Fête de la Musique in a (small?) city

This year was my 3rd time in France on June 21, and my 2nd time getting to celebrate the Fête de la Musique. In 2006, I experienced la fête for the first time in a small-ish town with my study abroad gang in Normandy. In 2007, I was in Lourdes, volunteering and wasn't really aware of any festivals going on. In 2008 and 2009, I was sadly stateside.

What is this Fête de la Musique? It's a music festival involving all types of music performed by bands, mostly outdoors, to celebrate the beginning of summer and the longest day of the year.

And in 2010, on Monday, I got to experience la Fête de la Musique in Paris. The capital. This year totally rocked 2006's socks off. While interesting, my experience in 2006 involved listening to various mediocre bands do covers until about 9pm when we headed home.

On Monday, Tom and I didn't start until 10pm (although, this was a mistake because many venues closed down at midnight). We started in the 5th district at la Place de la Contre-Escarpe where, again, we heard covers, the best of which was Born to be Wild. We then took the metro (for the last time) to the 4th, near the Bastille where we listened to Les Dindons Virtuels, a pretty great sounding band doing songs by the Stones, Beatles, and Lynyrd Skynyrd outside Le Paradis du Fruit. Next, we walked to the nearby Place des Vosges. In each corner of this square there was a different band. We stood in the middle to orient ourselves then followed our ears to a band singing, you'll never believe it, French songs! It was very good to hear. Even though I didn't know any of them, I get sick of all the covers in English (especially when they don't actually know all the words). Unfortunately I don't think they were on the official listing and don't know how to find out who they were.

Really bad picture. You can't even see the band. But this was at Place des Vosges.

On the way out, we listened to a few interesting Electro-chorale numbers by a group wearing...rain suits?

Electo-chorale group called Echo.

Our last stop was supposed to be at Le Troisième Lieu, a bar with bands playing until 2am. I thought it would be good to find a place open late where we could sit down. Except when we got there, there was a line and it looked too hip for us. Instead, we went to a nearby bar to listen to music (through the stereo). At about 1:30 I was feeling pretty tired, so we decided to walk to the nearest metro to go home. RATP had announced for a week before that the metro would be running all night. After checking several stations, though, we realized they had deceived us and had decided to screw us all over. Why? I still don't know. Even the night buses, which are a normal thing, weren't normal. RATP, I can't believe I praised you in a recent post. I'm still waiting for an apology.

So we walked. From the 4th to the 13th. It took a little over an hour, and we reached home at 3am. It seemed like a very long walk, especially since I was so tired. But at the same time, I expected it to take longer. It turns out that Paris really isn't that big (excluding the suburbs of course). Our long early morning walk was only a little over 3 miles, or about 5 kilometers. In every other way, Paris is a big city, just not in actual size.

This walk gave Tom a chance to show off, though. Without a map, he got us home without a hitch, and he even showed me some pretty cool hidden treasures I'd never seen. He took a Discovering Paris class, which involved a lot of field trips, and now I'm really jealous because he might know Paris better than me.

Overall, it was a great night. The best part, I think, was experiencing some of my favorite spots (Place des Vosges, Place de la Contre-Escarpe) in new ways.

To the Market

Marché Maison Blanche, March 2010

“Allez-y madame.”

“Bonjour! Ça va?”

The man at the fruit and vegetable stand caught me eyeing his tomatoes and hands me a bag.

The normal Paris barriers seem to come down at the markets. Vendors shout bonjour before they know you are going to buy something. It’s to get your attention of course, but they are still the warmest salespeople in the city. The fruit and veggie guy even started tutoyer-ing me (using informal “you”) after my second visit.

I fill my bag with tomatoes, and take two more for green beans and carrots while I listen to the vendor talk to an elderly man about bananas.

“Des bananes de Martinique!” Bananas from Martinique!

“De Martinique? Quelle ville?” Martinique? What city?

“Moi, j’en sais rien. Je suis marocain!” I have no idea. I’m Moroccan! And they both laugh.

After he’s finished with the bananas, I hand him my bags, and he hands me a cherry. Delicious, but what do you do with those pits?!

