KATIPUNAN AVENUE was a sharp contrast to the chilly streets of Paris in autumn. Yanna Lassechere (3 AB POS), a French foreign exchange student, was clad in a black tank top and denim shorts to combat the heat on the Ateneo campus. Had she been back in her home university, the Institut Catholique de Paris, she would have already been dressed in a coat and a pair of boots.
Last November, Lassechere applied to the Ateneo’s International Student Exchange Program due to her desire to travel and explore Asia. Her choice to study in the Ateneo was influenced by her desire to reconnect with her family’s history of living in Asia when she was younger. Like a true local, she commutes and uses public transportation regularly. In the pursuit of making the most out of her stay, Lassechere seeked for the authentic Filipino life and culture beyond the Ateneo campus.
Turning local
This pursuit led her to traveling in other places across the country. Outside of the IXS program, she recently went to El Nido, Palawan using her pocket money to fund her expenses. She shares that it made a memorable impact on her as she took a cooking class to learn how to make her favorite Filipino dish: Pancit bihon. Sifting through her phone’s notes, she looks for the recipe in an attempt to recall the vegetable she liked. “Sayote! I really like it,” she beams.
Back in the Ateneo, Lassechere shares that she was initially welcomed by the campus greenery. In love with what she saw, she now visits the LS swimming pool in the morning every week.
Her interactions with fellow Ateneans have been quite limited, but she shares that every interaction has only been positive.
Among the support systems for international students in the LS is the Ateneo Student Exchange Council (ASEC). More than the welcoming initiatives such as the buddy system and General Assembly, the ASEC parties have made a lasting impact on her. She shares that it has allowed her to meet more people and learn more about Filipino culture.
Despite her approachable personality, she noticed how Filipinos seem to be quite shy and aloof. “They seem to be like ‘Oh wow, you’re talking to me,’ and to me, I’m like, ‘I’m like you guys!’” she says.
With more ASEC initiatives and culture-themed events to come, she hopes to mingle more with Filipinos during her stay.
Rocky moments
Despite Lassechere’s seemingly smooth adjustment, there were still unfamiliarities that she had to get accustomed to in the beginning.
In terms of her academics, she had to undergo the process of Load Revision and was initially disappointed not to have the class that she wanted. However, she was thankful for Karla Roxas, the Office of International Relations Director and her kindness in helping her.
Moreover, the noise and pollution in Katipunan was unlike what she was used to.
The strict usage of face masks was also another unexpected adjustment for her. “In France, after COVID-19, we were supposed to wear masks but nobody was wearing them,” she says.
Regardless, her love for Filipino culture and nature trumped all possible inconveniences she may have encountered.
Finding one’s feet
Lassechere’s experiences as an exchange student did not only allow her to talk with Filipinos but also gave her the opportunity to meet fellow exchange students from across the globe. Outside the Parisian streets and frigid French weather, she was able to find a new place to call home within and outside of the Ateneo campus.
“I feel really great to discover a new culture. It’s so different from what I know, so it’s such a nice thing to learn new things and be able to consider that the world is so broad⏤that there is a different way of viewing life,” she shares.
