Flight to Lyon: Air France sucks la seriously... the leg space was like non-existence and the service sucks. I mean, when i asked for a glass of water, they were like "oh it's over there, help yourself". Nothing particular interesting happened, all I could remember was saying "please shoot me" 100 times during the 13hr 40min flight to Paris.
Den at the Paris custom, i experienced the monstrosity that is the French Administration. They were taking like their own fucking sweet time. I was supposed to board my next flight at 650am but i was still stuck at the customs at 7am when the flight was supposed to leave at 730am. So me being the gan jiong spider became.... very gan jiong. but there was nothing i can do but pray. Pray to all the gods that they wud hurry up clear the hoards of black pple in front of me. Den at around 710am i finally cleared the customs and i ran like nobody's business to the gate, only to find out that the flight has been (freaking hell) delayed. so basically i gan jiong for nothing.
Flight to Lyon was alright... i just slept thru most of it.... i only remember sitting next to a man who looks really dodgy with beard like Santa Claus and was wearing a sorta girder like thing. For a moment i tot maybe he is a terrorist hiding some bomb thing under that girder but nehhhh, i rather just sleep.
Day 1: I got to Lyon in one piece and everything was fine up till now. I even remember telling myself "oh god u are so smart". But i guess the powers that be decided to play a joke on me and like make my first day a complete and utter disaster.
When i reached the airport, the girl (Valerie) who was supposed to pick me up (but didnt cos she had some last minute medical appt for her residence permit... but i knew before hand so thats fine) smsed me if i still need help getting to the the school. i said i shud be fine but i would appreciate help with the luggage if she was free the rest of the day. So i met her at Part-Dieu station at 11am and we went to eat lunch together after that.
Ok lunch was awkward to say the least... but it's such a small world that she knows Yingming who i lent my econs notes to, and RONGWEI!!!! wtf!! its such a small world!! ok but yes, there was like awkward silence and all. Ok den after that we took the tram to my school, which looks like a freaking ghost town. And it doesnt help that it was drizzling and wet and cold. By then my hands already very tired. 35kg of luggage is NOT fun man... gives the term excess baggage a WHOLE new meaning.
The tram ride to my place showed a very dodgy and ghetto Lyon that i didnt expect. i mean being the 2nd largest city of France, i would expect it to be like... Paris, but it wasnt like that. So i was a bit disappointed. but Valerie said my place is a bit out of town so its like the Lyon equivalet of Seng Kang. den HORROR of HORRORS, the building i was supposed to check in to wasnt opened!! but i didnt know it wasnt open because it was lunch time or because its the term break. so me and valerie waited and chatted summore.
she was telling me about her experience... she's an EDB scholar and doing her prep/bridging classes learning french for the last 4 months. When she first arrived, she had 45kg of luggage and zero knowledge of french. She was telling me all sorts of horror stories about the first few days... like everyone was treating her rudely cos she dunno how to speak french and all. and i was starting to get a bit worried myself. Den she was given shitty accomodations and she had to complain to the admin but she didnt noe what she was saying half the time. And turns out that she knew how to speak english but just didnt want to (cliches proven to be right).
She also told me Derek (another scholar but in the 3rd year now) once told her "i would be lying if i said it wasnt difficult at first... i cried like a lot of times my first year here" i mean ok, a guy crying. I tot i a the only guy in the world who can cry on cue. OMG this is not turning out to be wat i expected. But i mean i was still hoping for the best.
Den halfway while waiting, lady luck came in the form of an Ah Tiong called Wang Xing Jun!!! We asked him if the office is opened today, he said he dunno also, but he offered to let me put my big luggage in his room first den we can go to other offices to see if they can help me. When i went to his room, i nearly fainted. His accomodation was god damn atrocious. Macam like some hostel from china. valerie even told me "please if u get this kinda of room. change it. it is so depressing. Its worse than the first room i got." i also say... i wud DIE if i get a room like that.
den we went around looking for other offices but turns out they were all close as well. i nearly wanted to faint and take the next flight out back to singapore. Valerie offered to let me stay the nite at her place and the china guy very nice la. he told me to let me leave my big luggage at his place so i no need to bring ard. But all my clothes are inside so i had to bring it along. So yes... a new fren found... and Mr Wang here helped redeemed the reputation of ah tiongs worldwide.
Valerie's place is in town so its like damn nice. She said she quarrel with EDB until they let her stay in a 500euro per month room, all by herself. Below are some of the pictures of her area.
One side of the Rhone river
the other side of the Rhone river
Some Ferris wheel at Bellecour
The streets of Bellecour... the Xmas decorations are still up so its very nice!!
Some street stall
Streets at duskSo yeah, walked ard a bit, and as if my day wasnt bad enuff, she told me more horror stories. So by then i was damn sad already. It still felt very surreal that i am in a cafe, outside pouring and wind blowing and she was there going on and on. I was crying inside already. The walk home was damn cold. I was literally shivering while talking to her. and it was only 8degrees.
At nite when i slept, i dreamt a lot of stupid dreams. then in the end i woke up at 615am. went to shit (cos i never shit the whole day), trying not to wake her up (cos i very paiseh to be shitting in other pple's house. dun ask me why) den i tried going back to sleep after that. But i cant... den i just started thinking wats going to happen on the next day cos sunrise is coming soon and i am really dreading it. i didnt want to think anymore cos i very worried. den i cannot control already. i went to the toilet and cry. freaking cry like baby. i cant remember really crying since.... no waitaminute. i cry quite often, just that no one knows. ok anw, like damn qi liang like that la. sit on toilet bowl and cry until 715am den tried to go back and sleep again. but cannot sleep so just lie on the floor, stare at the ceiling until 8 den we both wake up.
Day2: was soooooo much better. i smsed derek, who was on holiday with his girlfren to help me call INSA and ask if they were opened. AND IT WAS!!! but i had to accompany Valerie to collect her residence permit thing first. But thats fine. i am just so damn happy that its open.
So i went to collect my room key, went to tell the person i have arrived. spoke like my first true sentence of french to the admin, who was surprising very nice and understanding. Valerie was also very surprised that they are so nice... she said in her 4 months here those are the nicest french pple she ever saw.
So yeah cleaned my room, unpacked, went out to buy some groceries and now i am in my room. using my roomate fren's password. ( i wun get mine until monday)
My roomate is very amicable and frenly. He is 22 from brazil doing EE den he can speak english so thats FANTASTICCC!!! i sharing room with him and another french guy stays in a single room. he went home for the holidays so he wun be back anytime soon. den got toilet and bathroom adn small stove and fridge and get this..... i get a balcony. all for just 224 euros a month.
Anyway i will take pictures of my room some other day after i finish packing. this is all for now. i very tired want to sleep!!! bye bye!!!
some shopping centre that i went to do grocery shopping. GOT CARREFOUR!!
My family at the airport
My dunman frens and their respective spouses
My CE frens. thanks for the card bitches.... appreciate it
Dancers!! thanks aili for the cap!! i will put it to good use! and its brown!! yay! thanks!!
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