“Merci.”

“Des abricots pour la princesse?” Apricots for the princess?

“Non, merci, ça sera tout.” No thanks, that’ll be all.

“Deux euros dix.”

I hand him the 2 euros and 10 centimes.

“A la prochaine.” See you next time.

Yes, see you next time. But not because you call me princess and give me free fruit. Really.

According to this France Guide website (in French), there are about 90 markets in France. The majority are marchés alimentaires (food markets), but there are a lot of markets that specialize in flowers, clothes, one that has birds, antiques, and then there are also marchés aux puces (flea markets) and the bouquinistes (used books) along the Seine.

The market described above is obviously a food market, one of two that I frequent. There you can find fresh vegetables, fruit, fish, cheese, and much more. And don’t let the name foul you. Most food markets also have stands for clothes, purses, cooking equipment, flowers, jewelry, and other odds and ends, like batteries.

Food markets are usually open two or three days a week for the morning and early afternoon. The permanent covered markets are open most days, but I’ve yet to be to one, but the famous Marché d’Aligre is on my to-do soon list.

The market above is called Marché Maison Blanche and is a 2-minute walk from our apartment and occupies one side of Avenue d’Italie, the main street for shopping and errands in our area. It can be visited on Thursdays from 7am-2:30pm and Sundays from 7am-3pm. This is where I go most often because this is where my veggie guy works and it’s so close. I also bought a 10 euro purse here (It’s not of super great quality though. For great quality, go one stand down where you will find 70 euro leather purses). Yet, it’s not my favorite food market because of one little thing: it’s organization. It is one long strip to walk down, with stands on each side. It’s usually very crowded and difficult to maneuver.

My favorite can be found on Wednesdays and Fridays from 7am-2:30pm and Sundays from 7am-3pm at Place Monge, near the Arènes de Lutèce. It offers most of the same things, but is set up in a town square and therefore is much easier to move about.

Marché Monge, May 2010

Marché Monge, May 2010

My favorite stand there has spices and olives. It smells absolutely wonderful and the colors are beautiful. Sorry, I haven’t been brave (or rude?) enough to take close-up pictures of stands. I need to learn how to make something with olives so I can actually buy and use some.

Besides Marché d’Aligre, I also hope to make it to the Marché aux Puces de Vanves before going home. The first day of my sister’s visit, we tried to make it, but everyone was packing when we finally got there. By chance, on the way home, we found a one-time flea market. Tom and I found some really neat old postcards of Paris, that had actually been sent decades ago and had their originally messages on the back.

Open-air markets have made it on my list of my favorite things about daily life in Paris. The market ambiance is unique. Watching people interact with each other and smile is almost better than my free fruit.

For more info or to find other markets in Paris, go here (French only).

Repeats and firsts during the sister visit

Luckily my sister, equipped with her foot brace, was able to continue to visit the sights in Paris. Of course, since I've been here since September, and since I'd visited Paris twice before (man, am I lucky!), I've covered all of the main tourist spots and much more, some multiple times. Obviously, though, there are several must-sees in Paris and any good host will revisit these places with the first-timer. I tried to regain my own first-time enthusiasm, as to not bum out my sister with my boredom.

In some places, it worked.

I continue to love strolling through the halls of Musée d'Orsay, looking at Van Gogh and Monet and Degas paintings. The enthusiasm didn't hold up in the Louvre, however. I prefer the Louvre from the outside. Gazing at the ancient palace turned museum with it's modern pyramids from the Tuileries is how I prefer to experience the Louvre these days. Once inside, I fell trapped and I know that the next 4 or 5 hours will be spent wondering the halls, feeling like a lost soul not knowing when it will end. Yet I survived my 5th (6th?) visit to the Louvre and was happy that my sister found a lot of interesting Egyptian art, including a Book of the Dead, which I suppose was pretty neat.

Since she came for two weeks, we had the time to see more than the must-sees, and I was excited to be a first-timer again in a few new places.

