Catching up...

1 octobre 2006
Try as we might, we could find nothing in the way of bedding for Susan today. Most stores are closed in Blois on Sundays, and the ones that were open didn’t stay that way for long. We walked into town to have a look around and stopped for coffee at a café, where I bought more credit for my cell phone. There went the budget for today. Ah well.
We spent a lazy afternoon chatting, reading, and learning salsa from Susan. My hips don’t work right for salsa, but it was fun nevertheless. I tried to teach them a little swing dance, and Catherine taught us the charming “chicken tango,” which might just be the best dance ever.
We invited Medhi to dinner—he’s an English language assistant from Florida. Feasted on pizza and wine. We’re all planning to meet somewhere in Blois on Wednesday so that we can catch the train to Orléans for our orientation.
Tomorrow, I’ll go see M. Bride with Susan so that she can sign her contract and get an “attestation de loyer”—proof of residence, so that she can get a bank account. I’m meeting Alain at school around 10am, and then I don’t know how long I’ll be there. I’m not sure if I’m sitting in on my classes tomorrow, or if I’m just doing more paperwork. But in any case, I’ve got my RIB—bank information—so I can turn that into the office and apply for the salary advance. Yay! And get on the internet for free. Another yay!
Having to speak French now that it’s the only common language between the four of us is great. Even after one day, I feel so much more confident in my ability to communicate, to find ways around the holes in my vocabulary.


30 septembre 2006
There was a little thunderstorm today! I love thunderstorms.
Called home, it was so nice to hear familiar voices. My sister’s birthday was today…it’s weird not being around for it.
Catherine bought a bike today, however, by the time we got it all the way home, we discovered that it was misaligned somehow. The back wheel scrapes the frame, making it virtually unrideable. So after much potzing and a good bit of frustration, it seems the only option is to return the dang thing.
While walking back from Leclerc, a guy stopped us to ask for directions—turns out he spoke Spanish, so all of us were relying on hand gestures to make things clear. Too bad our fourth housemate wasn’t already here!
I rode around a bit, down to my school and then into town. As a directionally challenged person, I figured biking would at least make my aimless roaming a little less tiring. Not so. Those hills are steeeep.
Both Catherine and Rose are out tonight, but the fourth housemate, Susan, arrived this evening from Columbia. I had my first French phone conversation with her contact person, who was picking her up from the station and then dropping her off here. I actually feel I understood him fairly well. Giving directions to the house was another story, but he got here, so it must not have been that bad!
Susan speaks French and a very little bit of English, so it looks like we will become a real French-speaking household! We have a whiteboard for shopping lists and such, and I changed it over into French from English so we can all read it. Or at least be able to look up the words. I feel bad, she has no bedding and got here too late to go out to buy any. Called Rose to get another idea of what to do, and since she’s not coming back tonight from Paris, she offered to let Susan sleep in her room. Problem averted. I just hope Leclerc is open on a Sunday so we can go get her things tomorrow.
I did very well with my budget today, bought a lightbulb for the room, a candle and some matches, all for 3 euros. Just ate what was around the house, so that means I’m even under budget for the day. Score. Things will work out better than I think—I’m just planning for the worst. The advance will probably work out fine, so by the end of October, I won’t be freaking out so much.


29 septembre 2006
Today I slept in and it was WONDERFUL. Sylvie had managed to get under the covers and slept nestled up against my side.
I gave my caution of 460 euros to M. Bride today, so we are one step closer to getting individual keys. Apparently, all four of us have to pay our caution (and maybe our first month’s rent of 290 euros? it’s hard to understand him) before we get keys. Sigh.
Suzanne isn’t here yet, and I’m writing this at 5:00 pm on Friday. Hope she’s all right!
Catherine and I went into town to shop a bit—I got a sweater, as well as a bag that will fit folders and things. Got them on the cheap too, because wow the money is flying fast. I hope this whole advance thing works out, otherwise I’m looking at 4 euros a day for the next two months for food, 6 euros if I don’t buy a bike. But of course the taxi fares that are adding up probably justify the bike.
My mandatory health appointment is going to be on the 9th of October in Orléans. Good to get that over with so I can get the carte de séjour asap!
Feeling slightly stressed out today, mainly about money. We’re talking about getting internet in the house—which admittedly I want desperately—and it would run each of us about 25 euros a person (assuming Suzanne has a computer and wants in on it—if not, more like 33 euros a person). The line would include TV, phone, and internet for 100 euros, which sounds quite reasonable. I don’t want to shirk on things for the house—the other girls are going to want me to pitch in for things like placemats and posters, but really, food is just going to have to come first. I can live very cheaply on my own with bread, peanut butter, jam, etc. Sharing food is all good and well, but we need to knock the price levels down a bit if we’re going to do this continually, I think.
Time for a nap, so that at least overtiredness doesn’t become a factor in my stress level!
Later…
We have keys! M. Bride was walking out of the office as Rose and I were going out, and he gave us individual house keys as well as a mailbox key. Nice to have freedom.
I bought a bike for 89 euros, so that’ll hopefully earn itself back in evaded taxi fares. Better to buy it early. Plus, there’ll be more to do than go around town spending money. Catherine and I are talking about biking along the Loire tomorrow.
After a dinner of chicken vegetable stir-fry, we went into town to meet up with another British assistant, Claire. On the way, we heard someone call “Hi girls!” and we were amazed that we must obviously be so non-French. Actually, it was Nicolas, who we met at our neighbors’ last night. So cool to have someone know us.
Went to two places tonight: Latino café and l’Etoile Tex. The second one is a sort of bar/internet café, and also has a pool table. Yay!


