So, update since I wrote that blog in the hostel...
Had the meeting today... it went well. Emma's host mom for right now came with us to make sure we weren't getting ripped off. We are signing papers tomorrow and my ever-generous father is helping me with the RIDICULOUS down payment (can you say insurance + agency fee + 3 months rent = ridiculous). So...... it looks like all is going well.
Tomorrow I'm off to sign papers in the morning (luckily, Marie, Emma's lovely host mother is coming with us) then to a school for a bit of an orientation with Catherine Dupin and then I'm going to see my school, Ballan-Mire for the first time........which, apparently, I will probably take a bus halfway and then walk. We'll see, though. Then we're all heading to Marie's place for a birthday dinner for Chelsea, my other roommate. Friday we are headed to Orleans. Sometime in that area we need to move. I bought a room in the hostel through Thursday night...and prices go up Friday night, so we better be able to move in really really late Thursday or Friday morning before we leave. I just hope he gives us keys when we sign tomorrow so we can move in when we please (I doubt he would enjoy getting up super early or super late Thursday to give us keys, pay him, and let us move in).
Saturday we made an appointment to get bank accounts. Marie also helped us get insurance for the apartment....so that's awesome. Ridiculous. But awesome. She also tried to help us talk down the agency fee (to no avail). But it was soooo nice to have her with us to help with all this stuff.
It's about 10 PM here... tonight we had dinner at one of the assistant's foyer (which is a fancy room for professional dorms) They cost 400 euros a month (mind you, everything included), but you live in a dorm. So, that sucks. I'm so glad we found a place for around 300 euros (no more than 350 a month) that, eventually, will also include everything.
I saw the apartment today and it's perfect. There's really no place for us to all hang out at once, but I'm sure somebody's room will become the hang out. Inevitably, I got the worst room in the house, but I really don't care. I won't be living alone. I won't be renting a room in somebody else's house. We have a kitchen, with laundry, and bathrooms. Everything is going to work out fine.
My French still sucks, I'm really glad we had Marie there today. But I did hold my own in conversation tonight with a random french boy we met in the courtyard. P.S. I forgot how beautiful French guys are. Sigh. I'm super hoping my language skills improve, though. And I know they will...it's just going to take time. I will willingly admit that I spent the first part of the day in the hostel room because I was terrified to leave the hostel without somebody else there with me. It doesn't matter if when we go out I'm the one that's talking as long as I have that safety net of the other person to help. Hopefully, it'll all be grand when we live in an apartment together and I won't have to go out alone until I'm comfortable.
Right now everyone's gone upstairs to check out Diana's room in the foyer and I thought I'd give this blog an update. There are, also, pictures on facebook. I didn't brink my cord, so I can't get pictures of our apartment yet, but they will come as soon as I move in, promise. I can't wait until we have WIFI in the apt. and I can get on the internet as I please...right now it's super difficult with the trying to find free WIFI (I know of two places now) and working around our schedule. I was all ready to be on early this afternoon, but, alas... Marie was showing us around town, and I would never turn a tour from a native down.
I don't know if I mentioned it before, but we're living right next to the Hotel de Ville and the Gare. So if you have a chance to look up pictures of either...they are beautiful....as is everything else here.
In case you haven't noticed, I'm def. still in the honeymoon phase, and if I can get out of that crappy hostel soon I will probably rest here for awhile. It still feels like I'm leaving in a couple of days, though....so weird.... I don't know how exactly to explain this feeling, but the permanence of my stay here has yet to sink in.
I've done the biz twice, in case you were wondering. And the thing that still connects avignon to tours is the smell. France just smells different. I think it's the mix of car exhaust, dog poop, fresh bread, and the old buildings. It's hard to explain, it's not an unpleasant smell or anything...just...different. And it inspires a sort of desire to learn, fit in, and live life to the fullest for some reason.
Money's going to be really tight the first couple of months. I'm hoping to get that pay advance if I can get my bank account set up in time......but I fear that the november 1st deadline for rent might also be a problem..... I'm trying not to worry about it, though, until I see if I can set that up and, I don't know...I just figured out October, so I need a break.
