Un petit dialouge...

(a little rant - I couldn't find a direct translation for rant)

Today I was planning on writing a small blurb on on how unexpectedly good the accommodation is here and the benefits of lowering ones expectations of such things. After the weekend, not so! Pourquoi I hear you ask. Well, let me tell you...

At first I was pleased, my room was reasonably pleasant and much resembled the advertised standards. It was spacious enough for two people, well lit and had a table, shelves a wardrobe and a small bathroom. I had to be careful to take only a small step out of the shower else I would have stepped into the toilet but all in all I was satisfied.



Then on Saturday afternoon, I was informed that I would have to leave my nice well lit, spacious and modern room. Ok, my French isn't quite good enough to ask why I have to move move to another room so someone can have my space and why can't they just move into the available space rather than move me from mine. (And that's pretty tricky to say in French with all those pronouns and things floating around)

Then when I found my new room, I understood. You see, until this weekend I was a PAYING CUSTOMER. As of Monday I became merely one of the SPONGING BUMS who is working for the residence to get the tuition and accommodation for free and when the residence is full we get the crap rooms and if we don't like it we can leave (or pay). I did not actually get told this, it was implicit in the quality of my new accommodation.

Both of these options do not appeal to me and therefore I am staying in a room reminiscent of the entrance to the factory in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Note how at fist it looks normal, but then in the second photo I am crouched down because the ceiling slants down sharply, in the 5m of the length of the room. Indeed I was only slightly amused when my new roommate, Jose (Spanish), sat up in bed in the morning and knocked his head on the wooden beam so hard it woke me up. Funny yes, but also a stark reminder of what could happen to me should I forget where I am as I wake up.

Oh and also aside from the lack of vertical and horizontal space, light and good feeling, I don't have to worry about stepping into the toilet as it's a pretty big step to get outside along the terrace and down the stairs to where the toilet is. But had there been one in our room I probably wouldn't have used it as our bathroom dosen't even have a door! So you ask doesn't that just mean you have a shower in your room? Yes, that is correct, it is walled on three sides and has only a curtain on the other (just behind the fan).

C'est la vie, at least Jose doesn't snore as Richard's does. As for the photo, I haven't had a chance yet.

à plutard,
Zac