Rant part 2: the state of things - Le résidence André Allix -- 08/09-06

Ling's room was in building G. Room 442. On the fourth floor. Four somewhat fit and healthy looking young guys stood around chatting outside and watched as I fumbled with keys and began the Ascent. 8 flights of stairs. 26 kilos. I made it though. Sweat pouring off me like I'd just been splashed by a bucket of water. Found my room with the help of a couple of smoking french girls, after racking my brains to remember how to say 442 in french... hard, physical labour really does drive away most of my capacity to talk! Who knew?

The room was ok. Clean. Bright. There was a bed. A desk. A few shelves. A wardrobe and a sink. Not bad at all really. A little bigger than my bedroom back at home, which, for those of you who haven't seen it, is affectionately known as my 'closet' it's so tiny, not unlike Harry's Potter's. I took a nice hot shower with heaps of water pressure (Mmm.. yes, we all know how much I like my water pressure) and I thought, Mmm.. yes, I could live here. Proving, I'm not such a princess as some of you might think :P I checked out the premises, everyone in the building has a little lockable space in the fridge, a lockable letterbox... their own private single complimentary roll of toilet paper.. hmm... yeah, not too bad. A little bit of the prison feel to it, especially with the roller shutters outside my window, but not as bad as I had imagined.

The next day, I learned that I had to get out.

It was ILLEGAL for me to be staying in Ling's room. For insurance purposes. Eventhough I was also on the list of people who could stay at Anrdré Allix, and Ling didn't want her room anymore because she'd found a nicer, non prison-like apartment closer to uni without having to share toilet and showers with anyone else, it was impossible ( yes! They actually said IMPOSSIBLE) to just transfer the name of room G442 over to me. I had to get my own room.

I have to stress here that the 'they' referred to in the above paragraph are the admin people at André Allix, who are no relation (at least I think they're no relation) to the lovely, helpful, patient, kind, understanding how hard it is that French is not my first language, admin people at Lyon II university. The people at André Allix are impatient and scary. And patronising.

Anyway, so I moved. To building K. Room 119. I should also mention that André Allix is a residence housing over a thousand people in dorm rooms and studio apartments in over 8 buildings. Most of the buildings are quite close together in a small village-like arrangement within the walls of the 'old fort' or 'Vieux Fort' not unlike a castle. Or prison :P

but Building K is outside these walls. Of course.

Not only did I have to lug my 26kg back down 8 flights of stairs and outside the dungeon walls, I had to then lug it UP another 2 flights of stairs to get to my room on the first floor. You all should see my right knee! If you thought I had bruised it bad right before I left for Melb (yeah, remember how I loved showing that off!!), you really should see it now! Bouncing, I mean, balancing 26kg on your knee really black and blues it! Who would've thunk it?!?

Anyway, what can I say about K119? the first thing I noticed was that someone else had left their lock on my letterbox. Of course. Great. More communication with admin required. The room was smaller. Only slightly. Darker? Stuffier. Older. But the furnishings were pretty much the same. Except: There is only one light, at the head of the bed, on the other side of the room from the desk. Ok, they gave me a desk lamp. So considerate! But I can't plug it in because the power point is also on the other side of the room, which the extension cord cannot reach(!!!!). Can you see th expression on my face??? Really, can you just imagine it? I don't know whether to laugh or cry. And there's more!

There's a broken chair in the corner. ALL the springs have fallen out the bottom. Ok, that's ok. I have another chair. I'll live with just one chair. I only have one bottom afterall. The toilets in this building have no toilet seats. None at all. There are no fridges. Not even a communal one. Lovely. I would also like to mention here that my bed is saggy and smells funny, but that just seems trivial now. The best thing about this room? The previous owner left coat hangers so there's one less thing I have to buy! Yay!! One for Luce!

Oh, wait. The state of things. I had to sign a contract and write out in french the state of the room, eg. cracked paint, tiles, floor, walls, window etc. and tick off a list of items that are in the room. It took me half an hour with a dictionary. All of fifty words in total. I have a French test on Thursday. Help!