Again, like last time, I'm waiting for that moment when everybody stops speaking French...like it's a game or something. It's just hard to get over the fact that everyone speaks French...all the time. They think in French. It's odd.
Well, I better go because I feel they may be coming out soon......so.....best wishes. I'll try to get on tomorrow and update, but I really can't promise anything. I'm not on a fixed schedule yet, so it's a bit hard to figure out when I can get online. In fact, some random French guy just walked over and asked if I was going to stay here for a long time... thank God I have some French skills.... I can't imagine being here without at least fumbling my way through conversation. That's why I'm terrified to go to Italy or Spain...though I really want to... I just don't know the language and don't exactly know how that would work out. We'll see, though, we'll see.
P.S. Our landlord gave me his ex-loaner's phone...so I'm hopefully going to plug it in tonight and see that it still works and then just be able to buy minutes for it or something. It'd be nice to be able to call the police if I'm getting mugged or something.
P.S.S. Being the smart, professional woman I am...when the agency lady tried to get us to leave with just signing a paper, I demanded a receipt...to which she said she didn't have one. Of course, we paid in cash and I KNOW how easily that stuff gets lost...so I had her sign our paper saying that we paid her in cash today at that time. I'm not as naive as I look, I suppose.
P.S.S.S. It's quite possible that sparkling white wine is better than white wine.
Love Always,
Amanda
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
First Week!
Hey all!
Sorry it's taken me so long to update, but it looks like wifi is a little sparse around here...or rather free wifi, which is the only wifi I'm lookin' to use is sparse around here (luckily, I found that in my friend's foyer's courtyard there is wifi....mwhahahaha). So, here we are. Let's go back, shall we?
Left Sunday, the plane was almost on time. Cried like a maniac in the airport the entire time until the plane arrived. Went to DC. Got some euros out (excellent idea!) and then got on the plane to Paris. To my right was a Mr. I can't keep my legs in my own space the entire ride and to my left was crazy chick my age who can't follow airline rules. I made my decision wisely and picked her to make friends with. We watched "The Proposal" together and laughed (until the end during which she thought it wise to sob uncontrollably). This is when I decided our friendship should end. I then played sudoku/read (thanks, again for the book, Jarrod) and attempted to sleep (which was impossible). When I arrived in CDG I only got lost a few times (it's a huge circle, so I just kept walking until I found what I needed). I then proceeded to wait 3 hours for the girl I was supposed to meet up with (Krystal). After these 3 hours I realized I was at the United airlines arrivals only gate. So, I decided to head to the gare. Took the tram to the gare, got a ticket and my carte 12-25. Then waited about 4 hours for the train. Hopped on the train (I will not explain the difficulties there...just let me say.....it sucked. Sucked A LOT). Then got off the train (which equally sucked). When we arrived at Tours (st. Pierre des corps) Krystal finally found me! We chatted and stood together on the train to actual Tours. I took a taxi to the hostel (he charged me 4 euros to put my bags in the trunk) and was ready to check in. Now the adventure begins:
After I walked into the hostel the lady starts gabbering away in French and I hardly caught any of it. Then she said something to do with suitcases and motioned for me to follow. At this point I understood that I was leaving my suitcases in a room. So, I put them in the room (made sure she locked the door, of course) and proceeded back to the lobby....where she disappeared. At this point I assumed I was not checking in and left. I looked at the door of the hostel and realized I arrived 2 hours too early to check in. (8-12 and 5-9 apparently). So, I realized I did not have a map of Tours and that I was going to just have to walk around and get lost. I stayed on a straight path at first and then saw pretty things and decided I would just get lost. At the point of my lostness that I realized I could never find the hostel I started to freak out....began walking a little faster...and then I heard somebody call my name. May I just say that the fact that somebody called my name is PROOF that there is a God. I turned and saw all the girls I've been talking to on facebook sitting at a cafe. Sigh. It was fate and I have no idea what I would've done if I had not randomly run into them. We all hung out, they walked me back to the hostel where I checked in, then I took at 10 minute nap, showered, and then we went to dinner (pizza and wine!) and then out for drinks (more wine!).
The hostel is very crappy. It's falling apart, but it's clean. Breakfast is included, but I still don't think that 18 euros a day is very fair for what you're getting.
