My First Day

It began already at midnight, when I was still trying to pack all of my things. It wasn't working too well though, because even after ten times of packing and repacking, my luggage was way too heavy... And the Estonian Air company doesn't give a damn if you are flying out for the weekend or for a whole year - you can still take only 20 + 8 kg of stuff. How ridiculous is that! That's why I had to leave behind 15 kg, among which were my favorite books, two skirts, notebooks and lots of other stuff that I thought I'd desperately need here.
Plus I had to cheat at the airport: my mom was holding some of the heavy things while I was doing the check-in and I put them in my backpack afterwards (don't tell anyone;)).
Getting to Paris was cool (I saw the Eiffel Tower from high above); waiting in the airport for three hours wasn't too bad; flying to Strasbourg was ok (very quick)... There was a man waiting for me when I arrived - Eric - from the school staff. He started talking to me in French, but I was able to understand most of it. And then it happened - the thing I somehow had expected: my luggage didn't arrive. So they gave me this funny little package which contains everything a person needs when they don't have their luggage: soap, shampoo, toothbrush, deodorant, a petit towel, L-size T-shirt, shaving cream, a green tea perfume and of course a condom (what would I have done without it!!!)... They promised I'll get my stuff tomorrow morning... we'll see about that!
Then Eric took me here, to the gymnasium of Lucie Berger. It is a large school with different facilities, located right in the middle of town centre - Le Petit France district (kind of like VHK). I already saw some of the students who seemed to be no more than just average teenagers.
Afterwards he showed me the place I'll be living in for the next ten months. It is just across the elementary school. My room is on the fifth floor, right on top of the gymnasium. It is a small (3x5) room [konku] with controversial furnishing: I have a cool antique chiffonier and desktop but also a cupboard and a table that look as if they were brought from Emmaus... Luckily there's my own personal sink and a nice bed. And a wiew to the school yard and elementary house (and noisy students :S).
My neighbors are four girls: two German, one Chinese and one Vietnamese, they seem nice and friendly even though they speak better French than I do (as I expected). Lucky for me they also know English - I'm saved!!! The bad news is that we have to share one shower, but the good news is that this place (l'ordinateur et internet) is available anytime I need it.
So, considering I had such a shitty arrival, I am beginning to feel a bit more hopeful about this place. Though I have no idea how am I supposed to communicate with the students and the staff because they still don't seem to understand the seriousness of the situation (that is the lack of my language skills) and keep addressing me in French. No, it's not that bad because - to my surprise - I think I understand about a half/two thirds of what they are saying. That is much more than I expected :)
Tomorrow I will find out what my work is, probably listening to a whole lot of French talk, but I must say - I didn't go to VHK for no reason. Thanks to a certain teacher I know the solution to that problem: "naerata ja nooguta ja pool maailma kuulub sulle!" ;)
Don't worry about me, I'm worried enough for all of us!! -> Smilers "Lendan" <-