating synonyms, and I also noted words and phrases I liked while reading.

The Exam

Listening (10,5/25) As luck would have it, I was at the back of the classroom and the speaker system was truly terrible. Due to the poor sound quality, I panicked and found it even harder to focus because it felt like I was listening to underwater voices.

What I would've done differently: Listen to more boring news segments that don't interest you, and don't always use earbuds. Try listening to stuff from your phone speaker while you are doing dishes... Also I wish I would've done more active listening, such as listening to a segment and pausing to write a summary. The exam could require you to capture specific words within the first 10 seconds, so you can't always rely on context as you go along.

I've never considered that I have poor comprehension in real-life situations, but I avoided dense news segments due to laziness... So don't be me. Also, plan how you will take notes. I didn't follow any of the complicated note-taking advice with symbols and whatnot, but just practice your ability to listen and write at the same time. Basically you need to practice stressing yourself out while listening.

Reading (23/25) Definitely the easiest part, although you must concentrate, work quickly, and stay mentally organized. I read the questions first and annotated very minimally, only to mark specific points and to indicate the beginning and end of various speakers within the article- it will be easier to answer question as they often inquire about the opinions of specific speakers.

Writing (19/25) Honestly did better than I thought I would, my writing sucks and suffers from basic grammar faults but I really prepped hard for this one. I think I prepared as well as I could've within the timeframe. You must nail your ability to structure the synthèse and essay so that you feel as comfortable as possible writing. The goal is no surprises on exam day. This will help you to write as quickly as possible, and ease your nerves.

Speaking (25/25) I received an easy topic (children and screens). I spent the first 30 minutes taking notes and jotting down interesting statistics from the articles for my speech. Then I drafted a plan, with the intro heavily structured. The remaining 20 minutes I silently mouthed my speech, gaining confidence in my subject and avoiding reading off my plan. You can't make too many points, so just focus on the ones you've decided to talk about.

I timed myself with my watch after asking the examiners if that was ok. Focus on the intro- delivering a clear introduction is a huge confidence boost and sets you up well for the rest of the speech. My speech went fine, as well as the follow-up questions. I paid attention to have relaxed body posture and eye contact. Confident body language will naturally calm you down and make it easier to speak confidently. I made plenty of mistakes so I wasn't expecting a perfect score, but it's just a reminder that even at the C1 level you are not a totally fluent speaker and you are just required to do your best and show comfort and flexibility with the language.

Otherwise... Do your best to have all the practical details like transportation, lunch etc figured out the night before, and get a good night of sleep. It's long and grueling and you want to be in super-focus mode.

That's about it, if you have specific questions feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer! I scoured reddit in my preparation and found these kinds of posts super helpful, so I wanted to offer my own contribution for future test takers. Courage, you can do it, if I did then you can too!

I feel that I've lived so many lives in one, just never the one I wish to live... I'm exhausted. I've had multiple treatments, even periods of beating my eating disorder. But ultimately, I fear it's engrained in my and I'm doomed to the severely restricted life it permits me in terms of happiness, friends, jobs, etc...

I'd like to share some of my story. I will keep it as brief as possible.

TRIGGER WARNING: discussion of anorexia, bulimia, binge eating

Today I'm 30. I've been diagnosed at various points with depression, anxiety, bipolar type 2, borderline personality disorder, CPTSD, and ADHD. I don't know what to believe; what are independent conditions and what is just my emotion state based on my eating disorder. I am left feeling confused and disillusioned by my experiences in getting professional help.

I have tried over 16 different medications including Vyvanse. I have had many excellent psychiatrists and therapists, plus various therapeutical techniques including group DBT. I have been hospitalized 4 times, once in an eating-disorder unit. I have been extremely active and socially involved in sports, and have taken breaks to focus on other things I enjoy. I have created close friendships, changed environments, gotten a dog, fell in love and gotten married and moved to a different country and recently embarked on an ambitious professional journey. But, in all of this, I really only trying to escape my binge eating. This is what rules my life.

As a kid, I was always a bit weird but had my place on a sports team and had no issues with regards to eating. Suddenly, my mom died in a tragic accident. The week after her death I experienced my first binge, binging on the meals my neighbors brought over. I had no idea how to process my situation and plunged myself into this physical sensation. This became my way to cope, progressively losing control, falling behind in high school, and fully realizing that, as a teen girl, I would now be raised by my father with whom I'd always had a cold relationship. My family had never openly expressed emotions, and my mothed dying severed the only emotionally safe relationship in my life.