Although I have been to the Marais countless times (usually for a good falafel), I had never visited any of the hôtels particuliers. Although we weren't able to visit the inside of Hôtel de Sully, the courtyard of this town house, connected to the Place des Vosges, provided great views of the exterior. At the Hôtel de Soubise, we succeeded in getting in before it closed. The prince's and princesses' apartments are worth a visit.

Hôtel de Sully

One of my favorite new places was La Conciergerie, a royal palace dating from the middle ages that was later used as a prison. It was used to hold prisoners during the revolution. Their next stop after La Conciergerie was the guillotine. Marie Antionette and Robespierre were held here before their executions.

La Conciergerie

A mock up of what Marie Antoinette's cell looked like. Her actual cell was later converted into a chapel.

Still in the Conciergerie. Tom showing the mark of the water level during the 1910 Paris flood.

In the middle of Jenny's two week Paris visit, the three of us took a weekend trip to Normandy. Having studied in Normandy in the summer of 2006, almost everything we did and saw was another repeat for me. But it was a wonderful repeat! I love this region and it was good to get out of the city for a few days. Tom had also never been to this area, and he really enjoyed it, too, especially the adorable port city of Honfleur.

We visited Monet's gardens in Giverny, Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery, Mont-Saint-Michel, and spend an evening and afternoon wondering around Honfleur before returning to Paris. One new thing for me, though, was horseback riding near Mont-Saint-Michel. My sister is a horse enthusiast so we organized this detour. Sadly we didn't actually ride on the beach like she wanted to, but we did have magnificent views of Mont-Saint-Michel.

Another new thing was staying in a Chambre d'Hôte (Bed and Breakfast), which was the only option for us in the countryside where our horseback riding took place. It was definitely not the most comfortable (bed and awkwardness-wise), but it was another wonderful opportunity to speak French. The couple who owned the place were exceptionally welcoming and talkative.

Monet's gardens

Monet's...flowers

American Cemetery

Getting ready for some serious horse-riding, or just hoping not to fall off. Domino, my horse, was sweet, but all he wanted to do was eat along the trail. I had to yell "Non! Tu ne manges pas!" quite a bit.

Jenny smiling for a picture during a pit-stop.

Le Mont-Saint-Michel

Tom in the hall where monks ate...in silence.

Gorgeous Honfleur. How could I refuse a second visit?

I'm really glad my sister was able to experience a little bit of France, a place that holds such a special place in my heart. It's a bit of a risk inviting someone to visit you in your beloved new home. I know that sounds odd and snooty, but let me explain. Since France is so special to me, it is important that any guest of ours have a great time and find it equally wonderful. I suppose that I may be a tad unreasonable. I took my sister, and other visitors, to some of my favorite places, which are not exactly the most famous or must-sees. They liked some, but didn't care at all for others, which hurt a little. But on the whole my sister's trip was a success (well, besides the few special places she didn't care about or the whole falling down the stairs thing). It really helped that she had done some research before and was interested in seeing certain places...even if one of them was the Louvre.

Mon Appart (or Housing in Paris, Part 2: Studio Apartment)

Our 19th Century Haussmann apartment building.

There is so much I want to write about, and I'm trying to catch up! Back in February, we moved out of our foyer (residence hall type place) and into a subleased studio. It's only slightly bigger than our foyer room, 18m2 (194 square ft), but we have our own kitchen, which is slowly helping me with that learning to cook goal, and we share a toilet with one other studio. The shower is oddly in the kitchen, but it works for us. This size of studio apartment is typical for students in Paris, as housing is so expensive here. We unfortuanetly no longer qualify for CAF assistance, but we pay a relatively fair rent amount.

It may sound small, but we really have all the space we need. We love our quiet area, and we are close to Avenue d'Italie, where we do all of our errands, and close to the metro so we can go anywhere in Paris in an hour or less. Both our old foyer and current studio are in the 13th district, but we're in a nicer area now, with more restaurant and grocery shopping options. I actually adore our area, which includes the Butte aux Cailles. But that's for another blog post. Now, I just want to share some pics of our humble abode.

Kitchen. Do you see the shower?

Kitchen, view #2.

Living room/dining room/bedroom. I love our big window!

