Upon arriving in Paris yesterday I got some serious insight on what it is to be a true Parisian: traffic. It took us over two hours to make the journey from Charles de Gaulle to CEA (Cultural Experiences Abroad--the company that's coordinating everything). It was so cool to see the city but agonizing to move only 5 feet before the light turned red again. CEA is in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, meaning it is in the center of the city. Too cool!! It's tucked in this little courtyard a few blocks behind the Centre Pompidou and it's gorgeous.
Once we got to CEA we had a mini-orientation where we received the keys to our respective apartments and got an itinerary for the next few days. I met my new roommate, Anna, and then the driver took us to our new apartment!!!
The apartment:
- Is in the 14th arrondissement of Paris
- On the 1st floor of a 17th century building, but with the French the 1st floor means 1 floor above the ground floor (which is called level zero). Duh
- Is the size of my dorm room
- Next to the most adorable park-Parc Montsouris
It is seriously miniature. Upon exploring the apartment for the first time I went to go open the hallway closet only to find that it is a W.C, meaning that there is room for just a toilet and a teeny tiny little sink that does not work. Oh, and the lock on the door doesn't work either. It's a little exposing considering that the door doesn't close all the way without the lock....Once I stumbled upon the W.C I immediately started freaking out, thinking that there was no shower in my new home. I was throwing open all the doors and searching for the shower. I finally found it in what I thought was going to be the pantry in the kitchen. At the end of the little kitchen is a door with an even smaller shower inside. It literally looks like someone took the kitchen's pantry and installed a shower and sink in there. You can do two things in this closet: stand and shimmy into the shower. I now know why the French women do not shave their legs. There is no room! What freaks me out the most about the apartment is the water heater. It is installed above the sink in the kitchen. Every time you turn on the hot water you can hear a flame igniting inside. It's so loud that when I was in the shower this morning I heard the *poof* that began to heat my water. I'm concerned about it because when I turn on the hot water in the kitchen sink my head is directly underneath all of this exposed wire that is lighting a flame only inches above my head. It's a little freaky...
Do not be fooled though, the rest of the apartment is wonderful. It is very quaint and very Parisian. I was talking to the housing coordinator about the bathroom situation and she explained the French's logic perfectly. This building was built in the late 17th-early 18th century in a time where they did not even dream of indoor plumbing. So, as time progressed and modern technology burst onto the scene many of the buildings had to adapt to the new times without any major structural changes. That also probably explains why all the light switches are on the outside of the rooms and there are no closets to speak of. I really enjoy my apartment though and my three other roommates. Two of which are in the summer session with me and one who is still here from the Spring Semester, Erin. She's been a huge help in showing us around. We all went to the Monoprix last night, which is the French equivalent of Target (love it!). I bought essentials for eating for the next few days: Nutella, Special K, Milk, Pasta, and tomato sauce. Hopefully, I'll get in the hang of it once I get a detailed schedule and everything.
All of these posts are so long....but I still have so much more to write!!
I'll write more later. Merci :)
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