Never judge a book...

So, if you were to look at this website www.hec.fr, you’d probably think ‘wow that looks pretty snazzy!’. This was my initial thought and so my expectations were pretty high… However, after a tedious treck across Paris with three suitcases (and no escalators at stations!)  on arrival at HEC it was rather different than expected! :S Mum and I made it to the campus, and found the housing office. I just had to sign some documents for my key, and was told that if it was lost or broken I would have to pay €125. Fair enough. And then the guy at the desk looked at me and demanded a cheque as a ‘deposit’ from me! Well, I don’t have a French back account yet so couldn’t give him a cheque, and my key wasn’t lost yet! So I stressed out a bit but then remembered I had my English cheque book, so had to write him a cheque for £125 in the end! But anyway, walked across to my block and discovered I am on the second floor, but some kind men helped us with our suitcases up the stairs. Put the key in the door and… complete disappointment! I actually burst into tears, Partly from exhaustion but mainly because the room was so unwelcoming and not what I was expecting. Its like I have gone back in time to a 70’s boarding school! Dark, old, wooden furniture , green lino floor tiles, brown bed blanket, wooden panels on the walls, plastic curtains, and the shower is shared with my neighbour- whom I have yet to meet. Toilets are at the end of the corridor, but you have to walk past the urinals to get to the cubicles! Tres bizarre. My sink even let out brown water when we first turned it on! The single bed has a funny long, oblong type pillow which is a bit uncomfortable to sleep on too. But there is a nice balcony! I think I need to think realistically, it’s a free room on campus at the end of the day, with running hot water and electricity and internet access. Even though I haven’t been given my internet pass yet. And I met a girl who lives at the end of the corridor- she had a few friends in her room so chatted a bit to them.

We did the best we could to unpack and use what we could of the storage in the room. Now my personal things are up it looks a bit better!

We decided to get some air and so we walked around campus in the afternoon. There isn’t much! Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful campus with lots of greenery, but it is in the middle of redevelopment so there are lots of barriers and machines about! But there is no shop to grab a snack or anything, no bar, no like students union area… everyone is expected to eat at the canteen for three meals a day! But we checked that out and the food isn’t actually bad at all, very very cheap and a good range of actually healthy food! When you ask someone where you can go and buy stuff, they just kinda look at you blankly and say ‘there’s nowhere!’, or the nearest places are a train/bus ride away. Its just different to uni, I’m so used to having shops and stuff so close.

The town centre is about a 15 min walk, and again very small and basic. But there is infact a small supermarket, banks, hairdressers, boulangerie , train station etc. So ACTUALLY, there is life around! We treated ourselves to dinner at a fancy brasserie with some wine- it was well needed after such an exhausting day!

Friday was ‘get stuff done’ day. I needed to see someone about my contract, set up a bank account, go shopping for things like a kettle and stuff. The whole morning was taken up by walking around the WHOLE of the campus, trying to find one woman, we were getting sent from pillar to post and I was getting more frustrated at each person we spoke to for directions that I stopped listening haha. We found her eventually, but she was quite short with us- probably because it was approaching lunch time and she wanted to leave! But anyway, sorted that and we decided to brave the canteen for lunch and that was nice. So off we trotted to town again, to set up a bank account. Now, I had been warned of the numerous documents one needs for setting up an account in France, so I was ready prepared with every document and photocopy of anything they might throw at me… so I thought!! It was all going well, until the young man asked me for proof of my accommodation… All I had was my key!! But he kindly let me off- which believe me is incredible for French admin!  So that all got sorted, including free housing insurance which is mandatory for me to have to be able to stay in my room! Then just as we were about to leave, we asked him where we could go for some shopping. He told us about a big shopping centre about 15 mins away, but buses were irregular if we wanted to go. We said thank you anyway, but then he turned around and said ‘I’ll take you!’. Mum and I were like ‘No, its ok you are at work!’ But he insisted. So bless him, he drove us to the shopping centre, and gave us his number in case we didn’t know how to get back! The funniest thing though, we went out for dinner with one of mums friends in Versailles that night, and we were sat outside and guess who drives past because he lives on the same road…? The bank man!! Haha, who’s name is Aurélien (any ideas on how you say that most welcome!) Mum made me go over to where he parked up to say hello and thank him for helping us, so I did, and he was quite pleased to see me!

After all the hassle of trying to get myself a kettle, we bought it back and I only went and blew the fuse with it!!! Apparently you’re not allowed appliances with more than 1000W, which is written on the back of the door but I clearly didn’t see it! So that was a bit of a palava, and no one came to fix it until midnight :( I had to be persistent as apparently there was no one on the 24hr emergency helpline to come and fix it for me, but after marching down to reception it turns out that there is in fact someone. So it’s just a bit frustrating that the French seem unreliable and inconsistent! But, its all part of the experience.

I went back to England this weekend for a friends 21^st, so although it was effort going to and from London and Paris twice in one weekend, it was worth it so see my uni friends and say goodbye to them all! I met my brother briefly in London too, and he had managed to get me a smaller travel kettle so hopefully that shouldn’t blow the fuses again! I managed the trek back to the campus on Sunday evening all by myself which is quite an accomplishment. I didn’t want to come back though, I just couldn’t find the energy to be positive about where I would be for a year!

Anyway, I met some of the staff with whom I will be working in the library, and they were all very pleased to see me and seem lovely and kind. Fingers crossed it will be that way when I actually start work!

So first impressions are a bit rubbish, but like everyone keeps telling me I am sure things will look up. I am just so emotionally drained and exhausted, sleeping is really hard because the accommodation is very noisy and my room faces out towards where party nights are held so there is music most nights. I don’t know much about what is going on for students this week or anything, but it would be nice to get out and meet more people!

A la prochaine!