Today, I woke up (see later) and we all grabbed a sandwich and went over next to the river to eat (soooo pretty). Afterwards I went with one of the girls to her foyer to use the free wifi, let my father know I was alive and then left shortly thereafter because I realized today I have no way to charge my laptop (must head to fnac tomorrow to buy a three prong adaptor/convertor). I then headed back to the hostel, ate some poptarts (mmm), and fell asleep from 6:30 to 10. Chelsea woke me up around 10 to tell me we are going to see the apartment tomorrow (see later) and invited me to watch a movie.
Apartment hunt update: As soon as we got here I found out that the apartment that we were looking at is gone (sob). I guess, also, one of the girls made the landlord mad, so he said he didn't have anything else for us. Chelsea and Emma (with whom I will be living) had been looking, but said they did not find anything for 3 people. We did find several doubles and singles, so I knew I'd find a place. I was then told by Liz (another one of the girls) that there was another room in her house. I did not want to live there because there is an 11 o'clock curfew (WTF???), the room is tiny, can't move in until next week and there's no heat. Plus, this is not the time in my life when I need to be living under somebody else's house. I was prepared to move in there.....until.........
I was awoken by Emma and Chelsea this morning at 12:30! Turns out they had just seen a 3 bedroom apartment that would end up costing us all 300 euros a month in rent (which includes the extra utilities we would have to pay...internet.........and such). It's furnished and that includes glasses/plates/pots/pans, etc. It's right in the center of town next to the Hotel de Ville. It has two bathrooms, 3 rooms, and a kitchen. He had an int'l student last year, so they think he understands the lack of cosigner and such. Problem is, must pay 320 euro fee and 2 months rent to move in. Luckily, I have an amazing father who arranged a loan with me and now it's very possible that we will be moving in on the first. All three of us are going to see the apartment tomorrow at 2:30 and hopefully sign papers and such. It would be so nice to be out of this crappy hostel and into a permanent residence. It still doesn't feel like I'm staying here for any extended period of time because I'm still living out of suitcases.
Job update: Meeting on Tuesday was cancelled. Am meeting with people on Thursday, then being driven to my school which is turning out to be really f-ing far away. The buses and train don't even go there...so I guess I will have to ask the person exactly how they expect me to get there. Then headed to Orleans on Friday for the big orientation. It sounds like the week after that will be observation/training (a whole week! :) and then I teach for a week and then we get vacation. mmmmmmm....... and AJ will be here! HUZZAH!
Life update: The wine is sooo good. Tours is a beautiful, beautiful city. It's exactly like Avignon (even smells the same) just extended 4 fold. It's really big, but not intimidating big. I'm still at the point where I get lost everytime I leave the hostel, but that's to be expected for awhile, I suppose. I found out I can get a cell phone for 30 euros from a wal-mart like place....so that's on the list after I get paid. God, what else. My french is horrible, apparently, but I'm getting by with being in a group of people the entire time. The lady at the hostel speaks broken English with me :). Food is good. Still haven't had steakfrites. Maybe tomorrow.
9/30/09
Woke up today to get breakfast with Chelsea and her German boyfriend Tobi (who is REALLY nice). Got to breakfast and they were not there, but another boy from the program, Jay was. Ate some food, took a shower, and on my way back from the shower some British people asked me if I drink beer....to which I replied..."yes?"...and then they gave me 3 kronenburgs. :) I guess they're leaving the hostel today and don't feel like carrying it. Mind you...alcohol is strictly forbidden in this hostel.... right. Whatever. Right now I'm letting my laptop charge with Chelsea's borrowed charger and then.... I don't know. We have to meet at 2 to go see the apartment, but that's in 4 hours. I'm terrified of stepping outside by myself because of all the french-ness and I wish I had some way to get in touch with the other girls, so we could go grab a glass of wine or something. Anyway, for now I'm going to let my computer charge and load my (few) pictures on it, so when I'm around the internet later today y'all can see them. I hope everything goes well at the meeting today.
Sorry it's taken me so long to update, but it looks like wifi is a little sparse around here...or rather free wifi, which is the only wifi I'm lookin' to use is sparse around here (luckily, I found that in my friend's foyer's courtyard there is wifi....mwhahahaha). So, here we are. Let's go back, shall we?