Living room/dining room/bedroom view #2. Our bed is a BZ, think futon but it pulls out the other way.

The view of the treacherous stairs from the top floor.

I prefer pubic transportation

I was sad to learn recently that my not-so-faithful car at home has gone kaput. When I return, I will have to make do with sharing Tom's truck until I find a job and can get a new car.

Fortunately in Paris, having a car is not necessary. In fact, it would be nearly crazy to keep a car here. Using les transports en commun is part of the daily grind in Paris. In fact, there is a common expression that goes métro, boulot, dodo (metro, work, sleep). This expression is actually negative, showing the monotony and repetition of daily life in the city.

Metro station Tolbiac, 13e arrondissement

Besides the few setbacks and strikes, I've actually been enjoying using public transportation, and wish it would be possible at home. Ok, I don't usually enjoy my time on the metro. At times, especially on lines 1 and 2 it seems, it's so crowded that there is no other option but to push and shove your way on, fighting for a spot, not even hoping for a seat but for room to breath, securing your pockets so that Mr. Pickpocket doesn't take off with your 10 euros or Navigo pass. There's also the stations themselves, which unfortunately sometimes have an awful stench and where you often have to avoid mysterious puddles, like on the streets. Every time I see one, I think of my friend Tabitha's saying, "I don't trust liquid in the city."

Back to the positive, since I really do like taking the metro. The number one reason is that it is so convenient. There are 14 metro lines in Paris (16 if you count 3bis and 7bis), and 5 RER lines (A-E). We are just a 5 minute walk from the station Tolbiac, on line 7, 10 minutes from the station Place d'Italie, which has lines 5,6, and 7, and just 10 minutes from the station Olympiades, which has the automatic super-fast line 14. Such a modern city, right? Can you believe that the metro started in 1900?!

Among other advantages is the time you have to read, which you couldn't (or shouldn't!) do while driving. It's also a great time to eavesdrop on conversations and try to understand as much French as possible. Also, it's relatively inexpensive. If you frequently use the metro, you can buy a Navigo pass. For Paris (zones 1 and 2), I pay just over 50 euros for the month. I probably spent more than that in gas in one week at home. There's also the Navigo Imaginaire, the student pass, which is much cheaper. The downside is that you have to pay for the year and you have to have a Certificat de Scolarité before you can get it.

In addition to the metro and RER, there are many bus lines and 3 tram lines. Buses can be a great alternative after months of taking the metro, where, if you have to go far, you'll be deprived of sunlight for hours a day. The trams are also above ground, but generally slower because their speed depends on traffic. Yet, the metro just seems easier to me. It's very easy to navigate. But one warning for future Paris visitors. Avoid Châtelet if you can, or be ready to walk. As convenient as it is to change lines (it has 5 metro lines and 3 RER lines), it is humongous. I'd prefer to walk outside than underground.

One last thing bothers me about the metro, though. It is the opposite of handicap accessible. There is the occasional elevator, but not at many stations. There are also escalators. But mostly it's stairs, stairs, stairs. I'm not sure how the elderly do it. Slowly, I guess. But people in wheelchairs? Well, I've obviously never seen any wheelchairs in the metro. But how do they get around?

Using public transportation goes hand in hand with your feet. This doesn't bother me so much, but getting lost does. At metro stations, there are plans du quartier (area maps), which are helpful. But I recently broke down and spent the 10 euros to buy the VERY helpful A. Leconte Plan de Paris book. I highly recommend it for Paris dwellers.

A Delicious find and a conversation starter

Last week, after my interview with Acadomia, I walked around the area, near l'Opéra Garnier. On my walk I came across La Cure Gourmande. I had already been to this store, but the one on l'Île Saint Louis, and I knew that they like to give out free samples so I stepped inside. The sample cookie was so delicious that I decided to buy a few cookies and a pretty tin as an Easter treat for Tom and myself. I got the tin and 4 cookies (2 almond and 2 chocolate) for just under 9 euros.

On the way home on line 7, I noticed a 60-something year old lady next to me studying my Cure Gourmande bag.