28 septembre 2006
The last few days have been such a blur that it is hard to tell where one starts and another begins. The plane rides were uneventful—always good—although this was the first time I really noticed the cramped quarters in economy class.
Meeting up with fellow assistants in Chicago was great. Just being with other people that were in the same situation made it easier. When we got into Paris, we tackled the train situation together, and voila, I made it to Blois. M. Mirq—“call me Alain” he says—picked me up from the train station in Blois and drove me to my house. He also gave me my unofficial timetable—looks like I’ll work Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. Wow.
M. Bride, who owns the housing complex, is very nice. He speaks quite fast, which made me very grateful that Alain was there to translate after my near-24 hour jaunt. The house is in a sort of gated community—about 8 houses in all. Ours comes with 4 bedrooms, two baths, kitchen, dining room, living room, garage, backyard, AND…a cat! We’ve dubbed her Sylvie, and she is a completely needy little personality. She’s pregnant, so we excuse it and are taking turns giving her homes on our beds.
I had a choice between an upstairs double bed that would share a bathroom with two others, or the downstairs single that had its own. I chose the upstairs double. It’s spacious enough for what I need, and comes with closet, bureau, desk/chair, another loungy chair, and two night tables.
The first day, Catherine and Rose were already here (both English). Suzanne, from Columbia, should arrive today sometime. The three of us went to E Leclerc, a megastore that has everything from bikes to peanut butter. I got bedding, and we collectively got a tea kettle, dishes, and other kitchen necessities. Our oven wasn’t working yet, so we also got two take-out pizzas from the in-house pizzeria. Delicious. After our taxi ride back, we devoured said pizzas and a bottle of the local wine. One of our neighbors came by to say they were having a fête Thursday night, and wanted to make sure any noise would be ok.
Thursday was more business. Rose and I talked to M. Bride about fun things like where to put our garbage for pick-up and what the code was to open to door to the complex. We then walked into town, where she showed me the bank she and Catherine had opened accounts at. I made an appointment for later that afternoon, then we walked around town, saw the river, and I had my first cup of real French café. Amazing.
We eventually met up with Catherine for lunch—quiches—and then shopped a little before moseying back to the house. The man was there to fix our oven, GREAT. I left to go do paperwork at the school—Alain introduced me to the other English teachers, the librarian, the office staff, the head of the school… I filled out lots of papers, and then got a chance to jump on a computer! We’re probably going to get internet at the house, but until then, the staff room at school works.
Went back home, then off again to Leclerc for food and assorted items. We saw bikes, and I think I’m going to get one. We want to do a bike tour of the chateaux, and it’ll be handy around town in any case.
Back home, we ran into our neighbor again, who invited us to their fête! We made chicken/cheese/salsas tortillas for dinner—during which process our electricity went out and we had to go over to a neighbor and ask for help. She lives next door and was very nice and helpful. Dinner down, we got up our nerve to go to our first French party, and came bearing a bottle of wine. It was gratefully accepted and we were led out to the garden/patio, where there were lots of people milling about. Xavier, who seemed not to speak very much English, gave us some orange-rum punch, and after a glass we were talking in very confidently botched French. Benoît, another housemate, spoke decent English—the deal is that we’ll speak French and they’ll speak English, and we’ll all correct each other. He gave us a jar of his grandmother’s strawberry jam, with strict orders to buy good bread to put it on. It was such a fun evening—a time to relax and just embrace the fact that we’re in France and don’t speak French perfectly, but can still get along.
Now, I’m sitting here typing this, and Sylvie insists on sitting on my lap (she apparently has to not only be inside but be actually physically in contact with someone). Tomorrow I have nothing official to do—unless I want to go get my carte de séjour started or give a RIB (relevé d’identité bancaire—allows you to do direct deposit of your paycheck to your bank account) to my school office. We’re planning on going shopping tomorrow, and I personally am counting on sleeping in, organizing my room, and hopefully getting a key to the house (with two keys and three people—soon to be four—it’s a bit difficult).