So, food cemented itself as my coping mechanism. Binge eating, bulimia, followed by anorexia, followed by binge eating, bulimia, anorexia, the cycle repeating vigorously in the span of 14 years and, now, here I am as a chronic binge eater for the last 4 years. I am so relieved to no longer suffer from bulimia, but my extreme binge eating continues to unravel my life in every way possible.

What is binge eating? It is an ultimate escape from my inutility to the world, my neverending grief and inescapable feeling that I just do not feel fit for this world in the sense that I have such clear goals but am constantly sabotaging myself. Binging is an escape into a world where nothing matters but pleasure and calm. The frequency of my binging has varied over the years - recently, it has calmed down, but when I relapse I am unable to get out of it for 3-4 days. I eat to a point of soreness and inflammation. I close myself in my room- in the past I would call in sick to work and focus on nothing but binging. I even once called off work for an entire week....

It's painful to visualize the 'calm' version of myself so clearly, so within reach if I could just stop binging. But I can't. I've been especially stuck for 3 years and unable to return to my beloved sport because of this condition. I isolate myself to the point of feeling painfully lonely, and I aggravate two different medical conditions that would be easier if I didn't binge. I fear I will never be 'normal'. I am always tense.

How to recover? Every time I have gone to the psychiatrist, I get a new diagnosis. I prefer to be off medication because I've been thrown such random cocktails for such different conditions. So, in healing myself holistically, do I count calories or do I intuitively eat? Do I journal about my experience recovering from this condition, or do I simple focus mindfully on my many hobbies? Do I track non-binge days, or do I avoid stressing myself with a glaring counter? I've tried everything, it seems. Success has come for very long periods, even up to a year! But it never lasts.

Recently, binging is posing a threat to my marriage. He tries to be supportive, but it is so hard. We are on vacation in the mountains, and of course I binged, as I have been falling into a funk of depression the past few weeks. A cabin in the mountains, not a great place to experience the post-binge hangover, body too messed up to enjoy anything in the beautiful surroundings for the next day...

My friend will visit in August and I'm panicking that I will be unwell and unable to be active with her. I will also begin an extremely difficult university course in September and I just can't afford a relapse.

I feel so close to my goals and who I want to be, but binge eating leaves me SO far. Having tried for over 14 years to recover, and recently with such wholesome and simple methods, but still failing... I am fatigued.

I feel like I don't know who I am, what to do, how to help myself, how to not be anything but a toxic ball of stress and negativity for those around me. This year has been especially tough due to adapting to a new country and language, but this condition makes it much more difficult and isolating than it needs to be. I just wish I knew how to live without it, or had the time to react before binging and ruining everything all over again.

Does anyone have a similar relationship with binging ?

Bonjour,

J'habite en France depuis un an, et je vais bientôt commencer une formation de santé.

Est-ce que c'est vrai que les hôpitaux ne sont pas équipés avec la clim? Je ne peux pas l'imaginer, dans mon pays les hôpitaux sont un environnement très précis pour des raisons de conforts et de la stérilité. En plus il existe des générateurs au cas des catastrophes qui peuvent toucher l'infrastructure.

Je travaillais dans la santé dans mon pays et je ne peut vraiment pas imaginer de pas être capable de régler la température pour des patients, par exemple des patients avec le cancer qui soient très sensible. Et pour des personnelles qui font déjà un travail difficile et stressante qui doivent encore souffrir, surtout quand ils sont obligés s'habiller dans les EPI très encombrants (surblouse de plastique, des hoods ventilés, etc)

C'est quoi les déterminants si un hôpital/EHPAD est climatisé alors?

The animal cuddling animation makes me SO unreasonably happy 😊 😊 😊

Hello,

I've always been weird and a bit introverted, but the last city I lived in before moving to France I somehow managed to find a buzzing social circle - sport clubs, great coworkers, roommates, friends etc. It was wonderful and I've never felt so loved! I also felt very centered in myself and who I was during this time.

I've lived in France with my spouse for a year. I just took the C1 exam was accepted into my dream university program, in an outdoorsy city that we'll soon be moving to. Completing this degree will guarantee a job here (great market for my field).

I spent the past year in independent French study and unravelling various administrative steps to recognize my career license (took exactly 1 year).

