I had first planned to do my practical training here, in Finland. But the Corona situation complicated everything, especially for a foreign student.
But getting an internship in my hometown (Toulouse) was far from being a bad thing. I could see my family every day, which is most enjoyable since I am leaving in Finland permanently for 7 years now. On top of this working in a research centre that I have been wanted to work at for a long time, made me very motivated.
I was not leaving in the countryside of Toulouse, in a village called Deyme, which is in my opinion much better than the crowded centre of Toulouse. I have spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains nearby and just walking around with my dog. I enjoyed going to neighbours and friends houses for lovely diner and talks.
I was working at the INRAE research centre, in the Laboratory for Plant-Microbe-Environment Interactions.
Working in France and in Finland has been quite the same experience for me so far. Besides the language difference, all places I have been working at had a relaxed atmosphere. Even the coffee consumption is quite even in both countries! The main difference may be the way we interact with our supervisors/boss, the hierarchy in France is usually well marked (behaviour and speech) even if this tends to change little by little or depending on the companies.
All in all, it was a great internship, where I learned a lot, and I spent a wonderful time with my family. I might do it again if I have the opportunity!
Comments