I was listening to my iPod, but after about 5 minutes the curiosity got the best of her and she politely interrupted my music to ask me about the bag. I showed her my tin and cookies and told her where I bought them. She had never heard of the place before. Seeing my opportunity to speak some French with a stranger, I asked "Vous habitez à Paris depuis longtemps?" (Have you lived in Paris for a long time?) "Oui, depuis des années." (Yes, for years.)

Then I saw the look, the "I hear an accent and you're surely not French look," so I told her I was American and she started talking to me in English. Normally, this would bother me, but not this time. She actually told me that my French is very good and that it's nice that some Americans are learning French. I learned that she is from Vietnam, that she lived in New York for several years, and that she has been in Paris for a decade. We talked about how difficult it is to get used to a new place. "It takes a year, no matter where you are. The first year is the hardest." I said that unfortunately I have a little less than a year, but that I've been able to enjoy myself and learn a lot all while dealing with the "first year problems."

We both got off at Tolbiac and went our separate ways- I went home and she went to a Vietnamese restaurant.

Pictures of the tin and cookies:

Oops! I guess I'll have to buy some more.

French with Marie

Whoa, 2 posts in one day, aren't you lucky blog readers!

For a while now, I have been working on my French with a "language exchange partner" who I met at the Tempo Tea Time conversation group. Well, what I thought would be "language exchanges" quickly became hanging out with a friend. A friend is what I was secretly hoping for, so I was pretty happy with that. Marie has shown me and some other lucky anglophones some of the greatest spots in Paris, including an amazing ice cream shop called Berthillon, the Tea Caddy, the Places des Vosges, and the Playmobil exposition.





I had originally envisioned doing 30 minutes in French and 30 minutes in English during our outings- to make sure I really worked on my French. Instead, we just switch back in forth. Sadly, Marie is leaving Paris soon. She just got a job in Germany. I mean, I'm very happy for her. I'm 90% excited for her and 10% sad for me.

I thought this would be a good time to share all the wonderful vocabulary I have learned thanks to Marie. Some are helpful for everyday, and same are downright hilarious.

Here is the list, taken in order directly from my vocabulary notebook (if you think I'm a nerd, Marie has a notebook and a pen especially for English vocab, haha).

se damner
Je me damnerais pour ça - I would sell my soul for that; I would kill for that

un lèche-bottes - brown-noser; suck-up

un cancre - dunce (or the kid who goes to sleep in class)

crade - dirty; gross

un déjeuner-baskets - dine-and-dash

sécher - to skip/cut class (also: to dry)

trinquer - to toast

dégoûter - to disgust
J'étais dégoûté(e) - That disgusted me (can also been that you are jealous)

râler - to moan; to complain

J'hésite entre... - I can't decide between...

le repose merdouille - junk drawer

le gendarme couché = le dos d'âne = le rallentissage - speed bump

un intello - nerd; geek

un montagne russe - roller coaster

There are probably many more I learned when I didn't have my notebook handy.

Thank you for teaching me these great words, Marie, and for showing me around Paris! Maybe it's more like 70% excited and 30% sad.



60%/40%

joueur de saxophone

French

Je regarde presque sans cesse les offres d'emploi- pour les 2 mois en France après mon contrat de 7 mois, et pour Anderson/Indianapolis de juillet et pour qui sait combien de temps.

Je me suis assise auprès de la fenêtre et je n'entends que le joueur de saxophone. Je ne peux pas le voir, mais je sais bien où il est. Il est en face de Monoprix, comme d'habitude, mais je ne l'ai jamais entendu d'ici.

Maintenant les gouttes de pluie prennent de l'ampleur et le joueur s'arrête. Il est encore orageux- du tonnerre et des éclairs. Je mets de la musique, Ariane Moffatt.

C'est sûr maintenant. J'aime habiter à Paris, surtout dans mon quartier quasi paisible. C'est bien Paris, mais avec du calme, là où l'on peut entendre un joueur de saxophone de loin. Je ne peux pas m'empêcher de m'inquiéter de mon avenir, mais je dois avouer que je suis heureuse.