I've tried to go out in our current city - groups, sport clubs, my partner's friend hangouts. Nothing sticks and I often leave feeling deflated, worse than I felt before. I believe it's a mix of already being in a depressed/isolated mindset, not vibing with local party culture, and feeling anxious about my ability to express myself in French. It's coming together, but my personality still feels like a weak cup of tea. It doesn't help I don't drink alcohol (especially in our current city)- my past social activities revolved around sports, coffee/bakery chats, picnics, dog walks, even doing chores or errands together!

We also see my spouse's family quite a bit who have many positive qualities but can be quite critical and negative. It's draining. I believe we'll have to see them less often as both my partner and I feel agitated after spending time with them.

So I guess, mainly due to my environment of not being able to work and being in a comfort bubble of just socializing with my partner, I'm stuck and it's hard to push myself out of this. Even joining a club of my favorite sport felt limp - different vibe than what I'm used to, people not very welcoming, and I felt uninteresting to others as a foreigner who doesn't speak perfect french and doesn't have all the refs. I attended for a month and a half before I petered out into practicing on my own again.

The answer is to keep trying and being persistent, see how things go in the new city, wait for my mood to improve naturally once things pick up for my career goals, and again to just not stop trying! But I was wondering if any of you have felt similarly , if you had periods of long désespoir, and what helped you through it if there's something I'm missing. Feeling like a total weirdo who will never connect with people here and doomed to a lonely life. It's hard to keep at it when each experience socializing leaves me disappointed, down, worried I wasn't friendly/interesting/funny enough, or just feeling no connection.

I deeply miss feeling alive with people and having a good banter sesh. Even worse, I hate who I am becoming being stuck in this loneliness :( I think the negativity is compounding and making it harder to be open to stuff.

Thanks for any thoughts , try to be nice if possible

Hello all 😊

I am American and have worked in the US as a CNA. Currently I live in a European country with my spouse, and was recently admitted into nursing school here after improving my language to a professional level here. I'm super excited to finally get after it after dreaming about becoming a nurse for so long.

My spouse and I aren't sure where we want to end up some day. I'll get through school here while keeping an eye on how things are going in the US (after 2029). I lived in a great city on the west coast, and we have it in mind as a possibility to live closer to my family, and better quality of life (as a nurse ..)

Curious if there are any European -trained nurses that have passed the NCLEX here to share their experiences, as well as how interesting a profile like mine would be to potential employers. Would non-US training be heavily penalized for the more interesting jobs in a big hospital?

Thanks for any insight!

My mom died when I was young, and since then I've struggled hard. Bounced in and out of mental hospitals and more or less always had a therapist/psychiatrist. I've been diagnosed with everything at some point, and medicated with 20+ different kinds of stuff. As a result I've developed a jaded opinion of psychiatry and prefer to treat myself with sleep/exercise/healthy living, though I've always been happy with my 1-2x weeekly DBT/talk therapist.

My ability to cope in life has slowly increased the past 5-10 years, especially since finding a real career path. 1.5 years ago I was living in a great city with lots of friends (for the first time ever!); career and education goals but still "stuck", mostly due to a lingering eating disorder. Suddenly, I met someone in a chance encounter, and things quickly progressed. We rather quickly began considering the possible of me moving with them back to their country.

I had lots of feedback, positive and negative, and couldn't tell what to do. I think I lack an internal compass. Anyways, my therapist at the time was strongly encouraging and saw the move as powerful and liberating. In general, this country is often romanticized, so I received disproportially large positive support to move. It's shameful to admit but ever since my mom died all I really want in life is validation and someone to tell me what to do. So, honestly under great influence of the support of my therapist, I made the decision to leave everything behind and dramatically begin this new life with my partner...

Of course, it's been incredibly difficult. Intensely isolating despite having a fairly proficient level of my new language. It's been rough, both independently and as a couple, but I might be on the verge of a breakthrough (accepted into school in not my maternal language to finally kick off my dream career!). Nevertheless I don't recommend giving up your friend circle or a beloved, pleasant, calm city to install yourself somewhere entirely foreign unless you have rock-solid mental health (and are an extrovert). I guess I was too tempted by the unconditional love.

I haven't had a therapist in 1.5 years as it's tough to secure one in this country and I don't quite feel ready to have talk therapy in my new language. I've been a mess during this time, for various reasons, but also I've had a strangely satisfying level of mental clarity...

