paris

I'm living in an apartment in the 16th arrondissement with an older woman and her cat. Occasionally, her granddaughter stays over and has a room just down the hall from mine. Looking on a map, the Effiel Tower is just across the river from my new neighborhood. If there weren't buildings in the way, I could probably see it from my room, which looks like this:

There is only one bathroom (literally that, a room with a bath/shower and a sink) in the apartment, and only one toilet room (literally that, a toilet and a mini-sink). But that I can deal with seeing as there's really only going to be two of us living here. I have a cabinet in the kitchen to myself, as well as a shelf in the refrigorator. And best of all, I have internet. In my room. Wireless.

Seriously, I couldn't have asked for that. I'm probably one of few students in our study abroad group who has this. I was hoping for it, but realistically expecting many treks to an internet cafe or buying a pass to their "Neuf Wi-fi" which is where there are hotspots in Paris, and you buy a membership or register with them, and wherever you can access their hotspots, you can be online. In my room, I have a little bit of signal from Neuf Wifi, so that was an option.

Unfortunately, I woke up this morning (Sunday) with a sore throat and general sick feeling. I hope it's just a one-day thing and not strep throat (which it feels like) because that would be . . . bad. I'd have to go to the doctor tomorrow, after an orientation meeting with AIFS, and I'd have to explain, in French, what is wrong. Which I can sort of do, but not very coherently and I'm not sure if I'm saying the right thing or not. I don't know how to say "I just feel icky". I can say my throat hurts, and I think I'm sick, and that's about it. If anyone asks me questions, well, I'd better hope they're simple.

I'm planning on spending the rest of the day laying low. I'll be going out briefly for my host to explain the key to me (to the entrance to the building itself and then the entrance to the apartment) and show me the metro station. I have to be across town at the Irish Cultural Center (where our orientation is) by 10 AM tomorrow. I might also see if there's a pharmacie open where I can buy some throat numbing spray or somesuch. Whatever they have here.

Yesterday was . . . frightening. I got off the train, was handed an envelop containing the address of my host family, stood in line for a taxi surrounded by kids from the program making plans to meet up the next day (not including me, of course, they talked right over my head and avoided looking at me), and then––poof. I'm sitting in the backseat of the taxi, listening to the driver chat rapidly in French on his cell phone, looking out the window at a foreign city, and completely alone. Most of the other students had a roommate, so they left in taxis together, found their host families together, figured out how to get into the building together, and then got to sit in their room, together, and have the realisation hit them that they're here. I had to drag my bags to the door of the building, look at the names listed, find the right one and push the button next to it, hoping my host family was expecting me and would just let me in, not having a clue how the button worked (did I need to talk to the people over an intercom? If so, do you hold the button in, or just press it once?). I manage to get inside, and look around, only knowing that the apartment is on the first floor (which in the US would be the second floor––the French count the "first floor" as the ground floor, then the first floor is above that). Carrying my two bags up a winding, narrow staircase, I reach the top where Mme Debroise is standing, waiting for me and holding the door open to her apartment. She welcomes me and asks if I speak French, because she doesn't speak English at all.

After a brief tour of the apartment (it's circular, with three bedrooms including mine which is tucked in a nice little corner, and a kitchen, living/sitting room, and entertainment room––this one had the TV, a couch, a table for eating meals, etc.), Mme made me waffles with Nutella, and I went back to my room where I ate them and sat rather stupified.
I'm in Paris, with strangers, alone, and communicating even the basics takes effort. I have no way of getting in touch with the other students in the program, and only a vague idea of how to get around. I don't know what I'm allowed to do, what I'm supposed to do, and what I'm not. Then I wake up the next morning, sick.

Rationally, I know how cool this is. I'm in Paris. I have an awesome room, internet, a nice host, I'm living in a high-priced part of town, there's a cat (which makes everything better), and how many people ever have this opportunity? I'm going to get really good at speaking French, and I'm completely immersed in their culture. It's just a little (a lot) freaky right now.

Hopefully I adjust soon. And hopefully, this isn't strep and will go away very quickly.