Left Sunday, the plane was almost on time. Cried like a maniac in the airport the entire time until the plane arrived. Went to DC. Got some euros out (excellent idea!) and then got on the plane to Paris. To my right was a Mr. I can't keep my legs in my own space the entire ride and to my left was crazy chick my age who can't follow airline rules. I made my decision wisely and picked her to make friends with. We watched "The Proposal" together and laughed (until the end during which she thought it wise to sob uncontrollably). This is when I decided our friendship should end. I then played sudoku/read (thanks, again for the book, Jarrod) and attempted to sleep (which was impossible). When I arrived in CDG I only got lost a few times (it's a huge circle, so I just kept walking until I found what I needed). I then proceeded to wait 3 hours for the girl I was supposed to meet up with (Krystal). After these 3 hours I realized I was at the United airlines arrivals only gate. So, I decided to head to the gare. Took the tram to the gare, got a ticket and my carte 12-25. Then waited about 4 hours for the train. Hopped on the train (I will not explain the difficulties there...just let me say.....it sucked. Sucked A LOT). Then got off the train (which equally sucked). When we arrived at Tours (st. Pierre des corps) Krystal finally found me! We chatted and stood together on the train to actual Tours. I took a taxi to the hostel (he charged me 4 euros to put my bags in the trunk) and was ready to check in. Now the adventure begins:
After I walked into the hostel the lady starts gabbering away in French and I hardly caught any of it. Then she said something to do with suitcases and motioned for me to follow. At this point I understood that I was leaving my suitcases in a room. So, I put them in the room (made sure she locked the door, of course) and proceeded back to the lobby....where she disappeared. At this point I assumed I was not checking in and left. I looked at the door of the hostel and realized I arrived 2 hours too early to check in. (8-12 and 5-9 apparently). So, I realized I did not have a map of Tours and that I was going to just have to walk around and get lost. I stayed on a straight path at first and then saw pretty things and decided I would just get lost. At the point of my lostness that I realized I could never find the hostel I started to freak out....began walking a little faster...and then I heard somebody call my name. May I just say that the fact that somebody called my name is PROOF that there is a God. I turned and saw all the girls I've been talking to on facebook sitting at a cafe. Sigh. It was fate and I have no idea what I would've done if I had not randomly run into them. We all hung out, they walked me back to the hostel where I checked in, then I took at 10 minute nap, showered, and then we went to dinner (pizza and wine!) and then out for drinks (more wine!).
The hostel is very crappy. It's falling apart, but it's clean. Breakfast is included, but I still don't think that 18 euros a day is very fair for what you're getting.
Today, I woke up (see later) and we all grabbed a sandwich and went over next to the river to eat (soooo pretty). Afterwards I went with one of the girls to her foyer to use the free wifi, let my father know I was alive and then left shortly thereafter because I realized today I have no way to charge my laptop (must head to fnac tomorrow to buy a three prong adaptor/convertor). I then headed back to the hostel, ate some poptarts (mmm), and fell asleep from 6:30 to 10. Chelsea woke me up around 10 to tell me we are going to see the apartment tomorrow (see later) and invited me to watch a movie.
Apartment hunt update: As soon as we got here I found out that the apartment that we were looking at is gone (sob). I guess, also, one of the girls made the landlord mad, so he said he didn't have anything else for us. Chelsea and Emma (with whom I will be living) had been looking, but said they did not find anything for 3 people. We did find several doubles and singles, so I knew I'd find a place. I was then told by Liz (another one of the girls) that there was another room in her house. I did not want to live there because there is an 11 o'clock curfew (WTF???), the room is tiny, can't move in until next week and there's no heat. Plus, this is not the time in my life when I need to be living under somebody else's house. I was prepared to move in there.....until.........
