🥟 School Trip to the Dumpling Factory

Before this visit, I'd actually bought some of **Saint Jean's products**—their **ravioles** (especially the truffle flavor!) are often on sale at Super U. When our school coordinator emailed about touring their **Rhône factory on the 28th**, I was intrigued! This year, we’ve already visited **IKEA** (kinda boring 🥱) and **STEF** (freezer warehouse—so cold I got sick 🥶), so this was a fun change. We went to **Saint Jean’s facility in Romans-sur-Isère**—they’ve acquired several nearby companies, so it’s a **huge complex** of production lines and warehouses. My group got lucky: we toured with the **Supply Chain Director**! 🎙️ He gave us a **super detailed walkthrough**, from raw ingredients (eggs, oil, flour) to packaging automation. At one point, we all got **distracted by a palette** moving along the conveyor belt—five curious students + parents just *stopped* to stare 😂. The director patiently waited while we geeked out. Pretty **textbook Saint Jean**—just like our lectures described! Before the tour, the director gave a **30-minute intro** on the company’s history, values, and brands (like their partnerships with **Carrefour and Picard**). Interesting stuff! While waiting for our bus back to Lyon, we **shopped at the factory store**. My supervisor bought a **noodle strainer**, and when asked how she’d use it, she deadpanned: *"Cook dumplings. Or noodles. Or… discipline noisy students."* 💀 Speaking of students—our coordinators have *stories*. One said: *"When I saw my M2 class roster, I froze. All the loudest M1 students are in this group."* (Yep, foreigners included 😆). The two supervisors? One’s perpetually exasperated; the other’s zen (*"Can I write my thesis on this?"* Me: *"Sure, why not?"*). **Friday was my last day of classes**—and I **finally locked in my master’s thesis topic**! After overthinking, I chose something **simple and doable** (no ChatGPT needed 🤓). Now just waiting on my advisor’s approval... but no worries, I’ll *persuade* them if needed. 😈 **Monday: Back to the office.** Colleagues, brace yourselves—the **loudest intern is returning**! 🎉 #LyonLife #UniversitéLyon2 #SupplyChain #ApprenticeLife #FrenchWorkCulture