Anglais

I'm constantly looking at job offers- for the 2 months I'll have in France after my assistantship contract, and for Anderson/Indy from July and for who knows how long.

I'm sitting at the window and I hear the saxophone player. I can't see him, but I know where he is. He is in his usual spot, across from Monoprix, but I've never heard him from here.

Now the rain is picking up and the musician stops. It's stormy again- thunder and lightening. I put on some music, Ariane Moffatt.

It's decided now. I love living in Paris, especially in my almost peaceful neighborhood. We're certainly in Paris, but with some peace and quiet, in an area where you can hear a saxophone player from afar. I can't stop myself from worrying about my future, but I have to admit that I'm happy.

Avec 4 mois qui reste, on quitte le foyer et j'écris seulement en français cette fois-ci

Je suis assise sur le lit du foyer. Je viens de faire l’état des lieux et j’attends Thomas pour rendre les clés. C’est notre dernier jour au foyer – mais nous ne quittons pas Paris ! Pas encore, heureusement. Nous avons déménagé à un studio. C’est up peu plus grand, et on a notre propre douche et cuisine. Eng fait, ils sont ensemble ! Il y a deux pièces : la cuisine/douche et la chambre/salle à manger/salon. Mais, à vrai dire, c’est mieux. Il y a des gens du foyer qui vont me manquer, mais nous sommes déjà heureux au studio, même s’il faut partager les toilettes avec une autre personne.

En attendant, j’ai décidé d’écrire parce que quelque chose m’a frappé. J’ai réfléchit et je sais que ce n’est pas la tristesse. Pourtant, cette chambre vide me fait pense à deux choses.

Premièrement, elle me fait penser à chaque fois que j’ai quitter une chambre à la résidence à AU, et ces souvenirs de sentiments mixtes sont encore vivants aujourd’hui. Malgré le froid du début mars dehors, j’ai l’impression que c’est mai et que je rentre chez moi pour l’été. Mais ce « chez moi » n’existe plus. Je ne veux pas dire que je préférais l’ancien « chez moi, » celui que j’avais quand j’avais 18 ans, parce qu’en fait je préfère mon « chez moi » actuel, celui avec mon mari. Et en plus, je crois que Paris devient petit à petit un autre « chez moi, » un « chez moi » à part.

Deuxièmement je pense à la dernière fois que j’ai vu cette chambre vide – quand nous sommes arrivés. C’était un jour horrible pour moi. Fatiguée, stressée, et accablée, j’avais peur que j’avais fait une faute grave de venir en France pour 10 mois. Plus maintenant. Même s’il y a plusieurs difficultés, je suis contente d’être là. Jusqu’ici, mon séjour en France est rempli de belles expériences, de nouveaux amis. Je sens que je suis en train d’apprendre un peu plus sur moi-même, et j’améliore mon français !

Je tiens le coup !

Housing in Paris, Part 1: Foyer

Since our arrival in September until now, we have lived in a foyer in the 13th district of Paris, Foyer Masséna, part of the CLJT. There really isn’t a good translation of foyer, because, as far as I know, there is nothing like this in the US. The closest comparison is a dorm, because there is a lot of collectivity. We have a 15m2 room with a sink, and there is one bathroom (3 toilets and 3 showers- coed!) per floor. We also share a tiny kitchen with the other 100 some residents.

However, it is far from being a dorm because it is not connected to a university and accept young people aged 18-25 (with some flexibility) from all over the world. Some foyers are just for students, some just for girls, and some just for workers. Ours is a foyer for jeunes travailleurs, étudiants, et stagaires (young workers, students, and interns). Some foyers only have single rooms, and ours, of course, has rooms for couples.

Pictures of our room, taken around Christmas:







Tomorrow we are moving to a studio. We are very excited to be moving, because life in this foyer has become borderline unbearable. I must add that our frustration is related more to specific circumstances than general foyer life. Let me explain. When we applied to live here, we were told that the bathroom and kitchen were collective, but that they were renovating a new, nice, better building in central Paris and that everyone would be moving to the new place in December. December.

