Le Homestay de Madame Peloux!

Sunday, I moved into my homestay finally! For the last past week I have been living out of my luggage and not being able to find things but finally I got to unpack! I am only living with one Madame. She has no family living with her. She lives in a small, humble abode in which I have much getting used to to do. You can look at the pictures first. Then, I will tell you my sob story.

At first, they told me: "Make sure you barely move around in your room because there are many things that could break in the room". It's a bit exaggerated but doesn't it make it seem like she's rich?! Or is this just me? But anyways, I thought it was going to be amazing and I was going to see chandeliers and bright, sparkly lights, etc, etc. But no. Again, it's a small, humble abode.

The taxi dropped me off in front of her house and I got to the door #1. I typed in the code I was given and aha! I got in. I was trying to get into door #2 but the code I was given were the letters "MADP" and the buttons on the machine were only numbers. I was like, "Uhhhhh." I didn't even have her number! But luckily, a man from the apartment was coming in so he let me in as well. At first, I didn't see the elevator and I freaked out. How the heck was I supposed to get my fat 50lb+ luggage, duffel bag, flowers, and purse up to the third floor?! (Btw, in France, the first floor is called floor zero...then it starts counting.) But smart me turns around and sees an elevator. I get all my stuff into the claustrophobic elevator and go up three flights to the third floor. I am trying to get my luggage out of the claustrophobic elevator and I guess I am making so much ruckus that she hears me and comes out to help me. She gives me les bises and tells me here name is Marie Antoinette. On the paper, it said Madame Peloux. I was like, "Is this grandma crazy? Why is she calling herself Marie Antoinette? It says her name is Madame Peloux." (But I later found out that that's her first name. Whew. No crazy, name-forgetting grandma for me!) But yeah, the moment I get in, she tells me where everything is and blah, blah, blah. She gives me a cup of tea, which I like very much, and some biscuits from Britain. Yum.  

Anyways, story time is hard so I'm going to list some things about my homestay.

1. I have really itchy, scratchy wool blankets.

2. My pillows are dinky little things. I don't even know.

3. The shower is like five trickles of hot water that lasts for 45 seconds then turns cold. I have to turn off the water, wait, then turn it back on, wait, then use my 45 seconds of hot water again. And it goes on about 10 times to take a legit shower. The waiting time, I am freezing cold and soapy.

4. She won't let me leave my toothbrush/paste in the sink. Nor, she won't let me put my shampoo in the tub. This means an extra five-ten minutes out of my getting ready time in the morning because I have to put everything back into my little cupboard. And pick up all my hair off the bathroom floor. Which I do anyways but not every morning!?!?

5. As I am eating breakfast, I often find food-bits stuck to wall. I think they have accumulated over the years. Yum.

6. I had to buy my own cereal and milk for breakfast because she only has bread, butter, and apricot(?!) jam. Even though she's supposed to provide me breakfast daily, I can't find a polite way to say, "Buy me some cereal because you owe me, please." 

But still, it's not that bad! I mean, there are just so many things that I could be unhappy about but seriously, I'm totally fine. Sometimes, I want to sit and cry because I'm lonely and away from all the other students but honestly, this is what I'm here for. To be stretched and pushed to my limits everyday. Certainly, this is what's happening to me. "When you're studying abroad, it's 100% dependence on God" (-Michelle Moon). I totally concur. Everything that I am experiencing, I sort of love it. It teaches me that I'm a princess (back at home or maybe even here too) and that I seriously get everything that I want. I really feel like I'm on missions or something! Yes, in Paris, France! It's not all fine and dandy. At least not every moment of the day, you know? I'm learning so, so much and I am so thankful. It's crazy. Small, humble abode, ya feel? I need Jesus, ya feel?