Not knowing French is not helping...

In the coming days, it may be more difficult for me because of the lack of French language skills. Lausanne and Geneva are on the French speaking cantons of Switzerland and that is where most of my day to day life would revolve in the coming months. The little German learned during the Synopsys Aachen days in Germany wouldn't be of much help, because Zürich is quite far away from Lausanne. I do not see too much of trouble within EPFL, but outside, it is going to be fun game, communicating. I wish, I did learn some French from the Conexant gang in New Jersey. Host of folks were all there to help me out, but I was perhaps ignorant and partly they were trying to improve their English. The urge for me to learn a new language was far too little compared to their keenness to expertise in English. What a wasted opportunity then! There was a formal way to join the Alliance program in Bangalore, but that too was given a cold shoulder. Now, all left to the learn all by practical method there in Lausanne then. For a moment, I had the initial French learning program at EPFL in mind, but the work commitment and other logistics wouldn't have helped to do that. I shouldnt say that I am worried too much, but the mere fact that, the communication mode would have been set, if only I knew little French before I reached there!

Now, I am relying mainly on Google translate to arrange an accommodation there in Lausanne. Google translate is pretty handy so far, to figure out the difference between studio and apartment. It is a lot fun. I try to derive the meaning of some individual French words, in the process. These are definitely the first few lessons. My friends Vivek and Zarina apparently learned French there in Montpelier, France. They claim to speak decent French. If they could, there is no reason, I cant. May be not all hopes are lost. Let us wait and watch. In few months down the lane, I should be able to blog on in French.