I no longer wait all week to dump on my therapist, posing everything in just the perfect light so I can be empathized with, praised, pitied... I know these are my own problems with therapy, some strong mental block that prevents me from just being "normal" and open and instead I feel like I'm always trying to win someone over. But there's a sense of deliciousness in winging everything on my own. And in admitting how powerful of a force therapy was on my life, while not overtly. I'm glad I no longer feel controlled, especially after making this huge decision that I can't say I regret, but I can't say was a good decision yet either.

Not sure if anyone else relates, and I wouldn't ask you to- I've just never shared my feelings on this and I hope this is an ok space to do so. Sorry if my tone feels off, I'm not a natural writer and I often sound like a robot trying to describe human emotions.

Hello, I know this has been discussed before but I'm not sure how to navigate my specific situation.

I've been living in France for over a year and have an clunky external AZERTY keyboard for my QWERTY laptop, for writing at home. I was just accepted into school this year, and anticipate taking my laptop to lectures for note-taking.

What's your best advice for being able to type AZERTY, long term, on a QWERTY keyboard? The system language switch and on-screen keyboard as a reference seems laborious to get used to, but have some of you gotten used to it?

Again I'm sorry if this question seems obvious, I'm not super tech savvy and I'm trying to make sure I can succeed come September 😊 really I've always preferred taking handwritten notes but I guess laptops are super clutch nowadays in classes.

Bonjour,

J'ai été acceptée à les IFSI à Grenoble et Chambéry. Est-ce que il y à ceux entre vous qui pouvez donner un avis sur la qualité de ces écoles?

Merci beaucoup d'avance !!

Bonjour, j’ai été acceptée dans des écoles dans ces deux villes et j’aimerais beaucoup vos conseils avant ma décision ce soir.

Je déménage avec mon mari, qui doit trouver du travail (je resterai assez vague sur son secteur). C’est évidemment ce qui me préoccupe le plus, ainsi que notre qualité de vie pendant les trois prochaines années. On habite deja dans le Sud.

Nous sommes tous les deux très sportifs, donc la nature est importante pour nous, ainsi qu’une vie calme car je serai concentrée sur mes études. Chambéry a l’air plus tranquille, mais je crains qu’elle ne soit pas suffisamment grande pour le marché du travail, les transports et les activités (nous avons la trentaine). On n'a pas de voiture. Un point aussi c'est que je ne suis pas francaise, donc je cherche un environnement ouvert.

Je sais que c’est une question assez vague et très personnelle, mais si vous avez des conseils, je vous en serais très reconnaissante. Merci !

Bonjour, j’ai été acceptée dans des écoles dans ces deux villes et j’aimerais beaucoup vos conseils avant ma décision ce soir.

Je déménage avec mon mari, qui doit trouver du travail (je resterai assez vague sur son secteur). C’est évidemment ce qui me préoccupe le plus, ainsi que notre qualité de vie pendant les trois prochaines années.

Nous sommes tous les deux très sportifs, donc la nature est importante pour nous, ainsi qu’une vie calme, car je serai relativement concentrée sur mes études. Chambéry a l’air plus tranquille, mais je crains qu’elle ne soit pas suffisamment grande pour le marché du travail, les transports et les activités (nous avons la trentaine). On n'a pas de voiture. Un point aussi c'est que je ne suis pas francaise, donc je cherche un environnement ouvert.

Je sais que c’est une question assez vague et très personnelle, mais si vous avez des conseils, je vous en serais très reconnaissante. Merci !

In the US, I didn't care who saw my arms apart from coworkers, and would frequently go to the gym in short sleeves etc. Only very occasionally would people ask me what happened.

Living in a new country and speaking a different language is totally different, and I have a huge fear over people seeing and asking about my scars. I've already had each member of my husband's family ask about my scars, some even multiple times. I went swimming with my husband's friends and they asked him about my arms later. The scars are profound, but not immediately identifiable as SH scars for some. I suspect that mental health is less visible or considered in my new city, so people are genuinely confused or shocked.

It's really gotten me down, and I feel like I have an entirely new identity to create with regards of how I 'wear' my scars. Back home, I felt proud of who I was and didn't care or give my arms a second thought. Here, I feel disgusted and ashamed all over again, and I feel that I'll be judged (and to some degree I know I will be).

Edit to add, these scars are years old.

Sorry to not consult the DALF masterpost, but I couldn't find anything on this topic.

I have been exclusively double-spacing my practice exams but I have read some posts about a limitation on paper given. Would someone kindly be able to tell me if double spacing is allowed/possible? I'll need to re-develop my word count sense if not.

Thank you! - person panicking