Visa and a foyer

Today I got my visa in the mail (speedy little whippersnappers!). AND my plane ticket confirmation/ISIC card/health insurance confirmation. Whoa.

I also got an email back from the Foyers de Jeunes Travailleurs in Blois (kinda like a hostel). They said they would be happy to welcome me for seven months, at the rate of €305 rent + €85 food a month. That's aboooout $500 a month, total. AAAAH. And that was for the room that was 12m2. They also had an 18m2 room, at €340 rent + €85 food ($540), and a studio apartment (!) for €365 rent + €50 food ($530). At first, I thought, "ack, my MAXIMUM rent per month was going to be €300. MAX. But then I realized that this includes food. I am gonna go out on a limb and say that I can't feed myself for €85 a month any other way. Plus, I can still apply for the CAF (state housing aid for po' people, even foreign language assistants). So, say I go for the studio apartment, the CAF would pay for either €140 or €285, depending on whether the foyer in Blois is "conventionné"--government-subsidized--or not. Say this foyer IS "conventionné"--then it costs me €130 a freaking month!!! Including some food. Without the subsidy, it'd still only cost me €275.

I'm thinking I'll get over there, stay with whoever the school sets me up with, look at this foyer to see if its safe/clean, meet with any corenters that I might want to meet with, and check out the local real estate magazines. I'm just a little nervous about hostels...or foyers that resemble hostels....