I was awoken by Emma and Chelsea this morning at 12:30! Turns out they had just seen a 3 bedroom apartment that would end up costing us all 300 euros a month in rent (which includes the extra utilities we would have to pay...internet.........and such). It's furnished and that includes glasses/plates/pots/pans, etc. It's right in the center of town next to the Hotel de Ville. It has two bathrooms, 3 rooms, and a kitchen. He had an int'l student last year, so they think he understands the lack of cosigner and such. Problem is, must pay 320 euro fee and 2 months rent to move in. Luckily, I have an amazing father who arranged a loan with me and now it's very possible that we will be moving in on the first. All three of us are going to see the apartment tomorrow at 2:30 and hopefully sign papers and such. It would be so nice to be out of this crappy hostel and into a permanent residence. It still doesn't feel like I'm staying here for any extended period of time because I'm still living out of suitcases.
Job update: Meeting on Tuesday was cancelled. Am meeting with people on Thursday, then being driven to my school which is turning out to be really f-ing far away. The buses and train don't even go there...so I guess I will have to ask the person exactly how they expect me to get there. Then headed to Orleans on Friday for the big orientation. It sounds like the week after that will be observation/training (a whole week! :) and then I teach for a week and then we get vacation. mmmmmmm....... and AJ will be here! HUZZAH!
Life update: The wine is sooo good. Tours is a beautiful, beautiful city. It's exactly like Avignon (even smells the same) just extended 4 fold. It's really big, but not intimidating big. I'm still at the point where I get lost everytime I leave the hostel, but that's to be expected for awhile, I suppose. I found out I can get a cell phone for 30 euros from a wal-mart like place....so that's on the list after I get paid. God, what else. My french is horrible, apparently, but I'm getting by with being in a group of people the entire time. The lady at the hostel speaks broken English with me :). Food is good. Still haven't had steakfrites. Maybe tomorrow.
9/30/09
Woke up today to get breakfast with Chelsea and her German boyfriend Tobi (who is REALLY nice). Got to breakfast and they were not there, but another boy from the program, Jay was. Ate some food, took a shower, and on my way back from the shower some British people asked me if I drink beer....to which I replied..."yes?"...and then they gave me 3 kronenburgs. :) I guess they're leaving the hostel today and don't feel like carrying it. Mind you...alcohol is strictly forbidden in this hostel.... right. Whatever. Right now I'm letting my laptop charge with Chelsea's borrowed charger and then.... I don't know. We have to meet at 2 to go see the apartment, but that's in 4 hours. I'm terrified of stepping outside by myself because of all the french-ness and I wish I had some way to get in touch with the other girls, so we could go grab a glass of wine or something. Anyway, for now I'm going to let my computer charge and load my (few) pictures on it, so when I'm around the internet later today y'all can see them. I hope everything goes well at the meeting today.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Hello friends,
Didn't think I'd ever use this blog again, but I guess I am. Leaving for Tours, France on Sunday. Will be spending 9 months teaching elementary students English 12 hours a week. That's pretty much all the details I have right now. I'm hoping, if I have easy internet access, to update this blog a LOT more frequently than I did when I was in Avignon. As long as I have the means I promise I'll keep this up.
That's 4 days away. My last couple days in the US are looking like this:
Thursday: Work 12-9, out with Kat
Friday: Brunch w/ father and Keri 9-11:30, work 12-9, headed back to CDub
Saturday: Errands, packing, hanging with Harsh/Briggs
Sunday: Friends, leaving on a jet plane at 2:20 PM. The end.
Stressful? Yes. Can I do it? I don't know. Am I going to try? Yes.
More later.
Always,
Amanda
Didn't think I'd ever use this blog again, but I guess I am. Leaving for Tours, France on Sunday. Will be spending 9 months teaching elementary students English 12 hours a week. That's pretty much all the details I have right now. I'm hoping, if I have easy internet access, to update this blog a LOT more frequently than I did when I was in Avignon. As long as I have the means I promise I'll keep this up.
That's 4 days away. My last couple days in the US are looking like this:
Thursday: Work 12-9, out with Kat
Friday: Brunch w/ father and Keri 9-11:30, work 12-9, headed back to CDub
Saturday: Errands, packing, hanging with Harsh/Briggs
Sunday: Friends, leaving on a jet plane at 2:20 PM. The end.
Stressful? Yes. Can I do it? I don't know. Am I going to try? Yes.
More later.
Always,
Amanda
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