Tomorrow is March 1 and we are still here. The move was delayed until January, and then February, and then March. What’s worse than sharing a bathroom and kitchen is that the cafeteria (which served dinner Monday-Friday) stopped last month in anticipation of the move. We never bought a fridge because one was supposed to be included in the new room at the new foyer. In addition, it seems that the direction here has lost interest in the conditions of this foyer, “knowing” we’ll be moving soon. Among other problems, there is rarely toilet paper in the bathrooms and the Internet goes out on the weekends when the staff isn’t here to reboot it. If we knew 100% for sure that we would be moving to the dream foyer in March, we would be sticking with foyer life. Yet, we have very little faith in them now.

We did live here for nearly 6 months, though, and I thought it might be helpful to future students and English assistants if I gave a quick bilan of the advantages and disadvantages of living in a foyer- not specifically this one which is falling apart. Of course, not all foyers are the same, so if you are considering applying to live in one, ask a lot of questions!

Advantages

• It’s easy. I mean that it’s easy to apply to live in a foyer compared to the nightmare of trying to find an apartment in Paris. Affordable and decent housing is a big problem in Paris, especially for students, since there aren’t dorms like in the US. I was afraid of coming to Paris (at the same time as tons of students) without a place to live. I know other assistants who didn’t find a place for two weeks or more. Others found a temporary place, but had to do the search all over again after a month or two. Finding an apartment or studio here takes time, energy, and MONEY. For our foyer, we had to give a security deposit (une caution/ une garantie) equal to the amount of one month’s rent (le loyer). But with apartments, when you use an agency, you have to pay a deposit of one or two month’s rent, first month’s rent, and often agency fees (honoraries) that are at least the amount of one month’s rent. So, if you found a place for 650 euros/month, you may have to pay 2000 euros or more. Also, you usually have to have a co-signer (garant) if you don’t make 3 TIMES the amount of the rent. You also have to have all kinds of paperwork that you probably don’t have in the first week of arriving.

• It’s probably cheaper than any apartment or studio you’ll find in Paris. But, I guess you get what you pay for….

• There are (for our foyer at least) planned activities that are usually free. Tom often played badminton and volleyball. I did a few cooking workshops which were fun.

• The staff members are usually helpful with questions about housing assistance, bank accounts, and where to find things in the neighborhood.

• It’s a good way to meet people- if you’re outgoing and enjoy the activities proposed.

• It’s international, which maybe 50% French and 50% foreigners from the US, northern Africa, Italy, Spain, Latin America…. I think other foyers are mostly non-French. Not sure.

Disadvantages

• Sharing a bathroom (again, some foyers have rooms with private bathrooms). This wouldn’t be so bad if some people here weren’t so disgusting! Gross.

• At this foyer, there is no Wi-Fi and Internet is only accessible in… you guessed it, in a common room, only open from 9am-midnight. You have to have a cord and there is a limited number of spots- perhaps 8 for more than 100 people that live here!

• There are too many Americans. A disadvantage? Yes, when one wants to learn French.

• A particular disadvantage for us: we are perhaps on the older end of the age range here and are married. We are also not so much into partying in the “college” way. Therefore, it was actually difficult to make friends here, due to a lack of common interests I suppose. Going from having our own place to living in a dorm-like place has been tough and sometimes made me feel like I was being treated like a child.

• The building is simply not very attractive.

• Some foyers (not ours) have a curfew and don’t allow overnight guests. This may mostly apply to the all girl foyers.

So, there you have it. Generally for students and English assistants, I would recommend living in a foyer if you are single and are used to living in a dorm. If not, some adjustment is required. I would in general recommend the association that our foyer belongs to, CLJT, but not this specific foyer, unless they actually do move to the apparently inexistent foyer in St. Lazare (9th district). And remember to ask a lot of questions! It also could be a temporary solution. You have to give a month’s notice before leaving, though.

We are moving tomorrow to a studio, only slightly bigger but with a kitchen and shower and the possibility of Wi-Fi. The toilet is in the hall (not uncommon here) and is shared with one other studio. I think it will be a vast improvement, but I’m hoping not to run into any unexpected problems. I will keep you posted.